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Bugle Boy

Den Stevenson

Genre: Biographic

Cast size: 9

Duration: Two Act

Den Stevenson | Musical | Fully developed | 7m, 2f

Short synopsis

'Bugle Boy' charts the life story of Glenn Miller, and is the first Glenn Miller musical spanning his life from leaving college to his untimely and mysterious disappearance in 1944. Famous and instantly recognisable tunes weave together a love story and Glenn Miller’s blinkered determination to find a unique musical sound. With an on-stage big band, this fantastic new musical will once again put you and your audiences 'in the mood

  • Synopsis
  • Characters
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In ‘Bugle Boy’ Den Stevenson traces the life of legendary music icon Glenn Miller from leaving college to play in various bands, and then latterly in his own band, as he searches tirelessly for over twenty years for a unique band sound.

Bugle Boy was the nickname given to Glenn by Helen Burger, the girl who was to become his loyal and inspirational wife (even though his instrument was the trombone) who provided him with constant support and love during his formative years as a bandleader.

This musical is much more than just an orchestra on stage playing Glenn Miller tunes though... it's a love story, and one man’s search for a unique musical sound.

Glenn Miller eventually succeeds in his quest for 'that sound', but he and his family only get to enjoy the fruits of fame for three short years. When America joins the Second World War after the bombing of Pearl Harbour, he joins the Army, forms the subsequently famed AEF Band, and flies to Europe to play to the Armed Forces. In 1944 he went missing in mysterious circumstances.

On Friday, December 15, 1944, at 1:55 pm, the most popular musician in the world boarded an Army Air Force airplane at Twinwood airfield, Bedfordshire, England, on a flight bound for Villacoublay airfield, Versailles, France. The plane took off, but never arrived. Since that day, Glenn Miller’s disappearance has remained, for many, a mystery.

Sadly, like ‘ Titantic’, you know that this musical is going to have an unhappy ending, but Glenn Miller’s unique musical legacy weaves its way through an emotional and inspiring story line, and there is some joyous music and fun along the way.

To obtain the distinctive ‘Glenn Miller Sound’ necessitates a band line-up balance of 5 Saxes, 4 Trombones, 4 Trumpets, Clarinet lead, Double Bass and Drums (and a piano is used as well). To obtain the equally vital harmony balance necessitates 3 male and one female singer only.

Principals 2m, 1f

  • Glenn Miller: ages from 18 to 40, trombone-playing band leader
  • Helen Miller: ages from 17 to late 40’s, Glenn’s wife
  • Larry Bronx: ages from mid 30’s to late 50’s, CBS Radio Presenter

Support (minimum 5m, 1f)  

  • Three College Friends (m)  
  • Ben Pollock – 40’s,
  • American band leader  Ray Noble – 40’s, British band leader  
  • Don Haynes – ages from 30-40, Glenn’s friend and band manager  
  • Tex Beneke – 30’s, band member(saxophone)  
  • Zeke Zarchy – 30’s, band member(trombone)  
  • Trigger Alpert – 30’s, band member(double bass)  
  • Jim Priddy – 30’s, band member(trumpet)  
  • Receptionist – a female employee of the Hotel Pennsylvania  
  • Colonel Kirby – 50’s, Glenn’s superior officer on joining the Army  
  • David Niven – 40’s, film star, wartime CO for AEF Concerts  
  • WAAC – a member of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corp  ‘Vera Lynn’ – famous wartime singer(singing role only, not specifically referred to)  
  • Vernon – 50’s, Interviewer for the BBC Home Service

In the premiere productions the following doubling was used:

  • Ben Pollack / Don Haynes / Colonel Kirby / College Friend 1
  • Ray Noble / Tex Beneke / David Niven / Vernon / College Friend 2
  • Receptionist / WAAC / ‘Vera Lynn’

  Additionally:

  • College Friend 3 should be doubled with the least conspicuous of the actors playing Zeke Zarchy, Trigger Alpert and Jim Priddy.
  • For Song #33: ‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy’ the ensemble shown may be replaced with three female singers in WAAC uniforms to resemble the Andrews Sisters

"... a musical treat as we follow the story of legendary band leader Glenn Miller, and we aren't let down in our expectations. Applause begins even as the gentle strains of Moonlight Serenade rise to the occasion along with the opening curtain."

"Clever script writing keeps the story alive and moving."

Maureen Hylands,www.thepublicreviews.com

"Den Stevenson’s book and concept
keeps our feet tapping all the way."

"There’s a fascinating few moments where Miller is rearranging the instrumentation to fix that sound he hears in his head and which eventually becomes the sound we all know so well."

Hugh Homan, The Stage

More information on types below
Type
Free

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Bugle Boy

Free
More information

If you require any additional information regarding this script, please don’t hesitate to contact us here.

