Detailed Synopsis
Prologue
Flambé Dreams begins the moment the audience enters the performance space. They are greeted by Jack Barlow the elderly Maitre d' of The Curly Potato, Preston, Idaho's only establishment for fine dining. A young waiter, Joseph Christiansen, is carefully setting a table as the audience takes their seats.
Course I Starter
Joseph Christiansen continues to obsess over his table as he anxiously awaits news concerning Jack's retirement and his own promotion to Maitre d' of The Curly Potato. He recounts the story of how his father, a great Maitre d', was killed in a freak flaming Bananas Foster accident to the patrons in the restaurant (Maitre d'). At Jack's request, Joe's mother, Elaine Christiansen stops by the restaurant and breaks the news to Joe that the Curly Potato will be closing to make way for a new shopping mall. Joe decides, that if he cannot be a Maitre d' in Preston, he will have to leave home and go to New York City where he hopes to work at a fancy restaurant like Le Cirque and create a Flaming Dessert Parade to honor his father. Elaine, the towns child psychiatrist, worries about Joe's ability to handle life in the big city (Helping Children).
Once Joe arrives in New York, he goes about creating a routine for himself which includes a daily visit to see his Duane Reade pharmacist, Gloria (The Routine/Mr. Christiansen). Gloria is interested in Joe romantically, but worries that he only sees her as part of his routine, so she pretends to not be at work to see how Joe reacts. But her best friend, Desirée, misunderstands Gloria's instructions and tells Joe that Gloria no longer works at the store. Joe becomes upset and begins obsessively searching all of the Duane Reade Pharmacies in New York City hoping to find Gloria (Where is the Girl).
Course II Salad
Joe is unsuccessful in his search for Gloria and is contemplating returning home to Idaho when he is befriended by River, the hippy dippy owner of a holistic tearoom in the West Village. River gives Joe a job, and suggests he find a muse to help inspire his dessert creations (Some Girls). River convinces Joe that he should try some of his mood altering drugs to better access his creativity. Joe hallucinates that he is dancing with his muse, Julie Andrews from The Sound of Music, who looks remarkably like Gloria (Spinning). The police become involved and River gets arrested and Joe ends up in the hospital.
In the meantime, Gloria is trying to find Joe. Remembering that Joe once spoke of Le Cirque, she decides to look for him there.
Course III Soup
In the hospital, Joe meets Mr. Yashinoya, the owner of The Speedy Happy Noodle Shop and Internet Café, who is receiving medical care after eating some bad sushi. Joe impresses Mr. Yashinoya with his knowledge of teas and gets hired to work in his noodle shop. Mr. Yashinoya convinces Joe that he should look on the internet for his muse (In the Chatroom). Joe gives it a try and meets Delicious Dish, a sexy woman who has a thing for Maitre Ds (A Table for One). Yashinoya encourages Joe to tell D.D. that he is the Maitre D at Le Cirque but this backfires when D.D. suggests they have dinner there for their first date.
Course IV Entrée
At Le Cirque, we learn that Gloria has been making regular visits in hopes of finding Joe but she is continually dismissed by the very French Maitre d', Émile. Joe is having dinner with D.D. at Le Cirque. He tells her that he isn't a Maitre d' and D.D. storms out of the restaurant in a rage. Émile sees the commotion and comes over to investigate. Joe impresses Émile with his extensive knowledge of Le Cirque trivia and is given the opportunity to study under Émile's tutelage (Perfection). Joe proves to be an apt student and Émile rewards him with the opportunity to act as Maitre D in his absence while he is away at a Maitre d' conference.
When D.D. discovers that Joe has become a Maitre d', she takes him back and Joe, seeing all his dreams coming true, decides he doesn't need his medication any more.
Joe calls his mother to tell her the good news, but when she learns that Joe has stopped taking his medication she becomes very upset. Joe argues with his mother and angrily hangs-up refusing to take his medication.
Meanwhile, Gloria promises Desirée that she'll give up looking for Joe… after she checks Le Cirque one last time.
