HONEYMOON IN VEGAS
Book by Andrew Bergman; Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown; Based On The Castle Rock Entertainment Motion Picture
Paper Mill Playhouse, Millburn, New Jersey - September 26, 2013 (previews) - October 27, 2013
Synopsis
Mild-mannered Brooklynite Jack promised his dying mother that he would never get married but that was before he met his sweet and beautiful girlfriend, Betsy. Haunted by a fear of Mom's retribution, Jack avoids proposing, but when he finally summons the nerve to whisk oh-so-patient Betsy off to Las Vegas to get hitched, a dashing gambler named Tommy threatens to sweep his fiance away to a life of luxury in Hawaii. Realizing what he's about to lose, Jack is determined to do anything to give his love story a happy ending. It all adds up to an action-packed Honeymoon no one will ever forget!
Story
Act One
Jack Singer and his girlfriend of five years, Betsy Nolan, are in love. But when he tries to buy her an engagement ring, he suffers a panic attack as he remembers his mother's dying wish from ten years earlier--that he never marry, because no woman could love him as she did.
Betsy tells Jack that she can't wait indefinitely for him to deal with his problems. He proposes that they elope to Las Vegas, and she accepts.
They check into the Milano hotel and Betsy immediately catches the attention of Tommy Korman, a wealthy gambler. She bears an uncanny resemblance to his late wife Donna, an avid sunbather who died of skin cancer. He decides to steal Betsy from Jack
Tommy invites Jack to a private poker game, so Betsy shops for a wedding dress. Tommy beats Jack's straight flush with a royal flush, leaving Jack owing Tommy $58,000. Tommy proposes that Jack can be spared physical violence if he agrees to let Betsy spend the rest of the weekend with Tommy.
Betsy is incensed, but agrees to meet Tommy. Tommy charms Betsy with recollections of Donna and with his pride in their son who now has a wife and baby. Tommy shocks Jack by informing Betsy that he wants to spend their weekend together in Hawaii; Betsy is so angry at Jack that she agrees to leave with Tommy. Jack decides he must take action but is too late to stop them from boarding a plane; he buys a ticket to follow them.
Act Two
The travellers arrive in Hawaii. Jack is approached by Teihutu and Mahi, who offer to guide him but are secretly employed by Tommy to distract him; Mahi attempts to seduce Jack but fails.
Betsy gets along well with Tommy and his son's family, unaware that they are hired actors. She shares a tender moment with Tommy as they sing an old standard together.
Betsy refrains from being intimate with him, but Tommy confides in his henchman Johnny Sandwich that he still thinks his plan will be successful. Meanwhile, Mahi is moved by Jack's plight and takes him to a sacred grove where a mother's curse can be broken. Jack confronts his mother who relents and agrees to let him and Betsy be happy--but only if Jack proves himself as a man.
Tommy plies Betsy with drinks and tells her that Jack only owed him $800; she is so outraged (and drunk) that she kisses Tommy and demands that he immediately marry her in Las Vegas. Mahi informs Jack that Tommy and Betsy are leaving Hawaii, but he is unable to catch them. No reasonable travel options are available but Jack manages to join a troupe of Elvis impersonators making a "pilgrimage" to Las Vegas. However, when the plane approaches Las Vegas, he learns that he must skydive into the city. He panics, but ultimately makes the jump, thus proving himself. Betsy, having sobered up, rethinks her decision and finally rejects Tommy after Johnny accidentally confirms the true amount of Jack's debt.
Jack parachutes into Betsy's arms and they marry on the spot.
Musical Numbers
Act I
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Act II
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Cast
- Bea Singer ( Jack s deceased mother who made him promise never to marry on her deathbed.) Age: 50 to 70
- Betsy Nolan (
Jack s girlfriend of 5 years. Her patience is wearing thin on the matrimony front due to Jack s inability finally to commit to marriage). -
Age: 25 to 25
- Buddy Rocky ( Las Vegas nightlife entertainer. A flashy talent who packs the Milano Hotel and Casino every night with his show stopping performances). Age: 25 to 50