Read Me a Bedtime Story
From Go Go Gravy to the Paramount
Jonathan Joy
The Ashland Beacon
Alex‘s daily Go Go Gravy breakfast was a welcome routine. He’d sit, writing in a composition book, while dining on bacon and eggs or biscuits or pancakes and apple slices or cinnamon rolls.
“You’re in here a lot.” A woman stated from a nearby table, attempting to start up a conversation. Alex did not even look up from his pen, paper, and hash browns.
The woman continued. “Every time I’m here I see you.”
No reply.
“I’m Guilia.” She asserted.
For the first time, Alex realized the woman was addressing him. “Oh. Alex.”
“What are you working on, Alex?”
Alex explained that he was a composer of music, and that he was jotting down ideas for scores.
“How exciting!” Guilia replied. “Have you made music for any shows I’ve seen?”
Alex read off a list of his resume highlights. “Let Kids Vote. The Magic Box.” He could tell Guilia didn’t recognize either. “Preteen Freaky Kung Fu Tortoises?”
“You sound creative. You should meet my friend, Edwina. She’s an artist, too, like me and you.”
The next morning Alex and his new friend Guilia met with Edwina for breakfast at Go Go Gravy.
The trio hit it off masterfully.
While Alex makes music for TV shows like the buddy cop comedy Booger and Baloney, Edwina, Ed for short, designs and builds costumes for circus performers. “Clowns, acrobats, tightrope walkers, the ringmaster, you name it.” Ed bragged. “But Guilia, she’s the most talented artist I know.” Ed added.
Gulia, as it turns out, designs displays and packaging for fast food restaurants. “I made the Lazy Gravy River at Go Go Gravy, and the edible meatball shaped sub packaging at Meatball Madness, too.”
“And that Nugget Shack chicken nugget box that opens up and doubles as a camera…” Ed added. “…that was you, Guilia.”
The three were inseparable. They went to the theatre together. They played tennis. They spent hours browsing libraries and used book stores. They talked late into the night. They rewatched The Office. It’s pretty special when you find your people, and these three certainly had.
Alex, Guilia, and Ed had plenty of time on their hands, too, for each had unfortunately come across a downturn in work recently.
Alex had started music for a Professor Theo television show that was cancelled before it really got going. And Guilia’s contract with Burger Bonanza completely fell through. “They told me my burger shaped hot air balloon idea was too expensive.”
“Circus is closed in the winter.” Ed added, somewhat somberly.
“We should do something together. A project. Something big.” Guilia suggested.
You could see the light bulb moment. It seemed to hit them all at the same time.
They said it in unison, excitedly, “A musical!”
But a musical about what? That was easy, too. They’d write about their favorite place. Authors and artists often get ideas for their work from real life.
Alex could come up with the music. Ed would design costumes. Guilia volunteered to build the set and props.
“Are we really doing this?” Alex asked. He could tell from the look on his partners’ faces, that they were indeed really doing this.
Of course, putting together a theatrical production takes more than just three. A whole village of creative people would be needed.
Flyers started appearing all over town. “Come be a part of the new Go Go Gravy musical, sponsored by Go Go Gravy restaurant.”
Slowly but surely theatrical types turned out. Actors showed up to read. Singers and dancers wowed at auditions. The head of the theatre department at Splendid University joined in to help craft the script and to direct. And Go Go Gravy’s sponsorship covered the money needed to hire union workers to set lights and sound and to stage manage.
Staging a play is no easy thing. It takes a lot of time and hard work. From auditions to rehearsals, to memorizing lines and constructing all necessary materials, to advertising and selling tickets, and more. But the payoff is grand.
The payoff in this case came in the form of opening night at the Paramount months later. Go Go Gravy the Musical boasted toe tapping hits like “An Egg-cellent Breakfast,” “I’m Bananas for Oranges,” “Don’t Go Bacon My Heart,” and slow, soulful tunes like “Islands in the Stream of Gravy.”
The show was a hit. Audiences raved. The Beacon newspaper review gave the production five stars. The Go Go Gravy Musical was the toast of the town.
Like all good things, though, the show eventually came to an end. Theatre is that type of art that only fully exists in the moment when it is being performed, after all, and there comes a time for every show to close.
When this show closed, Alex, Guilia, and Ed rejoiced in their sense of accomplishment, for they had produced something original, made many friends along the way, learned, and had fun.
In the weeks that followed, the trio slowly but surely went their separate ways. They still hung out from time to time, but each got progressively busier.
Ed went back to work for the circus, and that kept her on the road a lot.
Guilia signed a contract with Burger Bonanza, whose management changed their minds when they spotted her hot air balloon burger (transformed into a sausage biscuit) onstage in the play. And, Alex, well you could still find him daily at Go Go Gravy, pen in hand, scribbling ideas in his composition book. And if you looked closely, you’d see the words “Go Go Gravy 2” written in big letters across the top of the page he was writing on.
Comments