Deb tries to have a serious conversation over coffee with Warren about their future plans, but Warren takes the conversation lightly. Deb is annoyed and leaves abruptly when she realizes she needs to see Professor Thompson. At the same time, Claire, flustered by the proposal, also leaves Jason (“Big Picture”). Jason is confused and wonders what he should do next, as Claire and Deb force their way through the New York city crowds, realizing that these other people all had their own stories but right now were in the way (“Hundred Story City”). Claire makes it to her cousin’s party without Jason, then realizes she’s been crying (“Party Interlude”). Deb tries to calm herself, but when Professor Thompson criticizes her thesis, she panics and gets on a train to Jersey. After wandering aimlessly while trying to be calm, she returns to her apartment and sees a poster on her wall which reminds her of the painting by Monet she had seen with Warren. Suddenly, she realizes she is genuinely calm (“Calm”). Warren is pondering an answer to Deb’s question when Deb contacts him (“Life Story (Reprise)”). Claire leaves her cousin’s party and tries to sort out her feelings. She realizes she wants Jason happy but has also been trying to keep space between them (“Gotta Get Out”). Deb visits Warren, who takes her to the roof of the building. They discuss their ambitions in life and how they hope for something more. Warren acknowledges that nobody reads the flyers he makes and throws them over the edge. Seeing this, Deb also throws her thesis off the edge. Jason had decided he could not stay with Claire and had packed his belongings to leave. As the shower of flyers rains down, Jason finds one that says, “Don’t worry, everything will be OK”. Claire also sees the shower, and calls Jason on his mobile phone (“Rooftop Duet / Falling”). She reminisces about her previous relationship with a man named John. They had been together for over a year before he perished in the September 11 attacks. She hears John say it’s OK for her to move on and accepts Jason’s proposal (“I’ll Be Here”). In the finale, Deb and Warren have become good friends. They visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art again, together. Warren shows Deb his favourite painting, who cynically points out that it’s a painting of very ordinary apples when they are in a museum with much grander works of art. Warren says that things are not intrinsically beautiful, but beauty comes from reflection, and something ordinary can nonetheless be “simple, familiar and full of feeling” (“Beautiful”). CAST: [2M, 2F; no intermission] Claire Claire is in her 30s and is embarking on a new stage of her life with boyfriend Jason. The decision to share an apartment is the catalyst for Claire to face her past. Her cathartic “I’ll Be Here” provides the audience the final clue to her arc. (Required vocal range: Soprano) Jason Jason is in his 30s and is the boyfriend of Claire. A romantic at heart, he spends the bulk of the musical attempting to further his relationship, at first by moving in (“The Spaces Between”) and then by proposing. Claire consistently resists his attempts leading to the central conflict of their story arc (“Fine”). (Required vocal range: Tenor) Deb In her mid twenties, Deb is a cynical and defensive grad student who is struggling to find focus in her life. She meets struggling artist Warren when he finds her thesis notes in the street. (Required vocal range: Mezzo) Warren The cheerful and sometimes annoyingly optimistic Warren sees beauty in the simple things in life, delivering the musical’s message and final number (“Beautiful”). (Required vocal range: Tenor)
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