Be Careful What You Dream
QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE MUSICALGeneral Jack Quartermaine is reluctantly retiring from a magnificent career in the US Army. He had always promised his wife that he would retire after 25 years of service, and she is holding him to it.
Soon after retiring Jack agrees to run as Senator Willy Doolytle’s vice president and he has no idea that in less than 3 years, upon Doolytle’s death, he will become President of the United States, embroiled in a media hyped sex scandal and in deep trouble with his wife.
Jack is slow to learn that misfortune always arises when he listens to the advice of his over-sexed Chief of Staff, Brenda Buckley and this mistake may cost him his marriage. Will Jack’s life returns to normal with the help of his brother, Kevin and his reluctantly patient wife, Elizabeth or will he try and lasso the hurricane that he has created as he grasps for the golden ring of power?.
Why Are We Doing This?
Short answer, because we love it! Be Careful What You Dream is a fully developed musical that is looking for a home.Looking for a theater. If you represent or know of a local theater in the area that may be interested in staging the full version, then scroll down for more information, or just contact me. The first theater that stages our show will never have to pay for the rights to stage it, including the world premiere.
Craig Joe Lehr
craigjoelehr@gmail.com
949-427-0483
Below are the PlasticMeltdown studio versions of the music for the entire show in order of appearance. They are all original songs created by our team. Click the 'Start Playlist' button above to hear the music. If you prefer to play an individual song, click your choice below.
01 Ride The Wind
02 At The Time It Was True
03 Back In The Wind
04 Twist and Spin
05 Runaway Train
06 That Ain't No Way To Lie
07 Elizabeth
08 Standing By A Mountain
09 Victim Of Lust
10 Comin' To YourTown
11 Not The Kind Of Girl
12 Can I Trust You
13 Devil In The Darkness
14 Rolling Out Of This Town
15 Be Careful What You Dream
More Info
Promotional Poster
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU DREAM
Book: Noel Markham and Craig Joe Lehr
Music: Craig Joe Lehr, Dennis Roger Reed, Tim Horrigan
Contact: Craig Joe Lehr craigjoelehr@gmail.com 949-427-0483
CHARACTERS
JACK QUARTERMAINE is a soon to be retired military hero who is adamantly opposed to war profiteering. A nerd as a youngster, Jack grows up to be a very serious, good-looking man with a save-the-world complex. He is naive politically and not comfortable socially. However, he is a loyal and loving husband and maintains close ties with his older brother, Kevin.
ELIZABETH QUARTERMAINE is an elegant, classical beauty who has never had to deny herself anything that money can buy. She is impressed by social position and considers herself part of the upper crust. Elizabeth adores her husband and plays into his need to be a hero as she likes that role for him. She is deeply hurt when the media exposes a potential sexual relationship between Jack and his sexy Chief of Staff and must overcome her disgust at having her life and marriage bandied about in the press and she must decide whether or not she will be able to trust Jack in the future.
KEVIN QUARTERMAINE is Jack’s older brother and a confirmed bachelor who secretly would love to get married. Kevin is a retired history professor and bestselling author who becomes Jack’s Press Secretary. Kevin is cynical with a superiority complex but he’s deeply devoted to and supportive of Jack and Elizabeth. Serves as narrator.
BRENDA BUCKLEY has never met a man that she doesn’t flirt with. She is the daughter of a past U.S. President and secretly hopes to be the first woman president. In the meantime, she both helps and hinders Jack as he tries to run the country and keep his marriage together. Brenda’s wild abandon masks her real desire for love, acceptance and power.
