Bright Lights, Big City (musical)

Bright Lights, Big City is a musical with music lyrics and book written by Paul Scott Goodman and is based on the novel by Jay McInerney. It follows a week in the life of Jamie, an aspiring writer in his mid 20s who loses himself in the chaos of 1980s New York.

Plot

Bright Lights tells the 1980's story of a week in the life of Jamie, a twenty-four year old who came to New York City to fulfill his dream of being a writer and who now finds himself in a frightfully boring job in the "factual verification department" of Gotham Magazine under tight-lipped boss Clara. Jamie soon discovers the party-scene of New York where he meets characters like Tad, a wild party animal who brings Jamie into a world of cocaine, sex and all-night partying at the Odeon club. Jamie indulges but eventually finds himself spinning out of control. His wife Amanda, a model, leaves him to follow her dream in Paris. He loses touch with his brother, Michael, who is left confused and alone since the death of their mother, and Jamie loses his job.

Drugs and partying get the better of Jamie, as he starts to be haunted by hallucinationsd of his past and of his surroundings. Posters of his now famous model ex-wife mock him. Echoes of his young mother try to comfort him. Mary O'Brian McCann, a missing girl, calls out to him from a milk carton. A baby in the womb of an unconcious woman cries to him from the newspaper and the ever luring Chuck Bean, the number one reporter in town, worms his way into Jamie's brain. Jamie spirals out of control as the hallucintaions and reality start to crumble. But by chance, Tad introduces Jamie to his cousin, Vicky. Meant to be nothing but a one-night engagement, Jamie finds himself drawn to the rationality, innocence and philosohical tendancies of Vicky. He soon decides to turn his life around, forgetting about Amanda, deserting Tad, reconnecting with Michael, being with Vicky and finally re-starting the novel he once gave up on.

Productions

The show first opened at the New York Theatre Workshop on 24th February 1999. It was directed and musically staged by Michael Greif and orchestrated by Richard Barone. It starred Patrick Wilson as Jamie, Jerry Dixon as Tad, Napiera Daniele Groves as Amanda, Annmarie Milazzo as the Mother, John Link Graney as Michael and Natascia Diaz as Vicky. The show opened to mixed reviews, many of which poorly compared it to Rent which not only spawned at the same theatre, but boasted almost entirely the same creative team, minus it's creator, the late Jonathan Larson.

The show made it's UK Premiere in April 2009 at The Obie Theatre in Croydon, South London. It was performed by members of the graduating year of the BRIT School. It was directed by Katy Sechiari, musically directed by Matt Elliot and choreographed by Odette Perdrisat.

Musical Numbers

'Bright Lights, Big City' - Jamie, Drug Girl & Ensemble

'Back In The City' - Tad, Jamie & Ensemble

'Sunday Morning 6AM' - Jamie, Mary, Mother & Amanda.

'Coma Baby' - Coma Baby, Jamie & Ensmble

'Fact & Fiction' - Clara, Jamie & Ensemble

'I Hate The French' - Jamie & Chuck Bean

'Brother' - Michael, Amanda & Jamie

'I Hate The French (Reprise)' - Jamie

'Odeon' - Jamie, Tad & Ensmble

'Happy Birthday Darling' - Mother

'Missing' - Coma Baby, Mary & Jamie

'To Model' - Amanda & Jamie

'So Many Little Things' - Jamie

'Back In The City 2' - Tad

'Kindness' - Vicky

'Perfect Feeling' - Jamie, Vicky & Ensemble

'Bright Lights, Big City 2' - Jamie

'You Couldn't Handle It Jamie' - Clara & Jamie

'My Son' - Clara

'Wednesday' - Chuck, Tad & Jamie

'Camera Wall' - Amanda, Chuck, Jamie, Mother, Michael, Mary, Coma Baby & Ensemble

'Heart And Soul' - Michael, Vicky & Mother

'Brother 2' - Michael & Jamie

'Mummies At The Met' - Mother, Jamie & Ensemble

'Are You Still Holding My Hand?' - Mother

'Brother 3' Jamie & Michael

'Back In The City 3' - Tad

'Stay In My Life' - Jamie, Amanda, Vicky & Ensemble

'Bright Lights Big City 3 / Wordfall' - Jamie & Ensemble