Teddy & Alice

Teddy & Alice.

Teddy & Alice is a musical about President Theodore Roosevelt and his relationship with his daughter Alice.

Cast

• Len Cariou - Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt
• Beth Fowler - Edith Roosevelt
• Nancy Hume - Alice Roosevelt
• Ron Raines - Nick Longworth
• Michael McCarthy - William Howard Taft
• Gordon Stanley - Elihu Root
• David Green - J.P. Morgan/Admiral Murphy
• Raymond Thorne - Henry Cabot Lodge
• John Witham - Samuel Gompers
• Robert D. Cavanaugh - Ted Roosevelt, Jr.
• Seth Granger - Kermit Roosevelt
• Sarah Reynolds - Ethel Roosevelt
• Richard H. Blake - Archie Roosevelt
• John Daman - Quentin Roosevelt
• Nancy Opel - Eleanor Roosevelt

Plot

Shortly after the assassination of President McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt faces a gathering of the press. The reporters do question Roosevelt about political issues; however, what they are most interested in is the behaviour of his daughter, Alice, who has been seen smoking in public and betting at the racetracks. Rather than respond to either issue, general chaos seems to reign as Teddy plays football with his kids. The other politicians watching are horrified as they realise that this man is now president of the United States.

Later, in the White House garden, a Stanley Steamer driven by Alice comes into the yard and crashes into a tree. An officer writes out a summons for Alice - driving fifteen miles per hour in a ten mile zone. It appears that all the havoc was caused because Alice's pet snake got loose in the front seat. Teddy enters to survey the situation. It appears that Alice and Eleanor were over at the House listening to the debate on the Panama Canal. There, they met Congressman Nick Longworth who offered them a lift home and Alice asked to drive. They all argue with Teddy about the building of the canal, and finally the President gets them to remove the car from the lawn while having a little talk with the policeman. The reporters question Alice about her crazy behaviour. When asked about possibly marrying Senator Longworth, Alice reminds everyone that she has a lot to do before settling down.

In the President's Office, Teddy and his cabinet members begin discussing the crisis in Panama. Unfortunately, everything seems to stop when Alice comes in to talk with her father; seeking permission to have a coming-out party in the Rose Garden, but also offering political advice about the Panama Canal and other things that Teddy takes to heart. After Teddy and Alice leave, the cabinet members begin to wonder who's running the country: the President or the Princess.

Several days later Eleanor and Alice discuss Alice and Nick's relationship. Eleanor disapproves of Nick saying that he is far too old, Alice, on the other hand, loves dating an older man. Alice also shows Eleanor a box that her Aunt gave her last week as a coming-out present. It was a present that Teddy gave her mother on the night of Alice's birth. Eleanor and Alice then discuss their own dealings with men in more detail. Eleanor has a mad crush on Franklin who doesn't even notice her.

Eleanor then leaves to catch a train to New York just as Teddy is coming in to talk with Alice. At first, he reprimands his daughter about smoking and then questions her about the guest list for her coming-out party. Most of all, he wants to know why she would invite Nick Longworth. When Alice finally shows him the box her aunt gave her, he seizes it from her and storms out proclaiming that Alice's mother must never be spoken of.

Some days later, in the Presidential Bedroom Suite, Edith is reading to the children from Alice in Wonderland. Upon finishing the story, she attempts to convince the children to get ready for Alice's party; instead, they convince her to let them play San Juan Hill with Ethel dressing as Teddy, the colonel, and lead the charge! Teddy enters and proclaims that he play "the colonel" (himself) and everyone else act as the soldiers. Teddy and the children act out the battle. Alice enters in her dressing gown demanding that everyone get dressed for her party. After a bit of play, they all go off to change while Teddy and Edith sit and ruminate about everything from Alice growing up - to politics - to their own relationship. The guests begin to arrive and Teddy and Alice go off to greet them while Edith goes to put the final touches on her woman's "armour." While doing this, she thinks about how it is now that Alice is grown up and is the picture of her mother - a woman Edith has competed with her entire marriage.

Out in the Rose Garden, Nick is dancing with Alice - completely smitten with her. Teddy notices this and has a pretty woman talk to Nick. Teddy then sweeps Alice into a dance. Oddly, a ghost figure of Alice Lee appears and moves in unison with Alice. Nick realises that even though he's crazy about Alice, he needs to back off and remember that he's a congressman and that Teddy "runs the town", the cabinet members on the other hand feel that with Alice in the arms of another man, she won't be so close to her father and be attempting to run the government.

A few months later in the White House, Teddy is nervously pacing back and forth. It's 3 a.m and Alice isn't home; she's been going out with Nick for the past three months. Alice does finally come home and brings Nick in for a late night snack. As they are about to leave, acting on an impulse, Teddy tells Alice that he is planning to send her on a four-month goodwill tour of the Orient. Alice is excited; however, Nick sees this as a plot to separate them.

