Cynthia Harmon

It’s Thursday, September 4, 1924...when CYNTHIA HARMON and JOSIAH WEAR, two students at the College of the City of Detroit, head out to their favorite after-classes hangout, the Harrison Street Pub.

Determined-and-poised Cynthia, a music major at CCD, tries out some of her self-written songs on art student-boyfriend Josiah and CCD BUDDIES...one of them business major NARVIN RAY MCKINLEY, who tips Cynthia to the news of a Halloween talent show at one of the Motor City’s newest venues, the Cinderella Theater.

While singer-dancer-multiinstrumentalist Cynthia wows the pub crowd, her aunt, JOHNANNE WOODBURY, her legal guardian ever since the 1922 death of Cynthia’s parents in a freak accident at an axle factory, stews.

As Cynthia tells it, widowed Johnanne “makes the wicked stepmother in ‘Cinderella’ look like the Virgin Mary.” To Johnanne, Cynthia’s nothing but a housekeeper...and besides, the real musical talent in the Woodburys’ house belongs to Johnanne’s three daughters: Bashful CARRIE; weightlifting, levelheaded DAISY; and stagestruck EADWINA, a real go-getter who tries to be a mini-Johnanne.

Once Cynthia gets home from the Harrison Street Pub that night, Johnanne puts her right to work...cleaning the house, top to bottom.

So much for homework.

The next day, Cynthia vows to her super-supportive boyfriend that she’ll enter the Cinderella Theater’s talent show...and “win it hands down.” And when Johnanne, a theatrical agent downtown, finds out from fire eater EMIL FILIPSKI about the show instead of hearing it from her daughters, she pushes Eadwina, Carrie, and Daisy into entering the contest.

Never mind that Cynthia’s three cousins need serious help to become a competent musical outfit. And Cynthia would like to provide that help.

Turns out the Johnson Agency, the place that not only employs Johnanne, but also is where Carrie works as a receptionist, needs to step up its game when it comes to landing talent. Carrie’s ma wants to land Amy Lowell, her favorite poet...but ends up auditioning SADIE MCGONIGLE and VIOLETTA COOPERMAN, two downstairs secretaries doubling as a vocal-instrumental act incapable of finishing a performance without bursting into tears.

So Johnanne takes fellow agent SETH DONALDSON’S advice: “Maybe you’d better book those kids of yours into the Cinderella Theater instead.”

Flaws and all, the Woodbury Sisters become Johnson Agency clients...at the same moment where, at home, Cynthia serenades Josiah after the two lovers clean the house and cook dinner.

The next act, lovemaking, ends for Josiah and Cynthia when Johnanne and daughters get home. In fact, Johnanne shoots at both collegians...only to miss. To top it all off, Johnanne threatens her niece: “If you set foot on that Cinderella stage, you ain’t gonna live to tell about it!”

Cynthia decides to plow on, even if it means “a ninety-minute vaudeville career.” And she helps her three cousins with their own talent-show offerings.

Friday, October 31, 1924 arrives...and Johnanne reminds Cynthia that the latter is grounded for the night. After the Four Woodburys take off for the theater, Cynthia sneaks off, anyway...and barely arrives backstage on time.

The Woodbury Sisters show real improvement and impress the audience at the talent show...but end up earning third prize: Ten dollars and a weekend engagement at the Cinderella. FOUR TAP-DANCING BROTHERS beat Daisy, Eadwina, and Carrie out for the second-place prize of twenty bucks and five days playing the same theater.

Cynthia grabs the top prize of thirty greenbacks, a silver cup, and a week playing the Cinderella.

She also earns bullets from Johnanne...bullets that miss Cynthia and end up killing Emil, fellow contestant JOHNNY OSTERMUELLER, and radio emcee MARTIN SALSNESS. And all of that on top of Cynthia’s aunt knifing down AN ORCHESTRA LEADER.

While the remorseless Johnanne sits in jail, awaits trial, and is set to lose her job to ever-resourceful Narvin Ray, Carrie, Cynthia, Daisy, and Eadwina vow to stick together, work on improving their individual and collective vaudeville efforts, and avoid the jealousy that drove Johnanne and Cynthia’s mom, Eleanor, apart.

All to show they can be their own family.

The four young performers manage to dodge an effort by JOHNANNE’S PARENTS to gain custody of the quartet...and also stand up to Johnanne herself after she breaks out of jail for one last effort to bump Cynthia off.

When all the smoke clears, Johnanne lands four consecutive life terms in the state pen...plus seven more years for escaping from the Wayne County Jail.

And Carrie gains custody of Eadwina, Cynthia, and Daisy...effective when oldest sister Carrie blows out twenty-one candles on January 1, 1925.

In the words of the trial’s judge, SALMON HALL: “I saw Cynthia and the Woodburys perform. They’re the berries.”