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TONIC: Finding Euphoria

A Musical Experience

Musical Experience 80 minutes No Intermission 9 Songs
Visit Show Website: tonicmusical.com →

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Synopsis

TONIC: Finding Euphoria is a theatrical experience unlike traditional musicals. There's no plot. No fictional characters. No intermission. Instead, it's an 80-minute emotional journey that moves from the noise of modern anxiety toward something quieter and more hopeful.

Two narrators, known simply as The Voices (one male, one female), guide the audience through an internal exploration. They speak directly to us, moving between conversations and songs that blend contemporary pop, soul, and gospel. Together, they address the doubts we carry, the expectations we've internalized, and the steady inner frequency—the "tonic note"—that's been there all along.

An ensemble of 6 performers gives voice to universal struggles through nine original songs. "The Static" captures the comedy of our anxious minds. "What We Carry" offers raw catharsis as performers share the weight they've been holding. "If You Were My Friend" explores why we're kinder to others than to ourselves. "Before the World Told You" remembers who we were before we learned to judge ourselves.

Each song brings the audience closer to a realization: peace isn't something distant to achieve. It's already here. It's been waiting.

"Euphoria" celebrates this discovery with gospel-soul that builds from tender intimacy to joyful celebration, then the show concludes with "I Choose Me," an empowerment anthem where the audience watches this peace transform into commitment—the decision to live from this place every day.

TONIC is a reminder set to music. Beneath all the noise, every heart knows its own song.

Scene Overview

Scene 1: Arrival
~5 minutes
The experience begins before it is formally announced. As the audience enters, performers are already present—stretching, sitting, breathing, simply being. From the start, the audience is invited into a shared environment rather than a traditional theatrical frame.
♪ "The Tonic Note" - Two Voices introduce the central metaphor: the calm, steady center beneath life's noise
Scene 2: The Reality
~3 minutes
The Voices step out of metaphor and into everyday life, sharing familiar moments of overthinking and anxiety. The ensemble is introduced as emotional archetypes, each briefly naming the internal role they carry.
♪ "Bring It All" - Creates permission for honesty, inviting the audience to arrive without fixing or pretending
Scene 3: Naming the Chaos
~2 minutes
With permission established, the internal noise surfaces. Ensemble members rapidly voice the looping "what-ifs" that characterize anxiety and mental overload.
♪ "The Static" - An explosion of overlapping thoughts capturing the visceral experience of anxiety
Scene 4: What We Actually Carry
~10 minutes
Each performer shares a specific origin moment—often from childhood—that shaped the emotional role they carry today. These stories are concrete and human, revealing how coping mechanisms were learned rather than chosen.
♪ "The Stories We Carry" - The ensemble gives musical voice to the weight revealed, acknowledging burdens carried over time
Scene 5: The First Reset
~9 minutes
Stillness enters the room for the first time. The Voices openly model resistance to slowing down. Gradually, performers and audience are guided into simple grounding and breath.
♪ "Breathe It Out" - A minimalist, rhythmic musical moment rooted in breath and presence, performed WITH the audience
Scene 6: Self-Compassion
~8 minutes
The Voices contrast the kindness we offer others with the harshness we direct at ourselves. Ensemble members briefly reveal their inner critics, exposing the cost of self-judgment.
♪ "What I'd Tell a Friend" - Compassion turns inward through music. Words normally reserved for others are offered to the self
Scene 7: Before You Learned to Hide
~9 minutes
The ensemble reflects on who they were before learning to edit, suppress, or perform for acceptance. Childhood memories surface—moments of joy, curiosity, and expression.
♪ "Before the World Told You" - A tender musical reflection on reclaiming what was never lost, only hidden
Scene 8: The Choice
~5 minutes
The Voices articulate the central question: whether to continue performing and proving, or to choose presence and authenticity. Each ensemble member names a personal choice aloud.
♪ "I Choose Me" - Pop-anthem empowerment. The PEAK moment of activation, celebrating self-ownership
Scene 9: The Descent
~2 minutes
After the peak, the energy is intentionally guided downward. The Voices remind the room that integration matters as much as activation.
♪ "Euphoria" - Presented not as exhilaration, but as steadiness. Gospel-soul transcendence celebrating arrival without striving
Scene 10: The Landing
~2 minutes
The experience concludes quietly. The Voices reflect on staying rather than chasing. The audience leaves not with answers, but with a felt sense of grounding.

Musical Numbers

  1. "The Tonic Note" (~3:30) - Warm, grounding invitation introducing the central metaphor
  2. "Bring It All" (~3:30) - Sophisticated theatrical ballad creating permission for radical honesty
  3. "The Static" (~2:30) - Anxious, chaotic explosion. Layered what-ifs, comic bridge, cathartic chorus
  4. "The Stories We Carry" (~2:45) - Soulful, heavy, vulnerable ballad acknowledging weight carried over time
  5. "Breathe It Out" (~2:00) - Minimalist R&B groove. The first real reset moment, performed WITH the audience
  6. "What I'd Tell a Friend" (~3:00) - Soulful, compassionate anthem. Turning point from judgment to compassion
  7. "Before the World Told You" (~2:45) - Acoustic, tender. Reclaiming who we were before we learned to hide
  8. "I Choose Me" (~3:15) - Pop-anthem empowerment. The PEAK moment of activation
  9. "Euphoria" (~3:00) - Gospel-soul transcendence. Starts quiet, builds gently. The sound of arrival, not striving

Characters

FEMALE VOICE
Warm, expressive, emotionally open narrator who guides the audience through the journey
MALE VOICE
Grounded, plainspoken, steady presence. Co-narrator offering balance and groundedness
THE ACHIEVER
Ensemble member representing the drive for perfection and fear of failure
THE FIXER
Ensemble member who saves everyone but themselves
THE GHOST
Ensemble member who mastered disappearing and staying invisible
THE HEART
Ensemble member told they feel too much
THE FIRESTARTER
Ensemble member told to tone it down, dial it back
THE WITNESS
Ensemble member who watches, sees, and stays quiet

Production Information

Setting & Design

  • Space: A shared space—not literal, not abstract. Minimal set with circular platform, warm lighting, visible musicians
  • Goal: The audience should feel they are IN the room, not watching from outside
  • Approach: Naturalistic with stylized elements. Scenes are brief and episodic

Cast & Crew Requirements

  • Cast Size: 8 performers (2 Voices + 6 Ensemble)
  • Musicians: Visible on stage, part of the experience
  • Technical: Warm lighting design crucial to creating intimate atmosphere

Experience Design

  • Not a traditional musical with plot and characters
  • An 80-minute continuous emotional journey
  • Audience is invited to participate, not just observe
  • Movement structure allows natural flow between scenes and songs
  • Integration of breath work and grounding exercises

Musical Style

  • Contemporary pop, soul, and gospel influences
  • Range from minimalist R&B grooves to full gospel-soul anthems
  • Songs serve emotional journey rather than narrative progression
  • Includes a cappella moments and participatory elements

Target Audience

  • Adults seeking emotional connection and self-reflection
  • Mental health and wellness communities
  • Meditation and mindfulness practitioners
  • Anyone navigating anxiety, self-criticism, or seeking inner peace
  • Theater audiences looking for innovative, participatory experiences
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