Michael B. BraveTM
the musical
The Story…
Michael B. Brave is a heartwarming, kid-friendly musical about a boy and his best friend – a ghost! A ghost named Kirby, who died 70 years ago at age 11, and who lives (together with his squeaky pogo stick) in the basement of the suburban home of young Michael and his family. Michael gets along better with Kirby than with his bullying older brother, Bryan.
From different eras, but of the same age, Michael and Kirby team up to help Kirby find his mother who recently died but didn’t return to this world as a spirit. Together with Michael’s classmate Vickie Vargas and Kirby’s elderly uncle George Williams, the group learns that just about any problem – even the toughest and spookiest ones – can be solved with the right combination of friendship, kindness and pluck.
This musical, which includes a Halloween and Day of the Dead theme, is an adaptation of Kirby’s Dilemma, a novel by Chicago-based writer Iris Iglarsh. Lyrics and libretto are by Richard Gustin, a veteran actor, director, playwright and acting teacher, who lives in Milwaukee. Composer Greg Becker, who hails from Nashville, has previously written songs for Carrie Underwood and many other noted recording artists, and has a passion for musicals.
Geared for young audiences and families, Michael B. Brave is a high-spirited play that in a light, tuneful way, offers some heavy-duty lessons about confronting one’s fears and false assumptions. Featuring a panoply of musical styles, ranging from rap to ragtime to classic ballad, the work serves as an ideal introduction for youngsters to the world of musical theater. It calls for a diverse cast with some dancing ability and energy to burn.
Sample of Michael B. Brave Script
List of Characters…
| Michael Benton | Age 11-12. Good natured and adventurous. |
| Curtis Williams Scott (Kirby) | Age 11-12. A ghost of his former self. |
| Vickie Vargas | Age 11-12. Michael’s quick-witted classmate. Latina. |
| Mr. David Benton (Dad) | Father of Michael and Bryan. |
| Mrs. Anita Benton (Mom) | Mother of Michael and Bryan. |
| Mr. George Williams | Kirby’s uncle. A neighborhood kids’ legend. |
| Bryan Benton | Michael’s older brother. A troubled boy. |
| Woman in White | Mysterious, ethereal and loving. |
| Ms. Frankel | Michael’s sixth-grade teacher. |
| Mrs. Vargas | Mother of Vickie and Mia. Latina. |
| Mia Vargas | Vickie’s eight-year-old, spunky sister. Latina. |
| Mr. Miller | Assistant Principal. |
| Todd Schultz | Michael’s friend. |
| Students | Age 11-12. A diverse gaggle of sixth graders. |
| Duke (Mr. Williams’ dog) | Loyal companion. |
Casting: Directors are encouraged to cast the production with as much diversity as possible. Bryan and Mia may double as students along with Mrs. Vargas/Woman in White and Duke/student. Mrs. Benton/Ms. Frankel/Teacher (sc.9) may triple, and Mr. Benton/Uncle George/Mr. Miller may triple. Students double as singers and dancers. The musical may be done with as few as seven (7) principal actors with doubling and tripling along with a chorus of student dancer/singers.
The Michael B. Brave team is working to bring the musical to the stage.
Playwright
Richard Gustin, AEA, Dramatist Guild of America
www.richardgustin.com
https://newplayexchange.org/users/50178/richard-gustin
Richard is an emerging playwright, who is also a professional actor, director, teacher and producer. He has appeared in major roles at various regional theatres including: The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby at Great Lakes Theatre Festival and Kansas City Repertory Theater; The Three Sisters, Anthony and Cleopatra, and Macbeth at Kansas City Repertory Theater; Major Barbara at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre; and Fear of Filing at the Ivanhoe (Chicago). His directing credits include, The Dream of the Burning Boy, How the World Began, Crooked, Waiting for Godot, Antigone, Of Mice and Men, My Fair Lady, Godspell, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, A Sparrow Falls, and The Glass Menagerie. His plays include Being Seen, Leviathan, Surviving the Cycle, A Sparrow Falls, Someone Like Me, Everyman (Original Adaptation), The Stare-Down King, Concentric Circles, CruciFiction, Switch and Flat World.
Principal Lyricist
Richard Gustin
Secondary Lyricists
Greg Becker
Iris Iglarsh
Composer
Greg Becker
Gregory Becker is an award-winning songwriter, composer and lyricist/librettist. His works have sold more than 20 million units worldwide and have been recorded by Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Leann Rimes, Alan Jackson and many others. His works have also been featured in major motion pictures, and he has contributed to multiple Grammy-nominated projects. Gregory studied lyric writing, composing and arranging at Berklee College of Music and has been a staff songwriter for Sony ATV, BMG, CAA, Warner-Chappell, Famous Music, and Southern Crossroads. He currently is signed with Bluewater Music and is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild.
Book Author
Iris Iglarsh
Because we were all children once, author Iris Iglarsh respects, supports and celebrates children. That’s why she writes for a younger audience. As a storyteller by nature, with a successful career as a writer and editor, the author’s first middle-grade novel – Kirby’s Dilemma – evolved from a bedtime story she made up and told her son when he was young. Iris lives in the Chicago area with her husband.
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Musical Samples
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