Zombies From The Beyond - Synopsis

Synopsis

Act I

It’s 1955. Ike is president, the economy is booming, and "The Sky’s the Limit" at the Milwaukee Space Center. Staunch Major Malone (originally played by Michael Shelle), his aide Rick Jones (originally played by Robert Boles), secretary Charlene “Charlie” Osmanski (originally played by Suzanne Graff), Deli delivery boy Billy Krutzik (originally played by Jeremy Czarniak), and the Major’s unnervingly competent daughter Mary (originally played by Claire Morkin) are all abuzz at the arrival of rocket scientist Trenton Corbett (originally played by Matt McClanahan) to the Probe Seven Control Room. Via the Probe’s space photography equipment, the crew makes an alarming discovery on the television monitor screen: "A Flying Saucer".

Later at the Orbit Room Cocktail Lounge, Rick and Mary dauntlessly dance away the imminent danger ("The Rocket-Roll"). Trenton arrives just in time to hear the saucer buzzing the Galaxy of Coiffures Beauty Salon across the street. After impetuous Rick rushes off to investigate, Trenton attempts to calm the fears of the usually intrepid Mary ("Second Planet on the Right").

Back in the Control Room, a top-secret scheme is hatched to launch a manned rocket into battle with the hovering spacemobile. Charlie is inducted to measure up the men for suitable spacewear ("Blast Off Baby"). Billy pesters Charlie for a date, quick, before aliens conquer the city. He taps his way into her heart with his "Atomic Feet" and they plan to rendezvous later that night. When the brazen saucer actually lands in the beauty salon, it’s “all systems go” for new emergency procedures: Trenton will develop a weapon of mass destruction, Rick will set up a blockade at the beauty shop, and poor Charlie will man the television monitor. Shifty Rick now reveals his true color – (red!) – as he retrieves orders via mysterious walkie-talkie to slip Charlie a mickey and make contact with the invaders for the greater glory of his homeland ("Big Wig").

In Mary’s car, Trenton – sworn to secrecy – breaks Mary’s heart when he breaks their date ("In the Stars").

Meanwhile, at the Galaxy of Coiffures, Rick encounters Zombina (originally played by Susan Gottschalk), a buxom alien aviatrix bent on procuring he-specimens to play stud on her female-laden planet. Employing her supersonic "Secret Weapon" (a soprano voice so stratospheric that it zombifies), Zombina transforms Rick into a bug-eyed slave to her nefarious demands. She and her entourage of titillatingly tacky “Zombettes” (originally played by the rest of the cast, decked out in intentionally unconvincing ‘disguises’) sound the shrill soprano war-cry of "Zombies from The Beyond".

Act II

Zombina’s tirade of terror has the city on pins and needles ("Dateline: Milwaukee"), yet Trenton and Mary are able to terminate their tiff ("Second Planet Reprise"). Our heroes plan to implement Trenton’s newly-developed ‘amplificator’ against subversive enemies, singing gaily: “Don’t just hate ‘em, exterminate ‘em, that’s "The American Way!” Charlie emerges from her stupor and a series of spine-tingling clues leads the probe crew to a cataclysmic conclusion about Rick ('I Am a Zombie"). Zombina herself appears on the television monitor screen and proceeds to zombify Trenton and Malone in an amazing 3-D “broad”-cast. Can Mary and Charlie save Milwaukee from this menace?

Zombina, fed up with Rick’s inability to perform up to her high standards, resolves to employ her considerable wiles in perpetrating her perverse ploys ("The Last Man on Earth"). Running amuck in historical downtown Milwaukee, she plays demolition derby with her stratocruiser and does away with Rick once and for all.

In the chilling climax high atop the Wisconsin Gas Company Building, Mary and Charlie battle it out with Zombina ("Breaking the Sound Barrier"), pitting their brash belting voices against Zombina’s coloratura quavers. All appears lost until good old Billy arrives and joins forces with the girls by adding his Geiger-counter tap-dancing to their raucous roundelay, resulting in the hideous demise of Zombina whose formerly formidable voice drops a couple octaves (She bewails: “What a world! I’m belting!”) Malone and Trenton are de-zombified, and Milwaukee – (what’s left of it) – is saved! Stalwart Major Malone leads the survivors in a stirring hymn of patriotic paranoia, advising everyone, everywhere to "Keep Watching the Skies".