The Khrusty Brothers - Demo Music and Synopsis

or as his friends call him... Dan. A hippy-looking lady with blond hair pushes in a bookshelf. She grabs a dusty photo album from the top shelf, and flips through its pages. What she sees appears projected behind the moving figures—old photographs of a young boy and his father. As Danderhauler plays he introduces our story’s characters: Danderhauler’s father - Winston Khrusty; Lucy Sunshine - Dan’s love interest, (the blond); and Dan’s brothers - Jonas, Bud, and Khorky. The brothers dance with the sound equipment and furniture as elegantly as they know how (Through out the musical they act as a Chorus in both the musical and Greek sense.) As the song winds to a close, Dan takes in everything flashing and dancing before him, playing, once again, the solo tune he played at the top of the song. The song comes to an immediate stop, as the red curtain hits the floor hiding the stage.

Scene 1 – Months earlier
Cheers from a crowded bar. A gruff voice from behind the curtain belches out the words “LAAAAADIIIIIESSSSS AND GENTLEMAN WINSTON KHRUUUSTY and….. (a whisper) THE APPLACHAN!! … what? …. (a whisper) ….. The Applachian MOURNERS!!” (DIP YOUR FINGERS IN SOME WATER) A fiddle rips out a rhythmic tune from behind the red fabric. As the curtain rises we see a bear of a man. His hear is grey, frayed and whispy. He rips into his tiny musical instrument. The brothers stand behind him, singing back-up, and playing a variety of instruments like... a mandolin, a banjo, and slapping spoons. They are dwarfed however by Winston’s size, his charisma, and brilliant fiddle playing. The song ends as Winston rips out a high note on his fiddle with flair. The music comes to an immediate stop as he yells grabbing his wrist. “What is it?” Jonas asks. “I can’t believe it. I cut myself on my own fiddle” Winston says. Jonas responds, “You cut yourself on your own fiddle?” Winston nods. Jonas heard right. Gasps are heard in the audience. Winston stumbles and falls to the ground. Khorky reads out loud from a napkin, “Ladies and Gentleman I am grieved to inform you that the best fiddle player this side of the Applachian/Blue Ridge boarder, barring Tilly the one-armed wonder has died on your stage.” Grieved, the brothers take off their caps and bow. They then dragging their father's lifeless body off stage. Once off Winston exclaims, “Bud! I told you not to drag me by the hair!”

Scene 2 – Minutes later, after the concert
Winston’s laugh is heard as the brothers appear in the interior of the family tour bus. Winston is busy rubbing his fake blood into Bud’s hair. He claims that when the tour is done his death will be more infamous than Elvis. (THE FAMILY BAND) The brothers try to laugh with their father, but when the first opportunity is given they show their dissent. The disagreement becomes a conflict over Winston’s “theatrical antics” and the future of the band. Winston quickly trumps his sons by starting in on one of his long diatribes. As he speaks he quotes from Keats and Socrates, Jesus Christ and Lawrence Welk, and even Fortune Cookies and Mr. Rogers.

Winston pours himself several shots of whiskey. There is a knock on the trailer door. A pregnant young fan is revealed. Winston has “knocked her up” from a previous visit and doesn’t even remember it. As the accusations fly, the brothers remove her from the bus and take off leaving a trail of dust and problems behind them.

Scene 3 and 4 – Khorky, Winston, and Dan
Another town, another “incident” with Dad. Winston passes out, this time for real. Khorky tenderly puts his inebriated father to bed. Danderhauler watches from his position as the narrator, as Khorky sings. (SLEEP IN PEACE).

The song comes to an end and Danderhauler tells us his thoughts (AT LEAST I THINK HE WAS). He remembers when his father was a hero. He was brave. He told tall tales. He was a lover of beauty. Dan also recalls how poorly his brothers were treated. The song ends, again, the red curtain drops.

Scene 5 – The next night. A new town.
From behind the curtain we hear the strum of a guitar and the sweet moan of beautiful a lady. (WAYFARING STRANGER) Lucy Sunshine is revealed, looking just like her name. As she sings, Danderhauler is held spellbound. Diverting his attention, his brothers inform him that Winston is drunk as a skunk. Dan decides to cancel the show, but his brothers plead with him to take the lead. As Lucy finishes her song, she comes face to face with Danderhauler. He awkwardly acknowledges her. She asks him who the lead singer of his band is. He puts on his best James Dean and replies, “Baby it’s me.” He swaggers on stage, a Dan we have never seen before. (YOU GOTTA BUST LOOSE).

