Revolutiontime:
The Musical
Main Characters
Father: Percival Blakeney. Well... the Percival part of the double idenity. The idiocity, the sarcasm, the rudeness, and the fashion-consciousness. Without the sweetness, the heroism, in short: without all that we love him for!
Mother: Marguerite. Well... Margot with the word 'vivez' taken out of her vocabulary!
The Little Boy (Edgar): Jack. Yes, Jack. Percy and Margot's son. Special thanks goes out to my research committee! Love ya lots!
Mother's Younger Brother: Armand. Did we see this one coming? One thing, do not read Eldorado then imagine Armand and a packet of dynamite!
Grandfather: Andrew. So, that's where they learned Latin... I love Andrew, I swear! But I had to fit him in here somewhere and if you read the books, you'll see where I'm going with this. (Anyone else find it annoying that Andrew is ALWAYS over? Maybe he's just waiting around for Suzanne to show up...)
Coalhouse Walker Jr: Chauvelin. Chauvelin with musical talent? Well, we all have so many faces after all...
Sarah: Gabrielle Damien. Hey, if the musical AND the movies can completely make up Chauvelin and Margot being at item, why can't I say he and Mlle Guillotine get together? How much more of a stretch is it?
Coalhouse Walker III: Fleaurette. Okay, so Chauvie's kid was a girl! So sue me! On second thought, don't.
Booker T. Washington: Maximilian Ropespierre. Kinda funny to imagine. *giggle*
Tateh: Percy. Okay, here's where you put all the good stuff from Percy. The wittiness, the cuteness, the sweetness, et cetera. (Hey, I couldn't very well put Margot with someone else, could I?)
The Little Girl: Georgia. Again, thanks to my research department. Baroness Ortzy's son wrote a novel about the Scarlet Pimpernel, giving them a son named George. However, my research department does not suggest reading his book unless you want to either 1) laugh incredulously or 2) throw the book across the room in disgust.
Harry Houdini: Himself. He sounds like Percy (His mother dies and he is good at escaping) but I already have two Percy's in this story. Besides, he's not all that important. Sorry, Harry.
JP Morgan & Henry Ford: The Prince of Wales and the King of France. Both important, rich men. Both with very few lines! *Funny how these things work out!*
Emma Goldman: Louis Saint-Just. For all of you out there who aren't French Revolution history buffs, I'm not refering to anyone related to Armand and Margot. *Hopefully* Saint-Just was a right-hand man of Ropespierre, although far more rabuncious and headstrong. He, like Ropespierre, eventually succombed to the guilotine.
Evelyn Nesbit: Minette Roland. Okay, I'm referring to the A&E movie here. But, admit it, it fits perfectly. "Come to me, my love. The trees will shelter us from prying eyes and I shall give you my heart. Whee!" (As for Stanford White and Harry K. Thaw and all those people, just leave them as they are. They're not really all that important)
Basic Plot
The show opens with a introduction to all the characters, addressing themselves in third-person. (Prologue: Revolutiontime) After this, we peer into the first world by watching Margot and Blakeney bid fare-well to each other. Blakeney is heading out on an expedition for some new fabrics, his wife is staying behind (As usual) to look over the grounds, their family, and his factories. We quickly get the impression that he does love his wife - but in a pet-ish sort of way. As she watches him go, she dreams of exploring herself, of seeing the world, but is forced to content herself with her everyday British housewife role in life. (Goodbye, My Love)
Blakeney, on board ship, spots an immigrant boat headed for the same port he just came from. Bidding them a welcome and a quick prayer for their survival, we change our point of view to see Percy and his daughter Georgia on board ship. They are dreaming of their new life in England, and are astonished to see a man leaving England! Who would want to in such a wonderful land as they had heard about? Dreaming of their new life, they urge the man leaving to find what he is looking for. And back on shore, Margot is still dreaming of an exciting life. All three meet together in song for a moment, in the darkness with all their hopes and dreams shown clearly to us, before fading back into the darkness from whence they came. (Journey On)
The phrase "from the sublime to the ridiculous" comes into play as we fade to a vaudeville show. Minette is entertaining the audience of young men highly (The Crime of the Century) and among them sits young Armand. He is quite taken with her and, after the song, introduces himself. She promptly disses him in front of the press. He runs home, sulking.
The next day, Margot is out gardening with her son, Jack, when they find a newborn baby boy buried in their garden. The situation is sorted out, and it is discovered that a local girl, Gabrielle Damien, had the baby illigitimately and attempted to kill it by burial. Margot summons up her bravery, and offers to let the woman and her child stay at their house. (What Kind of Woman?)
