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2016 world premiere
Goosebumps The Musical - PLOT synopsis
Act I
Before the action of the play, the company comes together to deliver a warning and an invitation to join them as they recount their spooky tale (Goosebumps).
The story begins and we meet our heroine, Brooke, and her best friend Zeke, and their classmates at Woods Mill Middle School. The halls are filed with the excited chatter of the students as the news spreads that this year's musical will be (A Super Scary Play) called The Phantom. When Ms Walker posts the cast list, Brooke and Zeke are excited to be cast of the leads, as they are both love all things spooky and scary.
Rumor has it that the play is cursed. Though Ms. Walker tries to dispel the rumor, Tina, Brooke's understudy, recounts (The Legend) of the first production 73 years ago at their very school. Ms. Walker's great grandmother, Abigail, tried to stage the play, but the boy who played the titular character vanished on opening night without a trace. The principal ordered all copies of the script be destroyed, though Abigail kept a copy in secret. Rumor has it the spirit of the boy still haunts the school, ensuring the play will never be performed.
Brook and Zeke sneak back to the stage after rehearsal to get a better look at the trap door, put in for the play but which never has a chance to be used during the first production. Despite Ms Walker's warning that the trap door is not safe, curiosity gets the better of Brooke and Zeke and they pull the lever and the platform plunges deep below the stage. Spooked out my what could be lurking in the darkness, they leave and make their way back to the stage. Waiting for them is the school's night janitor, Emile who warns them to be careful or they may fall to their deaths (Watch Your Step).
The next day, Brooke finds creepy mask and an ominous note in her locker which proclaims "STAY AWAY FROM MY HOME SWEET HOME". Brooke thinks this is Zeke playing a joke.
Brooke shows up early for drama class, only to find a unfamiliar, and cute, boy sitting in her chair. The boy introduces himself as Brian and the two share an embarrassing, yet sweet, conversation as they introduce themselves in which Brooke can't stop babbling (Babbling Brooke). Brian, having moved after roles were cast, is assigned to help Tina with the scenery.
Zeke admits to Brooke that he hasn't read the play, leading to her detailing to Zeke (The Story of the Phantom). This play-within-the-play very much mimics the plot of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. The play takes place in an old theater rumored to be haunted by the titular character, The Phantom. The Phantom is not a ghost, but actually a previously renowned composer, now living in the tunnels underneath the theater due to the scars disfiguring his face making him an outcast from society. The play's heroine, Esmerelda, sees through the Phantom's outward appearance to the misunderstood artist beneath, though she is torn between her love for the Phantom and her love for her childhood friend Raoul. Raoul later attacks and kills the Phantom, who accepts his death, knowing he could never live without Esmerelda. A devastated Esmerelda flees and is never seen or heard from again. After his death, the Phantom's body disappears and it is said his spirit still haunts the theater, longing to sing one last song with his beloved Esmerelda.
There is a blackout during play rehearsal the next day and a mysterious figure dressed as the Phantom appears above the actors under a single spotlight. In a haunting voice, the figure warns the actors to "Stay away from my Home Sweet Home!". An ominous laugh echoes as the scene fades to black.
Act II
Shortly after the appearance of the Phantom, Brooke confronts Zeke, telling him that he didn’t scare her with his prank in rehearsal. However, Zeke insists that he doesn’t know what she’s talking about, claiming he was at the dentist.
During rehearsal that day, the Phantom again shows, swinging down on a rope and yelling at Brooke to “Stay away from my home sweet home!”. Brooke collapses to the floor in shock, and the Phantom disappears. As Brian rushes to Brooke’s side, she starts to come to, but she looks cold and pale—as if she’s seen a ghost.
After school, Tina leaves a voicemail for Brooke, wishing her well while trying to get her to quit the play and let Tina play Esmerelda's role. She also tries to get Ms. Walker to give her the part to no success. (Understudy Buddy).