Scene 6 – After the show.
After the show, congratulations pass among the brothers and the crowd backstage. Winston appears furious that the band performed without him. As he rages, a record executive enters, Sam Philly. Sam offers the band a record deal, but with one exception: no Winston. He gives them a card and a few days to think about it. All are shocked. As, the brothers leave, its clear the decision they will make. Winston is left alone. (DID I EVER BECOME) As the old man sings, we see for the first time, both the desperation and the hint of self-destruction in the hulk of a man. The song continues as a young female enters. Unable to resist the temptation and unable to deny his natural charm, Winston seduces her.

Scene 7 – The next day
The sun rises on the interior of a Cathedral. Far upstage people kneel before a large wooden statue of Christ the King. Downstage Lucy’s tennis shoes peaking out from underneath a confessional stall. Dan appears. He has been following Lucy around town. It dons on him that the solitude of the cathedral presents him the perfect opportunity to pick-up on the young lady. He struggles for the first words. (TENNIS SHOES) As he sings, Dan summons all his strength to make it an enchanted moment. He whips out his trusty guitar, and comes up with what he thinks is an amazing falsetto lick. To added to the idiocy of Dan's wooing, his brothers absurdly sing backup. When the song ends, to any by stander it would seem that things don’t look good for Dan. But, to his surprise, Lucy kisses him.

Scene 8 – The next night
Another night another town, Winston enters eager to perform. The brothers are tense. Strangely, Danderhauler is not. They coax out of Danderhauler his secret—he has fallen in love with Lucy. Lucy enters and Winston turns on the charm. In an effort to smooth things over with his sons, Winston offers for Lucy to tour with them. He offers for Danderhauler to open the concert as lead vocalist. Danderhauler is amazed. Dan tells his father that he and his brothers would like to start the concert with a new song sans Winston. The lights dim and the concert begins (THE FAMILY BAND/ BUST LOOSE) This time Danderhauler steals the show. Winston charms people into sneaking him drinks. At a crucial moment in the song, Winston snatches the mic from his son and takes the lead. Although noticibly upset, Danderhauler concedes. The music, once again, takes a darker path with Winston at the helm.

Scene 9 - After the concert
Danderhauler confronts his father unleashing years of suppressed anger spewing insult after insult at Winston. Winston slumps deeply hurt. The brothers do a terrible job of trying to mend things. But they soon follow Danderhaluer's exit. Winston is left alone with Lucy. As they talk, he reveals to Lu how much he loves his sons and that he knows what a burden he is. Touched, Lucy hugs Winston. Danderhauler enters. He is devastated. Lucy pleads that all was innocent, but he cannot accept it. Sam Philly, the record producer, enters with the brothers. He is expecting an answer. Fed up with his father, Dan accepts the deal with Winston in the room. Dan and Lucy go their separate ways. Winston is alone.

A sad realization dawns on Winston. (TITLE TBA) An epiphany, so to speak. He is holding back everyone and everything he loves. He pulls a razor from his bag. He repeats his first song (DIP YOUR FINGER IN THE WATER) but this time the song turns into a lament. Winston stops singing mid-way through. He looks at the razor. The music continues as the lights fade to black.

Scene 1 – A few days later
Winston is dead. The Brothers read the suicide note Winston has left behind. (TO MY THIRD SON DAN, WHOM I PROMISED TO MENTION IN MY WILL, HELLO DAN.) It contains details of how he wants his body disposed of and also the items he is leaving behind to each of his sons.

Scene 2 – Later that day
Lucy asks for Dan’s forgiveness. His anger gives way to sadness as he finds comfort and strength in Lucy. They decide to continue the tour. The brothers have other plans, Bud has decided to leave the band. Jonas has arrived at the same decision. Each group must go their separate ways, and they have to turn down the contract offer. Danderhauler is hurt by this sudden turn of events. In anger he pours gas on the tour bus and lights it. Lucy, Danderhauler, Bud, and Jonas watch the flames engulf the bus. In its glow they find the resolve they need to move on. (BEGINNING OF A PARADE). As the four figures sing their melancholy tune firemen come to put out the fire. In a spark of inspiration, or prehaps desperation, Dan turns to Lucy and asks for her hand in marriage.

When the song ends Khorky, the youngest brother enters, oblivious to the fact that the bus has been burned. Proudly, Khorky reveals that he stole his father’s body from the morgue because of the conditions set forth in his father’s will. When asked where Khorky hid Winston’s body, all realize they just burned it in the bus.

