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Book by Jenny Laird
Music and Lyrics by Randy Courts
Additional Lyrics by Will Osborne
Based on Magic Tree House #1: Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne
A magical tree house transports Jack and Annie to the land of the dinosaurs in this adaptation of the best-selling book series. (30-MINUTE VERSION FOR YOUNG PERFORMERS)
What would you do if a tree house in your neighborhood could transport you anywhere you wanted to go?
While exploring one afternoon, siblings Jack and Annie discover a tree house full of books. Jack looks through a book about dinosaurs and wishes he could see a real one. Suddenly the wind begins to blow and the tree house starts to spin wildly. When it finally stops, Jack and Annie open their eyes to find they have been transported back to the time of the dinosaurs. Join Jack and Annie on their adventure back in time to experience an amazing group of dinosaurs face to face.
MAGIC TREE HOUSE: DINOSAURS BEFORE DARK KIDS is an adaptation of the first of Mary Pope Osborne's award-winning fantasy adventure books from the Magic Tree House book series. The books are number one New York Times' bestsellers - more than 100 million copies have been sold in North America alone. The series has been translated into many languages and is available in more than 100 countries around the world.
It's story time in the forest, and all the young Saplings, along with Stump, a grumpy old tree stump, have gathered to hear Otto, the oak tell his latest tale. Today, Otto's story begins in Frog Creek, Pennsylvania, where a brother and sister named Jack and Annie find a mysterious tree house and discover that it is filled with a magnificent collection of books (How Far Can You See?). As Jack is looking at a picture in a book about dinosaurs, he idly wishes they could go there - and, magically, the wind begins to blow and the tree house begins to spin (Taking the Tree House for a Spin). Terrified, Jack and Annie cover their heads and cling to each other.
The spinning stops. Jack and Annie look out the tree house window to discover that they have arrived in a land that looks exactly like the picture Jack was looking at in the dinosaur book. Annie spots Henry, a Pteranodon. Before Jack can stop her, Annie scrambles down the tree house rope ladder to meet the strange creature. Jack warns her about the dangers of making friends too hastily (Friend or Foe). Terri, Larry, and Gary, three Triceratops, enter the clearing. As curious about the two strange human creatures as Jack and Annie are about them, the Triceratops join in the song, with everyone finally agreeing that they can be friends.
As Jack is making notes about his experience, he spots a gold medallion with the letter "M" on the ground. Before he can consider the mystery of how the medallion came to be in dinosaur times, Annie calls out that she's found something wonderful - a nest full of dinosaur eggs! Annie takes a flower from the nest and suddenly, with a huge roar, Natty the Anatosaurus rushes in to protect her nest! Annie freezes as Natty is joined by two more Anatosaurus, Susan and Joan. While Jack tries to figure out what to do, the three Anatosaurus mothers commiserate about the challenges of dinosaur motherhood (A Mother's Work is Never Done). During the song, Annie slowly crawls back to Jack and they watch from a safe distance - until Annie decides to make friends with Natty. To Jack's surprise, Natty is receptive to Annie's friendly approach, and Jack and Annie are amazed that they are having an adventure with real live dinosaurs (When We Woke).
The eggs begin to hatch, and as the Baby Dinosaurs emerge they marvel at the wonders of the world into which they are being born (Wonder). Annie and Jack go to find food for the babies and discover a watering hole - the only place where plant eaters and meat eaters gather together. They watch as a variety of dinosaurs gather at the watering hole (March of the Dinosaurs).
The peaceful scene at the watering hole is interrupted by the terrifying arrival of a Tyrannosaurus Rex (Roar). The Triceratops distract the T-Rex while Jack and Annie run back to the tree house but when they get there, Jack realizes he has forgotten his backpack and has to go back to get it. Jack races back and retrieves his backpack, but before he can get back to the tree house, the T-Rex spots him! Jack hides in some ferns and distracts the T-Rex by throwing a rock into another part of the clearing.
Jack is about to make a run for the tree house when Henry arrives with Annie on his back. Henry rescues Jack, and Jack and Annie are thrilled to find themselves flying on the back of a Pteranodon (When We Woke - Reprise).
