The Story
The Story
Set in May 1975 in New York and Los Angeles, it is the story of classical pianist Katherine Waterson and rock singer Joel Scott. Although highly talented and successful, they both feel exploited by a music business that directs and profits from most aspects of their lives. They pay a heavy price both personally and artistically for the fame they have achieved. Growing ever closer, they each fight to escape the bonds of their current existences and rediscover who they really are.
The setting is a concert stage - partly classical and partly rock. We see a montage of photo/video images of KATHERINE WATERSON, JOEL SCOTT and the other famous people who inhabit their respective worlds.
ACT ONE
It is Sunday 4th May 1975 at the end of a concert performance at Carnegie Hall, New York. Agent ROBERT MILFORD persuades classical pianist KATHERINE WATERSON and her husband, conductor ALEXANDER ZUCKERMAN, to fit in an extra concert in Berlin. We move on to Monday 12th May on stage at Madison Square Garden, New York, with UK heavy rock band BLACK STEEL. The front men and main writers are lead singer JOEL SCOTT and lead guitarist RICK BROWN.
BLACK STEEL run off stage as ELIZABETH WATERSON (KATHERINE’s sister and RICK’s girlfriend) takes photographs of the band. Neither the band’s manager, PAUL, nor RICK can persuade JOEL to go back on stage for an encore. It is now the evening of Tuesday 13th May in KATHERINE and ALEXANDER’S suite at the Waldorf Astoria, New York where BLACK STEEL are also staying. ALEXANDER is drinking heavily. He and KATHERINE argue over whose fault it was that she missed a musical entrance at last night’s concert. KATHERINE laments the poor state of their marriage.
KATHERINE bursts into tears and refuses to go to the next concert. She makes her way to her sister ELIZABETH’s suite.
It is now the evening of Wednesday 14th May in RICK and ELIZABETH’s suite at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel following BLACK STEEL’s third night at Madison Square. The post gig party is in full swing. Bass player JOHN (MADMAN) HARVEY, emerges from a bedroom with two girls and collapses across a low coffee table sending plates of food, saucers of cocaine and several bottles of Jack Daniels flying. JOEL goes over to JOHN to lend him assistance.
JOEL has an argument with PAUL about the way the rock business is destroying JOHN. As JOEL makes to leave ELIZABETH catches his arm and introduces him to KATHERINE. JOEL makes his apologies and leaves. KATHERINE leaves to return to her suite but within a few seconds encounters JOEL in the corridor. He is just about to enter his suite. KATHERINE accepts his invitation to join him. They discover they share many of the same feelings about life on the road.
KATHERINE makes to go but JOEL persuades her to stay. KATHERINE feels she can open up to JOEL and explains the problems and pressures of life with ALEXANDER and ROBERT. Eventually KATHERINE says she must go. JOEL sees KATHERINE to the door but just as he opens it RICK turns the corner into their corridor. RICK is using a fire axe to destroy everything in his path and a group of photographers, reporters and groupies are in hot pursuit.
KATHERINE is caught up in the melee and is photographed with RICK and JOEL. JOEL pulls KATHERINE back into his suite and slams the door in the faces of the photographers. KATHERINE is reluctant to return to ALEXANDER and they agree she will stay the night in JOEL’s suite. JOEL sleeps on the sofa. It is now late morning of the next day, Thursday 15th May, in ALEXANDER and KATHERINE’S suite at The Waldorf Astoria. ALEXANDER and ROBERT are looking at the picture of KATHERINE and JOEL in the newspaper. ALEXANDER is drinking. KATHERINE has still not returned to the suite. ROBERT is livid about KATHERINE’s behaviour and gives ALEXANDER the task of sorting her out. He threatens to drop them both if matters don’t improve. ROBERT also insists that ALEXANDER curb his drinking. As ROBERT leaves the suite…
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ROBERT exits. KATHERINE enters the suite. ALEXANDER thrusts the newspaper at KATHERINE. They row. KATHERINE insists she is being overworked by ROBERT and ALEXANDER. KATHERINE wonders where the love between her and ALEXANDER has gone. She feels so alone. She wants better than this. As KATHERINE exits, crying…
We move on to the afternoon of Thursday 15th May in ROBERT’s New York office at Global Entertainment Inc. where he holds power over the careers of BLACK STEEL, KATHERINE and ALEXANDER. ROBERT tells his staff that these performers must be better managed and there must be no more adverse news coverage to damage their careers and earning potential for the company. It is now the early evening of Thursday 15th May backstage at Madison Square Garden just prior to BLACK STEEL’s fourth and final performance at the venue. RICK and JOEL argue over musical direction for the band. We move forward to after the gig. It is 1.00am Friday 16th May in JOEL’S suite at the Waldorf Astoria. KATHERINE arrives. She and JOEL share their disillusionment with their careers and lives. KATHERINE explains she is thinking of leaving ALEXANDER. JOEL asks KATHERINE if she would like to come with him as the BLACK STEEL tour moves to the West Coast.
