City of Angels (musical)

• Stein - a young writer, screenwriter (in life ^[2] );
• Stone - a private detective (in the movie);
• Buddy Fiedler - cinematic tycoon (in life) // Irwin S. Irving - cinematic tycoon (in cinema);
• Alaura Kingsley - socialite (in the movie) // Carla Heywood - wife of Buddy Fiedler (in life)
• Uli - Stone's secretary (in the movie) // Donna - Fiedler's secretary (in life)
• Mallory Kingsley - the adopted daughter of Alaura Kingsley (in the movie)
• Gabby - the wife of Stina (in life) // Bobby - an inexpensive little girl (in the movie)
• quartet "Angel City 4" ^[3]

The film takes place in Los Angeles in the late 1940s. The young writer Stein, commissioned by a film studio, is preparing a script adaptation of his detective novel for production. At the same time, the events of the future film are developing in the other half of the scene. The real and cinematic worlds are separated by the style of the scenery. The first is colorful and vibrant with cityscapes. The second is a black and white noir -style movie poster. Sounds the main theme of the "City of Angels . "

Fictional private detective Stone lies on a hospital gurney with a bullet in his shoulder. Heavy thoughts overcome him. He suffers from a chronic attachment to beautiful women and a constant lack of money due to legibility in orders for moral reasons. Mentally, he is transferred a week ago, when his secretary, Uli, reported on the arrival of the secular lady Alaura Kingsley. Mrs. Kingsley instructs him to track down her adopted daughter - the beautiful "bad" girl Mallory ...

At this moment, a man with a typewriter appears in the "real" world. Actors in the movie world replay the scene with minor changes. They are subordinate to the intentions of the emerging character - Stein, the author of popular detective novels, working on his first adaptation script. Like Stone, Stein is not indifferent to women, but much less choosy about how to make money. He currently works for cinema tycoon Buddy Fidler. Buddy is a charismatic director and producer with authoritarian leadership and a limitless ego . Although he claims to be a fan of the novel, he forces the writer to recycle episode after episode. Steen Gabby's wife calls on him to be firm in his position. At this moment, there is a solid relationship between reality and fantasy, when Uli (from the movie) and Gabby (from life) tell a duet what we do not know about women .

The plot returns to the cinema, where Stone, alone in his grim dwelling, listens on the radio to popular singer Jimmy Powers and the quartet "Angel City 4", which perform the number Listen to yourself . At this moment, two thugs break into the door and severely beat Stone. At the same time, Buddy Fiedler reads this episode in the script. We see that his secretary, Donna, is Uli (from the movie). The producer grumbles that he has to delve into all the little things. Following is the Buddy System Number. Returning to the world of fantasies, we meet the police lieutenant Munoz, a former colleague of Stone, and the detective’s beloved detective low-cost singer Bobby (Stein copied her image from his wife Gabby). A girl performs a number With every breath . Bobby wants fame more than love. Once, Stone found her with a Hollywood producer (the image was, of course, copied from Fidler), who immediately died of a heart attack provoked by two bullets. An unproven case was hushed up, but Munoz did not forget Stone such a departure from the police.

Stone, angry after the beating, comes to the mansion to Alaur, where he meets some more suspicious characters: a foster son preoccupied with lust, an elderly husband, a broken polio and a spiritualist charlatan. Greed and anger reign on the estate. But Stone, because of the charm of Alaura and the promised fee, keeps himself within the bounds of decency. Should Tennis Room. The detective continues the search for the “missing” Mallory, the stepdaughter of Mrs. Kingsley, and is surprised to find her naked in her bed ( Lost and Found ). But Stone manages to resist the temptation ... What cannot be said about his author. When Gabby leaves for New York on business, Stein finds refuge in Donna's bed.

Mellory manages to steal Stone's gun. Later it will be discovered that the charlatan spiritualist from Kingsley’s mansion was killed. It was the detective’s weapon that was used for the murder. Munoz gladly arrests Stone. Stein, under pressure from the producer, changes scene by scene. The hero himself, Stone, openly expresses his displeasure and accuses the author of being soft-willed. They argue with the swing band of the big band, where everyone says: You are nothing without me . The end of the first act.

The composition sounds. Stay with me in the scenery of Alaura’s bedroom ... No, her prototype from life - Fiedler’s wife Carla Heywood. At this time, Stone languishes in prison, supported only by faithful Uli and her life prototype Donna: You can always count on me . Someone unknown releases Stone by making a pledge.

In a telephone conversation, it becomes clear that Gabby knows her husband’s relationship with Donna. Stein flies to New York with an apology, but contrary to expectations that It should work , Gabby rejects him. Stone begins the fight for his honest name. This leads him to the brothel, where he meets Bobby. Viewers learn that it was she who had previously killed the producer, and Stone only covered her all this time. Again, the theme of their love sounds With every breath .

Meanwhile, Uli finds information that Alaura had previously been widowed under mysterious circumstances. Now, before the entry into the new inheritance of her current disabled husband, there are only foster daughter and son. Stone rides to the mansion where he encounters Alaura. A woman grabs a gun, there is a short fight, shots are heard and she falls dead. Stone is seriously injured. We return to the beginning of the performance when the detective is sitting in a gurney with a bandaged hand.

At this time, Stein was rejected by his wife, betrayed by his mistress Donna (during his absence, she completed the script at the direction of Fiedler). Emotions take over. With bitter irony, he performs the number. Funny . Arriving on the set, Steen is horrified to learn that Buddy is the author of his script, and the popular singer Jimmy Powers was cast as his "cool" detective. The author is furiously tearing up the script. Two studio guards pounce on him. At this time, detective Stone came to the aid of his creator from the cinematic world. He types the text that gives Stein the power of a superhero. He easily defeats the guards. With his decisive actions, Stein regains his wife’s love and Gabby forgives him everything. The final number sounds. I'm nothing without you .

The performance received 6 Tony awards from 11 nominations, including as the best musical of the year, for the best script, male role and best scenery ^[4] .

• City of Angels in the Internet Broadway Database Encyclopedia