The Gold Victory cast strikes a pose, leaning in toward the charismatic milkman, Mickey Mullins. Photo by Kat Bell
For the Gold Side’s Centennial production, the audience is transported to the eccentric town of Mayfield, where the only thing the citizens love more than their delectable dairy is the milkman who delivers it: Mickey Mullins. With the excitement of a new family coming to town in the air, the audience witnesses not only a sense of unity, but a heavy reliance on Mickey.
Listeners are welcomed into the fold by the Four Quarts, a dapper barbershop quartet who insist we “come take a look.” While the quartet performs, the townsfolk make preparations to welcome the Owens family to their “nifty little city.”
Young Mayfield resident Todd Thompson confesses his nerves to Mickey, as he’s never been on the giving end of the welcoming party before, and Mickey encourages him to keep a smile on his face and tell the Owens family what Mayfield means to him, leading to the introductory number, “Welcome to Mayfield.”
The Owens are surprised and more than a little confused by the town’s enthusiastic welcome, yet they attempt to remain composed as they introduce themselves to Mickey and the rest of the townsfolk.
They learn that the townsfolk have prepared a charming ice cream social for the family to enjoy as soon as they get situated in their new home.
As the Owens family settles in, Catherine and her son, Oliver, are sitting in their living room discussing how different Mayfield is compared to their old city life. As they talk, William and the youngest child, Alyssa, enter the home carrying boxes.
William tries to be diplomatic and asks for some help unloading the car, but when Catherine snaps back, the two enter a full-blown argument. The following number, “Under my Roof,” establishes the family’s issues with each other and their hopes that Mayfield will help fix their problems.
As the number ends, Mickey and Alyssa enter the home, as Mickey has stopped to make a delivery to the Owens and could not bear the thought of Alyssa moving in boxes by herself. The family, clearly embarrassed, tries to play it off like everything is fine, but Mickey sees through the act.
Alyssa asks if they can go to the local diner for lunch, and William and Catherine send the kids out for a nice afternoon. When the kids leave, Mickey asks why the family decided to move to Mayfield, and the parents explain how they are trying to make a new start. Mickey reassures them that they made the right choice and offers them both bottles of milk in the number “Made in Mayfield.” William and Catherine begin the song as skeptics, but, as they drink the milk, they become more open to what Mickey is saying, ending the number enthusiastic and excited.
The scene then shifts to the Buttercream Parlor, a “swanky little diner with the best malts around.” The Owens children enter and are enthusiastically welcomed by the patrons, much to the chagrin of Oliver, who feels as though he is above such pleasantries.
Betty Buttercream, the owner, goes to take the children’s order, and is taken aback as she hears Alyssa order a burger with no cheese, and — more shockingly — a water instead of a malt. As Betty goes to prepare their orders, the children are approached by Todd Thompson and Jane Janssen, who are enamored with the newest kids on the block.
After awkward attempts at flirting, Betty interrupts, as it is Oliver’s “first time” having a Mayfield malt, which is truly something to celebrate. The patrons enter into song and dance with the number, “I Would Die for a Malt,” as Oliver drinks and Alyssa looks on in awe. Eventually, both children join the festivities, much to the surprise of Alyssa, as her brother was earlier unenthused.
When the number ends, Oliver and Jane embrace as Betty offers Alyssa a malt once more, not wanting Alyssa to feel left out. To everyone’s shock and dismay, Alyssa announces that she is lactose intolerant. After the patrons try to pressure Alyssa into indulging regardless, she becomes irritated and storms out, dragging Oliver and Jane along.
Todd chases after them in concern while Betty and Richie Rutledge, the town mayor, discuss this newfound information. Alyssa’s lactose intolerance worries them; they feel it will hinder their plans and run the entire town of Mayfield into the ground.
As they discuss, Mickey Mullins enters the diner and reminds the patrons that they have a housewarming to prepare for, causing them to scurry out in a hurry. Once the townsfolk leave, Mickey’s swell attitude takes a cold turn as he asks Richie and Betty what just transpired in the diner.
The duo explains Alyssa’s alarming condition, which does not seem to worry Mickey in the slightest. Mickey leads the villainous group in the jazzy “Homogenized.”
Meanwhile, a frazzled Alyssa is confused by her brother’s shift in attitude and sudden affection toward Jane. While they bicker, Todd approaches the group in a hurry, worried about whatever is causing Alyssa so much stress. When she explains that everyone is behaving strangely, Todd and the newly lovesick pair attempt to explain that love is the reason why Oliver has changed for the better in “A Little Weird.” A now conflicted Alyssa decides that she needs time to think about it and heads home.
Upon arrival at her family home, Alyssa discovers that her mother and father have unpacked everything and fully decorated the house. Even stranger, her parents have undergone the exact same shift in attitude that her brother did earlier in the day.
Alyssa tries to wrap her head around how this camaraderie developed so quickly, but her family assures her that Mayfield and all of its friendly citizens are responsible for helping them see life through a new lens in “One Big Happy Family.”
After the hectic housewarming, Mickey enters the home to explain to the Owens family that the children had left the Buttercream Parlor “without paying their bill,” shocking everyone. When Oliver speaks up, blaming Alyssa for “dragging him out in a tizzy,” Mickey calms everyone down by explaining that if Alyssa tags along with him down to the parlor and closes out the bill, everything will be taken care of.
Mickey and Alyssa arrive at the Parlor, all the while discussing Alyssa’s lactose intolerance. She explains that she can drink milk, but it makes her a little gassy. As Mickey ponders this new information, Alyssa notices that the diner is currently empty because of the evening’s ice cream social and asks Mickey if they can hurry and make their departure. Mickey, however, tells Alyssa that she need not worry about the bill, and he really brought her to the diner because he noticed she seems down.
Alyssa explains that she is confused by her family’s actions, but Mickey assures her that these developments aren’t strange at all. He confesses to Alyssa that he’s been brainwashing the people of the town with his dairy.
When asked why, he explains that he’s simply trying to fix the problems of the world in “Spoiled.” He believes that people’s differences make the world a more unpleasant place, and, should Alyssa simply indulge in a malt, she’d agree with him. Alyssa is left alone to consider it, and opts to speak with her family before making a decision.
Alyssa runs out of the Parlor into the town square, where people are already gathering for the impending ice cream social. Todd stops Alyssa, asking why she seems so distressed, and Alyssa spills all of Mickey’s secrets to Todd and the townsfolk, who believe that Alyssa and Mickey are trying to pull a prank on them.
Alyssa gets more and more upset as she realizes that her words are falling on deaf ears until Mickey steps in to diffuse the situation, brushing Alyssa’s worries off as nothing more than her “overactive imagination.” Mickey takes this opportunity to begin the evening’s festivities by introducing his newest flavor of ice cream, the “Sweet Sensation.”
In “Ice Cream Social,” the townsfolk deliberate who should receive the honor of having the first bite, and they decide that they should give it to Alyssa since she has been having a hard time. Though Alyssa protests, she is cut off by her family, who are overjoyed at the decision the crowd has reached. Alyssa stares in silence at the ice cream bowl until Todd approaches her, insisting that “if weird is happy, maybe she could use a little weird.”
Alyssa gives in and takes a bite of ice cream, becoming a member of the town. She and Mickey proceed to lead the townsfolk in a reprise of “Welcome to Mayfield,” once again insisting that their town simply can’t be beat.
The number builds until they are interrupted by the Stallworth family, strangers stopping by on their road trip to grab a bite to eat. Alyssa tells the family that “they couldn’t have picked a better place,” and everyone welcomes the Stallworths with one final “Welcome to Mayfield.”
