The Show Must Go On was my second musical. It was first performed in the 2001 Aloha Performing Arts Company's Original Play Festival. If your theater company may be interested in producing a performance, please let me know!

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As Abie runs off, crushed, Stu's best friend, Cure, approaches Stu and asks what's on his mind. Stu tells him. Cure is troubled, for he is secretly engaged to Elemenope and can't figure out how to break the news to Stu. He decides that if he tries to set Stu and Elemenope up, it's bound to fail and Stu will move on leaving Elemenope to Cure. He tries to convince Stu that There is a Way for him to get together with Elemenope. High Jack the pirate walks into the square disguised as the nobleman, Sir Bruswayne. He is searching for women to add to his collection of concubines. He is struck by Elemenope's beauty and overhears Stu and Cure discussing her. He confronts them and offers to pose as a suitor for Elemenope. When her parents - who refuse to marry her off to anyone that is not of noble rank - agree to the wedding, he will kidnap Elemenope and then Stu and Elemenope can run off together. Delighted, Stu and Cure agree to the plan.

High Jack approaches Elemenope's parents, Sediefge and Xyze, and introduces himself as Sir Bruswayne. At first, Sediefge is reluctant, but High Jack dangles pretty jewels - Sediefge's one weekness - in Sediefge's face. Sediefge sings of how he loves his Worldly Objects With Optical Attraction. Sediefge is bought over.

Abie, Cure and View - High Jack's henchman - ask Stu why he's so obsessed with Elemenope. He tells them "There's Only One Fish in the Sea for Me." Abie expresses her distrust of "Sir Bruswayne" to Stu, but he dismisses her concern. Cure, who has realized High Jack's true identity, approaches High Jack and, offering a diamond necklace, suggests a business proposal.

That night, Hich Jack and View kidnap Elemenope as the town's people sleep on the streets. Abie tries to stop them, but ends up being kidnapped herself. The next morning, the town awakens to Xyze's scream as she discovers that Elemenope has been kidnapped. After Sediefge offers areward of any price to the man who returns Elemenope to him, Cure suggests to Stu that they find High Jack's camp and rescue Elemenope. Then Stu can claim his priceless reward: Elemenope's hand in marriage. Overjoyed, Stu exclaims "I'll Go To The End of the World For Her!" Tuthrie, a retired pirate, laughs at their foolishness and points out that they know nothing of sea travel. However, he used to sail with High jack, and he will bring Stu and Cure to High Jack's camp - for the right price. Stu asks why Tuthrie retired as a pirate, and Tuthrie confides that he did it for the ladies, because That is How You Win The Girls.

At High Jack's camp, the pirates are entertaining themselves with their collection of dancer girls, chanting "Dance for Us!" High Jack makes Abie and Elemenope dance for them as well, but as usual all Elemenope can talk about is how she loves to Smile (Reprise). Stu, Cure and Tuthrie raid the camp - disguised as dancer girls - and a fight ensues. The understudy playing Stu accidentally really stabs the actor playing High Jack. High Jack tells him not to worry about him, for The Show Must Go On (Act I Finale) and the curtain closes on Act I.

With High Jack [the character] dead - the actor is replaced by a dummy - the pirates split up chaotically. Stu and Elemenope have a sweet little moment as Abie sighs " There He Is." Tuthrie rushes on and announces that they can escape on High Jack's ship which has been abandoned. Before he leaves, he takes some pirate booty - and dancer girl booty - with him.

The company returns happily to Absidy and is greeted warmly by the town and Elemenope's parents who all cryout " Happy Day!" When Sediefge asks what Stu wants for a reward, Stu nervously requests Elemenope's hand in marriage. As Sediefge turns bright red, Stu dangles some of High Jack's stolen booty (the jewels, not the girls) in his face. As he is hypnotized by his Worldly Objects With Optical Attraction (Reprise I), Xyze steps forward and expresses her disgust with her "jewel-infatuated" husband. Sediefge consents and Elemenope accepts Stu's proposal - much to the surprise of Cure.

As the town pours into Sediefge's house to celebrate, Elemenope asks Cure if they should tell everyone about their secret engagement efore or after she marries Stu. Cure decides before would be best. He tells her it wasn't supposed to be this complicated. High Jack wasn't supposed to lose - Cure had paid him to win. With Stu dead - or at least badly injured - it would just be Cure and Elemenope. Abie overhears this conversation and is left on her own to decide how to tell Stu. She proclaims "I'll Go To The End of the World For Him!"

The Show Must Go On premiered on Monday, August 13^th 2001 at the Aloha Theater as the opening performance for the Kona Association for the Performing Arts' (now Aloha Performing Arts Company) Seventh Annual Original Play Festival. It was directed by BRUCE MONACO and piano accompaniment was provided by BERNALDO EVANGELISTA. Choral directors were ARLENE ARAKI and ARDETH WEED. The dances were choreographed by NANI MOREMAN. The cast was as follows: