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ONE FOR MY BABY is a melodramatic tale of lust, love, greed and redemption. The dialogue blends a tinge of fast-talking film noir sensibility with the joyful comedic elements of classic musical theatre. Wrapped tightly around its Harold Arlen score, ONE FOR MY BABY isn’t your typical “jukebox” musical – there’s a powerful dramatic narrative that leaves the audience moved and inspired.
Here’s how it goes …
It’s 1947 and PANAMA JONES is the sophisticated African-American, Queen diva of the sexiest nightclub in town. Worldly-wise and tart, she welcomes “two kinds of customers – those looking to make their dreams come true – and those looking to forget the ones that didn’t.”
The story that unfolds is told through her eyes.
DREAMLAND sports a colorful crowd: TESS FLEMING, a wealthy, glamorous socialite, relentlessly promotes her handsome new singing beau, RICK ANDERSON, to Dreamland owner DUKE SULLIVAN, never imagining that her chic best friend MEREDITH ALLEN has an eye for RICK herself – not to mention a twisted and unexpected agenda.
A knock-out newcomer, showgirl KITTY McVEY and her smitten boyfriend, hoofer EDDIE PARSONS, vie for jobs at DREAMLAND with devastating results to their relationship. EDDIE has always been out of his league where KITTY is concerned, but finds commiseration with ETHEL, a hilarious and talented cigarette girl who is quite smitten with EDDIE herself.
Current floorshow headliners KEITH and JACKIE JAMES struggle to rebuild their marriage, which has suffered from two kinds of addiction. JACKIE is the niece of PANAMA JONES and a brilliant young singer. KEITH is a spectacular dancer with a gambling problem.
Hovering over the characters are increasing threats to the nightclub world itself and their entire way of life.
A DIRTY COP hired for “protection” turns out to be a front for a mob takeover of the club. Owner DUKE SULLIVAN resorts to criminal activity himself to fend off the attack, and enlists dancer KEITH JAMES to do his dirty work with disastrous results for all.
Trouble lurks at every turn for these characters and their world.
The volatile combustion of their interactions, combined with a dash of destiny, marks the beginning of the end for DREAMLAND …
The nightclub setting provides a steamy backdrop for spectacular dance numbers, bursting from the sexually-charged patrons of the club. Seamlessly integrated floorshow showstoppers comment ironically on the twists and turns of the plot.
The story is framed as a flashback, with narrator PANAMA JONES realizing that although she’s seeing the end of her world – her MUSIC will live forever!
ONE FOR MY BABY itself turns out to be the proof of her realization – after a life lived without compromise and reflected upon in triumph as the curtain falls.
Get Happy
Vivian Reed and Company
Down with Love
Anastasia Barzee and Luba Mason
Fun to Be Fooled
Carolee Carmello
Come Rain or Come Shine
Kevin Earley and Carolee Carmello
I’ve Got the World on a String
Luba Mason and Company
When The Sun Comes Out
That Old Black Magic
Meredith Patterson and Kevin Earley
Ain’t It the Truth
Vivian Reed and Company
I Wonder What Became of Me
Vivian Reed
He Loved Me Till the All Clear Came
Tari Kelly
Stormy Weather/Man That Got Away
Carly Hughes, Luba Mason, Vivian Reed and Julie Tollivar
Gavin Creel
Blues in the Night
Vivian Reed
One for My Baby-reprise
Vivian Reed
is an award-winning director, choreographer, writer and producer who has been working in theatre for thirty years, directing and choreographing over 100 professional productions nationwide. He has worked with a “who’s who” of contemporary Broadway stars, both in full musical productions and in concerts from LA to New York’s Town Hall and Lincoln Center. Among his numerous awards are five Connecticut Critics Circle Awards, two San Francisco Critics Circle Awards, and the Los Angeles Ovation Award for his direction and choreography. His work has been seen on HBO Television and worldwide via his work for Princess Cruises. He is co-author and director/choreographer of ONE FOR MY BABY.
is an acclaimed composer, lyricist, orchestrator, conductor, and actor. His symphony arrangements are played regularly by the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall and major symphonies throughout the U.S. and Canada. On Broadway and National Tour he has conducted Anthony Quinn in Zorba, Hal Prince’s Cabaret, Cy Coleman’s City of Angels and Robert Goulet in Camelot. Off-Broadway, Fred was the original Arranger-Musical Director for Forbidden Broadway (Tony Award, Drama Desk Awards), Spamilton, and Whoop-Dee-Doo! (Drama Desk Awards). Fred Barton wrote book, music, and lyrics for Miss Gulch Returns! (Bistro Award), still produced by theaters nationwide in 2019, and co-wrote book, music and lyrics for Creature From The Black Lagoon for Universal Theme Parks. For TV, Fred composed music for The Magic School Bus (Emmy Award), arranged and conducted Wonder Pets! (Emmy Award), HBO’s Cathouse: The Musical, and music-supervised Olivia. The Fred Barton Orchestra has won acclaim for his American Showstoppers song-and-dance concerts of Golden Age Broadway, and Fred has arranged and played for nearly eighty major stars.
(Executive Producer) was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. He earned an AB degree from Stanford University and then a JD from Georgetown Law School. He practiced law in San Francisco until he co-produced his first play on Broadway in 1983. Beginning in 1984, Charles acquired the performance rights to the hit comedy, Greater Tuna and has helped to develop two sequels, A Tuna Christmas and Red, White & Tuna. He has produced the Tuna comedies on Broadway, on continuous tours throughout the United States and has even presented the shows at the White House at the invitation of George and Barbara Bush. From 1983 until 2009, Charles owned and operated the 650-seat Marines Memorial Theatre in San Francisco. He has produced on and off-Broadway (A Tuna Christmas, If Memory Serves starring Elizabeth Ashley, K-2, Private Lives starring Joan Collins, The Twilight of the Golds starring Jennifer Grey, Feast of Fools); in London, Jeeves Takes Charge starring Edward Duke; and in most major US cities working with, among others, Julie Harris, Sir Ian McKellen, Lynn Redgrave, Stacy Keach, Carol Channing, Luis Valdez, Cloris Leachman, Rene Auberjonois, Imogene Coca, Phyllis Diller, Sid Caesar, Peggy Lee, Jose Greco, Barbara Rush, Emlyn Williams, Barbara Cook and Sammy Cahn. Mr. Duggan served as the co-producer on the feature film version of The Twilight of the Golds starring Faye Dunaway and Brendan Fraser. Charles served as a founding producer for the Austin Musical Theater and brought 25 musicals to Austin’s Paramount Theater. He has served terms as a trustee on the boards of Ballet Austin and Austin Lyric Theater. Charles is most proud of his greatest production, his twin sons, Justin & Declan.
(Executive Producer) has been involved with theater in the great state of Texas as well as London and New York for many years. Current projects include the Bob Dylan inspired show, Girl From The North Country, headed to Broadway in February of 2020 after a successful run off Broadway at the Public Theater as well as in London’s West End. He is one of the backers for the two new Troubadour theater facilities going up in London’s White City and Wembley Park. For many years he was involved with the regional productions of Austin Musical Theater and Broadway Texas with the most notable effort being the highly-regarded production of The Wizard of Oz directed by Scott Thompson and staring Lauren Worsham, John Bolton, and Dirk Lumbard.
Carly Hughes, Luba Mason, Vivian Reed and Julie Tollivar