My Life: Act 1: Still Rock and Roll To Me
SCENE ONE: Laura’s Room: Alarm going off with Laura realizing she has overslept and is late for work. Laura’s room features many Billy Joel elements/posters. Guitar intro to It’s Still Rock and Roll To Me playing as she begins to get ready.
Laura
What’s the matter with the clothes I’m wearing?
Can’t you tell that your tie’s too wide?
Maybe I should buy some old tab collars?
Welcome back to the age of jive
Where have you been hidin’ out lately, honey?
You can’t dress this trashy till you spend a lot of money
Everybody’s talkin’ ’bout the new sound
Funny, but it’s still rock and roll to me
SCENE TWO: TONY DRIVING: Show Tony’ who has his “old man’s car” of which he will later borrow in Zanzibar. He is driving to work at Mamma Leone’s Grocery Store. Establish that Tony is the same age as the rest of the gang but he is from the town of Waterville and doesn’t attend the college.
Tony
What’s the matter with the car I’m driving?
Can’t you tell that it’s out of style?
Should I get a set of white wall tires?
Are you gonna cruise a miracle mile?
Nowadays you can’t be too sentimental
Your best bet’s a true baby-blue Continental
Hot funk, cool punk, even if it’s old junk
It’s still rock and roll to me
SCENE THREE: Johnny and Bobby band practice. They are rehearsing in the CMI and decide to start a band this semester.
Johnny
Oh, it doesn’t matter what they say in the papers
‘Cause it’s always been the same old scene
There’s a new band in town but you can’t get the sound
From a story in a magazine
Bobby
Aimed at your average teen
SCENE FOUR: Leyna working at the student post office handing out packages during her shift
Leyna
How about a pair of pink sidewinders
And a bright orange pair of pants?
Well, you could really be a Beau Brummel, baby
If you just give it half a chance
Don’t waste your money on a new set of speakers
You get more mileage from a cheap pair of sneakers
Next phase, new wave, dance craze, anyways
It’s still rock and roll to me
SCENE FIVE: James buying fireworks
James
oh, what’s the matter with the crowd I’m seeing?
Don’t you know that they’re out of touch?
Well, should I try to be a straight-A student?
If you are then you think too much
Don’t you know about the new fashion, honey?
All you need are looks and a whole lotta money
It’s the next phase, new wave, dance craze, anyways
It’s still rock and roll to me
SCENE SIX: Music abruptly cuts with Laura arriving at work out of breath. Scene ends with a shot of her patch on her jean jacket.
Laura
Everybody’s talkin’ ’bout the new sound
Funny, but it’s still rock and roll to me
My Life: Act 1: Still Rock and Roll To Me : Vienna
SCENE ONE: Cut to Virginia, Laura’s boss in the foreign language department. Virginia is an administrative assistant from Waterville, who has students work as clerks in the Foreign Language Department. Laura, entering apologetically, is relieved that Virginia doesn’t mind that she is late. She tells Virginia all about her radio show, Still Rock and Roll To Me and Virginia reassures her that the best is yet to come.
Virginia
Slow down, you crazy child
You’re so ambitious for a juvenile
But then if you’re so smart, then tell me
Why are you still so afraid?
Where’s the fire, what’s the hurry about?
You’d better cool it off before you burn it out
You’ve got so much to do
And only so many hours in a day
But you know that when the truth is told
That you can get what you want or you get old
You’re gonna kick off before you even
Get halfway through
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you
Include shots of the foreign language hallway and various illusions to Vienna
Virginia
Slow down, you’re doing fine
You can’t be everything you want to be
Before your time
Although it’s so romantic on the borderline tonight
Tonight,
Too bad but it’s the life you lead
You’re so ahead of yourself that you forgot what you need
Though you can see when you’re wrong, you know
You can’t always see when you’re right. you’re right
You’ve got your passion, you’ve got your pride
But don’t you know that only fools are satisfied?
Dream on, but don’t imagine they’ll all come true
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?
Slow down, you crazy child
And take the phone off the hook and disappear for awhile
It’s all right, you can afford to lose a day or two
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?
And you know that when the truth is told
That you can get what you want or you can just get old
You’re gonna kick off before you even get half through
Why don’t you realize, Vienna waits for you
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?