Songs

1) Moonlight Serenade - Instrumental 

2) Wabash Blues (Part) - Underscore 

3) Elmer's Tune - Glenn & 3 College Friends 

4) At Last - Glenn & Helen 

5) Take The A-Train (Part) - Instrumental 

6) Take The A-Train (Part) - Instrumental 

7) Wabash Blues (Part) - Instrumental 

8) Embraceable You (Part) - Instrumental 

9) I Got Rhythym (Part) - Instrumental

10) I Got Rhythym (Part) / String Of Pearls (Part) - Instrumental

11) Wabash Blues (Part) - Underscore

12) Tail End Charlie - Instrumental

13) Now I Lay Me Down To Weep (Part) - Instrumental

14) Tail End Charlie (Reprise 1) - Instrumental

15) Tail End Charlie (Reprise 2) - Instrumental

16) Pennsylvania 6-5000 - Underscore

17) Elmer’s Tune (Part) - Underscore

18) Now I Lay Me Down To Weep (3 x Parts) - Instrumental & Tex

19) Moonlight Serenade (Part) - Instrumental

20) Chattanooga Choo Choo - Glenn & Singers

21) It’s Great To Be An American (Part) - Glenn & Singers

22 I Got A Gal In Kalamazoo - Glenn & Singers

23) Little Brown Jug / Anvil Chorus - Instrumental

24) Moonlight Serenade (Part) - Instrumental & Glenn

~~ Interval ~~

25) It’s Great To Be An American (Part) / St Louis Blues (Part) - Instrumental

26) St Louis Blues - Instrumental

27) St Louis Blues (Motif) - Instrumental

28) I’ve Got A Heart Filled With Love - Helen (with Glenn)

29) What Do You Do In The Infantry / Over There - Ensemble

30) The White Cliffs Of Dover - 'Vera Lynn'

31) All I Do Is Dream Of You - Helen & Glenn

32) American Patrol - Instrumental

33) Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy - Ensemble (or Female Trio)

34) Bugle Call Rag - Instrumental

35) Moonlight Serenade (Part) / I Know Why - Underscore / Helen

36) Now I Lay Me Down To Weep - Helen

37) At Last - Instrumental

38) Finale: In The Mood / I Got A Gal In Kalamazoo - Company

39) Playout: In The Mood - Instrumental

Information for Production Administrators

Here's a list of all the supporting material available and some other information you might need. Pricing for the production materials is supplied automatically with a Perusal Set. Royalty pricing can only be provided as a formal quotation.

Available now (see below)

  • Preview Script/Libretto

You can download straightaway a shortened copy of the script/libretto to read and get a relatively good picture of whether you would like to proceed to the next step. The Preview E-Script is made available to you as a pdf file sized for A4 paper and contains just over half of the script.libretto.

  • Perusal Set

These are available for customers in European Union countries only to borrow free of charge (but you have to pay the postage to return the set to us). The set contains ...

  • Printed Libretto
  • Printed Piano/Vocal Score
  • Cast Recording Audio CD (from premiere production)

Available after Perusal - Libretti/Vocal Scores

  • Rehearsal Master Set on a Data CD (Cast).

This contains the script and piano vocal score for your cast and crew provided as A4 pdf files. No problem about possible loss of deposit, as they are yours to print out and mark up as required. The price includes a multiple copying licence allowing you to copy the Data CD itself (enabling you to give or sell copies to your cast for them to make up their own rehearsal books) or to make multiple prints of the pdf's on the Data CD for your production company to organise and provide to your cast or crew.

Please note that we do not sell individual printed copies of libretti, nor do we hire sets of printed rehearsal libretti or scores.

Available after Rights Obtained

  • Backing Tracks - Not available.
  • Orchestrations - These are available for a 16 piece orchestra as below, for hire to production companies only, who hold a valid, unexpired, licence to perform.
  • Saxophone x 5
  • Trumpets x 4
  • Trombones x 4
  • Keyboard / Piano
  • Drums
  • Bass

We have secured the rights to video productions of this title from the Author, and we manage them on his behalf. Once a 'Licence To Perform' has been granted, and then on payment of a fee, we will be able to issue a 'Licence To Record'. There are some strings attached to this, but these are far outweighed by the benefits.

  • Record one or more live performances and mix down to a single video
  • Give or sell copies to your cast and crew
  • Sell copies to your audiences (take advance bookings on the night)
Frequently asked questions

Can we try before we buy?

Of course! All our plays and pantomimes have a free Preview Script available for download as an A4 pdf file that contains 60-75% of the full script. If you like what you read in that then you can buy an inexpensive e-script of the entire play (generally costing under half the price of a traditional printed script) which is licensed to you for your personal use. Purchasing a script copying licence allows you to make a just sufficient quantity of copies to support rehearsals and performances.

All our musicals are included in our perusal service. Under this, representatives of producing organisations can request a USB Stick of Perusal Material  which comprise the script/libretto and piano/vocal score as pdf files; a Cast (or Studio) Recording as mp3 files and (where available) an mp4 file video of either the premiere production or of a subsequent production.

Some titles have the facility to read the entire script online on our website.

Do we need a Licence To Perform?

The simple answer is, yes.

Under the international laws of copyright, you must be in possession of a valid, unexpired, licence before performing any piece of theatre unless the owner or managers of the copyright has waived their rights. (See 'Copyright Questions' below).

Why do you insist on providing a formal royalties quotation?

When you request a quotation, it is logged in our system, it forms part of an orderly queue and protects your place in that queue should multiple licensing requests occur for the same show.

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