Carousel of Progress: Scene 2

[Father & Chorus]
There's a great big beautiful tomorrow,
Shining at the end of every day.
There's a great big beautiful tomorrow,
And tomorrow is just a dream away.
Man has a dream and that's the start.
He follows his dream in mind and heart
And when it becomes a reality,
It's a dream come true for you and me.
So there's a great big beautiful tomorrow,
Shining at the end of every day.
There's a great big beautiful tomorrow,
Just a dream away.

[Father]
Whew, boy! Hottest Fourth of July we've had in years. We've come a long way though since the turn of the century over twenty some-odd years ago. You know that pilot fellah? Charles Lindberg? He's about to fly a single winged airplane all the way across the Atlantic. He's never gonna make it. And sports stadiums are springing up all over. And boy, nobody hits that old horse hide like that new fellah, Babe Ruth. Jazz music is the cat's meow, and there's been ads in the paper for months for a movie starring Al Jolson...and he's going to talk! And sing! Boy, I've got to see that.

(A car horn blows from outside.)

[Father]
Ha ha ha. There goes Schwartz in his hump mobile. He sure loves that horn. You know, in my new Essex, I've got an electric starter! Now I don't have to crank. We can travel from New York to Los Angeles by train in only three days. Now we've got a house full of new electrical servants. Mr. Edison sure added life to our home.

(The machines start going crazy.)

[Father]
Whoa there! You'll blow a fuse!

(The lights go out.)

[Father]
Drat! That's the third one this week. I buy fuses by the case.

(The lights outside go out as well.)

[Father]
Uh oh. And I've blown the whole neighborhood again!

[Neighbor]
Henry! He did it again! Go over and give that neighbor of ours what for!

(Rover growls.)

[Father]
Easy Rover. (To Son) Jimmy! Hurry up with that fuse!

[Son]
Shucks. Every time he has company, he blows a fuse. And guess
who always has to change it.

[Father]
I heard that young man! I heard that!

(The lights return.)

[Mother]
Oh, well that's more like it. John, yours is the last costume I've got to finish before the parade starts.

[Father]
Sarah's lady's club is responsible for our town's Fourth of July celebration tonight. She's got us all roped up into preforming in their program.

[Mother]
And I've decided that we're going as George and Martha Washington dear.

[Father]
Oh... the father of our country. That's a role that really fits me! You
know, I--

[Mother]
I'm so glad that we installed an electric light fixture here on the
porch, because it's just too darn hot to be sewing inside.

[Father]
Yes Sarah. You know, next year I'd like to go as Benedict Arnold! Ha ha. I--

[Mother]
Wait until you see what I've got planned for the fireworks show tonight.

(Rover barks.)

[Father]
Rover! Don't interrupt, while Sarah's interrupting.

[Mother]
And guess who volunteered to choose the music for the program.

[Son]
I did pop! Listen to this!

(The radio plays a patriotic tune.)

[Father]
Oh, that's a nice tune Jimmy. (to Audience.) You know, with our new Gladstone radio set, we can get news and big time entertainment from all over the country...Even Pittsburgh!

[Radio Announcer]
People are starting to arrive downtown for a spectacular Fourth of July parade and fireworks event tonight. Mayor Beaverfield said---

[Father]
Oh Patricia.

[Daughter]
Yes Father?

[Father]
Better get a move on. The radio says people are arriving downtown.

[Daughter]
Do I really have to go?

(She is dressed as the Statue of Liberty.)

[Daughter]
If my new boyfriend Theodore sees me in this, it'll scare him away!

[Father]
Well dear, if that happens, you'll always have that torch you can carry
for him. Ha ha ha.

[Daughter]
Oh Father.

(Rover growls.)

[Father]
Oh calm down Rover, I was only kidding. By the way, we have indoor
plumbing now! Oh boy, that's really great on cold nights. Especially for out perennial house guest, old Uncle Orville.

(We see Uncle Orville sitting in the bathtub, reading a newspaper.)

[Father]
Uncle Orville's taken over the coolest spot in the house. And he's rigged up a real clever contraction. He calls it "air cooling." Humph. Too bad he's not reading the help wanted ads.

[Uncle Orville]
No privacy at all around this place!

[Father]
Sorry Orville. (to Audience) You know, considering all the--

[Mother]
John. Costume's ready.

[Father]
Oh! Coming Martha! (to Audience) Well, as I was saying, considering all the conveniences we now have, I'd say that we're really on easy street these days. It just can't get any better! Just goes to show that -

[Father & Chorus]
There's a great big beautiful tomorrow,
Shining at the end of every day.
There's a great big beautiful tomorrow,
And tomorrow is just a dream away.
Man has a dream and that's the start.
He follows his dream in mind and heart
And when it becomes a reality,
It's a dream come true for you and me.
So there's a great big beautiful tomorrow,
Shining at the end of every day.
There's a great big beautiful tomorrow,
Just a dream away.