DOONESBURY Musical in 2 Acts. Music by Elizabeth Swados; Book and Lyrics by Garry Trudeau Based on the Doonesbury series of comic strips by Garry Trudeau Biltmore Theatre, Broadway : Opened 21st November, 1983. Closed 19th February, 1984 (104 Perfs. 21 Previews) SYNOPSIS Based on Trudeau's comic strip of the same name, it focuses on that point in its history when the primary characters graduate from college and enter the workforce after more than a decade of being perpetual students and commune-dwellers. Act I The musical's storyline opened the day before graduation at Walden College, with many of the characters (Mike Doonesbury, B.D., Mark Slackmeyer, Zonker Harris, Boopsie) preparing for the day. B.D. has been drafted into professional football (later revealed to be the Dallas Cowboys), Mike is preparing to propose to J.J., and Zonker has a flashback to his days as a pro suntanner. Meanwhile, Zonker's uncle Duke and his aide/ henchman Honey are at Duke's federal trial for cocaine possession in Los Angeles County, California. Acting as his own counsel, an apparently stoned Duke gives an impassioned defense in which he claims that his efforts to deal cocaine to undercover FBI agents in a "sting" operation was only indicative of his "caring too much." The action returns to Walden, where Mike is on the phone with J.J., upset that Mike has invited her mother, Joanie, who arrives with her infant son from her second marriage, Jeffrey. Boopsie and the cast discuss her plans to become a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, intending on following B.D. to Dallas. Mark reveals Mike's plan to propose to J.J. to Zonker and Joanie. Back at the courthouse, Duke is found guilty and sentenced to probation, and required by the court to open and manage a drug rehabilitation center for the next five years. Then back at Walden, J.J. arrives, only to discover that Mike has planned out their weekend down to the very minute. Joanie returns from grocery shopping, and Mike attempts to mediate the tension between mother and daughter. This fails, and J.J. storms out. Meanwhile, at the campus radio station, Mark is interviewing Roland Hedley, and the two campaign on the air to get Mark a job after graduation. Back at Walden Commune, Mike is preparing dinner while Boopsie is exercising, Joanie is nursing Jeffrey, Zonker is building a beer-can pyramid, and B.D. is ranting about all of them. Mark returns from the radio station, and J.J. offers to help Mike with dinner. When the meal is served, the cast mocks Mike's cooking. As dinner concludes, Zonker attempts to renew the lease on the commune, but is turned down; someone else has already laid claim to the building. As Act One ends, it's discovered that Duke and Honey are having them evicted after graduation for his court-ordered drug rehabilitation center. Act II The following morning, the residents of Walden awake to find a bulldozer outside the house bulldozing the front yard and adjacent meadow. The cast, including Duke, threatening to force the residents to leave the house or get bulldozed, sing on the theme of whether or not Walden is "just a house." Joanie intervenes, telling Duke that her clients (the residents of Walden) will be seeking an injunction against his redevelopment of the house without rezoning permits, and threatens Duke with harassment charges. Duke exits, but soon resumes bulldozing. Mike leaves with Joanie to attempt legal action against Duke.
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