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Fiddler On The Roof Jr. - Broadway Junior | Hal Leonard Menu LEARN MORE About Broadway Junior What Comes With the Showkit®? How to License a Broadway Junior Musical Order an Audio Sampler Frequently Asked Questions 60-Min.ute Musicals [JR.] 60-Minute Musicals 13 Jr. Alice In Wonderland Jr. (Disney) Aladdin Jr. (Disney) Annie Jr. Beauty and the Beast Jr. (Disney) The Big One-Oh! Jr. Bugsy Malone Jr. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. Dear Edwina Jr. Doctor Dolittle Jr. Dot & The Kangaroo Jr. The Drowsy Chaperone Jr. Elephant & Piggie's "We Are In A Play" Jr. Elf The Musical Jr. Fame Jr. Fiddler on the Roof Jr. Finding Nemo Jr. (Disney) Finian's Rainbow Jr. Flat Stanley Jr. Frozen Jr. (Disney) A Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens Jr. (Magic Tree House) Godspell Jr. Guys and Dolls Jr. Hairspray Jr. High School Musical Jr. (Disney) Honk! Jr. Into the Woods Jr. James and the Giant Peach Jr. (Roald Dahl) Junie B. Jones Jr. Legally Blonde Jr. The Lion King Jr. (Disney) The Little Mermaid Jr. (Disney) Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr. Mary Poppins Jr. (Disney/Cameron Mackintosh) Matilda Jr. (Roald Dahl) Mean Girls Jr. Moana Jr. (Disney) The Music Man Jr. My Son Pinocchio Jr. (Disney) Newsies Jr. (Disney) Oliver! Jr. Once on This Island Jr. Peter Pan Jr. (Broadway) The Phantom Tollbooth Jr. The Pirates of Penzance Jr. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. Seussical Jr. Shrek Jr. Singin' In The Rain Jr. Sister Act Jr. Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. Willy Wonka Jr. (Roald Dahl) Xanadu Jr. 30-Min.ute Musicals [KIDS] 30-Minute Musicals 101 Dalmatians KIDS (Disney) Aladdin KIDS (Disney) Annie KIDS Aristocats KIDS (Disney) Dinosaurs Before Dark KIDS (Magic Tree House) Finding Nemo KIDS (Disney) Frozen KIDS (Disney) The Jungle Book KIDS (Disney) The Knight at Dawn KIDS (Magic Tree House) The Lion King KIDS (Disney) The Music Man KIDS Pirates Past Noon KIDS (Magic Tree House) Seussical KIDS Willy Wonka KIDS (Roald Dahl) Winnie the Pooh KIDS (Disney) A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS Product Information Musical Numbers Cast of Characters Credits Music by Jerry Bock Book by Joseph Stein Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick Based on Sholem Aleichem's stories by special permission of Arnold Perl Overview / Synopsis Fiddler On The Roof Junior is a special adaptation of the classic Broadway musical, which tackles the universal theme of tradition in ways that reach across barriers of race, class, nationality, and religion. Set in the little village of Anatevka, the story centers on Tevye, a poor dairyman, and his five daughters. With the help of a colorful and tight-knit Jewish community, Tevye tries to protect his daughters and instill them with tradition in the face of changing social mores and the growing anti-Semitism of Czarist Russia. The show features a star turn in Tevye, among the most memorable roles in the musical theatre canon. Its celebrated score, by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, features songs loved the world over, including "Tradition," "If I Were A Rich Man," and "Sunrise, Sunset." Fiddler On The Roof Junior is a great introduction to the world of musical theatre. Young performers will love its humor, warmth, and honesty. Directors will love the opportunity to direct a large cast with a good balance of male and female roles. Audio Sampler - HL00147642 $10.00 ShowKit - HL00147640 $695.00 This ShowKit includes: Production Guide Director's Guide P/V Vocal Score 30 Actor's Scripts 2 Rehearsal CDs 2 Accompaniment CDs Media Disc Choreographic DVD Cross-curricular Guide 30 Family Matters Booklets 60-Minute JR. Request Individual Components 00147631 - Director's Guide $100.00 00147632 - Piano/Vocal Score $40.00 00147633 - Actor's Script $10.00 00147634 - Actor's Script 10-pak $75.00 00147635 - Perf/Accomp CD pack $75.00 00147636 - Student Rehearsal CD $10.00 00147637 - Student Rehearsal CD 20-pak $100.00 00147638 - Choreography DVD $50.00 00147639 - Media Disc $10.00 00147642 - Audio Sampler $10.00 Hear A Sample Prologue Tradition [Tevye, Golde,Villagers] SCENE 1 Matchmaker [Hodel, Chava, Tzeitel] SCENE 2 If I Were a Rich Man [Tevye] SCENE 3 Sabbath Prayer [Tevye, Golde, Villagers] SCENE 4 To Life [Tevye, Lazar Wolf, Men] SCENE 8 Sunrise, Sunset [Tevye, Golde, Perchik, Hodel, Villagers] Wedding