It's Joe's big night at Le Cirque. Obsessing about the number of chairs for an important party, Joe leaves D.D. to watch the podium while he goes to re-count the chairs. Gloria arrives at Le Cirque and is overjoyed to discover that Joe has become the Maitre d' and then crushed when D.D. informs her that he has a girlfriend. Gloria leaves without seeing Joe. Elaine enters, having flown in from Idaho. She meets D.D and takes an instant dislike to her for having encouraged Joe to stop taking his medication. Joe tells his mother that he is very busy and begins obsessing over the minutia of a table setting. Elaine is horrified and reveals that Joe's father suffered from a disorder that caused him to obsess over his table settings just like Joe. (Maitre d' reprise). She tells Joe that his father was not killed heroically saving diners from a fire, he was killed when a fire broke out in the restaurant and he stayed behind to obsessively fix his table settings while the rest of the patrons evacuated. Joe doesn't believe his mother and rashly calls for an impromptu Flaming Dessert Parade.
Meanwhile, Desirée has taken Gloria to a sports bar for a girls night out. Gloria tells Desirée that she met Joe's girlfriend and Desirée insists the Gloria go back to Le Cirque and tell Joe how she feels (Lesions on Your Heart). As they are leaving the bar several firetrucks speed past.
Back at Le Cirque, Joe is surveying the scorched walls and burnt table clothes and wondering where it all went wrong (My Dream). Searching for Joe, Elaine, Émile and D.D. meet and an argument ensues as to who is to blame for the fire (Crazy). Elaine realizes that in her efforts to protect her son she may have been too controlling (Letting Go).
Gloria returns to Le Cirque and finds Joe. She confesses her love and encourages Joe to not give up on his dreams (Everything You Long For).
Course V Dessert
Six months later. Joe and Gloria are now a couple and have opened a bistro in Hoboken, New Jersey. Gloria comes in with a glowing review of their restaurant and they read it together. Having stayed in New York to search for Joe, and subsequently read the revue in the paper, Elaine comes to the bistro to apologize. Joe makes peace with his Mother and she and the rest of the company join him in a fully realized Flaming Dessert Parade (Desserts On Fire Finale).
Flambé Dreams begins the moment the audience enters the performance space. They are greeted by Jack Barlow the elderly Maitre d' of The Curly Potato, Preston, Idaho's only establishment for fine dining. A young waiter, Joseph Christiansen, is carefully setting a table as the audience takes their seats.
Course I Starter
Joseph Christiansen continues to obsess over his table as he anxiously awaits news concerning Jack's retirement and his own promotion to Maitre d' of The Curly Potato. He recounts the story of how his father, a great Maitre d', was killed in a freak flaming Bananas Foster accident to the patrons in the restaurant (Maitre d'). At Jack's request, Joe's mother, Elaine Christiansen stops by the restaurant and breaks the news to Joe that the Curly Potato will be closing to make way for a new shopping mall. Joe decides, that if he cannot be a Maitre d' in Preston, he will have to leave home and go to New York City where he hopes to work at a fancy restaurant like Le Cirque and create a Flaming Dessert Parade to honor his father. Elaine, the towns child psychiatrist, worries about Joe's ability to handle life in the big city (Helping Children).
Once Joe arrives in New York, he goes about creating a routine for himself which includes a daily visit to see his Duane Reade pharmacist, Gloria (The Routine/Mr. Christiansen). Gloria is interested in Joe romantically, but worries that he only sees her as part of his routine, so she pretends to not be at work to see how Joe reacts. But her best friend, Desirée, misunderstands Gloria's instructions and tells Joe that Gloria no longer works at the store. Joe becomes upset and begins obsessively searching all of the Duane Reade Pharmacies in New York City hoping to find Gloria (Where is the Girl).
Course II Salad
Joe is unsuccessful in his search for Gloria and is contemplating returning home to Idaho when he is befriended by River, the hippy dippy owner of a holistic tearoom in the West Village. River gives Joe a job, and suggests he find a muse to help inspire his dessert creations (Some Girls). River convinces Joe that he should try some of his mood altering drugs to better access his creativity. Joe hallucinates that he is dancing with his muse, Julie Andrews from The Sound of Music, who looks remarkably like Gloria (Spinning). The police become involved and River gets arrested and Joe ends up in the hospital.
