Character Breakdown

Nikki
The Heart of the Diner. And the Story. (Lead)
Character Age Range: 16–18
Character Gender: Female
Notes: Age should feel grounded in high school senior energy. Requires strong emotional range and a natural sense of timing. She’s been working the counter longer than she’s been driving. Between high school and hash browns, Nikki’s kept her head down and her grades up, chasing a scholarship that might finally crack open the world. But leaving means letting go — of her mom, her diner, her comfort zone. Her dreams are folded up in the apron she wears every shift… she just hasn’t told anyone they exist yet.

Linda
Nikki’s Mom. Diner Warrior. Tough as Coffee Grounds. (Supporting)
Character Age Range: Late 30s–40s
Character Gender: Female
Needs maternal energy with strength under pressure. Performer must balance dry humor with emotional restraint.
She runs Mel’s Diner like her life depends on it — because it does. After losing her husband, Melvin, Linda poured every ounce of love, grief, and grit into the grill. She hasn’t had time to cry, let alone dream. And she doesn’t know Nikki is planning to leave. But deep down? She wants her daughter to have a future — even if it means letting her go.

Chad
Burger Prince. Golden Boy. About to Trip Over Real Life. (Lead)
Character Age Range: 17–19
Character Gender: Male
Notes: Must bring comedic timing, stage charm, and real emotional vulnerability beneath the gloss.
Chad’s never worked a shift in his life. The heir to the Burger City empire, he’s all charm, all image — and all lost underneath. He’s been told what to say, what to wear, what to be. But when a girl from the diner next door makes him feel something real, Chad has to figure out who he is when no one else is watching. It’s not easy giving up the spotlight… especially when you’ve always been the special.

Vivian “Viv”
Fairy Godmother in an Apron. Horoscope-Addicted and Hair-Sprayed. (Supporting)
Character Age Range: 50s–60s
Character Gender: Female
Notes: Strong comedic instincts a must. Character has presence, bite, warmth, and big personality. Think brassy fairy godmother.
Viv is the sparkly oracle of Mel’s Diner. Big hair. Bigger opinions. She speaks in diner slang and cosmic metaphors, and she’s convinced the stars sent Chad to Nikki for a reason. She declares herself Nikki’s unofficial fairy godmother — and matchmaker. As for Mick? She’s completely blind to his crush because her horoscope hasn’t said anything about it… yet.

RodRick
The Chill Sage. Skater Soul. Burger City Cook. (Supporting)
Character Age Range: Late teens–early 20s
Character Gender: Male
Notes: Skater-boy philosopher energy. Needs natural rhythm and smooth phrasing. Casting should prioritize chill presence with soulful depth.
Rodney Rickzicky — aka RodRick — works three jobs to help his family: lifeguard, caddy, and now flipping burgers. He floats through it all with peace, jokes, and a skateboard. Chad thinks they’re cousins — they’re not. RodRick is just everywhere, vibing and surviving. He becomes an unlikely mentor in a tie-dye tee, teaching Chad that good vibes can still come with hard work.

Mick (short for Mickleson)
The Fix-It Flirt. Ready to Deliver. (Supporting)
Character Age Range: 40s–50s
Character Gender: Male
Notes: Quiet, warm, and steady. Needs a performer who can say everything with just a look. Comfortable with soft singing or half-spoken musical phrasing.
Mick is the guy who brings the onions but stays to fix the jukebox. He’s the delivery guy — not on the payroll, but always around. Cool, collected, and totally in love with Viv. He keeps showing up with tools in hand and charm turned up, just hoping she’ll finally see what’s been right in front of her this whole time.

