Jackson Smith, a senior at Jefferson City High, and his old friend Brandon, a U.S. Capitol page, are at computer terminals half a continent apart. Jack uploads a song (We Can Do This-ballad) he has entered in a patriotic song-writing contest sponsored by his local Congressman, Fred Klunk. His song opens with a mention of his hometown Veterans Bridge, and features a plea to "put the song back in politics"-to make democracy more friendly, with less public meanness. Brandon downloads Jack's song onto a disk that also contains a very vulgar song. Jack wins the contest-and, along with his teacher-chaperone, Lisa Suarez, arrives in Washington, D.C., to receive his award. His trip is financed by MegaMaxiMedia, which would like to sign Jack to a long-term contract.

As soon as Jack and Ms. Suarez arrive in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol (Ka-Ching-Ching Congress), they are interviewed by Jocelyn Jones, a reporter for MegaMaxiMedia TV, who is doing the piece to get her company on Congressman Klunk's good side-because Klunk is the powerful Chairman of the TeleCommunications Committee, which is holding hearings on a Music Rights Bill. If enacted, this bill would make web downloading of songs a federal crime-and has a provision that would add MegaMaxiMedia's name to the Veterans Bridge in Klunk's district. Jack runs into Brandon, who gives him a CD with his song and (unknown to Jack) the vulgar song. Hoping to become a "Klunk Scholar," Brandon asks Jack to put in a good word for him when he meets Congressman Klunk (High Technological Speed Chip).

Lisa Suarez drops in on Klunk's hearing, picks up a copy of the Music Rights bill, notices how the bill would put MegaMaxi's name on the bridge, and interrupts the hearing to ask about that-much to the displeasure of Klunk (and Jones, who cuts her off). Meanwhile, Molly, an old sweetheart of Jack's and the daughter of Jefferson City's other Congressman, Jim Noggle, and an old is awaiting Jack's arrival in her father's office. She objects to the Music Rights Bill and her dad's use of cynical campaign consultants like Sylvester K. Wormley, aka "Silkworm" (A Daughter and a Dad).

Ever the loyal servant of MegaMaxiMedia, Jones is concerned that Jack's song about the Veterans' Bridge could pose problems for music industry's efforts to pass the Music Rights Bill. She warns Klunk to toe her company's line by darkly hints about sexual rumors of Klunk and his Klunk Scholar program. Confused about the new technologies covered by the bill he's expected to pass, and feeling battered by the media, Klunk defends his old ways (Keep the Old Typewriter). Two lobbyists for MegaMaxiMedia-the liberal Libby and conservative Conny-offer Klunk money to support the bill, and Silkworm enters with a new ad touting the bill. Angered, Klunk chastises them for inserting the provision adding MegaMaxi's name to the Veterans Bridge without his knowledge.

Unaware that Klunk is in a very bad mood, Jack arrives and lets him to hear his song on his disk player. Instead, Klunk hears the vulgar song Brandon recorded on the same CD, and orders Jack out. Klunk tells Libby, Conny, and Silkworm to "take care of the problem," which they assume to mean throttling Jack and Suarez, both of whom they see as threats to the Music Rights Bill. Meanwhile, Brandon hacks into Klunk's computer and thinks he's discovered proof that Klunk is using his Klunk Scholar program corruptly (Road to Hell).

When Jack and Brandon tell Molly about what they think is going on with Klunk scholars, Molly tells them what's in the Music Rights Bill. She suggests they start a new web site-free-the-music.com-and sets off to spy on Klunk, despite rumors about his sexual misbehavior (Alpha Male). Thinking she's helping Jack get his music contract, Molly gives Libby and Conny the CD with the vulgar song, and naively signs an admission that Brandon downloaded the CD without paying anything, which gives Libby and Conny the evidence they need to throttle the teenagers (I'm Goin' Negative on You). Worse, Molly's spy misadventure unravels when she sees Klunk and admits the whole spy plan to him (Like, Wassup?). Brandon gets fired by Klunk, and accused of internet piracy by MegaMaxiMedia. Jack feels in way over his head, and wants to go home.