Percy and Georgia arrive in England and promptly try to set up shop and sell their wares. However, England isn't all they had heard about. They begin to starve. (A Shetl Iz Amereke and Success)
We shift our gaze once more to see young Armand Chauvelin, Jr. seated at the piano. He reveals to his friends that he's been melancholy lately became the love of his life just left him. However, he has some good news. He found out where she is now living, and sets out to woo her back - after, of course, stopping to pick up a brand new, shiny carriage! (His Name Was Coalhouse Walker, Gettin' Ready Rag, and Henry Ford)
Margot and Jack are heading by train to check on Blakeney's factories. At the train yards, they have a brief meeting with Percy and Georgia. (Nothing Like the City)
Back at their home, Gabrielle sits in the attic, singing to her son. (Your Daddy's Son) Margot returns, and takes the child so Gabrielle can take a nap. Chauvelin shows up, asking to see Gabrielle. Margot is nervous, and carefully goes upstairs to fetch Gabrielle. Chauvelin croons to the child, while Gabrielle tells Margot to make Chauvelin leave. He does, but not without promising to come back the next Sunday. (The Courtship)
Chauvelin keeps coming until Margot finally gets used to him. She offers him a cup of tea, and he offers to play them a song on the piano. While he warms up, Blakeney comes home. He is shocked by the upset in life as he knew it! However, he has little time to think as Gabrielle finally gives in, and runs downstairs to the arms of her beloved. (New Music) They arrange a picnic, and while there discuss the happiness of the future before them. (Wheels of a Dream)
However, all is not well with the world. Percy and Georgia had been employed in factory that was now on strike. Saint-Just came to drum up support for them at Union Square and Armand happened in, by chance. However, he found in that evening his true calling - Freedom for the people! *Hm....* (The Night That Goldman Spoke)
Percy and Georgia narrowly escape brutal beatings from the police by hopping a train. While on it, he shows her a book he made - when you flip the pages, the people in it seem to move. *Told you he was clever* A conductor buys it, which starts them on their way to a happy life at last! (Gliding)
However, once again, all is not right with the world. *Is it ever?* While trying to get back to Gabrielle one day, he runs across some upper class boys with trouble on their mind. His carriage broken down, he leaves. They promptly trash it. (The Trashing of the Car)
Chauvelin is angered, and vows he will see justice! *This I swear by the stars! Oops... wrong musical* However, the boys were upper class, and he justice seems to slip just out of his fingers. (Justice)
Gabrielle is saddened by the fact that Chauvelin has called off their marriage until the conflict was resolved. She decides to take matters into her own hands, and runs up to the Prince of Wales. Whoops. She looks like she's carrying some weapon, and she is promptly beated to a pulp. (President)
The act ends with Gabrielle's funeral march, and Chauvelin once more vowing justice! ('Til We Reach That Day)
Act Two!
Jack wakes from a nightmare where he predicts that people will die in an explosion. *Well, there's a way to greet people coming back in from intermission. I kinda prefer a small poem, but what can I say?* (Harry Houdini, Master Escapist) However, this dream proves true as Chauvelin is now deeply ticked, and shoots three people dead. (Coalhouse's Soloquiy) The city is instantly abuzz with this story, especially as Chauvelin is quick to make his demands. He wants his carriage back, as well as the aristos who destroyed it. (Coalhouse Demands) The strain of the crisis is evident on the family, as well. Margot encourages Blakeney to talk to their son. He instead takes him to a cricket game. (What a Game!)
Chauvelin continues his Reign of Terror *grin* by burning down country clubs and making his presence known. Margot refuses to give up Fleaurette (Chauvelin and Gabrielle's child) and Blakeney finally takes his family down to London for a vacation. He's confused by all the changes in his life, but London promises relief. (Atlantic City) Once we get there, we realize that Minette and Harry are there, too. As well as another main character!
Margot is introduced to the film business by a Baronet. (Buffalo Nickel Photoplay Inc.) However, after this Baronet's daughter Georgia and Margot's son Jack run off to play on the beach, the truth comes out. The man she sees before her is really Percy, a now much richer, much happier Percy. (Our Children) They hit it off well, and are very much attracted to each other.
However, our gaze is pulled away from this love-sick couple to Chauvelin, hiding now in the old club where he met Gabrielle. Memories surround him. (Harlem Nightclub and Sarah Brown Eyes) A young gentleman who's been dying to talk with Chauvelin is brought in, and the shy Armand reveals his plan. 1) He wants to help Chauvelin and 2) He knows how to blow things up. (He Wanted to Say)
Blakeney meets up with Margot on the dock, and tells her that he's going back to Richmond. He's been called to help with the Chauvelin issue, as Chauvelin has now gotten capture of a building. Margot has changed considerably, and Blakeney leaves her, afraid he's already lost her. Which he had. (Back to Before) Jack meets up with Houdini on the pier and once more warns him to "Warn the King!" (Showing off his psycic powers once more)
We finally hear the full story of Chauvelin's deeds. Along with Armand and Chauvelin's gang, they have captured the London Library, holding several rare, old, unique documents hostage. His carriage is outside, being fixed by the aristos who broke it, and Chauvie's inside, trying to get a grasp on reality. Blakeney suggests they bring in Ropespierre, a man Chauvelin deeply admires. Ropespierre tries every tactic, but Chauvelin won't bend. Until he brings up Fleaurette. (Look What You've Done)
Chauvelin, while trying to get justice for lower-class people, has left his only child to be raised by aristos. To top it off, he has also now given that child a horrible image for a father. Chauvelin agrees to surrender, provided his men are allowed to leave safely and he gets a hostage. At first, his men argue with him, refusing to leave. But Chauvelin sings them a stirring story, urging them to go out and fight for liberty. (Make Them Hear You) They end up leaving, and his hostage, Blakeney, is brought in. Chauvelin thanks him for taking care of Fleaurette, then steps outside. He is instantly gunned down.
The last song plays, bringing with it the conclusion to the story. Armand took off to join another revolutionary cause. Minette lost her looks and ended up dying in obscurity. Houdini watched as the King was sent to the guillotine. And after all the times that Jack told him to warn the King! *tsk, tsk* Andrew died. *Moment of silence, please* Ropespierre and Saint-Just died. And, as the emotional music starts, we move to the important people...
Blakeney died when the Day Dream snagged a rock and sunk. Margot wore black for a year. At the end of this time, Percy proposed and she accepted. She adored him. She, Percy, Georgia, and Jack were now a family. They felt blessed. And it all ends happily as Chauvelin and Gabrielle look down on their child with happiness and peace.