RIO, the Musical

Introducing RIO, the Musical.

conceived by Ruben and LS (Steve).
Based on the music of Duran Duran

RUBEN: Rio is about a poor Mexican girl (Rio) who goes through a series of adventures and misadventures in her search for true love and identity. She journeys to America and gets mixed up with the wrong crowd (Wild Boys) who sell her on the street (Skin Trade) and eventually moves into making XXX movies (Girls on Film) and becomes an overnight megastar (Notorious). (1)* Desperate to break out into something more respectable she wonders where she went wrong and what she can do to escape her plight (Is There Something I Should Know). (2)* She turns her back on her sordid past (I Don't Want Your Love) and wakes up the next day with a plan (New Moon On Monday). She parlays her fame into a musical career and debuts her new alter ego (Electric Barbarella). She is insatiable in her quest for world domination (All She Wants Is) and her fame culminates in the fastest selling single in pop history (The Reflex). Her record label starts pocketing more and more of her money (Union of the Snake) and the tabloids spread lie after lie about her (Too Much Information) and finally she cracks under the pressure (Come Undone). In rehab, she finds spirituality (Save A Prayer) and a man who is crazy for her (Hungry Like The Wolf). Everything is better and they live happily ever after (Thank You).

LS: Notes from LS to improve Ruben's original concept:
*(1) When she becomes a high-priced call girl, there is a very steamy and seductive scene in a limousine (The Chauffeur).
*(2) While trying to escape her role as a prostitute, her former pimp pursues her (A View to a Kill). Fortunately, she escapes and finishes her pimp off.

RUBEN: Ruben's response: LS! I love it - *especially* the "View To A Kill" scene - I'm embarrassed that I could have left out a detail so lurid and gratuitous and therefore necessary!! I also thought there was too much of a skip in the narrative at that point. Maybe we could have her kill the pimp by pushing him off the Eiffel Tower, in a reverse Grace Jones manoeuvre.

CASTING
Groupie #1 (lesbian): Barbie

Record Executive: Ruben

Adult Movie Director: LS

Tabloid Journalist: Michelle

Rio: Jennifer E.