Miss LaRue
The Cosmic Hotline Queen. Glitzy, Spooky, and Definitely Real. (Supporting – Onstage and Voiceover)
Character Age Range: 30s+
Character Gender: Female (Open to drag casting)
Notes: Big theatricality and vocal character. Can be cast onstage, offstage, or double-cast for both.
Miss LaRue runs The Cosmic Hotline — the 1-900 number that sounds like a scam… until it starts predicting the future a little too well. Viv calls from the pay phone out back whenever life gets murky, and Miss LaRue always picks up. She’s theatrical, mysterious, and always somehow right — whether anyone believes her or not. Sparkles, sunglasses, and cosmic truth, darling. Always cosmic truth.

Principal Powers
Girl Boss in a Blazer. Not Subtle About It. (Supporting/Feature)
Character Age Range: Late 30s–50s
Character Gender: Female-identifying
Notes: High-energy, comedic force with clear diction and authority. Should have fast patter skills and strong presence.
Principal Powers runs her school like a company — and Nikki is her star intern. She sees herself as a success story and wants that for Nikki, too. There’s just one problem: she assumes Linda will hold Nikki back to keep the diner afloat. Powers pushes hard, believes harder, and does not understand the word “nuance.”

Blair
High Pony. High Heels. High Stakes. (Supporting/Feature)
Character Age Range: 16–18
Character Gender: Female
Notes: High school senior with confidence and flair. Performer must balance comedic glam with authentic growth. Strong pop-theater mix vocal.
Blair’s got a ponytail so high it’s practically a tiara. She’s rich, confident, and totally bored — until she spots RodRick lifeguarding at the club. Then? It’s game on. What starts as a crush becomes a cause, especially when she realizes her dad — a powerful local developer — may not be the town hero he makes himself out to be.

Terry – The Mail Carrier
Forever Optimist. Walking Overshare. Plot Catalyst. (Supporting/Feature)
Character Age Range: 30s+
Character Gender: Open to all genders
Notes: Friendly, expressive, enthusiastic. Works well as a comedic utility player. Can be played by any gender — warmth and comedic rhythm are key.
Terry’s the mail carrier everyone knows by name — and they know everything about everyone. Not because they’re nosy — they’re just enthusiastically informative. They smile through every shift, even when the only mail is bills. It’s Terry who accidentally tips off Linda about Nikki’s secret college plans by delivering just a few too many scholarship letters.

Morgan Germly
Clipboard. Power Strut. Sabotage in Sensible Shoes. (Supporting/Feature)
Character Age Range: 30s+
Gender: Open to all genders
Notes: Performer must balance villainous charm with corporate smugness. Great opportunity for physical comedy or deadpan delivery.
Morgan Germly (that’s Gurrm-lee) is the health inspector with a hidden agenda. They’re working for Blair’s dad — the developer — to quietly sabotage both Mel’s Diner and Burger City so the land can be scooped up for a mega-project. Germly is smug, efficient, terrifyingly bureaucratic, and takes way too much joy in shutting people down.

Jordan Penn – The Banker
The Banker. Clipboard Carrier. Pressure Personified. (Supporting/Feature)
Character Age Range: 30s+
Character Gender: Open to all genders
Notes: Great character role. Dry humor, impeccable timing, and a love of formality. Casting flexible for gender presentation — performance is all about presence and tone.
Jordan Penn is a loan officer with a clipboard, a briefcase, and bad news delivered politely. When Linda falls behind on the mortgage, Jordan’s the one who arrives with foreclosure warnings and a refill request for the diner’s decaf. They’re not a villain — just very good at reminding people what’s at stake.

The Faithfulls – Greek Chorus Grannies
Tracksuits. Truth Bombs. Three-Part Harmony. (Supporting/Feature – Trio)
Character Age Range: 70s+ (or younger with character acting)
Character Gender: Female (open to drag casting)
Notes: Needs blend, sass, and comic chemistry. Can double as chorus members. Ideally cast for personality contrast and ensemble timing.
They’ve got pastel windbreakers, matching coffee mugs, and premonitions for days. Think mall-walking grannies crossed with the Fates. They always know more than they let on — and they let on a lot. They provide backup vocals, sass, and surprise insight. They’ve been sitting at the same booth since 1981 and absolutely run the place.