This is exactly what KATHERINE would like to do but she can’t just leave her husband, her agent and the concert schedule. They kiss passionately. KATHERINE makes to go but as JOEL opens the door for her to leave ALEXANDER appears in the hotel corridor in a highly intoxicated state. He insists that KATHERINE return with him. Then ALEXANDER grabs his stomach, clearly experiencing severe pain, stumbles into JOEL’s suite and then passes out on the floor. A doctor, ELIZABETH and ROBERT are called. ELIZABETH tries to persuade KATHERINE to join her and the band on the trip to L.A. once ALEXANDER has been taken care of at the hospital. KATHERINE moves away from JOEL and ELIZABETH to think.
It is the evening of Saturday 17th May. KATHERINE, ELIZABETH, JOEL, RICK, JOHN HARVEY, PAUL BRENT and the rest of BLACK STEEL plus entourage enter the lobby of The Continental Hyatt House Hotel on Sunset Strip, Los Angeles. PAUL is holding up one room key which hasn’t been claimed by JOHN HARVEY because he is trying to book himself into the Presidential Suite and ordering hot and cold running women. The hangers-on look longingly at the spare key.
Later that evening we are in Katherine’s room at the Hyatt House Hotel. JOEL and KATHERINE start ripping off each other’s clothes. They collapse entwined onto the bed
and start to make love.
The following morning, still in Katherine’s room, JOEL and KATHERINE are in bed. They
are just waking up. They are very much in love.
KATHERINE gets up and goes into the bathroom. She looks at herself in the mirror. JOEL stands at the mirror in the bedroom trying to untangle his long hair.
KATHERINE comes out of the bathroom, into the bedroom and kisses JOEL. They decide to do some recording of JOEL’s new songs together the following day.
They kiss.
It is now the morning of Monday 19th May in a meeting room at the Los Angeles offices of Global Entertainment Inc. (GEI). ROBERT and PAUL are there. They have heard about JOEL and KATHERINE working together on new material and discuss how, with luck, they can make two acts (KATHERINE, BLACK STEEL) into three (KATHERINE, BLACK STEEL, JOEL AND KATHERINE).
We move on to the afternoon of Monday 19th May in Studio A at The Record Plant on Third Street L.A. JOEL and KATHERINE are recording. RICK appears in the control room and disrupts the session. PAUL enters the studio and wants to know what’s going on.
RICK warns JOEL not to screw up the recording contract BLACK STEEL have. The argument becomes physical and they have to be restrained. RICK and PAUL leave. KATHERINE expresses doubts about continuing to play with JOEL. He is upset by this. They go back to the hotel.
It is now the evening of Monday 19th May in the foyer of the Continental Hyatt House Hotel. It is full of press and police. Returning from the studio JOEL and KATHERINE learn from RICK and ELIZABETH that JOHN HARVEY has died from a drugs overdose. A PHOTOGRAPHER calls out JOEL’s name. JOEL and KATHERINE instinctively turn in the direction of the voice. There is a flash and too late they realise they have been photographed together once again. KATHERINE tells JOEL she has had enough of all the scandal. She leaves the hotel while JOEL calls after her.
We move on to the morning of Wednesday 21st May in the hotel bungalow at The Chateau Marmont L.A. at 8221 Sunset Boulevard, not far down The Strip from the Hyatt House. ALEXANDER has been checked out of the hospital in New York and is staying at the bungalow with KATHERINE. They argue about his drinking, the state of their careers and their marriage. ALEXANDER pleads with KATHERINE to play a few concerts on the West Coast to keep ROBERT happy.
KATHERINE is in tears. She feels she is being put under intolerable pressure to play.
