Prologue

Harry greets the audience, nervously apologizing for being bad at hellos. Inside his jacket pocket he finds an old playbill for a musical called Paradise. As he gazes at it, a memory stirs, drawing him—and us—into the past, where our story begins.

Act 1

On a September afternoon, Harry bursts into Standards, his brother’s piano bar, where a piano tuner is at work and fresh flowers are being delivered. Delighted by how perfectly the flowers match his mood, Harry shares his excitement: he’s just met someone (“Swell”). His brother Paul enters from the back room, initially skeptical but soon caught up in Harry's enthusiasm. Harry reveals his crush is Louise, a chorus member in a Broadway show called Paradise.

In a flashback, we see Harry and Louise's first meeting outside the theatre, where he asks her to sign his playbill. He invites her to grab a bite to eat, but she politely declines, explaining she has another show to perform. Noticing the fur on his jacket, she asks if he has a dog. Harry explains that he does—a Labrador named Paul (yes, like his brother). Louise instinctively pulls a lint roller from her bag and cleans his jacket, creating an unexpected intimacy. Before they part, Harry writes his number on the playbill and hands it back to her, playfully telling her she’ll need to return his souvenir sometime.

Harry finishes telling the story to Paul and heads off for his first date with Louise. At dinner, Louise shares her story of becoming a performer, having moved from Indiana to New York, and Harry explains his work writing commercial jingles and playing at Standards, mentioning his father was a Broadway conductor. When the waitress calls Louise 'Honey,' it sparks Louise to reflect on her fondness for moments of tenderness between strangers (“Every Time A Waitress Calls Me Honey”). Their connection deepens and Harry invites her to Standards the next night, where he’ll be performing.

The next evening at Standards, while Harry plays, Paul fixes Louise a drink. They instantly connect as friends. She explains that, in addition to being in the chorus, she also understudies the lead role—a role typically played by Katrina, a woman who coincidentally used to work at the bar. Harry invites Paul onstage to sing a song they’ve been performing together for years (“Party Hat”). Later, walking Louise home, Harry introduces her to Paul the Dog. Louise is smitten. As Harry and Louise share a kiss goodnight, she places a hand on his chest and feels something solid in his breast pocket. Joking that he’s wearing armor, she heads inside. Once she’s gone, Harry pulls a flask from his pocket and takes a sip.

October arrives. Backstage at Paradise, Louise’s castmate Dottie comments on how happy Louise seems in her new relationship. Harry is at the performance, but he sees only Louise throughout the show—his gaze fixated on her chorus moments and small comedic bits, while the other characters disappear (“I Only See Louise”). Despite pressure from his agent about a late deadline, Harry meets Louise at the stage door and invites her to Standards that evening. Louise suggests that Harry consider playing some of his original music—music he’s admitted he keeps to himself—rather than the usual covers he performs.

When Louise arrives at Standards, a woman introduces herself with feigned politeness. In conversation with Paul, we learn she’s one of Harry’s exes, and her recollection of the relationship seems tinged with bitter judgment. Harry spontaneously invites Louise onstage to sing one of his original songs with him, and afterward, they spend the night together for the first time (“Manhattan”).

The next morning, Louise is slightly hungover and Harry is feeling self-conscious about having shared his work. Louise assures him that everyone enjoyed it and encourages him to think about writing a show of his own. They grab coffees to-go, and after a kiss goodbye, we see Harry pour whiskey into his cup. Louise rushes back, realizing she took the wrong drink—but when she reaches for Harry’s cup, he pulls it away, claiming the whole order was messed up, and offering to get her a new one. Louise says not to worry and heads off again happily.

On an evening in November, Harry ignores mounting work responsibilities and his brother's voicemail request for a loan, choosing instead to call Louise and invite her over. Although she says she should stay home to prepare for an early understudy rehearsal, Harry’s charisma and humor convince her to come over (“Bottle of Wine”).

The next morning, Louise is woken up by Paul the Dog and she realizes she’s late for rehearsal. Harry forgot to set an alarm. Frazzled and hungover, she rushes out, upset with him. In an attempt to make it right, Harry comes up with a plan: he enlists Paul’s help to convince Katrina to skip a performance so that Louise can go on instead. When Katrina calls out, we see Louise take the stage as Lily, the lead in Paradise (“Suspended”).

Harry and Paul surprise Louise at the stage door, revealing they were the ones who requested Katrina call out. Harry frames it as a ‘gift,’ but Louise is livid and fed up with his manipulation. Paul steps in to apologize, and Louise reassures him it’s not his fault. As she storms off, she taps the pocket where Harry keeps his flask, indicating her awareness of a much deeper, more serious problem.

