From Amazon: A full-cast audiobook musical told entirely through story and song.
Notorious jewel thief Jimmy Valentine (Hadley Fraser: “Phantom”, “City of Angels”) swears he’s going straight this time. But Jimmy has baggage that won’t fit in his suitcase of burglar’s tools. Soon after his release from prison, he’s back to his old habits.
Disillusioned New Orleans detective Jen Price (Kerry Ellis: “Wicked”) wants to catch Jimmy Valentine—and feel like a hero again. But Jimmy isn’t the villain she’d hoped he’d be. While hiding in a small town, Jimmy falls in love with Annabel Adams (Celinde Schoenmaker: “Guys and Dolls”). For the first time, Valentine dares to believe in a new life.
But is it too late?
Author Jeff Flaster’s reinvention of O. Henry’s classic short story combines world-class performances with a score that blends classical, jazz and classic rock into melodic storytelling that stays with listeners after the final note.
Cast album available on major music-streaming platforms.
U.S. Bureau of (redacted),
File from 1922:
In (redacted), Louisiana,
Wearing a trench coat and fedora, Op13 emerges from the shadows of the morning mist.
Henry Spencer?
Yes?
Let’s talk.
Who are you?
That’s classified. Call me Op13. But listen, I know what you are.
So what? I’m just a humble shoe-store owner.
Op displays her Bureau card.
Oh. I’ve been expecting you. Decent pic for Bureau issue.
Thanks. I like my job.
Me too.
As good a place to start as any. First, though, for the record, please. You’re Jimmy Valentine’s Reflection?
Yes. And I’ve come through the mirror, changing places with him, but only temporarily, with the alias Henry Spencer.
And you like your job because?
I’m proud that I am helping people when they reinvent themselves.
The Bureau people worry sometimes that you help a bit too much.
No need to fret. It’s only natural. When you look into the mirror, what do you hear?
Wait. Is that you?
No. Of course not. You don’t need us. But it’s not that different. When you look at your reflection, you might see only what’s there now, as you prepare to face the day. But sometimes, you’ll be looking deeper, not only at what is, but also at what you could be.
What. Not who?
Yes. We really do mean what.
Don’t you just mean “find yourself”?
No. We help you make yourself, changing what you can, for instance, What you do, and what it means to be the person in your body; How you feel, how you react. but also learning to accept the things that you can never change– Your past, especially. That’s the toughest. But other aspects too. It varies. Everyone’s a little different.
So as for Jimmy Valentine?
Valentine is very different. Jimmy was a jewel thief. He got some headlines. No, a lot. He finally heard me in his jail cell on the day of his release. He swore that he’d go straight this time. But he has shell shock from the War. So though I tried, he stole again. Eventually I persuaded him to leave his sculpted flower behind.
And did that help?
Not by itself. But then he met Miss Annabel, and now he’s going straight at last.
So then you’re done, and wrapping up?
Not yet. There are some complications. Detective Price is looking for him. Jen has troubles of her own, but not Reflection troubles. No, A different, shall we say, Division, Is working with Detective Price. When she made rank, she felt heroic. She wants to feel that way again, So she’s pursuing Valentine, Because he is notorious. she doesn’t know that he’s gone straight. When she finds him, and she will, Will she care? I want to be there.
You know you can’t be.
Are you sure?
Yes. I’m sorry.
No, I know. I’ll do everything I can to get him ready for that day, shen he will face his greatest challenge.
But you’ll be gone before she finds him?
Yes, I will. You have my word.
I’ll take it. I was never here. I hope to say the same for you.
You can, because for me, it’s true.
JEFF FLASTER is a New Yorker by birth whose parents were both mathematicians. They had saved since Flaster was born so that they could send him to MIT, and were not pleased when college-aged Flaster asked if he could major in music instead of math. So Flaster made music a minor, but it remained a major in his life. The fact that he is a tenor gave him easy entrée into choirs and ensembles, and he performed regularly in a group at MIT, The Chorallaries. He has also performed at The Kennedy Center with the Choral Arts Society of Washington, and at Tanglewood with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. Flaster produced three recordings of his original compositions, available on Apple Music. Recently, inspired by O. Henry’s sunnier version of “Les Misérables,” Flaster wrote a full-length musical now called “Following Jimmy Valentine.” The 2021 version of this musical, called “Shell Shock,” was directed by Lennie Watts and can be seen on Melodic Music’s YouTube channel. Flaster’s interest in cabaret was sparked by his father, and by a course he took at 92Y with the late Collette Black. Find out more about him at https://www.melodic.com.
https://www.facebook.com/flasterTunes/, https://www.instagram.com/flaster_tunes/, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdnoeRiLJ8I8yZmzAu-ln_w, https://www.amazon.com/Following-Jimmy-Valentine-Retrieved-Reformation/dp/B0FW5QPT36/ref=sr_1_1
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