Show History and Extended Synopsis

Seven Brides For Seven Brothers began life as a fabulously successful MGM musical in 1954. It starred Howard Keel, Jane Powell and Jacques D'Amboise, and it featured some of the greatest most exciting choreography ever captured on film. In 1981, this stage version was created using material from the classic movie with additional material created by Academy Award-winning writers. Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn.

Act One

It is 1850 and Adam Pontipee is discovered on the road reflecting on his current situation. ("Bless Your Beautiful Hide") His six brothers have asked him to go out and find a wife. Ever since their mother died, things just haven't been the same. They all need some help to make the household run smoothly and, as far as they are concerned, only a woman can do that. Adam arrives at a small Northwestern trapping town and looks over the ladies. It is obvious he wants to find the perfect woman. Near the general store, Adam makes his demands well known: He wants a woman who will marry him and take care of his six younger brothers as well. He's even prepared to trade some of his trappings for this woman. Mrs. Bixby, a townswoman, finds Adam's request rather horrible. The Preacher informs Adam there are ten men for every gal in these parts. There aren't any unmarried females in this town who aren't already spoken for. Adam doesn't care what anyone says. He's come to town to find a bride, and he's not leaving without one.

Inside the town restaurant, Mr. Perkins is calling for Milly to come and serve the many lumbermen who are eagerly waiting for their food. One lumberman goes into the kitchen to help. He is quickly tossed out by Milly who tells the men to stay out of her way. One lumberman gets a bit too fresh with Milly, and Adam takes the man outside and beats the living pulp out of him. Adam comes back in to make sure that Milly is okay. She thanks him for his kindness and gives him a bowl of fresh stew, the best he's had in a long time. You see, Milly is the best cook around. That’s all Adam needs to decide right then and there that Milly is the girl for him.

Before long Adam is on his twelfth piece of pie while finding out more about the lovely Milly. Her parents passed away about a year ago and she simply moved into town by herself. Hearing this, Adam asks her to marry him. She is taken aback, but accepts his proposal. His farm is about twelve miles down the road, and the two of them will be happy there. After working in this crazy restaurant, Milly is ready for a little peace and quiet. Adam goes off to get a ring and a preacher so they can close the deal.

No sooner is he gone than the other brides question Milly about what she is doing. Milly can't believe it, but she is actually getting married to a man she only met a few hours ago. Everything seems just perfect right now; however, she hasn't met the rest of Adam’s family. ("Wonderful, Wonderful Day") Before long, Adam arrives with a Preacher and the wedding takes place.

Adam takes Milly back to his family home. She is greeted by an incredibly messy house and his six scruffy brothers: Benjamin, Caleb, Daniel, Ephraim, Frank, and Gideon. Milly didn't know before the wedding that taking care of the brothers and doing all the household chores was part of the deal. Left alone, Milly contemplates leaving, but then remembers that "marrying is for life" and decides to stay. ("One Man")

After feeding the wild brothers their dinner, Milly locks herself in her room reading the Bible. Adam goes to her and tries to act as if nothing is wrong; however, Milly confronts him. He doesn't want a wife! He wants a cook, a washerwoman, a hired girl! That's why he married her! And since he wants a hired girl, she should have a place of her own to sleep. Milly refuses to sleep with Adam. He goes out on the roof to find a place for the night. After a short time, Milly softens. She lets Adam back into the bedroom only after he tells her that he loves her and promises that things will change.

The next morning, the brothers are scrambling to find their clothes. Milly tells them that she's washed them and they are drying on the line. Now she wants their underwear or no breakfast! At first, the brothers refuse, but eventually they give in as Milly "seduces" them with hotcakes, sausage, and coffee. They each go off, remove their underwear, wrap themselves in a blanket, and sit down to a hot breakfast. As Milly serves the brothers, she notices just how unrefined they really are. She wants to teach these boys some proper etiquette in hopes that they, too, will be able to find brides of their own. ("Goin' Courting") Before long, the brothers are learning how to behave at the next social. Milly teaches them the basics of dancing, and soon all the brothers get caught up in learning. Time passes, and the men transform themselves from wild country hoboes to clean-shaven gentlemen who line up for Milly's inspection.

At the church social, the town suitors do not take kindly to the arrival of the Pontipee Brothers, especially when they see their dates are rather taken with the handsome lads. Milly eases the tension; nevertheless, the townsmen challenge the brothers to series of rivalry fighting moves. ("The Challenge Dance") Initially, everyone tries to act as polite as possible since the brothers promised Milly that there would be no fighting. However, after Adam is slugged by one of the townsmen, a fight breaks out and pandemonium reigns.

The brothers are injured in the fight and make their way home to be doctored by Milly. The brothers apologize to Milly for fighting. Had it not been for Adam being hit they never would have fought. She understands this, but she’s angry with Adam for encouraging the boys to fight. Adam sits down with the youngest brother, Gideon, who confesses that he doesn't feel sick from the fighting, but rather he feels an attraction to Alice, one of the town girls. ("Love Never Goes Away") Yes, it is apparent that love is in the air.

