Band Geeks
A high-stepping tribute to high school marching bands and misfits everywhere!
Show Essentials
9
Roles
+ Ensemble
PG
Rated
2
Acts

Full Synopsis

Act One

Elliott, a chubby teen, beaming with hope, appears on stage and relays his excitement to the audience as the brand new captain of The Beavers Marching Band ("Captain of the Beavers").

Elliott is then revealed, hanging on a locker room door. Laura, Elliott's friend, knocks and comes into the room. As Laura helps him down, Mr. Hornsby bursts in with his whistle. He reminds the two that, with the new season, Elliott must be in tip top shape. Mr. Hornsby exits, and Elliot and Laura get ready for band practice ("Band Geeks!") During the song, we move to the football field, where everyone is arriving for rehearsal. Elliott proceeds with roll call. We are introduced to a new exchange student, Natalia Vosavich. The students pull out their instruments as rehearsal begins. In another part of town, we come to the home of Jake, a past star of the football team, who has been forced to join the marching band for his senior year.

On the practice field, the students are still adjusting to the new music and formations. Ms. Dixon enters, assistants in tow, to check on Mr. Hornsby and his students. She introduces Jake to the band as a new drummer for the coming school year. Skeptical and unsure, Elliott brings a set to Jake, and the students begin to train him ("Keep the Beat"). Frustrated and upset, Jake throws down his drumsticks and leaves. The band takes a break. As Elliott and Laura share a moment, Nicole interrupts; Elliott is speechless... it is his high school crush! When Elliott leaves Laura to reflect, she confesses her feelings ("Lost in the Brass").

We now move to Ms. Dixon's office, where she is delivering bad news to Mr. Hornsby: due to a lack of funding, she must cut the band program. Now, the students will forfeit their use of the practice field and begin to practice for their final appearance in... the parking lot ("Good Enough"). Although the kids' spirits are down, they must still prepare for their last performance. Meanwhile, in the locker room, Elliott is preparing to ask Nicole out on a date. The boys come in and give him a hard time ("Twirler Girl").

Later that night, the marching band has snuck onto the practice field with Mr. Hornsby, but they are quickly falling apart. Still in her pajamas, Ms. Dixon is shocked to find them on the field. She reprimands Mr. Hornsby and instructs Joyce to confiscate his field pass. Alone in the darkness, the music teacher dreams about new possibilities ("If I Had a Stage"). Elliott interrupts to remind Mr. Hornsby that they still have to play the big game against Waterloo, and Jake is shocked: it is his old school! The next day, we find Laura and Jake behind the bleachers. While sizing each other up, they share an unpredictably special moment ("One Look at You").

It is now Monday, 3:00 pm. As the boys prepare for rehearsal in the locker room, Laura coaches Jake in the parking lot. The big night is quickly approaching ("Friday Night").

After a week of hard work, we find ourselves at the Friday night football game as Belleview High faces off against Cuyahoga High and its Marching Beavers. Sitting in the stands, Jake thinks about his ruined dreams of football stardom ("Team Player"). Lost in his thoughts, Jake unleashes an incredible, unrehearsed snare drum solo. The performance receives awe-filled praise from the band and Mr. Hornsby. Even more, a recruiter from Ohio State is so impressed that she invites the band to compete at the Festival of Champions ("The Festival of Champions").

Act Two

In the parking lot, after the game, Mr. Hornsby reminds the kids that this will be the biggest opportunity for the Beavers, and his students agree. Kyle, Alvin and Stewart step up to provide a demonstration to their band teacher: a "sneak peek" at ideas for the competition ("Get it Together").

On the way home from Cedar Point, Laura and Elliott bond. Jake and Nicole flirt in the back of the bus ("The Back of the Bus"). Back at school, Elliott talks to Jake about his school crush while Stewart endures more bullying from the jocks. Over in Mr. Hornsby's office, Laura is having difficulty with a musical piece and eventually confides to him that her parents are forcing her to attend state school, despite the potential that Mr. Hornsby sees in her.

Later, we find Natalia and Spitz practicing in a large storage closet. The two square off in a battle of egos and talent ("Big Shot!") Back in the parking lot, Ms. Dixon gives Mr. Hornsby some bad news: someone has broken into the supply closet in the field house, and the equipment has been vandalized. Jake is accused, and Ms. Dixon warns him that this will be the final straw; he is to be kicked out of school. As the band mourns the loss of Jake, Laura contemplates her situation and what she should do ("Lost in the Brass – Reprise").

The next morning, in Mr. Hornsby's office, we learn that Laura has stepped forward and confessed to the crime in order to save Jake. Elliott cannot believe it and rushes to Jake's house. He informs Elliott that he is done with school and has given up, but is shocked to learn that Laura has taken the fall ("Loser").

