ACT I
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Out of work & hungry, workers trade entertainment for food.
Acrobatics
Music: “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” by Al Jolson
Rag Mop
The butcher goofs off while at work again.
Rola bola, acrobatics, object manipulation
Music: “Rag Mop” by The Ames Brothers
Capitalist Blues
The butcher's sister has a different vision for her life.
Duo silks
Music: “The Capitalist Blues” by Leyla McCalla
Sanctus
The butcher unveils his most perfect sausage: THE KISHKA.
Clowning
Music: “Requiem K. 626: Sanctus” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, performed by the Academy of Ancient Music, conducted by Stephen Cleobury
Blue Danube Waltz
A love for the ages.
Duo lyra, dance
Music: “The Blue Danube Waltz” by Johann Strauss II, performed by the Vienna Opera Orchestra, conducted by Peter Falk
We're in the Money
Could it be ... a sale? A wealthy customer.
Tap dance, acrobatics
Music: “We're in the Money” by Rosemary Clooney
I Like Bananas!
Could it be ... a sale? A travelling banana salesman.
Juggling
Music: “I Like Bananas” by Hoosier Hot Shots
Tee-Na-Na
Could it be ... a STEAL?
Silks, dance
Music: “Tee-Na-Na” by Leon Redbone
Who Stole the Kishka?
Wherever has the sausage gone?
Dance
Music: “Who Stole the Keeshka?” by Frankie Yankovic
ACT II
All That Meat And No Potatoes
There’s never too many meats!
Duo trapeze, acrobatics
Music: “All That Meat & No Potatoes” by Fats Waller
Why Don’t You Keep Your Tail Up?
The kishka must get back to its rightful owner!
Acrobatics, clowning
Music: “Horsey, Keep” by Spike Jones
The Aftermath
The wealthy person realizes that money can’t buy everything.
Dance, silks
Music: “St James Infirmary” by Louis Armstrong
Ritz
A new partnership is made?!
Juggling, silks
Music: “Puttin’ On The Ritz” by Bing Crosby
Diga, Diga Do
Will the butcher and the kishka ever be reunited?
Clowning, juggling
Music: “Diga, Diga Doo” by The Mills Brothers
Bella Ciao
The kishka reassures the workers: its bounty can be shared by all!
Lyra
Music: “Bella Ciao” by Tržaški partizanski pevski zbor (the Trieste Partisan Choir)
Oop-Pop-A-Da
The workers & the cat get into a scuffle.
Swing toss
Music: “Oop-Pop-A-Da” by Babs Gonzales
Who Stole the Kishka? (reprise)
The kishka is returned!
Dance, acrobatics, lyra
Music: “Who Stole the Kishka?” (2020 Remaster) by Frankie Yankovic & Kinky Friedman
Accordions on Fire
A glorious end.
Music: “Accordions on Fire” by Jimmy Sturr & his orchestra
Characters
The Butcher
He should be in charge of the shop, but — what a doofus! — everything just seems to keep going wrong for him! Will he ever be reunited with his lost kishka?
Cal, the Cat
Cal the calico cat does what Cal wants. Think Garfield but instead of lasagna, it's sausage. Known to enjoy fringe and fringe-adjacent trinkets, Cal can't help but make a scene and steal the spotlight.
The Butcher's Sister
She had dreams once too, ya know! She could have been a show girl! But, no: her bumbling brother had to go and inherit the shop with not a lick of sense about how to run it.
She does love him though, even if he spends all his time dillydallying about.If only she could find some way to pawn him off on someone else so she could run away to live out her dreams ... Unfortunately, she's just stuck here for now, trying to make a dime off some dead meat and playing with her saucy little kitty-cat while she dreams about what could have been. Alas!
Una
Una is the voice of reason among the workers — she's just trying to keep the peace between Mikey and Yashu.
Yashu
Yashu is a do-gooder who's always trying to convince his pals to do the right thing, even though Lady Luck hasn’t always smiled on them
Mikey
Mikey is a lovable rogue who's always on the lookout for his next meal — or his next get-rich-quick scheme.
The Kishka
A triumph of meat-making, and the butcher's most perfect creation. Although the kishka begins as a passive love object, a transformative journey of personal growth leads it to realize its true purpose in life: sacrificing itself to feed the masses. (But times are tough for everyone: the kishka also moonlights as a salesgirl with free banana samples.)
The Wealthy Person
She made her fortune commercializing a board game. Originally, the game warned players of the evils of capitalism — but she vastly improved it to properly celebrate the fun of hoarding wealth instead!
She isn’t necessarily evil, but she is certainly unaware of the hunger and strife that exists in the background of her blessed life. She goes to the butcher shop to buy the most perfect kishka for a swanky dinner party but meets some unforeseen obstacles along the way.
The Travelling Banana Salesman
He is here to turn life upside-down and question the world. How can there be scarcity when there are also free bananas? Maybe we can change how we do business and allow others to pursue their dreams.
What would happen if we treated everyone equally? After loss and hardship, perhaps we can all find a new passion.
