JUST DESSERTS: A Musical Bake-Off
Book & Lyrics: Barbara Campbell
Music: Brad Ross
Run Time: 2 act version: 2 hours with intermission; 1 act version: 90 minutes
Cast of 6: 4 Women and 2 Men (ability to add larger ensemble)
One set with five mobile workstations for the contestants that can be shifted to create the onstage/backstage area and two racks of baking ingredients. (Workstations double as ovens.)
Show can be performed with piano only, with musical accompaniment tracks, or with a 2-3 piece band. Drum part available.
No actual cooking is done onstage.
Genre: Musical Comedy
It’s sweet. It’s savory. It’s five strangers putting their hearts, reputations, and baking skills on the line to become the crème de la crème of bakers at a county fair.
A determined young woman dreaming of opening her own bakery. A twice-divorced nail technician who wants to fit in with her new boyfriend’s circle of friends. A shy school nurse who is torn between family obligations and a desire to participate. A mysterious man from Brooklyn who arouses suspicion about his past. And the reigning champion who disguises her ruthless drive to win with smiles and pleasantries.
Two will resort to sabotage in their attempt to win. Others will discover hidden strengths that help them deal with the pressure. They’ll all have to make tough choices about who they are and what they truly want. And they’ll all get their just desserts – including the pompous meteorologist acting as emcee. But it’s the personal journey each contestant takes that will remain with audience members long after the winner is announced.
It’s all happening at the Jefferson County Bake-Off where the competition may be fierce, but the results are always satisfying!
Reviews
Past Productions
Full Synopsis
ACT ONE
“Live from the Jefferson County Fairgrounds! Broadcast exclusively on cable channel 93! It’s the Fifth Annual Jefferson County Bake-Off! With your host Zack Harper!”
It’s lights up on the finals of the bake-off. Meteorologist Zack Harper welcomes the audience with his not-so-smooth blend of polyester charm and perfectly styled hair, then introduces the five finalists: Emma Lee, who came in second during last year’s competition; Brandy Lynn Mayhew Rivera O’Rourke, Zumba instructor and part-time nail technician; Lou Battaglia, a big bruiser of a man originally from Brooklyn; Jean Smith, an elementary school nurse who is convinced that she should not be in the finals at all; and four-time champion Mildred Waxworth Richardson, CEO of Richardson’s Department Store, President of the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, and – according to Zack – the monarch of meringue. (SONG: JUST DESSERTS)
During a short break, we follow the contestants backstage. Emma chafes at Mildred’s sweetness, Brandy tries to calm Jean, and everyone tries to find out something about the mysterious Lou. Theories range from a bouncer to a member of the witness protection program to a hit man.
Then it’s back to the main stage for the first event in the final round: the cookie competition. With only 30 minutes to present their confections to the judges, the contestants are flustered – except Mildred who calmly begins collecting ingredients. (SONG: BE PREPARED)
While the judges deliberate, Zack invites Emma downstage for a “getting to know you” chat. As they talk, lights change and the other contestants become Emma’s family, including her artistic but financially inept parents, who remind her that doing what she loves matters more than commercial success. Emma disagrees. (SONG: MAKE IT BIG)
The results of the cookie competition surprise everyone: Brandy ties Mildred for top honors.
During Zack’s chat with Brandy, we discover that she has always been a disaster in the kitchen: “Everybody in the neighborhood knew I was baking when they heard our smoke alarm going off.” A family flashback reveals the loyal support of Brandy’s mother, in stark contrast to the flashback with Mildred and her embittered mother, who warns a teenaged Mildred that only a single-minded drive to succeed will help her rise above her lower class roots.
It’s on to the pie competition. This year, everyone is tasked to make an apple pie. (SONG: ALL-AMERICAN PIE) It’s another race to the finish. As the contestants become increasingly frazzled, Brandy cuts herself. The competition is briefly halted, but nurse Jean comes to the rescue. Zack takes one look at the bloody bandage on Brandy’s finger and faints.
