Welcome to the Space Port, a remote transit hub overrun by psychoactive strawberries that dockyard alpha BUS distills for a side hustle. Bus has the hots for decommissioned pilot GINA, who'd regain her flight status if she could rid herself of Bus' pink powder. Gina works at the Intergas and awaits the arrival of new owner ROD, a would-be spacefarer/ship-builder. Also arriving is con artist NOVA with schemes to launch a nightclub. Rod's disappointed by the station he's inherited, moreso when Gina latches onto him. All attend Nova's nightclub test run at Smilin' Sam's, a smashing success with all but Bus and Sam, who is yet persuaded to give Nova another go. Bus challenges Rod to a drag race on the diner's flight sims, and Gina convinces Rod to accept in hopes of proving her worth. With teamwork and rocketry, Gina & Rod restore the Intergas, which includes experiments in detoxifying the strawberries. Nova promotes the nightclub off the pending race, and then spikes the race punch with Bus' strawberry mix to ensure everyone enjoys her performance. Seeing this, Gina runs off, leaving Rod to race solo just as the Port Authority raids the roofied gala. Bus crashes out, Rod wins, and insanity reigns until Gina returns in Rod's ship to cropdust everyone with antidote. Both Bus and Nova are arrested, but everyone works out new partnerships. Following a complicated negotiation, Bus buys the Intergas for Nova's nightclub, allowing Rod and Gina to launch their future together.
BUSTER "BUS" FARSTOP, drug-dealing dockyard shift manager, bully, and blowhard [baritone]
ANGELA SYKES aka NOVA VENERA, notorious scheming con artist/chanteuse; Surefire's business partner-in-crime [mezzo-soprano]
GINA QUICKHANDS, the Intergas' chief (and only) mechanic, a disgraced pilot trying to kick bad habits [alto or mezzo-soprano]
RODNEY "ROD" THROTTLEBOTTOM, owner of the Intergas service station and frustrated adventurer [tenor]
ANGUS T. SUREFIRE, impresario; "Sykes'" delusional business partner [bass]SMILIN' SAM, unimaginative operator of the greasespot known as the Andromeda Arcade [baritone/bass]
PUNZLER, the put-upon punching back of Bus' posse [tenor]
MARGIE, a groupie yet to discover her own competence [soprano]
HONEST JOHN, a dishonest cop, one who cannot be relied upon to stay bought [baritone]
The Port is otherwise populated by various ensemble members including the PA loudspeaker, Port Authority workers, cops, Farstop sidekicks, and locals. As retro-futurist fantasy, the denizens of Space Port can present as male, female, animal, mineral, or vegetable. A 300+ year old sponge mold could plausibly present as a present day adolescent. For this reason, the author has eschewed specific assignments of character age and gender. An outsized personality, affinity for the role, and chemistry with other characters are each far more important than outward appearance.Race, age, and gender-diverse casting are encouraged, as is casting parts for musical balance. "Traditional" part assignments are provided here as a guide, but the author is very open to having parts be transposed up the octave where necessary to allow performance by women and down the octave where necessary to allow performance by men.
Keyboard 1 (synth, piano), Keyboard 2 (flutes, brass, SFX), Electric Guitar, Bass, Percussion (drum kit & SFX)