Back at the parking lot, the band is practicing ("Good Enough – Reprise"). Many of the students have accepted that it's a losing cause and begin to think about other things that they could excel in. At the end of the song, Elliott appears and announces that Jake has come back to the band. In an effort to mend relations, Stewart steps forward to admit that he vandalized the field house after the football team locked him in.

Early the following morning, Laura is welcomed back by Elliott. After reconciling, they share a brief kiss and then laugh about it ("Captain of the Beaver – Reprise"). At the Festival, the members of the band are prepared for their long journey to come to an end. Elliott passes his baton off to Laura, and the song begins ("Embrace Your Inner Geek"). As the song concludes, the curtain closes.

Casting
← Back to Band Geeks
Cast Size: Small (Up to 10 performers)
Cast Type: Ensemble Cast
Dance Requirements: Standard

Character Breakdown

Elliot
Tuba player. Recently appointed Beaver Band Captain, he is eager to prove his competency to his peers, superiors, and especially his parents. Awkward around the opposite sex and slightly overweight.
Gender: male
Age: 17 to 17
Jake
Drummer. An African-American, he is protecting a scarred interior life. After a violent incident at his previous school, the former star football player is forced to transfer to Belleview and join the marching band.
Gender: male
Age: 17 to 17
Laura
Flute player. Though kind hearted and talented, she feels overlooked and longs to stand out from the crowd. Smart and patient.
Gender: female
Age: 17 to 17
Spitz
Trumpet player. A show-off with urban flair, his bravado outweighs his talents. His kind heart is his redemptive quality.
Gender: male
Age: 15 to 18
Natalia
Trumpet player. Eastern European exchange student, she is wise and wry beyond her years.
Gender: female
Age: 15 to 18
Stewart
Clarinet player. He is Ms. Dixon's asthmatic son and the youngest member of the band. Desperately trying to escape the long shadow of his mother.
Gender: male
Age: 14 to 17
Nicole
Baton twirler. A perky optimist, she is an avid planner and part-time exhibitionist. Keenly aware of her beauty, yet occasionally oblivious to its affect on others.
Gender: female
Age: 15 to 18
Mr. Hornsby
The adored band teacher. Mr. Hornsby is dedicated and passionate, but has bigger dreams than reality will allow. Committed to his students.
Gender: male
Age: 30 to 40
Ms. Dixon
The principal of Belleview High. Recently divorced and somewhat neurotic, her commitment to serve the children tends to mangle her common sense. A loving mother with her own "best of intentions."
Gender: female
Age: 35 to 45
Ensemble
Band Members; Offstage Voices
Full Song List
Band Geeks: Captain Of The Beavers
Band Geeks: Band Geeks
Band Geeks: Keep The Beat
Band Geeks: Twirler Girl
Band Geeks: Good Enough
Band Geeks: Lost In The Brass
Band Geeks: If I Had A Stage
Band Geeks: One Look At You
Band Geeks: Friday Night
Band Geeks: Team Player
Band Geeks: The Festival of Champions
Band Geeks: Get It Together
Band Geeks: The Back of the Bus
Band Geeks: Big Shot
Band Geeks: Lost in the Brass (Reprise)
Band Geeks: Loser
Band Geeks: Good Enough (Reprise)
Band Geeks: Stewart's Exit
Band Geeks: Captain Of The Beavers (Reprise)
Band Geeks: Embrace Your Inner Geek

Show History

Inspiration

The concept for Band Geeks occurred when writing partners, Tommy Newman and Mark Allen, were considering ideas for a second show upon which to work. When both writers realized that they shared the similar experience of playing trumpet in a high school marching band, they agreed to attempt a stage translation of that unique experience. Newman believed that the concept would have appeal beyond just marching band enthusiasts.

The writing team's vision expanded with the addition some time later of a fellow NYU graduate student, Gaby Alter. The show, which was commissioned in 2008 by Goodspeed Musicals, received numerous readings and workshops over the course of the three or so years leading up to its world premiere.

Gordon Greenberg, the fourth and newest member of the team, also inspired the decision to set the show in the early 1990s, with what they described as "our last gasp of innocence – before information and instant access became our dictators, prior to the advent of email, cell phones and internet."

Productions

Although it began as a staged reading in a New Artists festival, Band Geeks received its world premiere full-scale production in May of 2010 at Goodspeed Musical's Norma Terris Theater in Chester, Connecticut. It enjoyed a limited engagement (which was closed to critics) after several years of developmental workshops and staged readings.

Since 2010, there have been several regional presentations throughout the country, including the Midwest stage premiere at Ohio's Human Race Theatre. Most notably, the musical was presented in 2012 by the Troy University's Department of Theatre and Dance in collaboration with creator Tommy Newman, a Troy University alum. The production was presented as part of the school's yearlong 125th Birthday Celebration.

