The strange dream that inspired me to write a musical about an alcoholic.
ABOVE: A selection of costumes that I planned to incorporate in the scene where the two main characters, extremely out of it, began to have conversations with food in their kitchen.
It was the summer of 2018, and I had just woken from a dream.
The dream featured a guy in my grade (who I had never actually spoken to before in real life) donning a dress for the school musical, and crooning about somebody by the name of Charlie Booze. It was so emotional, that when I woke up, I nearly had tears in my eyes. Upon waking, I was able to remember the lyrics, and the melody, perfectly, and quickly scribbled down the song.
I don’t wanna be a Charlie Booze
But is it something I can choose?
I don’t wanna lose you. But
I don’t wanna be a Charlie Booze
Who was Charlie Booze? I wondered. My mind began twisting around, trying to make sense of what these lyrics could mean in the context of the musical. As my imagination began to go off, an entire story began to form, one that I was motivated to turn into a musical.
In one heated moment, I wrote the entire synopsis of the musical, and with some brainstorming from my friends, crafted some interesting ideas for scenes and songs that would be present in the musical. This entire synopsis, along with some of the songs, still exist on my computer, collecting dust.
In case one day Lin-Manuel Miranda wants to buy the rights to this musical, it's time for me to get exactly what occurs in this musical, and what the story is really about.
This is the overall summary of the musical, taken straight out of the original document of my plans:
Ralph Stevens is a high school senior bored out of his mind, feeling like the extra in someone else’s movie—specifically, his friend Charlie “Booze” Daniel’s movie. Charlie Booze, his given nickname due to his love of drink, is the life of the party, always the one to do the greatest stunts, be friends with everyone. But little do people know that Charlie Booze’s drinking habits go beyond just parties. Ralph Stevens gets sucked into Charlie Booze’s alcoholic ways and together they discover the joy of the drink.
Basically, Ralph is the main character in this musical, but feels like the side-character in his own life. His best friend is confident and good-looking and seems to be friends with everyone. This is amplified by the first scene in the musical, where Ralph Stephens is present at an audition for a movie called "Life" and does a very unconvincing job and is told he might hear back. Then we see Charlie Booze, who is charming, effortless, and stuns the casting directors with his pure charisma and talent.
Ralph is forced to be the designated driver at every party he goes to, cast into the sidelines in a state of sober discomfort. When a girl at a party tells him, "Don't you get tired of your role as designated driver? Haven't you realized by now that Charlie's using you?", Ralph is forced to reconsider his relationship with Charlie.
That's when Charlie, who is super drunk, jumps off the roof of his house and lands with a crack on the edge of the pool, breaking both his legs.
Once again, Ralph, who feels for his best friend, visits him in the hospital and comforts him through the healing. That is, until Ralph notices the bottle of vodka stowed under the side table of the hospital. When he questions Charlie about it, Charlie says he only started drinking a lot, just to deal with the pain of having both his legs shattered.
The scene I was proudest of at the time I wrote this musical was what I referred to as the "Nightclub Scene". In this scene, Ralph and Charlie, who have both drunk enough absinthe they are seeing hallucinations, are dropped off at what their friend states is a nightclub. Upon entering, they scream, dance, and shout, fighting off imaginary bats. Suddenly it is revealed to the audience watching that they are not currently in a nightclub. Ralph and Charlie have been screaming and singing in the middle of a church service at a church, and as a pastor runs towards them to try to make them stop, both of them promptly pass out.
The musical ends with Charlie Booze dying from alcohol poisoning, forcing Ralph to come to terms with his own alcohol dependency that he has developed since spending time with Charlie. And that is where the original song from my dream comes into play.
It's a love song of sorts, especially due to the part that Ralph is being haunted by Charlie's ghost. But it's also the part of the musical that showcases Ralph's realization; Ralph has tricked himself into thinking he was living in the same sense that Charlie was. But now that he realizes Charlie's sad facade, he realizes he doesn't want to be Charlie Booze, despite the fact he has idolized him his entire life.
Here are the full lyrics:
I Don’t Wanna Be a Charlie Booze
Sung by Ralph Stevens
Hook:
I don’t wanna be a Charlie Booze
But is it something I can choose?
I don’t wanna lose you. But
I don’t wanna be a Charlie Booze
Verse 1:
I feel as though I’m stretching apart
No difference between my head and my heart.
And I can see only his ghost in my head
Tempting me to sip again and again
Pre-Chorus:
And look, I don’t want to lose us
But right now this bottle is all I have.
And love doesn’t last forever
But this drunken stupor can.
(Hook)
Verse 2:
They tell me to pick myself up.
No use crying over someone else’s luck.
But here I am, killing myself like he did.
And all I do is drown until the numb kicks in.
(Pre-Chorus)
(Hook)
Hook Continued:
I don’t wanna be a Charlie Booze
But is it something I can choose?
I don’t wanna lose you. But
I don’t wanna be a Charlie Booze
I don’t wanna be you, Charlie Booze! Can you not see, I’m not you!
I hear your voice, you speak my name
But can’t you see, we’re not the same!
I will never be you, Charlie Booze!
(crying):
I will never be you, Charlie Booze. And I no longer see you, Charlie Booze.
But is it something I can choose? I don’t wanna lose you,
But I don’t wanna be
a Charlie Booze.
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