“The Gypsy King”, a musical, is about a band of Old World Gypsies who descend on a small town in America and inform a young man that his grandfather, whom he never knew, has died and that he is now their new Gypsy King. Filled with comedy, romance, action, and raucous Gypsy music and dance, this show will be entertaining for performers and audiences of any age.
     Mark, his girlfriend, Diana, and his long time friends Walter and Walter’s sister, Janie, bemoan the fact that they have lived all their lives and gone to college in the same town (“Hometown Blues”). But when some Gypsies arrive in town and tell him he is the new Gypsy King, Mark goes to his Great Aunt Essie to find out how this came to be. Aunt Essie sings “Djili Romany” (Gypsy Song), explaining to Mark what it is to be Gypsy. Mark wants nothing to do with the Gypsy band and wants only to marry Diana and get a job as a town planner. He is taken forcibly to the Gypsy camp where the Gypsies sing a traditional Romany song, “Amari Szi”, which is partly in English and partly in Romany. The Gypsy children are amazed at how American parents treat their kids and sing the comedic “How They Punish Children” (by making them eat fast food and read books).  The Gypsy girls also find life in America to be perplexing (“A Gypsy Girl”)
     While in the camp, Mark comes up with a plan. First, he accepts the title of King of the Gypsies (“Can You Dance”) and then in a last minute turn around, right before he is about to be forced to marry the Gypsy princess, Simka, Mark hands over the title to his blood brother, Walter. Walter has been admiring Simka all along and she is smitten with the nerdy Walter as well, but adamant that she must marry the King, as she was promised at birth. The male Gypsies, particularly Ferka, are against having a foreigner king (“A Gypsy King”). But when attacked by the town bully, Walter takes him down with one quick karate chop, and even Ferka agrees he should indeed be their Gypsy King and marry Simka (“Djili Poorano”- Old Song).
     There are two simple sets- the Dairy King in town, and the Gypsy Camp just outside town. The cast can be as few as 20, with some double casting, or can be enlarged to include non speaking gypsies.
TIME: (2 acts) Appx. 75 min. in total

CAST: Flexible cast of appx. 5m, 6f, 21 m/f, optional chorus, doubling possible.