My Life: Act 1: Still Rock and Roll To Me : Moving Out (Anthony’s Song)
SCENE ONE: Sung by Tony who arrives at work to find his grocery store closed cause of Covid 19. He finds a note informing him he has been fired from his job at the grocery store at Mamma Leone’s.
Sergeant John O’Leary:
Anthony works in the grocery store
Savin’ his pennies for someday
Mamma Leone left a note on the door
She said, Sonny, move out to the country
Workin’ too hard can give you
A heart attack (ack)
You oughta know by now (oughta know)
Who needs a house out in Hackensack
Is that what you get with your money
Anthony:
It seems such a waste of time
If that’s what it’s all about
Mama if that’s movin’ up
Then I’m movin’ out
I’m movin’ out
Tony’s old man is referenced throughout the show (Zanzibar/All For Leyna/Captain Jack). He has a rocky relationship at home and is looking for a change of course. After being fired he goes on over to Zanzibar, owned by Mister Cacciatore down on Sullivan street to grab a drink from Sergeant John O’Leary at the bar
Anthony
Sergeant O’Leary is walkin’ the beat
At night he becomes a bartender
He works at Mister Cacciatore’s down
On Sullivan Street
Across from the medical center
He’s tradin’ in his Chevy for a Cadillac
You oughta know by now
And if he can’t drive
With a broken back
At least he can polish the fenders
Sergeant O’Leary, the local bartender at Zanzibar, suggests that Mister Cacciatore could help Tony try and get a work study job at Colby during the pandemic. Since so many students didn’t come back he can probably live on campus for a change of scenery.
Sergeant O’Leary
It seems such a waste of time
If that’s what it’s all about
Anthony
Mama if that’s movin’ up
Then I’m movin’ out
I’m movin’ out
Sergeant O’Leary
You should never argue with a crazy mind (mmm)
You oughta know by now
You can pay Uncle Sam with the overtime
Is that all you get for your money
If that’s what you have in mind
If that’s what you’re all about
Good luck movin’ up!
Anthony
‘Cause I’m moving out
I’m moving out
I’m moving out
My Life: Act 1: Still Rock and Roll To Me : For The Longest Time
SCENE ONE: Bobby knocks on Laura’s door asking if she’ll give him a haircut and becomes a dream sequence of a barbershop quartet with Tony, Johnny and Bobby.
Johnny and Bobby
Oh, oh, oh
For the longest time
Oh, oh, oh
For the longest
Johnny
If you said goodbye to me tonight
There would still be music left to write
What else could I do
I’m so inspired by you
That hasn’t happened for the longest time
Laura
Once I thought my innocence was gone
Now I know that happiness goes on
Bobby
That’s where you found me
When you put your arms around me
I haven’t been there for the longest time
Johnny and Bobby
Oh, oh, oh
For the longest time
Oh, oh, oh
For the longest
The gang notice Tony moving in down the hall. He drops off his toiletries in the bathroom and joins their Barbershop quartet number
Tony
I’m that voice you’re hearing in the hall
And the greatest miracle of all
Is how I need you
Johnny
And how you needed me too
That hasn’t happened for the longest time
Bobby
Maybe this won’t last very long
But you feel so right
And I could be wrong
Laura worries she might have accidentally over buzzed Bobby’s hair
Laura
Maybe I’ve been hoping too hard
But I’ve gone this far
And it’s more than I hoped for
Tony
Who knows how much further we’ll go on
Maybe I’ll be sorry when you’re gone
Johnny
I’ll take my chances
I forgot how nice romance is
I haven’t been there for the longest time
Bobby
I had second thoughts at the start
I said to myself
Hold on to your heart
Now I know the woman that you are
You’re wonderful so far
And it’s more than I hoped for
Johnny
I don’t care what consequence it brings
I have been a fool for lesser things
I want you so bad
I think you ought to know that
I intend to hold you for the longest time
Johnny
Hey I’m Johnny, This is Bobby.
Tony
Hey my name’s Tony and I’m just moving in. Got this work study this semester.
Bobby
Welcome to Drummond.
They notice Tony has a guitar with him
Johnny
Hey you play? Bobby plays bass, we’ve been looking for a lead guitar player.
Tony
Do you guys have a band or something?
Bobby
It’s a work in progress.
Johnny
We’ve got this gig at the Interfaith Fellow Community Candle Lighting Concert. It’s at the top of chapel hill at sunset.
Tony
Sweet, what are you thinking of playing?