Dance [Villagers] SCENE 10 Do You Love Me? [Tevye, Golde] SCENE 11 Far from the Home I Love [Hodel] SCENE 13 Chava Sequence [Villagers] SCENE 14 Anatevka [Golde, Yente, Lazar Wolf, Mendel, Avram, Tevye] Tevye Tevye is the heart and conscience of Fiddler on the Roof. Tevye is generally cast as a larger young man, but his stature really comes from his integrity and zest for life. Tevye's emotional range runs from strong patriarch to gentle father. He should be robust. He understands his role as leader of the family, but knows his place as his wife's husband. Your Tevye should be able to show the wide range of conflict, joy and pain that his character feels throughout the story. The actor playing Tevye needs to be comfortable speaking directly to the audience, and being the spiritual leader of your production. He does not necessarily need to have a great singing voice, but he must have a strong, easily projected voice that can fill your performance space. Tevye must develop an easy-going, comfortable rapport with the audience. Vocal Range: Ab3 - D Golde Golde is the backbone of the family. She has a rather gruff exterior, but in her heart is sheer dedication to her family. When casting Golde, remember that she must be able to frighten Tevye. She runs the household and keeps Tevye's more emotional side in check. Conversely, she should be able to show a softer side when dealing with Chava and Tevye's rift. Golde lives that her daughters will be married. She, like Tevye, need not be the greatest singer in the world, but she should have a commanding voice. Vocal Range: G3 - Db5 Tzeitel Tzeitel is the oldest daughter of Tevye and Golde. She is the first to be matched by Yente and sets the plot of Fiddler into action by pleading with her father to let her marry Motel the Tailor, to whom she has pledged her love. When casting Tzeitel, keep in mind that she is the oldest daughter. She is determined to marry Motel and knows how to manipulate her father. Vocal Range: Bb3 - Cb5 Hodel Hodel is a strong, independent middle child of the three older daughters. She is outspoken, but respectful. She has her eye on the Rabbi's son at the outset of the story, but she is taken with the revolutionary Perchik from the moment she meets him. Hodel proves that her dedication to and love for Perchik is real as she follows him to Siberia after his arrest. Hodel's melancholy lament, "Far From the Home I Love," demands a good singer/actor. Vocal Range: Bb3 - Db5 Chava Chava is the third youngest daughter. She is an introspective, rather shy young woman who seems to favor books over other pursuits. Her love for the young Russian, Fyedka, tests her father's love to the limit and provides the largest conflict in the story. The actor playing Chava must be able to display a wide emotional range. Vocal Range: Bb3 - Cb5 Motel Motel is the young tailor enamored of Tzeitel. He is an endearing sort of Woody Allen type. He needn't be a great singer, but should be able to dance at his wedding. A young man with good comic timing and a vulnerable quality is ideal. Perchik Perchik is a young student who leans toward a revolutionary, or as Tevye calls him, "A radical." Your Perchik should be able to hold his own with Tevye. Being a strong character, he clashes with Tevye idealistically, but is likable, charming, and ultimately, a member of the family. Vocal Range: Bb3 - Bb5 Lazar Wolf Lazar Wolf is, by trade, a butcher. Lazar should probably be a large boy, but, frequently, opposites are funny. A kid of any size can pull off this part, but must be a little bit repugnant. Tzeitel is frightened to marry Lazar Wolf and she should have reason to be so. Lazar Wolf has featured singing in, "To Life" and must be able to sell the song. Vocal Range: A3 - C5 Constable The Constable is the local sheriff representing the anti-Semitic Russian government. Take care to cast an actor who can provide a sense of threat, foreboding, and conflict. The Constable is a complex character who is conflicted over his relative goodwill toward individuals in the Jewish community and his duty to harass them. This is a non-singing role that requires a good, strong actor. Fyedka Fyedka is a young Russian soldier who falls in love with Chava. Look for a young man who might look distinctly Russian, trying to contrast his look as a Gentile who enters the Jewish world as an outsider. He should be a strong actor, but needn't be a singer. Shprintze and Bielke Shprintze and