Blood Brothers - Story
Plot Summary And Musical NumbersAct One
A council chamber. Two dead bodies of young men are covered and taken away. People exit the room, leaving a grieving mother. The narrator explains the story. We find the woman is Mrs. Johnstone (Overture).
The story begins: Mrs. Johnstone explains how she has come to be a single parent of 7 and expecting (Marilyn Monroe).
Mrs. Johnstone has found a job cleaning house for Mrs. Lyons, an upper class woman. She learns she is expecting twins, and realizes some of the children might have to be taken from her by the welfare. Mrs. Lyons, unable to have children, expresses her need for a baby, and has an idea (My Child), which she cons Mrs. Johnstone into thinking is a good one. She promises that Mrs. Johnstone will be able to see her baby anytime. Her husband (Mr. Lyons, who has been away for nine months) will believe the baby is truly hers.
Mrs. Johnstone gives birth to two boys, Michael and Edward. She comes home from the hospital to find men taking away ordered items she couldn't pay for, and sings of how everything slips away from her, even one of her sons which she is about to give away (Easy Terms).
Meanwhile, Mrs. Lyons comes to take her baby, Edward.
Mrs. Johnstone is at work, playing with Edward on her break. Mr. Lyons is told a lie by his wife: Mrs. Johnstone's work is deteriorating and she must be fired. Mrs. Lyons fires Mrs. Johnstone, and tells her that she will never see Edward again because if the twins are ever told what they are, they will die, according to superstition. Mrs. Johnstone, highly superstitious, leaves, afraid and upset (Shoes Upon the Table).
The plot has advanced seven years. Mickey Johnstone meets an upper class boy, his age, who introduces himself as Eddie Lyons. The two "decide" to be best friends, and discover that they share the same birthday. Not knowing anything, they assume it's a coincidence and believe they were meant to be brought together. They prick their fingers and mix the blood. The are now Blood Brothers (July the 18th).
Mickey is playing games with his friends, his older delinquent brother, Sammy (Kid's Game), and his best friend Linda.
Both of the mothers are now aware of the boys' budding friendship, and inform their children they cannot play together. Disobeying, Eddie leaves to play with Mickey and Linda, leaving Mrs. Lyons in a worried state (Gypsies in the Wood).
Cold-hearted Mrs. Lyons, who has her husband wrapped around her finger, decides they must move away to the country to escape the Johnstones. Her husband agrees, and they inform Edward, who is sad he must leave Mickey.
Mickey says his good-byes to Eddie and leaves. Mrs. Johnstone says a private good-bye, unable to bear that her other son will be gone. She gives him a locket with a picture of herself and Mickey in it for memories.
Mickey, alone, sings of his loneliness (Long Sunday Afternoon) and then sings of his very best friend. At the same time, Edward, upset and lonely in his new house, sings of Mickey (My Friend).
Mrs. Johnstone is informed that the government housing that they will live in is to be torn down. She will be moved to the country. She is overjoyed, knowing she can start over afresh. She and the children sing of the new life (Bright New Day).
Act Two
Mrs. Johnstone sings of the new life they are enjoying. She re-introduces Mickey, now 14, Sammy, 16 (who is still a troublemaker), and her other children (Marilyn Monroe 2).
Mickey and Linda are suspended from school for being loud in class. We find that Linda, now 14 as well, is in love with Mickey, who doesn't know how to tell her he feels the same way.
Edward is suspended from his private boarding school as well, because he refuses to remove his locket for the teacher, who believes it is inappropriate attire for a boys school. At home, Mrs. Lyons is furious, and wants to know what's in the locket. She finds out who it is, and demands to know how Mickey and Mrs. Johnstone's pictures were given to him (Secrets). He confronts his mother, saying she must have secrets, too, and the Narrator reminds her of what she has hidden.
Edward, now home, is in the country, and meets with Mickey. At first, they don't realize, but within a few minutes, recognize each other. They sing of how they wish they were the other (That Guy).
Edward is reunited with Linda as well, and the three of them spend glorious years together (Summer Sequence). Edward realizes that he is falling in love with Linda. Now 18, he doesn't want to leave her when he goes to university. But putting that aside, he is reasonable and tells Linda how her and Mickey should be together, and hints at how he would treat her (I'm Not Saying a Word).
Edward brings Linda and Mickey together and they spend one night together before Eddie leaves for school.
It has been a couple of months and now Linda is pregnant. Mickey tells his mother, and she says she will give them her blessing for marriage (One Day in October).
After the wedding, Mickey is fired from his job (Take a Letter Miss Jones). He is going crazy trying to find a job. He meets Eddie again on Christmas break, and Eddie offers money to the still unemployed Mickey. Mickey refuses, telling Edward to grow up and face miserable reality, the one without fun and games. Edward leaves; both men are mad at each other.
Edward meets up with Linda, proclaiming his love for her. She explains she has always loved him in a way, but she is now married to Mickey, and very much in love. They say good-bye. Meanwhile, Mickey meets up with his delinquent brother, Sammy, also out of work, who shows him a gun and says they will go and hold someone up for some money. Mickey is reluctant, but wants to be able to buy Linda something nice, and agrees to stand guard.
In the robbery, Sammy accidentally shoots and kills the man. He flees, leaving Mickey the accused (The Robbery).
Mickey is put in jail for seven years and is depressed. He is given pills, which make him low and tired (Marilyn Monroe 3). He finally gets out, after many visits with Linda. He refuses to work, and is always tired. Linda, upset and very frustrated, calls Edward for moral support. She and Edward start out as friends but a romance buds (Light Romance).
Mrs. Lyons, still in a rage because Mrs. Johnstone "followed" her to the country years ago, has nothing but spite for the Johnstones, and goes to Mickey's work, and informs him of Linda and Edward.
Mickey is still delirious from his pills and in a rage because of what he has heard. He takes a loaded gun to the courtroom, where Edward is a councilor (Madman).
He accuses Edward of getting everything, even Linda now. And he asks if his baby is Edward's. He is deeply upset, and breaks down, crying and screaming and pointing the gun (The Council Chamber). Mrs. Johnstone and Linda, accompanied by the police, ask Mickey to surrender, but he doesn't listen. Mrs. Johnstone doesn't know what to do, so she tells him not to kill Eddie because they are brothers. Mickey, even more jealous now, cries out, and as the police ask once again, he shoots Eddie. The police, in turn, shoot Mickey. As the superstition says, both twins died immediately and simultaneously.
We are back where we started. The two dead bodies lie there; the Narrator recaps the events. Mrs. Johnstone sings through her tears, asking the sad reality not to be true (Tell Me It's Not True).
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