MTI musical · Full-length
Bring in the MorningScript, Piano/Vocal Score & show details
- Full-length · 2 acts
- Small cast (up to 10)
- Roles: 4 women · 5 men
- PG‑13
The printed Bring in the Morning script comes with your MTI license. The digital version is a separate add-on for your whole cast and crew. See pricing
Bring in the Morning synopsis
Music by Gary William Friedman · Book and Lyrics by Herb Schapiro
Bring in the Morning is a slamming, contemporary piece plucked from the lips of the poets living its story. This honest and moving musical is based on writings from New York's Poets in Public Service program, in which professional writers visit schools, hospitals, rehab centers and homes for unwed mothers to encourage youngsters to put their feelings to paper.
Desperate to protect his friends and family from following in his footsteps down a path from which he has just recently escaped, Cougar uses tough love to educate the young members of his community. Whether it's his sister, Alicia, his friends, Roberto and Jamal, or his girlfriend, Lakesha, nearly every teenager is positively impacted by Cougar. Each individual has his or her own tale of harrowing struggle and ultimate accomplishment, many because of Cougar.
A jaw-dropping musical that strips away the layers of multiracial city living, Bring in the Morning has an undeniably poetic book with pleasingly eclectic songs. The ideal amount of tragedy and comedy is perfectly bookended by the show's triumphant finale, making it an incredible choice for any theatre not afraid of poignant edginess.
Full synopsis
Cougar, the central character of this piece, announces at the outset, "This is the ghetto of my mind." As such, this work represents a collage of impressions and a montage of emotions, evoking more of the inner lives of our characters and taking us beyond the familiar literal realities of both the TV Late News and audience preconceptions. He is joined by the rest of the cast, who comment on the sorry state of life as it exists today. They all wish that things could change and that they could get away from things like AIDS, crime, poverty, etc. All of the characters in this revue-like show dream of a better time and place – although they have to face the harsh realities of life around them. There is a great sense of irony with the situations here – a promising life for everyone, in contrast to the harsh realities at hand. These kids only have their imaginations to see them through – that is their only hope. However, in the end, imagination can do quite a lot!
Act One
"Come into My Jungle" Cougar / Company
"Bring in the Morning" Alicia / Company
Rap: "You Wake up in the Morning" Hector / Company
Rap: "You Go to Your Shower" Jamal
"Let It Rain" Alicia / Hector / Nelson / Cindy / Company
Rap: "Got up Late" Hector
Rap: "The Best-Kept Secret" Cougar
"Another Cry" Inez
"The Ghetto of My Mind" Cougar
"Nightingale" Cindy
"Funky Eyes" Hector / Company
"You (Tu)" Inez / Roberto
"Never Stop Believing" Company
Act Two
"Something Is Wrong with Everyone Today" Hector / Lakesha / Jamal / Company
"Call on Your Soul" Cougar / Company
Rap: "Awake and a Dream"* Jamal / Lakesha / Cougar / Company
"Missing Person" Nelson
"Not Your Cup of Tea" Cindy
"The Light of Your Love (La Luz de Tu Amor)" Roberto
Rap: "People Walkin' through the Night" Cougar
"Ghetto of My Mind – Reprise" Cougar
"Hector's Dream (Like Someone High on God)" Hector
"Trip" Jamal
"The Glory of Each Morning" Company
"Deliver My Soul" Lakesha / Company
"Walk in a Garden" Company
*by Bertin Rowser
Synopsis courtesy of Music Theatre International (MTI).
Bring in the Morning characters & vocal ranges
The Bring in the Morning musical has 9 named roles, for a small cast (up to 10). Many roles can be cast across gender. ‘Written as’ reflects how MTI lists each role.
| Character | Written as | Vocal range | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cougar | Male | Ab5–G3 | Strong, serious minded and sensitive loner. An older brother to Alica and boyfriend to Lakesha. He has a son in foster care and is active in the drug scene. He tries to help others from getting caught up in the process as well. African-American. |
| Alicia | Female | F5–G3 | Sister to Cougar, a dreamer, and questioning if she is a kid anymore. A standout in the church choir and a playful and studious person. African-American. |
| Lakesha | Female | E5–F3 | Spirited, talented and impulsive, she speaks her mind no matter what. She is determined 'to be somebody' and is not modest about proclaiming it. Girlfriend of Cougar who has sustained her need for flashy jewelry and clothes. African-American. |
| Roberto | Male | G5–G3 | A street-smart dreamer, he will risk anything for his friends and girl who is pregnant with his child. He has trouble balancing his romantic life and his new life in the drug trafficking scene. Hispanic. |
| Inez | Female | F5–G3 | Intense, gritty and seemingly tough. Pregnant with Roberto's child, she finds her self stuck between the demands of her family to stay away from him. Hispanic or White. |
| Jamal | Male | F5–G3 | Finding escape from his family problems in drugs, Jamal has lost his bearings and quest to find him self again. His basic intelligence and artistic nature will be hidden by his easy cynicism. African-American. |
| Hector | Male | D6–F3 | Trying to escape the kid stuff, he looks up to the older kids. He thinks about basketball, girls and dancing at the slightest opportunity and has a wacky charm. Hispanic. |
| Cindy | Female | F5–G3 | Sharp, observant, and a true friend. Often feeling isolated by her Asian ancestry, she persist on in discovering her own possibilities outside her family's idea of a women's role. |
| Nelson | Male | A5–G3 | A clown and jokester who loves attention, he seems to be the stud. He talks a good game but uses his jokester qualities to mask his family problems including a lost father and retarded younger brother. White. |
Bring in the Morning song list
- Let it Rain
- Nightingale
- Trip
- Deliver My Soul
How to get the Bring in the Morning script & Piano/Vocal Score
The printed materials come with your MTI license. The digital version is an add-on that gives your whole cast and crew immediate access. See what that looks like
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Delivered through ProductionPro, MTI’s exclusive digital delivery partner. Looking for a free Bring in the Morning script PDF? The script comes with your MTI license, so it isn’t available on its own.
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