For the next month the brothers all mope around "like a bunch of lovesick bull calves," each crazy about a certain girl they met at the social. However, the townspeople won't let them near town to court the girls. Adam sits his brothers down and tells them that rather than courting the girls, they should simply do what the Romans did with the Sabine women: go to town and take their brides away with no questions asked. ("The Sobbin' Women") Adam inspires his brothers to do just that, and they load up their wagon with blankets and ropes, ready to get their women.

Act Two

Adam leads his brothers into town, and one by one they each find their girl, throw a blanket over her head, and carry her off to the wagon. As the townsmen and the suitors chase the Pontipee clan, Adam heads the wagon back to their home. The wagon moves swiftly out of town and the brothers keep their girls quiet until they get through a dangerous area called Echo Pass. Once they are through the pass, the brothers release the brides who all let out a frantic scream, which in turn creates an avalanche of snow. This makes it virtually impossible for anyone from the town to reach the Pontipee farm until the Spring thaw. ("Suitors' Lament")

The brides arrive at the farm with the brothers and rush to tell Milly what just happened. A horrified Milly demands that they take the girls back to town, but the avalanche has made that impossible. The brothers realize they forgot one thing: the Preacher. Now, even if they convince the girls to love them, it will be impossible to get married until the Spring. Milly tells the girls to get into the house, and she promises to take care of them. She also informs the brothers, including Adam, that the house will be for the girls. The men are to eat and sleep in the barn. Adam has a heated argument with Milly. He tries to exert his authority as head of the house, but the rest of the brothers calm him down by telling him that they agree with Milly. What they did was wrong, and they should sleep in the barn. Adam wants to hear none of this nonsense. He is the head of the house! He grabs his rifle and informs them all that he is leaving. ("A Woman Ought To Know Her Place")

With Adam gone, the other six brothers sleep in the barn for a month, all the time thinking of nothing but their girls. ("We Gotta Make It Through the Winter") One morning, Milly and the brides come and tell the brothers that breakfast is on the table. When the men go off to eat, the brides clean the barn. It is obvious that the girls are softening and are becoming more and more attracted to the Pontipees. Only Milly holds firm to the rules and demands that they all eat, sleep, and socialize separately. Milly tells the girls that she is pregnant, but it’s hard to celebrate without Adam. The girls are excited about the baby, and they admit that they want to stay at the farm and marry the brothers. Without a Preacher that is impossible for the time being. They need to wait until the Spring thaw. ("You've Got To Make It Through the Winter")

Spring finally comes, and Milly lets the brothers court the brides. Gideon goes to find Adam who has been living at the family trapping cabin up in the mountains. Adam is still angry at Milly and has no intention of returning, even after finding out that Milly has given birth to a baby girl. ("A Woman Ought To Know Her Place" - Reprise) Gideon is ashamed of Adam for being so closed-minded. Adam is ashamed of his brothers for letting Milly change them for the worse, as he sees it. Gideon leaves Adam alone to ponder his situation.

Back at the Pontipee house, Milly sings a lullaby to her new daughter while everyone else, now happily paired off, gathers around. ("Glad That You Were Born") While everyone sings to the newborn, Adam silently enters the room. Rather than run to his wife and new daughter, he gruffly states that he said he'd be back when the pass opened up and it is now open. The brides, who at one time seemed so intent on getting back to town, are miserable when they hear this news. Nevertheless, Milly sends the girls to their rooms to pack up, and Adam sends the brothers to hitch up the wagon. Adam confesses that he missed Milly. She admits to missing him, and they reconcile. ("Love Never Goes Away" - Reprise)

The brothers burst into the room and tell Adam they aren't going to take the girls back. Adam convinces them that the only way to keep the girls is to take them back to their families. Otherwise, there will be fighting involved and somebody is bound to get hurt in the process. That can't happen! The brothers all agree. Milly bursts into the room with a note from the girls informing everyone that they have run away. They don't want to go back. They want to stay with the Pontipee Brothers. A rather stunned Adam pushes the boys off to find the girls and bring them back.

Meanwhile, in the woods near the farmhouse, the townsmen (including the Preacher) are looking for the girls. All but the Preacher have loaded shotguns. A wild chase ensues with the brothers catching the girls and bringing them back to the townsmen. The girls want nothing to do with their old suitors, but no one knows quite what to do. One of the townsmen announces that all of the Pontipee Brothers are going to be hanged from the highest tree. The girls all scream in terror. Before the townsmen can take the brothers off to give them their just due, the Preacher stops them all. He confronts the girls directly by telling them that during the chase, he and the others heard a baby crying in the farmhouse. Since many of the townsmen there are fathers, they could never hang a new father. They need to know one thing: Whose baby is it? The Preacher looks at each girl and tells her not to be afraid to tell. Altogether, the brides give the answer, "Mine!" The townsmen react in horror.

Milly and Adam join the other six couples and the Preacher in what turns out to be a beautiful wedding. ("Wonderful, Wonderful Day" - Reprise)