Three weeks later, the senior advisors decide that they must find a way for Nick to go along with Alice to the Orient and get a ticket for Nick aboard the same ship. As Alice readies herself to go, Teddy says farewell to her - commenting that it's too bad she'll miss the G.O.P. Convention. After Alice leaves, J.P. Morgan and some other senior advisors confront Teddy - telling him that they don't want him to run for president. His conservation policies have alienated many groups, and his handling of the Panama Canal is terrible. At the Republic National Convention, Summer 1904, protesters are proclaiming that Roosevelt is a tyrant. Teddy tells J.P. Morgan and the others that he is a radical, but that he plans to fight for "human need before human greed"! As he continues rallying, the convention gets behind him and untimely nominates him for president.

Summer 1904, and Teddy learns bits and pieces about Alice's behaviour as U.S. ambassador to the Orient. Nick Longworth is with her creating "international fireworks." Alice returns, and once Teddy sees her, he turns to mush. Nick asks to talk with Teddy privately, but rather than give in, the President avoids him by getting everyone to go for a bit of wild exercise - even the foreign diplomats. Eleanor and a number of ladies come for a tea party and are dying to know all about Alice's trip. Alice finally gives in and confesses that she is now seeing "fireworks"! Edith asks Alice if she wants to marry Nick, but Alice is unsure about losing her freedom.

In the North Portico, Teddy is still being followed by an exhausted Nick who finally blurts out that he's wants to marry Alice. It seems that Alice won't discuss marriage with him until she has her father's approval. Teddy sees Nick as simply an opportunist who is attempting to further his own political career and tells Nick that the answer is "no." Nick tries to get Alice to run off and marry him; however, she reminds him that he promised to not discuss the marriage until her father approves. However, she loves Nick and is determined to convince her father he is acceptable.

On election night, blackmail has happened in the unions where they have been told not to vote for him. Teddy tells the advisors that he was simply following the law of the land, having reinstated a worker who had been fired for not joining the union. Alice bursts in determined and tells her father that she must marry Nick and plans on marrying Nick wearing her mother's wedding dress - with her father's blessing. After Teddy firmly refuses; Alice tearfully runs off as Edith comes in to talk with her husband. Edith tells him to let Alice go, as well as the spirit of his first wife. They argue and Edith also runs off in tears. Alone, Teddy, takes the gift box he took from Alice and opens it, revealing a music box.

Later that night, Teddy is camping out in the woods with his children. After tucking them all in, he stands lost in thought as the ghost of Alice Lee appears before him. She tells him she's having a baby. Other ghosts appear to congratulate him on the birth of his new daughter. Finally, the ghost of his brother appears telling him not to go and see his wife - she's dead. By shooting a gun he has with him Teddy rids himself of the ghosts - just as Edith and others come to tell him that he's going to win the election by a landslide. They all go inside while Teddy ponders the situation. Alice finally enters and congratulates her father on his victory. He talks with her about her mother and all that she meant and still means to him; takes the music box out of his pocket and gives it to her - as a wedding present.

Waiting at the wedding of Alice and Nick everyone has their own "Private Thoughts": The senior cabinet celebrates that they have succeeded with their plan. Alice's brothers are happy that one sister is finally out. Edith is happy that her husband is finally letting go of his first wife. Alice finally enters and marries Nick.

Musical numbers

Act I

• "This House" - Teddy, Family, Friends, Staff, Reporters
• "But Not Right Now" - Alice
• "She's Got to Go" - Taft, Root, Lodge
• "The Fourth of July" - Alice, Eleanor
• "Charge" - Teddy, Edith, Ted Jr., Kermit, Ethel, Archie, Quentin
• "Battlelines" - Edith
• "The Coming-Out Party Dance" - Teddy, Alice, Nick, Edith, Guests
• "Leg O' Mutton" - Alice, Nick, Guests
• "Not Love" - Nick, Taft, Root, Lodge
• "Her Father's Daughter" - Teddy
• "Perfect for Each Other" - Nick
• "He's Got to Go" (reprise) - Taft, Root, Lodge, Nick
• "Wave the Flag" - Teddy, Edith, Eleanor, Ted jnr., Kermit, Ethel, Archie, Quentin, Gompers, J.P. Morgan, Hecklers, Supporters

Act II

• "Fourth of July" (reprise) - Teddy
• "Fourth of July" (reprise) - Alice, Eleanor, Edith, Ladies
• "Nothing to Lose" - Nick, Alice
• "Election Eve" - Taft, Root, Lodge, Gompers, J.P. Morgan, Reporters
• "Perfect for Each Other" (reprise) - Alice
• "Can I Let Her Go?" - Teddy
• "Private Thoughts" - Taft, Root, Lodge, Edith, Ted Jr., Ethel, Kermit, Archie, Quentin, Servants, Staff, Reporters
• "This House" (reprise) - Teddy, Edith, Guests