TONIGHT

A summary of the story

TONIGHT is a story about a group of friends, who’s lives are torn apart through conflict and war. We see the individual choices they face, and how the consequences of their choices effects their destinies and the community they once lived in. The story reflects how we, through advances in media, are able to watch such conflicts on TV in “real-time”. The events that occur in TONIGHT could in fact be happening somewhere around the world TONIGHT. The story is told mainly through musical numbers, with short inter-linking dialogues. The story is divided into two acts, each lasting approximately one hour.

Act One

We are introduced to a group of friends living in a small town. During a wedding that is taking place in the town, a girl named Alina arrives in as a refugee. There she meets Max who proves to be an old flame, and the old love between them is given a new chance. But there feelings for each other, and the strong relationship between this gang of friends, are soon put through an ultimate test when the peaceful town is invaded by the Black Jacks, an evil force, led by the dictator Ivan Crossman.

This new order believes in one strong and pure race and force people of other ethnic origins than themselves into prison camps. As Alina is a gypsy, she is taken away from Max. Another shock for the friends is to find that their close friend Tino has betrayed them all by joining the Black Jacks, and is now responsible for forcing Alina into a prison camp. Max, Walter and Rachel decide to join the resistance in order to fight back against the tyranny of Ivan Crossman.

On their way to join the resistance, Max manages to sneak up the prison camp where it is believed that Alina is being kept prisoner. But Max gets caught by one of the guards, who prove to be Tino, his old friend. A confrontation between them takes place, resulting in that Max gets five minutes with Alina before he must run away again.

Another issue is brought upon the friends when they find that the Captain of the Resistance does not tolerate gay people in his army. Walter, who is gay, tries to stand up for his rights, but Captain Court is very persistent and Walter gets thrown out. In sympathy and love, Rachel gives her silver-heart necklace to Walter. Rachel and Max are sent to the front where they find the media lined up waiting for action.

Act Two

Thomas, the journalist, reflects on how the situation has almost become a type of entertainment for the rest of the world.

Walter who wants to prove himself worthy, manages to sneak into the Black Jacks camp, and overhears the speech by the dictator Ivan Crossman, which reveals a plan for an ambush on the resistance. But when he tries to sneak back out again, Walter gets caught, and the Black Jack that is put in charge for dealing with this intruder, is Tino, his old friend. When Tino sees the silver-heart that Walter is wearing, he is reminded of his friends. He takes it off Walter, and becomes aware of what the consequence of the planned ambush on the resistance might have, and that he now holds the lives of his friends in his hand. Tino takes his knife and cuts Walter free from the ropes. Walter runs off leaving Tino on his own. Tino has now also betrayed the Black Jacks and is now unsure of where his loyalty lies.

Walter tries to get back to the resistance to warn them about the ambush, but is accidentally being mistaken for being a Black Jack, when he runs up towards the line of the resistance and gets shot and wounded in the shoulder. He tells Captain Court and the others about the plans for the ambush. As a result of this information, the resistance plans an immediate attack on the Black Jacks. (Rachel stays behind to take care of Walter.)

Tino has now been captured by the Black Jacks and is being accused for high treason when the resistance attacks. During the battle between the two forces, Max tries to rescue Tino but they are both caught in the crossfire, and throw them selves to the ground. When the battle is over and both sides have retreated, Max finds himself being the only one left alive on the battlefield. Tino is also dead, but Max finds the silver-heart necklace on Tino, and takes it. He decides to put down his gun and start searching for Alina. Alina has managed to survive but is haunted by the feeling that Max might be dead, but they are finally reunited.

Back in the Town they also catch up with Rachel, Walter and Thomas.

Rachel and Walter have decided to stay, in order to try to rebuild the town, while Max and Alina will become refugees, searching for a new place to settle.

Years later Thomas, the journalist receives a letter. It is from Max, and it includes the silver-heart necklace. The news of Max’s death in the letter and the sight of the silver-heart make him want to write the story about them and the remarkable journey of this necklace. He hopes that by passing the story on to the new generation might help to prevent history from repeating it self.