Road Show (previously titled Bounce, Wise Guys, and Gold!) is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by John Weidman. It tells the story of Addison Mizner and his brother Wilson Mizner's adventures across America from the beginning of the twentieth century during the Klondike gold rush to the Florida real estate boom of the 1920s. The musical takes considerable liberties with the facts of the brothers' lives.
The history and evolution of the show are extraordinarily complex, with numerous different versions and recordings. After a 1999 workshop in New York City, the musical was produced in Chicago and Washington, D.C. in 2003 under the title Bounce. Although it did not achieve much success, it is notable due to its status as the last collaboration between writer-director duo Stephen Sondheim and Harold Prince. A revised version of the musical premiered Off-Broadway in New York in October 2008 where the show was redubbed Road Show to better reflect the show's story and themes.
Synopsis This is a synopsis of the current version of Road Show used since the 2008 Off-Broadway Production.
After the 1933 death of Addison Mizner, people who knew him, including his estranged lover Hollis Bessemer, comment on his life and the way he squandered his talents ("Waste"). Addison's younger brother Wilson appears and speaks to Addison, who angrily claims that Wilson was the cause of all his failures. The time shifts to Papa Mizner's death in California at the beginning of the twentieth century. On his deathbed, Papa charges his sons with the task of using their gifts to shape America ("It's In Your Hands Now"), telling them that there's a "road" to follow. Mama Mizner reveals the family's wealth has been eaten away by Papa's long illness and advises the boys to seek gold in Alaska; Addison is reluctant, but goes along with Wilson anyway ("Gold!").
In the Klondike, the brothers share a sleeping bag and reminisce about their childhood ("Brotherly Love"). Wilson leaves to get supplies while Addison works the claim. Wilson is lured into a game of poker. Addison is shocked to discover his brother gambling. Wilson explains his newfound love of taking risks regardless of what's at stake ("The Game"). Wilson stakes their gold claim in a poker game and wins the saloon in which the game is taking place (This episode is fictitious.). A shade of Papa Mizner appears and tells Addison that this was not what he had in mind for his sons.
Addison leaves in disgust with his share of Wilson's winnings and travels around the world searching for business opportunities and a sense of purpose ("Addison's Trip"). All of his ventures fail due to bad luck. He is left with nothing but souvenirs that inspire him to take up architecture (so he can design a house in which to show them off). Wilson's businesses in Alaska also have failed, so he comes south to seek his brother's help. Wilson seduces and marries Addison's first client, a rich widow, and fritters away her money on various flashy endeavors, including fixed boxing matches and horse races ("That Was A Year").
Although Wilson's various partners lose money, they remain fond of him because of the verve and energy with which he lives. Even Mama Mizner, who is being looked after by Addison and never receives any visits from Wilson, enjoys reading about Wilson's exploits, saying that she can live through him ("Isn't He Something!"). Only Addison remains uncharmed by Wilson, and when Wilson finally comes back, his resources exhausted, he finds that Mama has died in his absence. Addison angrily throws Wilson out of the house.
Learning of rising property interests in Florida ("Land Boom!"), Addison decides to travel to Palm Beach to take advantage of the many rich people settling there who need houses built. (In reality, Mizner went there for his health.) On the train he meets the fictitious Hollis Bessemer, with whom he is smitten instantly. Hollis is the son of a wealthy industrialist, cut off by his father for refusing to enter the family business. His real passion is art, and although he is not talented, he dreams of creating an artist colony in Palm Beach with the help of his aunt, who is staying there in a hotel ("Talent").
Addison shows Hollis's aunt a plan for a house he proposes to build for her. Impressed, she agrees and offers to sponsor Hollis's artist colony. However, Hollis and Addison, now lovers, are too busy designing resort homes for the rich ("You") and enjoying each other's company ("The Best Thing That Ever Has Happened") to follow up on Hollis's original plan. Wilson arrives at Hollis's and Addison's house, destitute and sick ("The Game [Reprise]"). Addison reluctantly takes him in, and when Wilson has recovered, he begins to work on Hollis, persuading him to be a patron to his newest scheme: to build a brand new city in Boca Raton with Wilson as promoter and Addison as chief architect ("Addison's City").
Wilson's con man instincts resurface. He promotes the Boca Raton real estate scheme with increasingly extravagant and eventually fraudulent claims, creating a price bubble ("Boca Raton"). Addison goes along, until it is Hollis who finally puts a stop to the real-estate scheme. He asks Addison to choose between Wilson and him. Addison, brought to a state of desperation, drives Hollis away by claiming he never loved him. Addison also orders Wilson out of his life ("Get Out"), but Wilson insists Addison loves him too much ("Go"). Addison agrees, but still wants him to go.
Wilson leaves for good, but not quite, for in the finale (as in the first scene) all the characters leave the stage except for Wilson and Addison. At this point, Wilson realizes that he, too, has died. The brothers bicker half-heartedly, their differences no longer mattering enough to keep them apart. Confronted by their father, they shrug off his criticisms and the brothers set out together on the road to eternity—or, as Wilson calls it, "the greatest opportunity of all". "Sooner or later", he says, "we're bound to get it right."