She relents just to get ALEXANDER off her back. It is now the afternoon of Thursday 22nd May in the Rainbow Room VIP Bar at 9015 Sunset Boulevard. PAUL, RICK and JOEL are drinking and arguing about how to replace JOHN HARVEY and continue the tour. JOEL wants to abandon the tour. PAUL wants to continue. RICK is in a dilemma. He wants to continue touring but cannot contemplate replacing JOHN. The loss of JOHN actually brings JOEL and RICK back closer together. They reminisce about the first time they met JOHN.
RICK begins to worry he is going the same way as JOHN. PAUL insists they carry on
with the tour. JOEL says no. RICK says maybe.
We move on to late morning on Monday 26th May in the Hollywood Bowl orchestra rehearsal room. KATHERINE is at the piano and ALEXANDER is leading the rehearsal of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.2 in B flat major but he has another attack and is carried off to a dressing room. It is decided to bring in another conductor, ANDREW PATON, to support and if necessary replace ALEXANDER. KATHERINE is very afraid of having to perform the concert without ALEXANDER on the rostrum.
It is now the early evening of Wednesday 28th May at The Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, just prior to KATHERINE’s performance. ANDREW PATON will be conducting but it has been arranged that ALEXANDER will sit at the side of the stage in view of KATHERINE in order to give her the confidence to play. PATON readies the orchestra. KATHERINE looks over towards ALEXANDER. She does not quite register at first that he is not there. She looks towards PATON who takes this as a signal that she is ready. The orchestra is off and away but KATHERINE misses her musical entrance. PATON stops the performance and explains to the audience that there is a technical problem then leaves the podium and escorts KATHERINE off stage. Back stage there is a huge row. An ultimatum is issued to KATHERINE; either she gets back on stage now or her part of the program will be abandoned. JOEL and ELIZABETH appear back stage to find out what’s going on.
KATHERINE decides not to go back on. ROBERT fires ALEXANDER from his agency there and then but offers hope to KATHERINE. KATHERINE says she is finished with performing anyway. All exit except KATHERINE and ALEXANDER. There is nothing left for them or their marriage.
It is later the same evening of Wednesday 28th May in a joint on Sunset Boulevard. RICK is propping up the bar and is heavily under the influence of drink and drugs. ELIZABETH arrives from the Hollywood Bowl just as RICK is getting into a brawl. ELIZABETH offers RICK a choice – either he quits touring and cleans up his act or she leaves him. RICK finally agrees to quit touring.
It is the afternoon of Thursday 29th May in the meeting room at the Los Angeles offices of Global Entertainment Inc. (GEI). ROBERT reminds PAUL that their objective is to create a third act (JOEL and KATHERINE) out of the existing two acts (BLACK STEEL and KATHERINE). JOEL, RICK, KATHERINE and ELIZABETH are ushered into the room. ROBERT and PAUL try to sell the idea of BLACK STEEL, KATHERINE and JOEL all appearing top of the bill in a televised charity concert in aid of Vietnamese refugees. Feeling they are being manipulated once again by powerful business interests, the musicians are very resistant to the idea. JOEL asks that they be left alone for a few minutes. JOEL and RICK are initially against but ELIZABETH is very persuasive. JOEL can get the boost he needs for his new solo album; RICK can keep BLACK STEEL together and promote the new album without touring; KATHERINE can set the record straight after her disaster at the Hollywood Bowl. JOEL and RICK agree. They all look at KATHERINE who is still very unsure.
JOEL takes KATHERINE in his arms and holds her close for a moment. He pleads with her to do it – for them, for RICK, for JOHN.
KATHERINE agrees to do the concert. It is now the evening of Saturday 31st May at the side of the stage at the 6,500-seater Shrine Auditorium, Jefferson Boulevard, LA. JOEL, RICK and the rest of BLACK STEEL are on stage and into the final few bars of “Dangerous Street”. ELIZABETH, PAUL and ROBERT are looking on from the side of the stage. The audience goes wild. The lights go down leaving KATHERINE at a grand piano in a single white spot. A hush descends upon the audience. KATHERINE takes a deep breath, places her hands just above the keys and then plays a short piano solo with great feeling as well as technical brilliance. There is rapturous applause from the audience. KATHERINE remains at the piano. JOEL joins her on stage on guitar. Full rock band, orchestra and chorus back them. JOEL introduces the final song of the concert. Vietnam is a country divided into north and south by politics and war. The song is about bringing people together through music.
THE END
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