At the end of the 19th century, the young Indiana boy Paul Dresser left his hometown for a long adventure that would eventually place him at the pinnacle of American music as a songwriter.

Chronicles the early life of gay nineties-era songwriter Paul Dresser as he outgrows his job as carnival entertainer and moves up into New York society, writing one hit song after another. Despite his egotistical behavior, he manages to woo and win Sally Elliott, one of the more popular songstresses of the day.—Doug Sederberg <[email protected]>

In 1890s Indiana, young Paul Dresser runs away from home and, after painful misadventures, joins Colonel Truckee's medicine show where he meets beautiful Mae Collins and has his first taste of songwriting. When the show is visited by derisive stage star Sally Elliott, he finds her unforgettably alluring; exit Mae. Paul's songs, popularized by Sally, become hits, and we follow Sally and Paul's roller-coaster love-hate relationship between atmospheric period production numbers.—Rod Crawford <[email protected]>