Open Mic
Open Mic is a musical composed by Adam Farouk. Drawing from years of experience in the field, Open Mic takes a very humble, very biased look at the forces of collaboration and competition and the roles they play in the life and trials of the creative artist, and presents it, hopefully, with a dose of humor and a good sense of irony. Presented in the form of a real-time reality show competition taking place at the famed music hall "The Corral Nevada," Open Mic gives the gift of agency to its audience, allowing them to vote and thus decide who wins the high-stakes songwriting contest.
Characters:
THE CONTESTANTS
John Seeker (26), the show's protagonist, is a graphic designer and copy writer for a large corporation manufacturing heating ducts and conduits. He moonlights as a singer-songwriter, and is looking for an escape from his seemingly humdrum life in the city by the bay. He's reputed as polite to a tee, to the point where he self-sabotages by giving up opportunities that are rightfully his to others without a single thought. The phrase "nice guys finish last" could nigh apply more to this star-dappled yearner, but in truth does darkness lie beneath this benevolent demeanor?
Voice part: Baritenor
Zayn Al-Rahim (28) is John's best friend, and also his biggest threat when it comes to music. Zayn is of middle eastern descent. He's a cool-headed, zen stoner who turns heads, in part because he's good-looking, and also because he's, as the phrase has it, "not from around here." He faces prejudice daily, but that does not stop him from posting his firebrand liberal political vlog and podcast religiously once a week. He writes catchy tunes that might have been TV themes were it a different decade, and is one of the favorites to win the competition.
Voice part: Tenor
Michaela M. Grant (29) aka "Mymy" (stage name) is a mid-tier national indie riot-girl rock icon. Fierce and not lacking in sex appeal, she loves success and is distrustful of people. The polar opposite of John, she has a "do what it takes to make it" attitude and has no qualms stepping over people if that's her only option. Unlike the other contestants, she hails from the east coast; the wily streets of New York and Philadelphia have toughened her into a sure favorite to win the contest.
Voice part: Mezzo-soprano rock belter (primary); coloratura soprano (trained)
Patrick Kennedy (32) is a former college a cappella star, now a hardcore emo fusion rock wannabe icon. He has a tendency to run off at the mouth introducing his songs, which, though rarely welcomed, is usually tolerated by the sympathetic crowd at The Nevada. Despite all this, his music is surprisingly coherent. He has a penchant for modern technology, especially involving vocal effects, and his often uses loops and vocal harmonizers in his performances.
Voice part: Baritenor belter
Julie Barrows (22) is a small-town girl living the life in the big city. She moved to San Francisco from Big Sandy MT (population 600) with her brothers James and Jody, playing with them in the folk band "Jimmy Seed and the Real Barrows." She's seemingly innocent and genuinely charming, and is the competition's dark horse, having gone against the wishes of her "star" older brother James to audition and make it through to the finals with music that dares to be happy.
Voice part: Soprano
THE CORRAL NEVADA
Lucy Biggs (25) is John's girlfriend. She is the assistant stage manager at the San Francisco opera. She is capable and confident, but also quiet, though not in a shy way. Rather, she prefers her own company to large-scale socializing. As such, she rarely accompanies John and Zayn to the Nevada, which is getting in the way of their relationship though, alas, neither he nor she has yet to notice. She sang in college with a jazz group, but doesn't consider music something she "still does."
Nigel "Scowler" Evans (47) is an entertainment mogul with a knack for putting together hit reality shows. Seeing potential in the Nevada and its Open Mic Mondays, when he is approached by songwriting duo John Seeker and Zayn Al-Rahim with a pitch for a new docu-drama series, his interest is piqued. He counters their pitch with one of his own: make it a reality show, with the prize being a multi-record recording deal under his label.
Voice part: Non-singing role
Bob Monk (42) owns the Nevada. He's an eager beaver who desperately needs business to pick up in the struggling establishment that's been in his family for three generations. He is friends with John and Zayn, and also knows Michaela from childhood.
Steve Schubert (68) Steve is an adjunct piano instructor at the San Francisco conservatory. He is the standing opening act at the Nevada's Open Mic Mondays. He can more or less play anything he's given (could double as the musical director).
Treefeather (59) aka Gary Brown. He's a serious, earth-living ex-marine who is never without his bongo. His music consists mainly of political rants punctuated by angry hits on his hand drum.
Paul Farthing (24) is a friend of Julie's. He is an army recruit who is shipping out two weeks before the contest's final episode.
Plot Summary:
Full plot summaries will be available post-release!
Synopsis:
In a last-ditch attempt to drum up publicity for the “Corral Nevada,” a beloved but floundering local music haunt, BFFs and songwriting partners John Seeker and Zayn Al-Rahim make a desperate pitch to entertainment big-wig Nigel “Scowler” Evans, that he might find his latest hit series in filming the lives of those who call the Nevada and its Open Mic Mondays their home away from home. But the proposed documentary soon reveals itself to be a multi-million dollar reality show, and the once free-spirited and cooperative community is soon pitted against itself in a dog-eat-dog competition designed to separate “winners” from “losers.”
Format:
Open Mic is currently in development. The primary format being explored is to present the story in live theatrical style, however, with the orchestra-section (ground floor) seats removed and replaced by restaurant tables, to mimic the look of the story's gathering point: The Corral Nevada. The story would therefore take place not only on stage but in and around the audience, with certain tables being designated "action" tables where cast members would be seated, providing reactions to what they are seeing onstage. Competitors and their related entourages would be seated around the room in the same way. An "audience-decides-what-happens" ending is being considered, where votes would be collected at the conclusion of the final contestant's performance, and the ending acted out according to the majority vote. Moments that do not take place in the Nevada itself are kept to a minimum but will be achieved using movable mini-stages hidden behind the wings, enhance by appropriate lighting.
Age-range: Various, 20+ through 70
Voice style(s): Pop/Rock; Soul; RnB; Jazz; Contemporary Musical Theater; Americana; Singer-songwriter
Other skill requirements: Playing instruments (keyboards, guitar); Use of music technology (loop machines, harmonizers)
List of Numbers:
Coming soon!