Opening Night 2017

Nick Topher Grace is a former Broadway actor who now works as a production manager for the stage musical “One Hit Wonderland,” a backstage tour through the past hits that defined pop culture. His ex-girlfriend Chloe Lauren Lapkus happens to be an understudy, which makes their run-ins backstage awkward and charged as the curtain rises on opening night.

As the show’s premiere on Broadway unfolds, Nick faces a seemingly endless list of dilemmas and crises that test his calm under pressure. He must support his anxious assistant Alex, console a dancer who melts down over the death of a beloved pet, and keep a wary eye on Brooke, a quirky, unstable former Broadway star whose behavior treads the line between charming and chaotic. An argument erupts between dancers Brandy and Malcolm over men, just minutes before the opening curtain, leaving Nick scrambling to keep the backstage machine from grinding to a halt. To complicate matters, Nick is tasked with managing JC Chasez, the headlining former NSYNC star who now carries a reputation as a self-absorbed womanizer, and he must reclaim some control by removing excess entourage from his dressing room.

Nick’s world is upended when he learns Chloe has had a sexual encounter with JC, a revelation that leaves him unsettled and hurt. He confides in Malcolm that his breakup with Chloe, which happened a year earlier when she wanted them to move in together after four years together, still stings. Meanwhile, Brooke suffers an accident backstage when Ron from props accidentally knocks her out, forcing Chloe to step into the spotlight on short notice. Nick is initially hesitant about Chloe’s debut, especially given the tension with JC, but when she finally takes the stage, she appears briefly frozen, then finds her footing and delivers a performance with surprising poise. After the curtain, Nick’s congratulations are met with a cool, brief snub from Chloe, signaling the fragility of their relationship.

Malcolm reveals more personal details, recounting his hookup with Brandy’s boyfriend, which sparks Brandy’s confrontation with him and leads to a provocative challenge: a competition to see who can seduce someone first. Malcolm targets Xavier, a dancer who identifies as bisexual, setting up a competitive sub-plot that threads through the backstage drama. JC, ever the showman, asks Nick to send Chloe to his dressing room during intermission to “rehearse,” a euphemism that hints at other intentions behind the request. While Nick checks on Brooke, he mistakenly gives her two pills he believes are aspirin from stage medic Lee’s jacket—pills that are actually ecstasy. Realizing the mistake too late, he tries to get Brooke to vomit them up, but his efforts fail and he leaves Ron to monitor her in the dressing room.

Malcolm makes another bid for Xavier, attempting to win him over with a massage-style ruse, while Brandy watches with mixed feelings as the dynamic between Malcolm, Brandy, and Xavier plays out on and off the stage. Brooke, still under the influence, finds a way to escape from Ron and climbs onto a small stage lift, creating a tense moment that draws Nick into the spotlight himself when he inadvertently ends up onstage as well.

Intermission brings its own set of tensions. Chloe enters JC’s dressing room as requested, and JC tries to serenade her, though she remains unimpressed by his masked confidence. He opens up about his fear of aging and his sense of being washed up, and Chloe responds with honesty, telling him she’s not interested in a romance but admires his candidness. The onstage drama backstage reaches a crescendo as Malcolm and his crew confront Brandy’s group, while Xavier ultimately sides with Malcolm, deepening the rift but clarifying loyalties.

Goldmeyer, a producer who acts as Nick’s boss, presents Chloe with a coveted job offer, a career-moving opportunity that she accepts with a mix of nerves and resolve. The development leaves Nick unsettled as he learns she plans to leave New York, and Chloe confesses that she still loves him, though Nick remains hesitant to meet her halfway. Malcolm, growing tired of Nick’s cynicism, urg es him to take chances if he wants real progress in life.

In a moment of renewed purpose, Nick finds his voice again and steps onto the stage—a move he hasn’t made since his acting days. He delivers a heartfelt serenade to Chloe with the song To Be with You, a musical confession that culminates in a kiss, signaling a bittersweet but hopeful turn for their relationship and for the show’s fragile balance between ambition and romance.