Odycheese

***Odycheese*** is the thirty-third episode of *Off Book: The Improvised Musical,* and features guest Griffin Newman. It follows the maritime adventures of mayor Brian as he sails the Seven Cheese Seas to find the source of his cheese allergy. Also destiny.

## Plot

### Act I

Excitement fills the air as several developers survey an empty wheat field. Currently a featureless plot, the property will soon become the site of a brand-new Cheesecake Factory, from which an entire city will spring. Mid-reverie, the developers are confronted by Brian, hereditary mayor of the field. Cursed with a cheese intolerance (not lactose—just cheese), Brian is adamantly opposed to the construction of any cheese-themed restaurant, and intends to thwart the developers' plans ("If We Can See It").

Concerned for their son, Brian's parents encourage him to keep an open mind toward the project, both for his own sake, and that of the future townsfolk. Using a stolen Cheesecake Factory menu, they point out that the restaurant actually offers many non-cheese foods. Brian refuses to change his mind, and stands firm in his opposition to cheese and all who serve it. For the sake of the town, his parents send him off on a journey to uncover the source of this extreme aversion, and find his destiny ("What About the Cheese?").

Down at the docks, Brian meets the crew of the family ship—first mate Fred, deckhand Pip, lookout Gene, cook François, and the enigmatic Parroty Pete ("Meet the Captain"). Brian explains to the crew his need to understand and overcome his intolerance to cheese, and thus bring about an economic recovery for his people. Together, they chart a course for the River of Brie, where Brian hopes to find some answers ("River of Brie").

A month passes at sea. As the ship approaches its destination, Brian hears an intoxicating song, calling across the water. Before his crew can stop him, he jumps into the water and swims over to find two cracker sirens waiting on the rocks. They tempt him with their wiles, as sirens do. The crew tries to warn him away, but Brian believes the sirens' reassurances of safety ("A Little Man Can't Be a Paté"), and unwittingly consents to being crushed nearly to death. Only after the crew distracts the cracker sirens with a harpoon does he come to his senses and escape to the ship. They continue their journey.

Brian and the crew narrowly avoid a conversation about gender identity and sexual orientation. Suddenly, they catch sight of a giant cyclops in possession of some fruit, standing on a nearby island ("The One-Eyed, One-Appled Monster of the Brie Seas").

### Act II

Not wishing to be caught up in an unnecessary adventure, they opt to pass by without going ashore. They do, however, leave the terrifying creature with some helpful advice on fruit preservation.

As they sail onward, Captain Brian notes deckhand Pip's unusual ability to connect with the cyclops, even from aboard ship. Pip explains that he is an empath, highly gifted in reading other people. He takes a few minutes to affirm and connect with each member of the crew, as well as a lonely bat ("I Feel What You Feel"), before he is interrupted by an impending disaster, that the ship is being drawn into an unanticipated whirlpool. Thinking quickly, Brian calls for a thickening agent to render the whirlpool harmless; the crew quickly put together a roux using ingredients from the cullery and dump it into the vortex, saving the ship ("Roux the Day").

At long last, the ship arrives at the River of Brie. Outside a mysterious cave, Brian is met by several sentient cheeses who seem to recognize him. In a flashback, he recalls the suppressed memories of his upbringing as a human in the majority-cheese community on this island. While most of the cheeses in the area liked and appreciated him, the hurtful attitudes of Pepper Jackie and her boyfriend, Mozzarella, drove him away. Through kind words and wise advice, the cave-aged cheeses help Brian gain some perspective on those painful events in his past ("We've Swissed You").

At the urging of his crew, Brian goes to confront Pepper Jackie and Mozzarella. To his surprise, the two have grown into a mature, complex couple. The three take some time to catch up, acknowledging their youthful immaturity, and sharing numerous insights on relationships and emotional health. Now reconciled, the cheeses offer Brian the gift of a desk lamp (both literal and metaphorical), to help guide him to his destiny. Brian realizes that his place is actually there, among the cheese. He transfers the title of Captain and Field Mayor to Pip and sends the crew back home. Upon returning, Pip welcomes the planned development of the field and the prosperity it will bring. Brian's parents, who turn out to be ghosts, are pleased that he has found a place to belong and rush off to haunt him. The people of the town follow Mayor Pip into a bright future as the first-ever Cheesecake Factory Town ("Desk Lamp/I Can See It/What You Feel [Finale]").

**Show/Hide**
## Musical Cast

### Jessica McKenna

* Associate Developer
* Brian's Father
* Pip, the Deck Hand
* Gene, in the Crow's Nest
* Britney, a Cracker Siren
* A Cave-Aged Gouda
* Cheese Island Dweller #2
* Pepper Jackie
* A Polarizing Bleu Cheese

### Griffin Newman

* Brian, Field Mayor and Landowner, Allergic to Cheese
* Parroty Pete
* Njenn, in the Other Crow's Nest
* A Cave-Aged Cheddar

### Zach Reino

* Lead Contractor
* Brian's Mother
* Fred, the First Mate
* Unnamed, Squeaky-Voiced Crew Member
* François, of the Cullery
* Candace, a Cracker Siren
* The One-Eyed, One-Appled Monster of the Brie Seas
* Little Bat, Far from Home
* A Cave-Aged Parmesan
* Cheese Island Dweller #1
* Mozzarella, a Former Dudebro
* Goat Cheese, Recently Sheared
* Unnamed Townsperson

## Songs

* "If We Can See It" (7:03)
* "What About the Cheese?" (11:00)
* "Meet the Captain" (14:22)
* "River of Brie" (18:40)
* "A Little Man Can't Be a Paté" (21:49)
* "The One-Eyed, One-Appled Monster of the Brie Seas" (27:20)
* "I Feel What You Feel" (33:00)
* "Roux the Day" (37:17)
* "We've Swissed You" (38:38)
* "Desk Lamp/I Can See It/What You Feel (Finale)" (48:11)

Closing Song:

* "That's a Big Boom" (Tick Tick Boom) (59:32)