Act One

We start in the mid 1950's with Aldous Huxley, the famed British author and philosopher with poor vision in his right eye, wandering onstage. He starts to sing a song but forgets the lyrics. His wife Maria continues the song, jogging his memory. They sing together and dance a waltz ("Prologue (The Music Plays On)").

We are introduced to the central characters at different public appearances. Aldous speaks to the Los Angeles Board of Education in defense of Miss Nelson, a teacher who was fired for recommending his book to a student. Cary Grant announces his retirement from acting to the Hollywood Press Corps and defends Charlie Chaplin from accusations that he is a Communist. Clare Booth Luce appears before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs as President Eisenhower's nominee for the Ambassadorship to Brazil. The Group questions if their efforts will even change the minds of the people they stand before.

Aldous and Gerald Heard are in the Rexall Drug Store deodorant aisle when Gerald asks Aldous about the wellbeing of his wife Maria, who recently had surgery. Maria enters with a bag filled with her prescriptions. Gerald has taken LSD and is already showing signs of its effects. He is laughing profusely and fascinated by an art book he picked out. As he opens the book to the painting "The return of Judith to Bethulia," the voices of Judith and her Handmaiden begin to sing to him as they appear onstage ("Bella Donna Di Agonia"). Aldous discovers that he can now see clearly with his right eye. Gerald and Maria believe it's the result of the LSD ("Wonderous"). When Aldous notices Maria looks pale, she reassures him that she is fine and promises him that she will never leave him. Aldous calls Gerald his guide and Maria his heart and thanks the drug store as they leave ("Bella Donna Di Agonia (Reprise)").

At a psychiatrist's office, Cary asks Dr. Harris what his wife Betsy has told him about the troubles in their marriage. Dr Harris lets him know he cannot disclose information discussed during their sessions. Cary fears information might get leaked to the press. Dr. Harris tells Cary that the medication he has been giving to Betsy is called LSD, which allows patients to access pertinent information in their brains. He tells him that the drug heightens visual data but there are generally no side effects. Cary asks to try the drug, but he loses his temper when Dr. Harris refuses. Dr. Harris eventually gives in and prescribes him a light dosage. When Dr. Harris asks him questions about his family and real name, Cary becomes agitated and decides to leave against protests for him to stay. Dr. Harris asks him why he wanted to take the drug, and Cary says he wants to see what Betsy calls a "revelation". Dr. Harris asks Cary what he thinks he is missing in his life. Cary explains that despite his fame, he leads an unfulfilled life ("I Have It All"). The effects of the drug start, and Cary sees his 12 year-old self, Archie. He is wearing a girl's dress and sings about his childhood performing at the Music Hall. Cary and Archie start tap dancing madly together ("Funny Money"). Dr. Harris transforms into Cary's father, scolding Archie for being a sissy. When Archie confronts him about his mother, his father slaps him, but Archie stands his ground. Back as Dr. Harris, he asks Cary about the song he was singing. Cary tells Harris that his mother used to dress him as a girl to perform, he both liked and hated it ("Funny Money (Reprise)").

At Clare's estate in Connecticut, Gerald gives Clare three drops of LSD. Clare tells Gerald she has been thinking of withdrawing from the Brazil appointment. She tells Gerald that the Senate Committee tried to find out if she saw a psychiatrist. She admits she did after her mother and Ann, her only daughter, died. The LSD takes effect, and she sees her mother and Ann ("A Sapphire Dragonfly"). Gerald asks her to close her eyes and tell him what she sees ("Someone"). Clare sings about her time in Malibu as a young writer ("Flying Over Sunset"). As she progresses in her memories, the erotic intensity of her thoughts gather momentum until she climaxes.

Aldous is being interviewed at a TV studio about his book "The Doors of Perception", in which he discusses the benefits of hallucinogens. The audience is not convinced. Maria watches the interview on TV. Gerald sees that she looks ill and asks her when she last saw a doctor. She only tells Gerald to be there for Aldous.

Gerald and Aldous have lunch at a restaurant and are joined by Clare. She sees Mr. Grant and brings him over to their table. They talk about their lives, careers, and their experiences with LSD. They are each at a turning point in their life: Aldous lost his wife Maria, Clare has withdrawn from her ambassadorship nomination, and Cary has retired from movies. Clare suggests that they take the drug together with guidance from Gerald and share their experiences. As they sing, their hallucinations join them ("Flying Over Sunset (Reprise)").