Bielke are the youngest daughters of Tevye and Golde. They are considerably younger than the three "matchmaker" daughters. They have only a few lines, but are featured in quite a few scenes. They need to be able to carry a tune in the group songs. The Fiddler The Fiddler must be a young person who can hold the attention of an entire audience with movement, facial expression, and dance. As the title character, the Fiddler must be the physical embodiment of the theme of the show. Freedom of movement and expression are the keys to casting your Fiddler. The Fiddler is a silent, lead role. Yente Yente is your matchmaker. Try to cast a young woman who can capture the quintessential feel of the Jewish matchmaker, without necessarily making her a stereotype. She should be able to play older. She's not elderly, but mature. The Villagers The Villagers group can be as large as your stage can safely accommodate. They are the faces of Anatevka. This character group insures that you can cast any young person who auditions, regardless of their talent level or experience. The Russians The Russians are soldiers under the command of the Constable. This is a good group to case your least experienced auditioners. One, Sasha, has two lines. They needn't be singers, but can sing in a group numbers from offstage if they are able.

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. - Broadway Junior | Hal Leonard Menu LEARN MORE About Broadway Junior What Comes With the Showkit®? How to License a Broadway Junior Musical Order an Audio Sampler Frequently Asked Questions 60-Min.ute Musicals [JR.] 60-Minute Musicals 13 Jr. Alice In Wonderland Jr. (Disney) Aladdin Jr. (Disney) Annie Jr. Beauty and the Beast Jr. (Disney) The Big One-Oh! Jr. Bugsy Malone Jr. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. Dear Edwina Jr. Doctor Dolittle Jr. Dot & The Kangaroo Jr. The Drowsy Chaperone Jr. Elephant & Piggie's "We Are In A Play" Jr. Elf The Musical Jr. Fame Jr. Fiddler on the Roof Jr. Finding Nemo Jr. (Disney) Finian's Rainbow Jr. Flat Stanley Jr. Frozen Jr. (Disney) A Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens Jr. (Magic Tree House) Godspell Jr. Guys and Dolls Jr. Hairspray Jr. High School Musical Jr. (Disney) Honk! Jr. Into the Woods Jr. James and the Giant Peach Jr. (Roald Dahl) Junie B. Jones Jr. Legally Blonde Jr. The Lion King Jr. (Disney) The Little Mermaid Jr. (Disney) Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr. Mary Poppins Jr. (Disney/Cameron Mackintosh) Matilda Jr. (Roald Dahl) Mean Girls Jr. Moana Jr. (Disney) The Music Man Jr. My Son Pinocchio Jr. (Disney) Newsies Jr. (Disney) Oliver! Jr. Once on This Island Jr. Peter Pan Jr. (Broadway) The Phantom Tollbooth Jr. The Pirates of Penzance Jr. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. Seussical Jr. Shrek Jr. Singin' In The Rain Jr. Sister Act Jr. Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. Willy Wonka Jr. (Roald Dahl) Xanadu Jr. 30-Min.ute Musicals [KIDS] 30-Minute Musicals 101 Dalmatians KIDS (Disney) Aladdin KIDS (Disney) Annie KIDS Aristocats KIDS (Disney) Dinosaurs Before Dark KIDS (Magic Tree House) Finding Nemo KIDS (Disney) Frozen KIDS (Disney) The Jungle Book KIDS (Disney) The Knight at Dawn KIDS (Magic Tree House) The Lion King KIDS (Disney) The Music Man KIDS Pirates Past Noon KIDS (Magic Tree House) Seussical KIDS Willy Wonka KIDS (Roald Dahl) Winnie the Pooh KIDS (Disney) A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS Product Information Musical Numbers Cast of Characters Overview / Synopsis The holiday classic soars off the screen in this Broadway Junior, 60-minute musical adaptation of the beloved television special. Filled with holiday hits like "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "A Holly Jolly Christmas," Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer™ JR. features all of your favorite characters including Santa and Mrs. Claus, Hermey the Elf, Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster, Clarice, Yukon Cornelius and, of course, Rudolph. It's an adventure that teaches us that what makes you different can be what makes you special. Audio Sampler - HL00295321 $10.00 ShowKit - HL00295322 $695.00 This ShowKit includes: 30 Libretto/Vocal Books Piano/Vocal Score Director's Guide Choreography Videos Guide Vocal Tracks Performance Accompaniment Tracks Logo Pack (Coming Soon!) 60-Minute JR. Request Individual Components 00295313 - Piano/Vocal Score $40.00 