Bums! The Musical is a New Show Filled with Fun and…Bums
The music, too, by Gashler, was fresh and fun.
Jessica Leigh Johnson, Front Row Reviewers
Read the review
Musical licensing
Bums & Businessmen
Dreamers take on the daily grind in a jazzy musical farce full of comic characters.
10+ actors≈ 2 hoursFrom $499
The story
Edward, an accountant in 1929, realizes that the stock market is about to crash and soon his money won't be worth anything. Though everything thinks he's crazy, he quits the rat race and pursues a long-suppressed dream of becoming a jazz musician. Eventually his fiancee catches the vision, and together they discover the joys of a nonmaterialistic life. Packed with high-energy dance numbers, catchy tunes, and lots of laughs, this feel-good comedy is a proven crowd pleaser.
Why bring it to your stage?
A comic musical about ambition and dreams that can be produced without expensive spectacle.
- Great for distinctive comic actors
- Expandable ensemble for city life and office scenes
- Dialect and period flavor can be dialed up or simplified
At a glance
- Cast
- 10+ actors
- Runtime
- ≈ 2 hours
- Best for
- Comic character casts; Community theatres; Low-budget productions
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Music
- Jazzy musical-comedy score with character songs and ensemble numbers.
- Content rating
- PG (appropriate for most children) | references to alcohol and smoking
- Content notes
- Jazzy farce about dreams, class, work, and identity. Review the script for local school tone and dialect comfort.
- Staging
- Low-to-moderate tech; strong staging, props, and costume contrast do much of the storytelling.
- Accompaniment
- Recorded rehearsal and performance tracks included with a standard musical license.
Characters & casting
14 listed roles / role groups; 10+ actors. See the script for doubling and ensemble details.
- Edward
- Male, a reluctant businessman with a dream of becoming a jazz musician
- Rhubarbara
- Female, Edward's domineering fiancée who may have once had a dream of her own
- Weasel
- Male, Edward's conniving and jealous coworker, willing to do whatever it takes to claw his way to the top
- Dirty Dan
- Male, the self-proclaimed 'king of the bums' and 'all-knowing spirit of the street' - a truly free spirit and mentor to Edward
- Chester/Cholula
- Male/female, a truly down-and-out vagrant, a lost soul looking for a chance to get his feet back on the ground
- Mubble
- Male/female, a simple-minded vagrant who, in the spirit of Harpo Marx, doesn't speak (at least not intelligably), likely with serious trauma from the Great War
- Ella Vaughan
- Female, 'the greatest jazz singer in the world' and the focus of Edward's daydreams'
- Mr./Mrs. Engerman
- Male/female, Edward's emotionally unstable boss, who's 'just the right amount of scary', especially when he tries to show love
- Mildred
- Female, Mr. Engerman's no-nonsense secretary
- Pansy
- Female, Edward's bubbly and unfiltered mother
- Dirk
- Male, Edward's chip-on-the-shoulder and equally unfiltered father
- Judge
- Male/female, a firm believer in justice and equity ... that is, if it's all right with Mr. Engerman
- Officer
- Male/female, a strict enforcer of the law, who can be bribed for $5
- Chorus
- Male/female, businessmen, secretaries, townspeople, vagrants
Plan your license
- Base license, 3 performances
- $499
Estimated license$499
Digital script, score, recorded tracks, and available production artwork included. USD.
Taking this to your team?
Bring the story, production needs, samples, and licensing price to your season meeting.
Open the director packetGet to know the show
Jazzy musical-comedy score with character songs and ensemble numbers.
Full digital materials are delivered after payment. Peruse the script and score for your cast's vocal ranges and your community's content standards.
What audiences say
Bums & Businessmen
38 reviews
Music and dance
Outstanding acting. Had me laughing so hard my sides hurt.
Great entertainment without breaking the budget.
It was a very unique musical that was a fun experience!
The interactions with the crowd, the almost nonstop laughs
I like the small stage feel. We feel really close to the action. The play was really funny.
On stage: production photos & video
Production questions?
Ask about casting, vocal requirements, staging, or the rights your production needs.
Licensing essentials
Standard licenses include three public performances and digital materials. Additional performances are calculated in your estimate. Invoice and purchase-order requests are welcome.
Payment, delivery, refunds, and special rights