Bread and Butter

2m, 1w, 1 either
2m 30-60; 1w 25-60; 1 either 20-45

Bread and Butter melds together three O. Henry stories with some original plotting to create a holiday musical. From O. Henry's Witches' Loaves, we have a love-sick bakery owner and the man she attempts to help by putting butter into the loaves of stale bread he buys. From A Madison Square Arabian Night, we get the artistic background of the man, along with the homeless status of another character. From The Poet and the Peasant, we get a bit of backstory for another bakery store customer.

Martha Meacham has dreams of matrimony with taciturn customer Karl, while Karl's acquaintance Charlie has eyes on the unresponsive Martha. When a homeless street singer takes shelter from a snowstorm in Martha's bakery shop, Martha's initial dreams are dashed, but tender resolutions bring together Martha with the previously ignored man and reunite the artist with his street-singing sibling.

Bread and Butter takes place in a bakery shop, with a counter and stool, a door to the outside, and a door to the back room. A window should be suggested, for viewing of the snowstorm raging outside. Bakery shop props (such as a couple of loaves of stale bread, two cinnamon buns, and two muffins) can be mimed.

Of the four roles, one male is non-singing, and the other male doesn't sing much. Vocal ranges are not extreme, so the show should be relatively easy to cast.

Bread and Butter provides an hour's worth of light entertainment, with the storyline liberally leavened by sprightly holiday songs and a couple of ballads. A sequel to the musical exists in Stollen Kisses, with the action taking place a year later, utilizing the same cast.