Johnny
Laura said all the songs should have a spiritual element to them since the concert is at the chapel, so we thought we could get away with Only the Good Die Young.
Tony
I don’t know if I’d call that a spiritual song.
Johnny
There are so many bands on campus it can be pretty tricky to get a gig.
Bobby
We’re gonna be rehearsing in the CMI later if you wanna give it a try.
Tony
What’s the CMI?
Johnny
Colby Music Incubator for all your rock and roll needs.
Tony
Do you guys got a name?
Bobby
We’re The Goonies.
Johnny
No, we’re the Raiders of The Lost Arc.
Bobby
No we compromised on Goonies Never Say Die.
Tony
Punchy.
My Life: Act 1: Still Rock and Roll To Me : Zoom Scene
Leyna
Notre Dame Just got sent home
James
Wouldn’t be surprised if we’re in the same boat soon
Laura
No The administration said if we can make it through the first two weeks, we’ll stay through the semester
Bobby
Or we’ll end up virtual by Halloween
Laura
We’re not in the same situation as universities or schools in cities. We’re practically on an island with the least cases in the country
Leyna
And we’re contact tracing and completing over 80,000 tests by the end of the semester. That’s probably more than the state of Maine will complete.
Laura
Besides the masks everything feels relatively normal?
James
The new one way traffic patterns are totally throwing me off. You can’t get into Lovejoy
Laura
It does feel as if everyone is grateful to be together accepting this sort of shared sense of responsibility for the semester.
Laura
Even though things are strange it feels as if everyone is getting creative with how to enjoy themselves. I’ve had smores three times this week.
Bobby
Food trucks do feel like the quintessential quarantine activity
James
And I think the whole campus was at Acadia last weekend.
My Life: Act 1: Still Rock and Roll To Me : Keeping The Faith
Scene Keeping The Faith: Montage of all the ways kids at Colby are having fun amidst Covid. Woodsmen/Climbers/Skateboarders. Sung by the whole cast. End with James fetching Laura from her “electric chair” in the radio booth
Laura
If it seems like I’ve been lost
In let’s remember
If you think I’m feeling older
And missing my younger days
Oh, then you should have known
Me much better
Cause my past is something that never
Got in my way
Oh no
James
Still I would not be here now
If I never had the hunger
And I’m not ashamed to say
The wild boys were my friends
Oh
Tony
Cause I never felt the desire
‘Til their music set me on fire
And then I was saved, yeah
That’s why I’m keeping the faith
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Keeping the faith
Bobby
We wore matador boots
Only Flagg Brothers had them with the Cuban heel
Iridescent socks with the same color shirt
And a tight pair of chinos
Oh
Johnny
I put on my shark skin jacket
You know the kind with the velvet collar
And ditty-bop shades
Oh yeah
Tony
I took a fresh pack of Luckies
And a mint called Sen Sen
My old man’s Trojans
And his Old Spice after shave
Oh
James
Combed my hair in a pompadour
Like the rest of the Romeos wore
A permanent wave
Yeah
We were keeping the faith
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Keeping the faith
Johnny
You can get just so much
From a good thing
Bobby
You can linger too long
In your dreams
Laura
Say goodbye to the
Oldies but goodies
Cause the good ole days weren’t
Always good
And tomorrow ain’t as bad as it seems
James
Learned stickball as a formal education
Lost a lot of fights
But it taught me how to lose O.K.
Oh
Leyna
I heard about sex
But not enough
Tony
I found you could dance
And still look tough anyway
Oh yes I did
I found out a man ain’t just being macho
Johnny
Ate an awful lot of late night drive-in food
Drank a lot of take-home pay
Bobby
I thought I was the Duke of Earl
When I made it with a red-haired girl
In the Chevrolet
Oh yeah
Laura
We were keeping the faith
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Keeping the faith
You know the good ole days weren’t
Always good
And tomorrow ain’t as bad as it seems
James enters the radio station to fetch Laura to enjoy beautiful day outside
Laura
Now I told you my reasons
For the whole revival
Now I’m going outside to have
An ice cold beer in the shade
Oh
I’m going to listen to my 45’s
Ain’t it wonderful to be alive
When the rock ‘n’ roll plays
Yeah
James
When the memory stays
Yeah
I’m keeping the faith
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Keeping the faith
I’m keeping the faith
Yes I am
My Life 