The next day, Zeke, Brian, and Brooke discover a message scrawled on the backdrop in red paint: “STAY AWAY FROM MY HOME SWEET HOME!” Brian is angered that Zeke would vandalize the backdrop, but Brooke insists that Zeke wouldn't do something like this. Tina, Ms. Walker, and Principal Stine discover the damage, when Tina discovers a trail of paint drops leading Zeke’s locker, Upon opening it they find a fresh can of red paint. Zeke denies the vandalism to no avail. Zeke suggests Emile planted the can, being the night janitor. Principal Stine reveals that the school has no night janitor. Ms. Walker informs Zeke that he is out of the play, if they don’t have to cancel it altogether. Principal Stine adds that Zeke might facing suspension or even harsher punishments.
Brooke, Zeke, and Brian decide to take matters into their own hands to save the play. They go theough the likely suspects, ultimately deciding to investigate the trapdoor, as the Phantom only started appearing after they opened it (Whodunit?).
Once again, the three sneak into the auditorium. Brian starts to get nervous, but is moved forward with Brooke's encouragement. Zeke gives the lever a pull, and the three go down once more, leading them into the sub-basement.
Exploring the sub-basement leads the kids to Emile, who has been living there. He reveals there is no Phantom, amd that he just used the legend to keep them away from his home. He explains that he really was a janitor many years ago, but when the school laid him off, he fell on hard times. With nowhere else to go, he figured he could live here until he got back on his feet (Home Sweet Home). But when the play caused the trapdoor to start being used again, he feared he would soon be found out. Zeke promises they won’t tell a soul. “No,” Emile replies, “I don’t imagine you will.” The trio screams, and before Emile can explain, they start to run, eventually escaping via the elevator.
The next day, Ms. Walker tells the students that a search found no sign of anyone living in the sub-basement, even the furniture they claim to have seen seeming to vanish. Nonetheless, she believes them, as they all have the same story. Zeke is cleared and returns the play.
After few weeks of rehearsal, opening night finally arrives. Tina tells Brooke to break a leg, sincerely adding she’s actually really great in the show. Zeke enters the backstage area in costume, but is dragged off by the Phantom in an identical costume.
The play begins. The Phantom enters, and Brooke, upon sees the Phantom's green eyes behind the mask, realizes instantly it isn’t Zeke. She feels that something about him is very familiar. “Please trust me,” the Phantom whispers.
Brooke and the Phantom perform the play, where he reveals how he came to be (My Story). The Phantom says he was cast in a play which was to be performed on that very stage. In the darkness, he couldn’t see where he was going, and, unaware that his trapdoor had been left open, fell through the opening in the stage to his death. He’s been haunting this theater not to prevent the play from being performed, but hoping it would be, so that he could finally perform his starring role. He is glad he has has done so, but finds it bittersweet, as it means he’ll have to say goodbye to someone special- "Esmerelda". He claims meeting her has made all of his suffering worthwhile, but as much as he wishes he could stay, he must move on, his one last goal now accomplished. The Phantom speaks directly to Brooke, “Thank you, for giving me an ending to my tragic play.” He backs off the stage and disappears in a burst of fog. The audience roars as the lights fade.
After the show, Ms. Walker congratulates the cast on a tremendous performance. She compliments Zeke on his performance to Brooke, albeit a bit peeved he changed lives on opening night. Brooke finds Zeke, who is shocked to learn that the show already happened, deducting he had been knocked out. Brooke tells him that someone else performed his role, and she thinks it was the boy from the first production, 73 years ago. Before Zeke can process this, the Phantom emerges from the shadows. Brooke rushes to him, and when she reaches to remove his mask, he does not resist, wanting her to finally know the truth. Brooke sees that the Phantom is actually Brian. There is a blinding burst of light, followed by darkness. When lights return, Brian is gone. Brooke and Zeke are alone on the auditorium stage, Brooke still holding Brian’s mask. Lights flicker as Brian’s ghostly voice fills the auditorium: “Goodbye, Brooke.” Brooke instinctively grabs Zeke’s hand as lights fade to black.
The show ends in the dimly lit cemetery we saw earlier, with a new smaller tombstone that dates back 73 years. The Company member who played Brooke enters alone and lays a rose at the grave. Slowly, through the swirls of fog, the rest of the Company members start to appear. They come together and remind us once more of their warning—that their tale would fill our souls with fright and give us goosebumps in the night. (Goosebumps (Reprise)).
Songs from musical: Goosebumps The Musical Lyrics
Plot to Goosebumps the Musical Synopsis
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