Paul visits Harry's apartment days later, finding it in disarray and Paul the Dog neglected. He gets Harry out of bed and convinces him to take a walk, revealing this is part of a troubling pattern. At Standards, Paul refuses to make Harry a drink, sparking an argument where longunspoken resentments explode. Paul confronts Harry about his drinking and how he always has to step in to save him. Harry reminds Paul that he’s the one who finances the bar and that he’s always defended Paul, ever since they were kids. Their clash reaches a boiling point and Harry leaves the bar with Paul the dog, hurt and fuming.

Later that night, Louise walks through the snowy city and ends up at Standards (“No Good For Me”). She confides in Paul, telling him that after her mother passed, her father turned to alcohol. In turn, Paul reveals that he and Harry aren’t actually blood brothers—Paul’s family took Harry in when Harry’s biological father’s alcoholism made it unsafe at home. Paul also explains that his boyfriend, Michael, refuses to come to the bar because of Harry’s drinking. Meanwhile, in his apartment, Harry makes a decisive choice, pouring all his liquor down the drain.

Act 2

On an evening in December, Harry returns to Standards and assures Paul and Louise that he’s no longer drinking, winning them over with a charming declaration of sobriety (“Grenadine”). Paul encourages Harry to keep up the progress. Outside, Harry apologizes to Louise for the understudy incident, and she accepts. He promises to be honest with her from now on. While this marks a step forward in repairing their relationship, she chooses to go home alone.

The next day in her dressing room, Louise confides in Dottie about her insecurities understudying a role she feels she can’t authentically inhabit. Harry stops by the theatre with Paul the Dog and a bag of candy. Louise vents to Harry about her lack of self-belief, and he knows exactly what to say to help restore her confidence. Louise and Harry admit they love each other, but Louise warns that their relationship has moved very fast and suggests they slow down. (“Every Moon”).

It’s a new day, and Harry takes Paul the Dog for a walk. In the middle of her matinee, Louise calls to tell Harry she’s arranged a meeting with a producer she believes would be interested in his work. This unexpected meeting makes Harry anxious, but he promises he’ll show up. Continuing his walk, he passes a bar and goes inside, leaving Paul the Dog tied up outside. The tension builds as Harry walks towards the bartender, but he only asks for water for his dog. When he returns outside with the water, he finds Paul the Dog lying on his side, breathing heavily.

Harry calls Louise and Paul and they meet at Harry’s apartment, where he tells them that the vet has confirmed Paul the Dog is very sick, and a decision has to be made. Harry wishes Paul the Dog could just tell him what he wants (“Say Something, Paul”).

Later, Louise and Paul wait at the vet. Harry stumbles in, holding a bottle in a brown paper bag. It's time to put Paul the Dog down, and Harry is distraught. He tells Paul and Louise to go in without him, then whispers something private to Paul the Dog before stepping outside.

When Paul and Louise come out, Harry is severely drunk. Louise is worried, but Paul chastises her for coddling him, saying that he’s been dealing with this for twenty years. Louise insists their relationship is different, blaming Paul for enabling Harry for so long. Harry wryly says it’s because he pays Paul’s bills, and Paul storms off. Louise tries to help Harry, but he erupts at her, using her insecurities against her. Louises fights back, accusing him of neglecting the one soul who was always there for him – Paul the Dog. In the midst of this painful exchange, Louise gets a call: she has to go on as Lilly that night.

Backstage before the show, Louise opens up to Dottie about Harry’s addiction. Dottie reminds her that fixing him isn’t her responsibility—her job is to perform. Louise steps on stage as Lilly, and for the first time, she fully inhabits the role, shining in her performance (“Paradise”).

It is now New Year’s Eve, and Harry is passed out in his apartment. Paul lets himself in and tells Harry to get up. Harry admits his agent has dropped him. Paul announces he's selling Standards to open a restaurant outside the city with Michael. They reminisce about their long friendship and the different way they remember things. Paul explains that he needs to let go and move on.

He returns his copy of Harry’s apartment keys and leaves. Harry sits at the piano, dreading the arrival of the new year, as Louise and Dottie, and Paul and Michael watch the fireworks on separate roofs. (“New Year’s Eve”).

Three years pass in montage—we see Louise and Paul reconcile, Louise rise to prominence as a well-respected theatre star, and Paul and Michael leave the city to start a new life.

Harry and Louise meet one final time in her kitchen. She’s now married and pregnant. While packing for a move, she came across the old playbill with Harry’s phone number on it. She tells him she felt compelled to call, and so here they are, catching up, looking at their imperfect whirlwind romance from a distance. When Louise asks why he missed Paul’s wedding, Harry admits he wasn’t invited, though he hopes they might speak again someday. Louise returns the playbill to Harry, and in exchange, he gives her a bound script—something he’s been working on. They both apologize and forgive each other, leaving much unspoken. (“The Kettle Song”).

As he did at the top of the show, Harry addresses the audience once again—only now we realize he’s been sharing his story at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. The other members encourage him to keep coming back, and he promises to do so.

As he leaves the meeting, Harry is surprised to encounter a stray dog on the street, with no owner in sight. Harry bends down, holds out his hand to her, and silently makes a decision.