Act Two

At Clare's Malibu rental house, Gerald wants to start them on 100 micrograms of LSD, Clare insists that they all choose their own doses. Gerald decided he wants to join them rather than watch over them. Cary says he is uncomfortable with participating without a guide but warily accepts. He and Gerald start with 100 micrograms while Clare and Aldous take 150 micrograms. They toast and drink. They talk about their relations to religion. Aldous says that the men may refrain from speaking about their feelings. Gerald begins a chant, he takes off his shoes and sits in a lotus position, Clare and Aldous follow ("Om"). Cary expresses his reluctance to be open with the group. Clare and Gerald express their sexual attraction to Cary while Aldous is fascinated by Clare's feet. The drug begins to take effect, and the colors grow richer. The participants try to get each other up, but they keep falling in giggles. Gerald leaves because he thinks he peed himself. They sing about what they are feeling and how Gerald seems to know everything about life ("Huxley Knows"). Aldous says he does not know how to grieve, but Clare and Cary do not understand what he means. Gerald comes back wearing Henry's clothes which do not fit him.

Clare reveals that her mother and her nineteen-year-old daughter both died in car accidents. Cary tells the group that when he was ten, his father told him his mother died when in actuality, he had her committed. Cary got her out, but she could not recognize him as her son in person; only on screen she sees Cary Grant as her son ("My Mother and I"). Clare sings about her mother teaching her lessons such as about men, sex, and money. Gerald sings about him and his mother's difference in opinion when it comes to religion. Gerald tells the group that Aldous lost his mother at fourteen. Aldous interrupts, saying he did not take the drug to talk about sad topics. Aldous met his wife at the home of Lady Ottoline Morrell while she was painting a cupboard. Maria was a Belgian refugee taken in by Lady Ottoline. He hums "The Music Plays On," but he has once again forgotten the lyrics. A vision of Maria appears, singing the lyrics, and they begin to dance together. He suddenly realizes he was dancing with Clare and begins to weep.

Cary tells the group he might return to film in a Paramount project with Sophia Loren. Cary wants to marry her, but she loves the producer Carlo Ponti. Cary's ex-wife Betsy screenplay for the movie, which they were both set to star in. Sophia Loren appears as a hallucination and rejects Cary, saying that he would never let a woman lead. They dance, and she takes full control. Sophia applies pressure to Cary's hand, and he falls to the floor. The group rushes to help him. They close their eyes to listen to the surf, birds, drones, and traffic until Clare hears a car crash. She sees Ann covered in blood, causing her to scream.

Clare enters a dream-like tropical fern forest. She sees her mother Austin, but she is looking for Ann. Austin tells Clare she is in an altered state. Clare feels guilty about not seeing them after their accidents, her mother says her guilt is a waste of time. Austin tells Clare she is in heaven ("An Interesting Place"). Ann comes to Clare, and she is happy to be reunited with her daughter. Austin asks Clare to find the leg she lost during the accident. Gerald checks in on Clare, but she shoos him away. Ann complains about her mother neglecting her as a child to focus on her career ("If Only I'd Known"). Clare leaves her dream-like state and calls out for her mother and daughter. Clare laments that she can't move on from her past ("How").

Back at the beach, Gerald, Cary, and Aldous are in swimsuits at the edge of the water ("Three Englishmen"). They step deeper into the water, Cary claims to see a boy far out in the water so they swim towards him. It is a vision of Archie. Cary rushes to rescue the boy after he starts yelling for help. Gerald swims towards Cary to save him from the water, but Cary still wants to look for the boy. Gerald tells him there is no boy. The three wash up on shore. Cary says that after they almost drowned, he realized there is no second chance at life. They decide they deserve to drink brandy after their brush with death.

Maria, Ann, Austin, Archie, Father, and Sophia appear back at Clare's house ("The Melancholy Hour (Part 1)"). Clare is upset at the men because they left her for the beach. When they return, they tell her they almost drowned. Gerald tells Clare that she is the one that should apologize because she was rude and insisted that they leave her alone. Their high seems to be ending ("The Melancholy Hour (Part 2)"). Clare apologizes for her tone. Aldous wants to take 50 more micro grams, but Gerald does not think it is a good idea. Clare says Gerald sounds like Aldous's mother. Gerald takes offense and calls her careless, but they reconcile. Gerald is worried about Aldous wanting more. Aldous apologizes for not acknowledging that Maria was dying because he could not bring himself to say goodbye. Cary asks Clare if she believes in heaven. Aldous claims science has a 23rd ingredient, which is the indescribable one that makes us human ("The 23rd Ingredient"). Aldous asks Cary who the boy in the water was, and he admits it was his younger self. Cary finally reveals his real name: Archibald Leach. Clare admits that she has been living the life her mother wanted for her and resolves to live for herself from now on. Aldous says he was shy and restrained until he met Cary and Maria. They believe that their lives are complete now that they have met each other.

Aldous and Clare go inside to fetch the brandy. As Cary thanks Gerald for helping him in the water, there is clear tension between them. In the house, Clare asks Aldous to hold her. He does and she lays her head on his shoulder. Outside, Gerald is chanting in the lotus position, and Cary joins him ("Afternoon Has Ended").