Henry delivers Jack and Annie to the tree house, and they share a sad goodbye. Jack tells Annie the reason he had to go back for his backpack: he's figured out that the tree house magic works by pointing to a picture in a book and wishing to go there and he needed a picture of Frog Creek from his backpack to wish them home. He makes the wish and they return to the woods where the story began. The Saplings, Stump, Jack and Annie are all excited to see where the tree house will travel next (How Far Can You See? - Epilogue).
Audio Sampler - HL00121237 $10.00
ShowKit - HL00121238 $545.00
This ShowKit includes:
- 2 Accompaniment & Guide Vocal CDs
- Choreography DVD
- Director's Guide
- 30 Family Matters Booklets
- Media Disk
- Piano/Vocal Score
00121239 - Director's Guide $100.00
00121241 - Piano/Vocal Score $40.00
00121230 - Actor's Script $10.00
00121231 - Actor's Script 10-Pak $75.00
00121232 - Rehearsal/Accompaniment CD $75.00
00121233 - Student Rehearsal CD $10.00
00121234 - Student Rehearsal CD 20-Pak $100.00
00121235 - Choreography DVD $50.00
00121236 - Media Disc $10.00
00121237 - Audio Sampler $10.00
How Far Can You See?
Taking The Tree House For A Spin
Friend or Foe (Part 1)
Friend or Foe (Part 2)
A Mother's Work Is Never Done
When We Woke
Wonder
March Of The Dinosaurs (Part 1)
March of The Dinosaurs (Part 2)
Roar
What?
The Backpack
Think, Jack, Think
When We Woke (Reprise)
Spinning Again
How Far Can You See? (Epilogue)
Ankylosaurus: four-ton dinosaurs with spikes on their backs.
Annie: Jack's younger sister and, in many ways, his opposite in terms of personality. She is a risk-taker who often follows her heart instead of her head. She sometimes teases Jack about his careful attitude toward life and often encourages him to be more adventurous. She loves animals of any kind and has a very loving heart.
Range: A3-D5
Baby Dinosaurs: Freshly hatched Anatosaurus dinosaurs who are filled with wonder upon encountering the world for the first time.
Gary: The boldest, hippest and friendliest of the Triceratops. He is the first to step out of the ferns to get a better look at Annie and Jack. He is as impulsive, curious and guileless as Annie.
Range: A3-D5
Henry: A pteranodon that Jack and Annie encounter upon first arriving. Annie names him Henry and believes he is magic.
Iguanodons: The cool kids of the dinosaur lot. They have spikes for thumbs and are not afraid to brag about it.
Jack: He is bookish, careful and thoughtful, but he is NOT a nerd! Jack has tremendous curiosity about the world around him and loves to take notes about his observations. Jack tends to be very cautious in new situations, and his adventures in the tree house help him develop his confidence. He has a good (and protective) relationship with his younger sister, Annie, though her more impetuous nature often gets on his nerves.
Range: A3-D5
Joan: The most stressed out of all the Anatosaurus Mothers.
Range: A3-C5
Larry: The nerdiest of the Triceratops and is a little henpecked by Terri, but he isn't afraid to speak his mind.
Range: A3-D5
Natty: The ultimate mother hen and takes great pride in protecting the baby Anatosaurus eggs.
Range: A3-C5
Otto: The oldest oak tree in the forest, a mild-mannered grandfatherly or grandmotherly type and a natural storyteller.
Range: C4-E5
Panoplosaurus: Tank-like dinosaurs who take a lot of pride in all of their unique characteristics.
Protoceratops: The "runts" of the dinosaur litter
Red Pines/ Hemlocks: Groups of trees who narrate the story for the opening and closing of the show.
Saplings: Young, spirited and curious Trees, eager to hear about the mysterious tree house that appears in their Woods.
Stump: A grumpy tree stump, who, in direct contrast to Otto, is impatient and ill-tempered.
Range: C4-E5
Susan: A sassy Anatosaurus Mom who is more intrigued by Jack and Annie's presence than afraid of them.
Range: A3-C5
Terri: The most domineering of the Triceratops, but her bossy comments toward Larry should serve as comic relief and not be perceived as bullying.
Range: A3-F5
Toto: Susan's pestering child. She (or he) is as sassy as her mother and a bit of an imp.
Range: D4-A4
T-Rex: A fierce, meat-eating dinosaur that Jack and Annie encounter right before getting back to the tree house.
Troodon: The "brains" of the dinosaur lot but are not braggarts.