SCENE SUMMARY
ACT ONE
1.1: Kevin Quartermaine, as the narrator, informs the audience that his brother, Jack Quartermaine, a 4-star general, is reluctantly going to retire from the military. Elizabeth, Jack’s wife, is on top of the world. She has already scheduled a trip to Bora Bora. Kevin is skeptical, but hopeful that Jack will keep his commitment to co-author a book with him on Modernizing the Military. However, Jack has other plans. Senator Doolytle has asked him to run as his Vice President and Jack is inclined to do so. He listens to all of Kevin and Elizabeth’s objections, but in the end, Jack decides to RIDE THE WIND and the adventure begins. Elizabeth, shocked and horribly disappointed, tells him so. She sings AT THE TIME IT WAS TRUE
1.2: Kevin explains that things have not gone well for Jack. Two years have passed and President Doolytle has blocked all of Jack’s plans to modernize the military. Elizabeth spends most of her time trying to find the perfect wife for him, but Kevin is not interested in the type of women she tries to set him up with. He just wants a woman who’s got his back. Kevin sings BACK IN THE WIND..
1.3: It’s a year later and we learn that Doolytle had a stroke, making Jack acting President. Jack is trying to explain why he wants Brenda as his Chief of Staff but Elizabeth is not buying it. He swears on his family Bible that he will not run in the future. Brenda arrives on the scene and she and Elizabeth have a bit of a cat fight. Elizabeth leaves and Brenda is flirtatious and tells Jack she will explain to him how the political system works. She sings TWIST AND SPIN that ends up with her in Jack’s arms, just as Elizabeth re-enters.
1.4: Kevin explains to the audience that President Doolytle has died, making Jack the President and it is only a year until the next election. Jack says he cannot resist the opportunity to oversee modernizing the military but Elizabeth reminds him forcefully that he promised, he swore on the Bible that he would not run for president. Jack says he cannot walk away and sings RUNAWAY TRAIN. Angry, Elizabeth starts to leave and Jack tells her to stop. She tells him to stop and pushes the Bible on his chest. Elizabeth sings AIN’T NO WAY TO LIE. Jack says he thought she would understand and sings ELIZABETH.
1.5: Kevin explains that Jack has worked his magic one more time and has somehow convinced Elizabeth that she should support his run for President. Jack is meeting with Brenda to plan campaign strategies. He is nervous, she is confident and controlling. Brenda sings STANDING BY A MOUNTAIN.
1.6: Kevin gives the audience a brief historical history of lust referencing Adam and Eve, scientists and others. He announces that Jack, Brenda and Elizabeth are now in the Rose Garden of the White House and will address these issues with the media. Brenda, Elizabeth, and Jack sing VICTIM OF LUST.
ACT TWO
2.1:. With Brenda in the picture, it doesn’t take much to stir up a political sex scandal. This is true especially when Jack agrees to go on a National Train Tour with Brenda while Elizabeth remains in Washington DC. Jack sings COMIN’ TO YOUR TOWN.
2.2: When the train tour ends, Jack is concerned about Elizabeth’s reaction to the press comments about him and Brenda. He plans to assure Elizabeth that nothing improper happened. Brenda tells Jack she has never been the kind of girl that a fella takes home to his mama. Brenda sings NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL.
2.3: Elizabeth is torn between her love for Jack and her disappointment that she can no longer trust him. She has gone to Southampton and tells Jack wants her to come home, that she is not sure of anything. She sings CAN I TRUST YOU? Jack shows his sadness and sings DEVIL IN THE DARKNESS.
2.4: Kevin has received a request to round up Brenda and meet him at the Oval Office. Has he come up with a plan to save America? Kevin wonders. It turns out that Jack has decided not to run for President, but to support Brenda as the candidate. Brenda is happy and excited. Jack sings ROLLIN’ OUT OF THIS TOWN. Brenda answers by singing ROLLIN’ INTO THIS TOWN.
2.5: Jack has learned that his wife and his marriage are more important to him than the presidency. He has also found a way for them to live together in such a way that they both can get what they want, but he needs Elizabeth to talk with him and so far, she has refused. He sits on the porch of the summerhouse and sings BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU DREAM, hoping that Elizabeth will join him. Does she?
END OF PLAY