Scene 3 – Months fly by
(WHITTLE DOWN) Again the stage transforms as Dan sings. A montage of Dan and Lucy’s life post-suicide unfold. Dan and Lucy are on tour. We watch glimpses of the couple finding success on the road. We also watch them struggle as they deal with the fallout of Winston’s death (Winston’s failure to take care of his financial commitments, his trail of broken relationships.) Powerless to control his own chaos, Dan muses about the absurdity of life. In contrast, to Dan the brothers have found success each in their own way.

Scene 4 – Months later
Dan sits in the neon glow of a bar one night after a concert. An attractive young teenager approaches Dan, she is a big fan of his work and a big fan of his father. As she speaks to Dan, he discovers more about his father’s past. (THE GIRLS OF WINSTON KHRUSTY) As the teen sings, Dan does his best to clean up the trail of disaster his father made during his time on the road, while, at the same time, avoiding the temptation of the starry-eyed young women.

Scene 5 – That night
The song ends and Dan quickly breaks into an argument with a homeless man over whether Eminem is in fact a singer. The two break into a drunken brawl. Lucy enters. Once again, Dan has wrung up a large tab and caused a terrible scene. Lucy storms out of the bar. Dan chases after her; stumbles over the curb; and plant his face into the ground. Lucy hands Dan back his keys and tells him its over. (STAY IN TOUCH).

Scene 6 - Present
Dan is alone. The movers push the glowing TV box back on stage, along with the lazy boy, the bits of sound equipment, and a side table with a guitar. Boxes of pictures and books line the floor, Dan has been going through his things. (TOUCH HIS BONES) He flips through the photo album as he sings. Half way into the song, Winston’s shadowy figure appears.

Scene 7 - Present
Dan shuts of the TV and gets ready for bed. The TV comes back on. Dan shuts the TV off. It comes back on. He tries again, but to no avail. Winston’s ghost is in control. (HOW DO YOU GET FREE). Winston confronts his pitiful son. He reveals to Dan his own selfishness and failure to confront his demons. The two men lament their helpless states. At the end of the song, Winston claims his sins were wiped away and that he is now free in Heaven. Enraged at the lack of justice and the hypocrisy of his Father’s claim, Dan decides to confront the one who has been in charge of the painful ordeal that is his life. He quickly obtains a loaded gun from a weazly teen gangster in exchange for a pack of cigarettes, and heads to the Cathedral sanctuary where he first met Lucy and saw the wooden statue of Christ. He will have it out with God. (SYMPATHY FOR JESUS). As Dan sings, the wooden statue comes to life. During the song, Danderhauler has a break through, an epiphany, much like his father’s. Only he realizes that in order to let go, he must forgive not only his father, but himself.

Scene 5 – Present time
Having fulfilled its mission, the statue returns to its place. Danderhauler decides he must find Lucy. As if it appeared miraculously, Dan notices a bottle of wine sitting on the church altar. Dan looks to the wooden Jesus who gives his approval with a point and wink. He snatches the bottle and makes a bee-line for Lucy’s apartment. The young couple have a touching heart to heart. (BOTH OF US FEEL THE BLAST) They spend the night together.

Scene 6 – The next day
The next morning Dan wakes up glad to be back with his wife. (THE PHONE CALL) To Dan’s astonishment, he receives the record deal he has always wanted. As he sings, we see him move from his small low-rent apartment to meet the producers that will make him successful. When the song ends he calls his brothers to deliver the good news.

Scene 7 – The Future
Danderhauler and the Brothers are back together again. They fulfill their father’s wish of spreading his ashes in the city fountain. Unfortunately they have to empty four garbage bags full because they’ve no idea which ashes are his and which belong to the bus. In order to honor their father the same eulogy and the same amount of attention is given to each bag that is disposed. When the cereony ends the fountain turns on and the ashes land back on the brother’s. Despite the abusrdity, Dan has a heart to heart with the brothers. He is now ready to move on and begin again. Part of his moving on involves getting his life right by enrolling in an AA program. Much to Lucy’s chagrin, the brothers’ say they should all do the same. (TO GET OURSELVES CLEAN) As they sing, the brother’s celebrate their reunion and the fact that they have their father’s ashes all over them. Wooden Jesus sings the verses.

The song ends comes to an immediate stop, as a red curtain hits the floor hiding the stage. This time the Curtain reads The Khrusty Brothers, as the Curtain Rises we hear the brother’s play Dan’s song. (YOU GOTTA BUST LOOSE)

THE CURTAIN FALLS