Act One | Scene 2
Set during Prohibition in New York, 1927.
The scene moves to a dimly lit dock outside the speakeasy where BILLIE BENDIX (our heroine and bootlegger) is waiting for her fellow bootleggers, COOKIE McGEE and DUKE MAHONEY. JIMMY, very drunk comes out of the speakeasy and runs into BILLIE, who swipes his wallet and finds that he owns a huge Long Island beach house that no one is using. BILLIE decides this would be the perfect hiding place for her 400 cases of booze that she, Cookie and Duke have been trying to move.
Script excerpt:
BILLIE: And where do you think you’re going?
JIMMY: I’m going to lead a life of wedded bliss. But first, I’m going to throw up a little bit. (Notices). Wait a minute, you’re not a fellah. What’s your name?
BILLIE: Never you mind …
JIMMY: Well, Never-you-mind – (He steps towards her and she winds up to slug him).
BILLIE: Hey!
JIMMY: Don’t hit me! I’m very wealthy!
BILLIE: Wealthy, huh? Wanna buy some more hootch?
JIMMY: No, no more hootch! I’m getting married tomorrow morning! Hoorah! And you know why I’m marrying her, Never-you-mind?
BILLIE: ‘Cause you love her?
JIMMY: No, to prove that I’m mature and responsible! That way, Mother will let me take over the family business.
BILLIE: And what’s your family business?
JIMMY: Don’t know, Mother won’t tell me.
BILLY is a woman in a man’s world and she has adapted…sort of. She’s not so much a tomboy as a woman who has missed out on the lessons about the joys of femininity. She is self protective but laments the lack of a love relationship in her life. The actress who plays BILLIE must be able to show a strong personality when BILLIE is “working” but also able to show the soft feminine side that is hidden underneath. This is especially important as the actress transitions between songs that require a strong musical theatre tone to the gentler “Someone to Watch Over Me”.
JIMMY tries to show BILLIE that she’s missing out on life –
Listen to the song: “NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT” on Youtube. The entire soundtrack is also available on Spotify.
The cops raid the speakeasy and we meet CHIEF OF POLICE BERRY and SENATOR MAX EVERGREEN, the brother of DUCHESS ESTONIA DULWORTH, the ‘proud founder of the Society of Dry Women!’ (the name says so much). She is here to burn down the speakeasy and wipe out alcohol as her righteous duty. She is joined by her VICE SQUAD.
Listen to the song: “DEMON RUN” on Youtube. The entire soundtrack is also available on Spotify.
The DUCHESS is self righteous in her approach to prohibition, a snob and has a very strong personality. We are looking for a singer with a strong classical vocal background (preferably).
SENATOR EVERGREEN (the Duchess’ brother and Eileen’s father) is a politician always looking to save his own skin. He thinks the sun shines out of his daughter (a real stage father, blind to her obvious lack of talent) and would do anything to give Eileen what she wants.
CHIEF BERRY is the ‘not that bright’ Chief of Police. A perfect example of this is his announcement when surrounding the speakeasy: “This is the police! We have the place surrounded! Except for the back!”
So much fun!
Nice Work If You Can Get It is a relatively new musical and so there is not much online to help you with your audition preparation. Because this is a new musical it is unlikely you will have seen the show.
To help you get to know this wonderful show and to help you prepare your audition, we’ll be working our way through the script, highlighting elements that help you get a handle on the humour of the script, all the songs and who sings them and I’ll be discussing each character in detail.
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