The action moves backstage while the contestants wait for Zack to recover and restyle his hair. Brandy admits that she hates cooking and only began taking classes in order to compete with the oh-so-perfect wives married to her boyfriend’s buddies. When Lou chastises the absent Donny for failing to “protect” her, Brandy comes to his defense. (SONG: THE ONE FOR ME). Donny barges backstage to ensure that Brandy is all right and at the climax of the song, asks her to marry him.
As places are called, Lou notices that Jean is visibly upset after placing a call to her sister. Jean reveals that Amy is angry because Jean is at the bake-off instead of helping her with her daughters’ birthday party. Lou comforts Jean, assuring her that no way could her sister hold a grudge against a nice lady like her.
Back onstage, Zack has learned that Donny came backstage, in violation of the rules of the competition. When he brings this up, the other contestants stand by Brandy, and he reluctantly abandons the incipient drama to announce that Lou has won the pie competition.
When he calls Lou downstage, Lou finally opens up about his big Italian family and the role that food plays in their get-togethers. (SONG: FAMIGLIA) Finally, it’s Jean’s turn. In a family flashback, we see her pivotal role in keeping Amy’s family happy, but always she is overshadowed – and overlooked – by her impatient sister.
When the competition takes a break for the contestants to bake the final entry – a three-tiered wedding cake – Jean announces that she’ll be leaving the competition because Amy needs her. The other contestants convince her to stay. (SONG: BEAUTIFUL)
As the contestants break for lunch, Emma warns the others that Mildred’s sweetness is a sham. (SONG: JUST DESSERTS REPRISE). “She’s got money, talent, and clout. By this evening, we could find out that this contest isn’t about just desserts…”
ACT TWO
During the lunch break, Brandy gives Jean a “makeover.” Lou and Emma gape as Jean appears in her new get-up, dressed in the same flamboyant style as Brandy. Brandy promises to re-do the makeover, but first they have to bake their wedding cakes. (SONG: READY OR NOT)
Zack arrives to announce that Lou is ineligible to compete because he is not a resident of Jefferson County. Emma accuses Mildred of digging up dirt on Lou. Brandy accuses Emma of jealousy. Jean defends Mildred, then rallies the others to walk out if Lou is disqualified. Zack leaves in a huff. Mildred follows, strangely upset by the confrontation. Lou reveals that he’s a retired police detective who has been helping his sister through a messy divorce.
When the contestants return to the stage to begin baking their cakes, they discover Mildred at the pantry, holding a bag of sugar. Emma dips her finger into the bag and discovers that it’s filled with salt. Mildred admits to switching ingredients at the break. Lou theorizes that Mildred was actually switching them back again when they found her, which Mildred admits. No one can understand why someone with money, position, and status would resort to cheating. Mildred reveals that in spite of her material wealth, she has lost a lot in her climb to the top. (SONG: EYES ON THE PRIZE)
Jean convinces the others to say nothing about the incident and allow Mildred to continue in the competition. Emma reluctantly admits that she informed Zack about Donny coming backstage. Mildred offers herself as a cautionary tale in letting ambition lead you into making bad choices.
Zack storms onstage to investigate the shouting that he heard. When the contestants blithely ignore him, Zack bemoans his job as M.C. and comforts himself by recounting the joys of meteorology. (SONG: WEATHER)
Finally, it’s time for the audience to return. The contestants decorate their cakes and ponder the importance of new beginnings for a bride and groom and for themselves. (SONG: A NEW BEGINNING)
With scores so close, the wedding cake competition will decide the champion of the Bake-Off. And the winner is…Jean!
And what a prize package she’s won. A $500 gift certificate from Great Eggspectations Chicken Farm and an interview on their blog “Chick Chat.” Her very own public access cooking show airing in the coveted time slot between “Sue’s Senior Stretch Sessions” and “Swine Time.” And of course, the title of Jefferson County’s Best Baker.
Zack bids farewell to the audience and draws the Bake-Off to a close. The contestants are alone onstage. Jean begs everyone to appear on her cooking show. Mildred offers Emma an opportunity to cater an upcoming party and urges Lou to open his long-dreamed-of Italian restaurant in Jefferson County. Lou exchanges glances with Jean and admits he’s starting to like Jefferson County. All the contestants marvel at the whirlwind events of the day and the changes their lives have undergone in just a few short hours. (SONG: SEVEN HOURS)
