RUNYON AROUND DUFFY SQUARE • A New Musical

Where Hope Takes the Spotlight

Inspired by Damon Runyon’s “Madame La Gimp”

and

Frank Capra’s “Lady for A Day”

Book and Lyrics by Donald L. Loftus

Music and Additional Lyrics by: C. Michael Perry

Set in Depression-era Times Square, “Runyon Around Duffy Square” is a spirited musical comedy inspired by the colorful world of Damon Runyon. Apple Annie — a sharp-tongued homeless street peddler with a bottle in her pocket and love in her heart — survives by selling “lucky” apples. Around her spins a lively orbit of gangsters, showgirls, street hustlers, and dreamers. At the center is gangster boss, Dave the Dude, who is constantly pursuing both financial fortune and a sincere romance with Miss Missouri Martin, a nightclub singer who is desperate for her Broadway break. Dave the Dude believes Annie’s apples bring him much-needed luck at the racetrack.

Years earlier, Annie had gotten pregnant, and her parents threw her out on the streets. She turned to The Sisters of St. Matthew, who sent the baby to be raised at a convent in Spain, for the streets of New York were no place to raise a child. Over the years, Annie’s letters have convinced her daughter that she is a rich socialite who sent her daughter away to ensure a proper upbringing. Her daughter is now engaged to the son of a Spanish nobleman who has insisted they pay Annie a visit primarily to ensure the girl’s family is worthy of him and his royal son. Suddenly, Annie’s carefully constructed illusion of respectability is threatened when her daughter’s future depends on it. To protect Annie, Dave the Dude and his gang join forces with Miss Martin and her showgirls to stage an elaborate social masquerade that turns survival into spectacle. What begins as a practical scheme evolves into a heartfelt celebration of loyalty, generosity, and chosen family.

3f, 7m, speaking/singing ensemble of 6f, 6m
- APPLE ANNIE: (Age 50s) A gin-guzzling, streetwise, sharp-tongued apple peddler masking deep maternal devotion and unexpected theatrical savvy beneath a haze of gin and grit.
- Officer O’Hanrahan: (Age 40s) A pragmatic Irish beat cop who balances genial familiarity with quiet suspicion as he patrols the underbelly of Duffy Square.
- MISS MISSOURI MARTIN: (Age 30s) Dave the Dude’s sassy, brassy nightclub chanteuse whose swagger and insecurity collide as she chases Broadway dreams beyond her confidence.
- BILLY SANDERS: (Age 30s) Dave the Dude’s frazzled, fast-talking production man devoted to keeping chaos at bay while shepherding an impossible show toward opening night.
- DAVE THE DUDE: (Age 40s) A charismatic racketeer whose sentimental loyalty and gambler’s instincts drive both his gangster power plays and romantic gestures.
- TONY TEN TOES: (Age 30s) Dave’s loyal, but none-too-bright bodyguard whose muscle and muddled thinking make him the gang’s blunt instrument.
- JUDGE HENRY BLAKE: (Age 50s) A charming pool-hall hustler who cloaks sharp calculation and opportunism behind gentlemanly wit.
- COUNT ROMERO: (Age 50s) A proud Spanish aristocrat struggling to reconcile his status with his son’s independence.
- LILY: (Age 20s) Annie’s idealistic daughter, raised abroad, whose tenderness and longing bridge two worlds of illusion and truth.
- CARLOS: (Age 20s) The Count’s earnest son, romantic and determined, prepared to defy tradition for love.
About 2 hours
Various locations in and around Times Square,NYC

PERUSAL SCRIPT (click)

SONG LIST:

- #1 — The Overture — The Orchestra
SCENE 1 – DUFFY SQUARE, NYC, NY
- #2 — Hard Times in New York— The Company
- #3 — People Only Know— Apple Annie
SCENE 2 – THE CANARY CLUB, NYC, NY
- #4 — T’was You — Miss Missouri Martin & The Chorus
- #5 — Everything I Do — Dave The Dude
- #6 — Show Doctor — Annie, Billy & Dave The Dude
SCENE 3 – THE POOL HALL
- #7 — The Bigger The Bragger—Judge Blake & The Thugs
SCENE 4 – DUFFY SQUARE, NYC, NY
- #8 — But Then I Think of You — Apple Annie & Lily
SCENE 5 – THE CANARY CLUB
- #9 — T’was You (Reprise) — Missouri & Chorus Boys
SCENE 6 – THE COUNT’S STUDY IN SPAIN
SCENE 7 – THE POOL HALL
- #10 — The Bigger/Bragger (Reprise) —Judge, Dave & Thugs
SCENE 8 – MISS MARTIN’S DRESSING ROOM
- #11 — People Only Know (Reprise) — Missouri
- #12 — Show ‘Em What Ya Got — Annie & Missouri
SCENE 9 – DUFFY SQUARE, NYC, NY
SCENE 10 – THE CANARY CLUB
- #13 — The Talk of the Town — The Company
- #14 — I’m Wise To You —Missouri
SCENE 11 – DUFFY SQUARE, NYC, NY
- #15 — Till Now — Annie
ACT TWO
SCENE 1 – DUFFY SQUARE/THE CANARY CLUB
- #16 — Entr’acte — The Orchestra
- #17 — Whatever It Takes — Dave & The Company
SCENE 2- THE BOW OF THE SHIP
- #18 — I Never — Lily & Carlos
SCENE 3- THE ASTOR PENTHOUSE
- #19 — The Society Waltz — The Orchestra
- #20 — Lady For A Day —The Company
SCENE 4 – THE ASTOR PENTHOUSE
SCENE 5 – THE PIER
- #21 — The Day We Said Goodbye — Annie & Judge
SCENE 6 THE ASTOR PENTHOUSE
- #22 — The Talk Of The Town Waltz — The Orchestra
SCENE 7- THE ASTOR PENTHOUSE
- #23 — But Then I Think of You (Reprise) — Annie & Lily
SCENE 8 – THE ASTOR PENTHOUSE
- #24 — Finale & Curtain Calls — The Company

MUSIC DEMOS: (instrumental version s of the songs played by a Piano with a ‘vocal’ instrument playing the melody. (Additional tracks will be added as the songs are written.)

#2a&b Hard Times In New York PIANOVOCAL DEMO

#3 What People Think... PIANO DEMO

#18 I Never PIANO DEMO

#21 The Day We Said Goodbye PVDEMO