Trivia

  • As part of their developmental research, the writers interviewed marching band students from the Nathan Hale-Ray High School in East Haddam, CT.
  • Jared Gertner, star of Broadway's The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, appeared as the story's main character, Elliott, in the world premiere production.
  • The writers of Band Geeks all met in Grad School at New York University.

Connect

Billing

Requirements

You must give the authors/creators billing credits, as specified in the Production Contract, in a conspicuous manner on the first page of credits in all programs and on houseboards, displays and in all other advertising announcements of any kind.
Percentages listed indicate required type size in relation to title size.
BAND GEEKS
(100%)
 
Book by
Tommy Newman & Gordon Greenberg
(50%)
Music and Lyrics by
Gaby Alter, Mark Allen and Tommy Newman 
(50%)
 
Based on a concept by Tommy Newman
(50%)
 
Such billing shall appear on the same line, immediately following the title of the Play with no other words appearing on such lines. No one may receive billing larger than the Authors, and only the director may receive credit in the same size as Authors.
You also agree to include the following credit on the main credit page in all programs for the Play and in all advertising and publicity wherever and whenever the licensed producer receives credit and in size of type equal to such producer’s credit:
"Originally Produced for Goodspeed Musicals By
Michael P. Price, Executive Director"
 
In addition, you agree to include the following biography with the other biographies in the theatre program:
GOODSPEED MUSICALS has achieved international acclaim for its dedication to the preservation and advancement of musical theatre. Under the direction of Michael P. Price since 1968, Goodspeed produces three musicals each season at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut, 17 of which have gone to Broadway (including Man of La Mancha, Shenandoah, and Annie), receiving more than a dozen Tony Awards, In addition, Goodspeed produces three new musicals each year at The Norma Terris Theatre, opened in 1984 in Chester, Connecticut, for the development of new musicals. Also integral to its mission, Goodspeed houses the Scherer Library of Musical Theatre, which preserves scores, sheet music, scripts, original cast recordings, playbills, and theatre memorabilia, and has established the Max Showalter Center for Education in the Musical Theater to educate and train future generations of theatergoers and theatrical professionals. Goodspeed has received two Special Tony Awards, for its outstanding achievements. To learn more visit www.goodspeed.org.
 
In advertisements of 1/4 page size or less, or where only the title of the play, performance dates and venue are provided, the following “shortened billing” is permissible:
BAND GEEKS

Video Warning

In accordance with the Performance License, you MUST include the following warning in all programs and in a pre-show announcement:
ANY VIDEO AND/OR AUDIO RECORDING OF THIS PRODUCTION IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.

If you purchase a video license to allow non-commercial video recording of this production, then you MUST include the following warning in all programs and in a pre-show announcement:
ANY VIDEO RECORDING MADE OF THIS PERFORMANCE IS AUTHORIZED FOR PERSONAL, AT-HOME, NON-COMMERCIAL USE ONLY. THE SALE OR DISTRIBUTION OF SUCH RECORDING IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED UNDER FEDERAL COPYRIGHT LAW.

Included Materials

ItemQuantity Included
LIBRETTO/VOCAL BOOK16
PIANO CONDUCTOR'S SCORE2

Production Resources

Resource
CUSTOMIZABLE SHOW POSTER
FULL SCORE VOL 1 OF 2
FULL SCORE VOL 2 OF 2
HOW DOES THE SHOW GO ON-10/CS
HOW DOES THE SHOW GO ON?
LOGO PACK
LOGO PACK DIGITAL
PRODUCTIONPRO-DIGITAL SCRIPT/SCORE
STAGE MANAGER SCRIPT
STAGE WRITE APPLICATION
VIDEO LICENSE

STANDARD ORCHESTRATION

InstrumentationDoubling
DRUMSCOWBELL , DRUM SET , MARK TREE , TAMBOURINE , TRIANGLE , WOODBLOCK
ELECTRIC BASS
MEDIA CUE SHEET
PERCUSSIONCOWBELL , GLOCKENSPIEL , MARK TREE , SNARE DRUM , SUSPENDED CYMBAL , TRIANGLE
PERCUSSION 2BASS DRUM , COWBELL , CRASH CYMBAL , MARK TREE , SUSPENDED CYMBAL , TIMPANI , TRIANGLE , WOODBLOCKS(HI & LOW)
REED 1FLUTE , PICCOLO
REED 2ALTO SAXOPHONE , CLARINET , COWBELL
REED 3
REED 4
TROMBONE
TROMBONE 2
TROMBONE 3
TROMBONE 4
TRUMPET
TRUMPET 2
TRUMPET 3
TRUMPET 4
TUBA
TUBA 2