In the meantime, Gloria is trying to find Joe. Remembering that Joe once spoke of Le Cirque, she decides to look for him there.
Course III Soup
In the hospital, Joe meets Mr. Yashinoya, the owner of The Speedy Happy Noodle Shop and Internet Café, who is receiving medical care after eating some bad sushi. Joe impresses Mr. Yashinoya with his knowledge of teas and gets hired to work in his noodle shop. Mr. Yashinoya convinces Joe that he should look on the internet for his muse (In the Chatroom). Joe gives it a try and meets Delicious Dish, a sexy woman who has a thing for Maitre Ds (A Table for One). Yashinoya encourages Joe to tell D.D. that he is the Maitre D at Le Cirque but this backfires when D.D. suggests they have dinner there for their first date.
Course IV Entrée
At Le Cirque, we learn that Gloria has been making regular visits in hopes of finding Joe but she is continually dismissed by the very French Maitre d', Émile. Joe is having dinner with D.D. at Le Cirque. He tells her that he isn't a Maitre d' and D.D. storms out of the restaurant in a rage. Émile sees the commotion and comes over to investigate. Joe impresses Émile with his extensive knowledge of Le Cirque trivia and is given the opportunity to study under Émile's tutelage (Perfection). Joe proves to be an apt student and Émile rewards him with the opportunity to act as Maitre D in his absence while he is away at a Maitre d' conference.
When D.D. discovers that Joe has become a Maitre d', she takes him back and Joe, seeing all his dreams coming true, decides he doesn't need his medication any more.
Joe calls his mother to tell her the good news, but when she learns that Joe has stopped taking his medication she becomes very upset. Joe argues with his mother and angrily hangs-up refusing to take his medication.
Meanwhile, Gloria promises Desirée that she'll give up looking for Joe… after she checks Le Cirque one last time.
It's Joe's big night at Le Cirque. Obsessing about the number of chairs for an important party, Joe leaves D.D. to watch the podium while he goes to re-count the chairs. Gloria arrives at Le Cirque and is overjoyed to discover that Joe has become the Maitre d' and then crushed when D.D. informs her that he has a girlfriend. Gloria leaves without seeing Joe. Elaine enters, having flown in from Idaho. She meets D.D and takes an instant dislike to her for having encouraged Joe to stop taking his medication. Joe tells his mother that he is very busy and begins obsessing over the minutia of a table setting. Elaine is horrified and reveals that Joe's father suffered from a disorder that caused him to obsess over his table settings just like Joe. (Maitre d' reprise). She tells Joe that his father was not killed heroically saving diners from a fire, he was killed when a fire broke out in the restaurant and he stayed behind to obsessively fix his table settings while the rest of the patrons evacuated. Joe doesn't believe his mother and rashly calls for an impromptu Flaming Dessert Parade.
Meanwhile, Desirée has taken Gloria to a sports bar for a girls night out. Gloria tells Desirée that she met Joe's girlfriend and Desirée insists the Gloria go back to Le Cirque and tell Joe how she feels (Lesions on Your Heart). As they are leaving the bar several firetrucks speed past.
Back at Le Cirque, Joe is surveying the scorched walls and burnt table clothes and wondering where it all went wrong (My Dream). Searching for Joe, Elaine, Émile and D.D. meet and an argument ensues as to who is to blame for the fire (Crazy). Elaine realizes that in her efforts to protect her son she may have been too controlling (Letting Go).
Gloria returns to Le Cirque and finds Joe. She confesses her love and encourages Joe to not give up on his dreams (Everything You Long For).
Course V Dessert
Six months later. Joe and Gloria are now a couple and have opened a bistro in Hoboken, New Jersey. Gloria comes in with a glowing review of their restaurant and they read it together. Having stayed in New York to search for Joe, and subsequently read the revue in the paper, Elaine comes to the bistro to apologize. Joe makes peace with his Mother and she and the rest of the company join him in a fully realized Flaming Dessert Parade (Desserts On Fire Finale).