Musical numbers
Wise Guys, 1997 New York Theater Workshop
As presented in the 1997 Wise Guys reading Act I First Vaudeville - Wilson and Addison Benicia - Mama and Ensemble My Two Young Men - Mama Gold! - Prospector, Wilson, Addison, Mama, and Ensemble Second Vaudeville - Wilson and Addison Next to You - Wilson, Addison, and Mama Addison's Trip - Addison and Ensemble Dowagers - Addison The Good Life - Wilson The Game - Wilson Journalists - Wilson What's Next? - Wilson The Game (reprise) - Wilson What's Next? (reprise) - Wilson and Ensemble Third Vaudeville - Wilson and Addison What's Next? (reprise) - Addison I'm on My Way (reprise) - Addison
Act II Fourth Vaudeville - Wilson and Addison Palm Beach Sequence - Addison, Paris and Ensemble Fifth Vaudeville - Addison, Paris, and Wilson Boca Raton Sequence - Ensemble Get Out of My Life/Go - Wilson and Addison Final Vaudeville - Wilson and Addison
Wise Guys, 1999 New York Theater Workshop
Act I Wise Guys - Addison and Wilson It's in Your Hands - Papa Mizner My Two Young Men - Mama Mizner Gold - Prospector You and Me Together - Wilson The Game - Wilson Wise Guys (reprise) - Addison and Wilson Next to You - Addison and Wilson Addison's Trip (On My Way) - Addison and Ensemble Stay Right Where You Are - Wilson and Myra That Was a Year - Wilson and Ensemble A Little House for Mama - Addison Isn't He Something? - Mama Mizner Wise Guys (reprise) - Addison and Wilson
Act II
Talent - Paris Singer You - Addison and Paris Make It Through the Night - Addison Wise Guys (reprise) - Addison, Wilson and Paris Boca Raton - Wilson, Addison, Ensemble It's in Your Hands Now - Wilson, Addison, Ensemble Call it Home - Wilson Get Out of My Life - Addison Wise Guys (reprise) - Addison and Wilson
Bounce, 2003 Chicago/Kennedy Center
Act I Bounce – Wilson, Addison Opportunity – Papa, Mama Gold! – Prospector, Wilson, Mama, Addison, Alaskans Gold! (Reprise) – What's Your Rush? – Nellie The Game – Wilson Next to You – Addison, Wilson, Mama Addison's Trip (Around the World) – Addison, Salesman, Guatemalans, Servants The Best Thing That Ever Happened – Wilson, Nellie I Love This Town - Wilson, Nellie, Addison, and Company Alaska – Mrs. Yerkes, Wilson § New York Sequence - Wilson, Nellie, Reporters, Photographer, Ketchel, Armstrong, Jockey, Gamblers, Policeman, Wilson's Women § Isn't He Something? – Mama Bounce (Reprise) – Addison, the cast.
Act II The Game – Addison, Nellie, Wilson, Promoter Talent – Hollis You – Addison, Hollis, Aristocrats Addison's City – Hollis, Wilson, Nellie, Addison Get Rich Quick - Company Boca Raton – Boca Girl, Sportsmen, Fashion Models, Yachtsmen, Caruso, Salvador Dalí, Wilson, Addison, Nellie, Hollis, Prospector, Varmints, Bobby Jones, Mae West, Princess Ghika, Chorus § Last Fight – Addison, Wilson Bounce (Reprise) – Wilson, Addison
§ In Chicago production, not in Kennedy Center
Road Show, 2008 Off-Broadway Act I Waste – Full Company It's in Your Hands Now – Papa Gold! – Full Company Brotherly Love – Addison, Wilson The Game – Wilson Addison's Trip – Full Company That Was a Year – Full Company Isn't He Something! – Mama Land Boom! – Real Estate Agent Talent – Hollis You – Full Company The Best Thing That Ever Has Happened – Addison, Hollis The Game (Reprise) – Wilson Addison's City – Addison, Hollis, Wilson Boca Raton – Full Company Get Out – Addison Go – Wilson Finale – Addison, Wilson
Background and Early Workshops Addison and Wilson Mizner both died in 1933. Interest in their colorful lives as dramatic/musical subjects began with the 1952 publication of The Last Resorts, by Cleveland Amory. Irving Berlin was a friend of Addison, and referred to Wilson as "my pal." He began work on a musical called The Mizner Story. It was not completed; a partial manuscript is in the Library of Congress. After the 1953 publication of Alva Johnston's The Legendary Mizners he returned to the project and completed Wise Guy. It was never produced, though songs from it have been published and recorded.
At about the same time, Sondheim began work on a musical based on The Last Resorts, which he discussed with Oscar Hammerstein. In 1956 David Merrick, "for purposes of comparison, sent Sondheim a script by Sam Behrman of Irving Berlin's unproduced musical." Sondheim set his idea aside. Three songs from it ("Pour le Sport", "High Life", and "I Wouldn't Change a Thing") have been published in The almost unknown Stephen Sondheim.
In the workshop, then titled Wise Guys, the show was framed as a vaudeville act, with Wilson and Addison opening the show with the title song, in the style of vaudeville comics, a theme that recurred over the show. The tone was meant to be similar to the Road to ... films starring Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. There was an additional song for Mama Mizner called "Brothers", and a song for Wilson called "Stay Right Where You Are", in which he seduces his future wife. Addison had a song in Act II sung to a sick Wilson called, "Make it Through the Night." This version dealt with Addison's real-life business partner Paris Singer; however, the writers soon decided to deal more openly with Addison's sexuality, and the character of Hollis Bessemer was created. Eventually, the vaudeville concept was dropped, and the overall tone of the show became less comic.