"Buffalo Gals/Old Dan Tucker Piece" by Mike Moran
GOATSINGER – Guitarist
BETSY – Young Innocent-Looking Woman – Dancer/Singer
JOHNNY – Young Innocent-Looking Man – Dancer/Singer
SLICK – Young Not-So-Innocent Man – Dancer/Singer
CLAIRE – Young Not-So-Innocent Woman – Dancer/Singer
CHORUS – Four Dancers/Singers – Two Pairs
(Lights. SIGN up reading "Salvation Army – Cafeteria Open". Goatsinger enters, playing)
CHORUS
Well, Old Dan Tucker was a fine old man –
Washed his face in a frying pan –
Combed his hair with a wagon wheel
And died with a toothache in his heel…
(BETSY enters wearing a Salvation Army uniform. Goatsinger bird-dogs her as he sings)
GOATSINGER
As I was walking down the street
Down the street, down the street
A pretty little girl I chanced to meet
Oh, she was fair to see…
Buffalo Gals, won't you come out tonight
Come out tonight, come out tonight
Buffalo Gals won't you come out tonight
And dance by the light of the moon.
(BETSY plays it coquettishly for a moment, teasing him, and then suddenly turns the "Open" sign to "Closed" and sings:)
BETSY
Get out the way, Old Dan Tucker
You're too late to get your supper
Get out the way, Old Dan Tucker
You're too late to get your supper
(SLICK and JOHNNY come out on the opposite side of BETSY and sing)
SLICK and JOHNNY
Buffalo Gals, won't you come out tonight
Come out tonight, come out tonight
Buffalo Gals, won't you come out tonight
And dance by the light of the moon
(JOHNNY and BETSY cross and he stops and they mime a conversation. JOHNNY appears bashful, nervous, but all smiles. BETSY moves lightly around on her feet, almost nervous. SLICK crosses to the exit and stands with the downstage arm leaning against the edge of the exit. It looks like he might be talking to someone backstage that we just can't see)
JOHNNY
I stopped her and we had a talk
Had a talk, had a talk.
Her feet to up the whole sidewalk
(BETSY moves in suddenly close to him)
And left no room for me.
(she starts to leave, reluctantly, but she has to go, so…. And then JOHNNY asks her out with these lines)
JOHNNY
Buffalo Gal, won't you come out tonight
Come out tonight, come out tonight
Buffalo Gal, won't you come out tonight
And dance by the light of the moon
(SLICK looks over his shoulder to the audience, and explains how he's been talking to this girl they can't see by singing:)
SLICK
I asked her if she'd have a dance
Have a dance, have a dance.
I thought that I might have a chance
To shake a foot with her.
(CLAIRE enters, sort of rolling past SLICK)
SLICK and JOHNNY
Buffalo Gals, won't you come out tonight
Come out tonight, come out tonight
Buffalo Gals, won't you come out tonight
ALL
We'll dance by the light of the moon
(the cast repeats the chorus to "Buffalo Gals" while another two pair of dancers – someday maybe a couple audience members – will step up and fill out the remainder of the square. Once everyone is in place, then:)
GOATSINGER
I danced with a gal with a hole in her stocking
And her heels kept a knocking and her toes kept a rocking
I danced with a gal with a hole in her stocking
And we danced by the light of the moon
(All turn and regard him for a moment while he stands and plays, and then:)
Get out the way! Old Dan Tucker!
CHORUS and LEADS
You're too late to get your supper!
GOATSINGER
Get out the way! Old Dan Tucker!
ALL
You're too late to get your supper.
(There's a dance that goes with this – that'd be the transition during the chorus. Each male, following the transition will enact the lyrics being sung)
GOATSINGER
Old Dan Tucker, he'd come to town
Riding a billy goat, leading a hound
The hound dog barked, the billy goat jumped
Landed old Tucker on a stump.
ALL
Get out the way! Old Dan Tucker!
You're too late to get your supper.
Get out the way! Old Dan Tucker
You're too late to get your supper.
GOATSINGER
Now Old Dan Tucker got drunk and fell
In the fire and kicked up hell.
A red-hot coal fell in his shoes
And oh my Lord, the ashes flew!
ALL
Get out the way! Old Dan Tucker!
You're too late to get your supper.
Get out the way! Old Dan Tucker
You're too late to get your supper.
GOATSINGER
Now Old Dan Tucker stands about six four
And he spits in the pitcher before he pours
Now, little fella – now what you going to do
When he fills your glass, then bows to you?
ALL
Get out the way! Old Dan Tucker!
You're too late to get your supper.
Get out the way! Old Dan Tucker
You're too late to get your supper.
GOATSINGER
I danced with a gal with a hole in her stocking
And her heels kept a knocking and her toes kept a rocking
I danced with a gal with a hole in her stocking
And we danced by the light of the moon
(repeat it, but it goes simultaneously with this:)
ALL
Get out the way! Old Dan Tucker!
You're too late to get your supper.
Get out the way! Old Dan Tucker
You're too late to get your supper.
(repeat this for as long as it's pleasurable, then CHORUS breaks off from the LEADs and adds…)
CHORUS
Buffalo Gals, won't you come out tonight
Come out tonight, come out tonight
Buffalo Gals won't you come out tonight
And dance by the light of the moon
(the chorus partners separate, saying good-bye, thank you, so on and forth, and exit. SLICK and CLAIRE are making out, while JOHNNY says good-bye to BETSY. They take a moment to pry SLICK and CLAIRE apart. BETSY writes down her number and gives it to JOHNNY. BETSY and CLAIRE exit. The boys chide each other as they exit)
GOATSINGER
Mount Revere Gals, won't you come out tonight
Come out tonight, come out tonight
Mount Revere Gals won't you come out tonight
And dance by the light of the moon
(Exits. End)
No comments:
Post a Comment