Unaware of Silkworm's nefarious intentions, Suarez has lunch with him, and-while reminiscing about their college-era affair-reveals that she'd once been filmed skinny-dipping in a tuna tank-a fact Silkworm uses to warn her to keep quiet about the Veterans' Bridge. Jones coerces Noggle to support the Music Rights Bill by hinting that Molly had been seen alone with Klunk. Suarez defends Jack, and her role as his teacher, inspiring Silkworm to talk Jack out of giving up (I Teach a Child).

At the evening awards ceremony for Jack's prize-winning song, Suarez argues with Silkworm about the shabby ethics of official Washington (The Power Triangle Tango). Upon receiving his award, Jack accuses Klunk of corruption (For Shame). A furious Klunk arrives to defend himself, but Smith holds his ground.

ACT TWO:

Six months have passed, and the scene has shifted to Jefferson City. Prodded by Brandon, Jack has launched a "Free-the-Music" youth crusade, featuring a recall vote against Klunk-which, if successful, would remove the powerful Chairman from the Congress. The vote is just two days away. Brandon, charged with felonious downloading of MegaMaxi's vulgar song, joins Jack in boasting of the political power of the youth music crusade (Kick Butt), which is now sounding as negative as the style of politics they claim to oppose. Led by Jones, the media is spinning the story against Jack's youth music crusade, and polls show it losing badly.

Klunk has returned to Jefferson City to defend his good name, and to stop the negative ads being run on his behalf. After taking a look at the Free-the-Music.com web site, Klunk decides to hold local hearings on the Music Rights Bill. He also decides to resign as soon as he wins the recall election-a decision he tells Jim Noggle, asking him to reveal it to no one.

When they learn of Klunk's turnabout on the Music Rights Bill, the Jones, Libby, and Conny are ordered by their bosses to reverse course and give Klunk a real scare, to still let him win, but only barely, so he'll support the music industry better. To do this, Jones urges Silkworm to flip sides, telling him that would help him seduce Ms. Suarez, with whom he has fallen hopelessly in love (Change of Heart).

To impress Ms. Suarez, Silkworm persuades Jack to stage a TV stunt that can show off a new, upbeat style of politics. Now secretly working against Klunk, Jones gets Jack some free air time, and Silkworm lays plans to sabotage his negative ad campaign by sending his attack-ad videos to the wrong stations (Couch Potato), which would cause them to backfire. Molly tries but fails to persuade Noggle to help, and her disappointment with her father cuts deeply (Can I See Love?).

On the air, Jack is an immediate hit (We Can Do This-swing). He stays on the air hour after hour, deftly taking phone calls, impressing callers with his sunny outlook. Many hours later, answering a call from a World War II vet, he warns of the greater importance of what he's trying to do (Rendezvous with Destiny).

Klunk is so impressed that he changes his mind about the Music Rights Bill, which he now decides to oppose. When he tells Jones this, Jones frames him as a sexual predator, live on-the-air. The media plot now clear, Klunk.defends himself by going straight to the people (alias the audience) to explain what MegaMaxiMedia is trying to do.

Shortly before the polls close, Jones goes on air to declare that Klunk has lost-causing Jack and his teen crusaders to celebrate (Kick Butt-reprise). As the kids celebrate, Libby and Conny bus enough pro-Klunk enough voters to the polls, with cash, for Klunk to survive.

Infuriated, Klunk announces his resignation, fulfilling a personal promise he'd made to Noggle before the election. Noggle and Molly reconcile. Klunk offers a chastened Jack a few words to the wise, about not to get sucked into the same meanness he wants to oppose.

Silkworm persuades Suarez to run for Klunk's seat. She decides she will, whereupon Libby and Conny enter with old photos of her nude in the tuna tank (I'm Goin' Negative on You-reprise). Suarez shrugs it off, proclaiming to a TV camera that "I was young and stupid," and Klunk and Noggle proclaim their support for her.

Smith has written another song, his most rousing one ever, (Cherry and Vanilla Bars), which Klunk urges him to make the centerpiece of Ms. Suarez's campaign to "put the song back in politics." The final chorus is joined menacingly by Jones, Libby, and Conny, as a reminder of the tough battles that surely lie ahead.