00295310 - Director's Guide $100.00 00295314 - Libretto/Vocal Score $10.00 00295315 - Libretto/Vocal Score 10 Pak $75.00 00295321 - Audio Sampler $10.00 Hear A Sample MUSICAL NUMBERS A Holly Jolly Christmas Rudolph Intro Jingle, Jingle, Jingle When Santa Claus Gets Your Letter We're A Couple Of Misfits (Intro) We're A Couple Of Misfits (Continued) There's Always Tomorrow We Are Santa's Elves We're A Couple Of Misfits Fame And Fortune Silver And Gold The Most Wonderful Day Of The Year (The Island Of The Misfit Toys) There's Always Tomorrow (Reprise) Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree We Are Santa's Elves (Reprise) A Merry, Merry Christmas To You Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Cast of Characters Cast Size: Large (21 or more performers) Cast Type: Children Sam The story's narrator - and a snowman! Sam remembers the winter of "the big storm" - so well, in fact, that he decides to tell the whole story. Sam should be a strong singer and actor. As the narrator, the audience should understand every word Sam says! Choose an actor with a warm and welcoming stage presence for this important role. Vocal range top: C5 Vocal range bottom: B3 Santa Claus Needs no introduction! Choose a more mature actor with a great stage presence who can act, carry a tune, and completely embody this significant character role. Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: B3 Mrs. Claus Another classic Christmas character. Cast an actor in this role that can make strong character choices and can be kind but firm with her husband. Donner Rudolph's father and a proud member of the team who pulls Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. Donner does not sing a solo but should be a strong actor. It's great if he reads as older onstage and pairs well with Mrs. Donner. Mrs. Donner Rudolph's mother. She loves her son and even sets off to find Rudolph after he runs away. Mrs. Donner does not sing a solo, so cast a good actor who reads as older onstage and pairs well with Donner. Young Rudolph The hero of the story! This lovable misfit struggles to fit in due to his glowing, red nose. Young Rudolph should be a good actor and ideally appear younger onstage. Gender: Male Vocal range top: B4 Vocal range bottom: G#3 Rudolph The hero of the story! This lovable misfit struggles to fit in due to his glowing, red nose. Rudolph should be an excellent actor and singer, and he should be able to embody the emotional heart of the story. Gender: Male Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: A#3 Bumble The Abominable Snow Monster can either be a few students operating a puppet or one student costumed as the monster. Bumble does not sing a solo, so this role should feature an actor with a great stage presence. Hermey A bit of an odd elf - he doesn't want to make toys; he wants to be a dentist! Like Rudolph, Hermey is a misfit, and they become close friends over their shared outsider status. Cast a talented actor who can sing, act, and bring this dentist elf to life! Gender: Male Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: G#3 Boss Elf A great role for a student who is a natural leader and has good comedic instincts. Boss Elf grumbles about Hermey's interest in dentistry at first, but it's only because he cares so much about making perfect toys for Santa - he doesn't mean any harm. Cast a good actor in this role. Gender: Male Fireball One of the yearlings. He is not particularly nice to Rudolph after his glowing nose is revealed. Fireball does not sing a solo, so this is a great role for a good actor who may not have the strongest singing voice. Gender: Male Clarice A doe who takes a liking to Rudolph in spite of his glowing, red nose. She is kind to him and even goes to look for him after he runs away. Clarice sings "There's Always Tomorrow," so cast an actor with a great singing voice who is able to portray Clarice's kindness, patience, and gumption. Vocal range top: C5 Vocal range bottom: B3 Elves The Elves (including Elf 1, Elf 2, Elf 3, Elf4, and Aviator Elf) are Santa's helpers and the choral backbone of the show. Elves 1 - 4 sing solos, and Aviator Elf has a featured spoken line. Be sure to cast strong singers as Elves 1 - 4, and feel free to add as many additional Elves as students who want to be involved in your production! Gender: Female Vocal range top: B4 Vocal range bottom: A3 Coach Comet The coach in charge of training the yearlings. He is good at his job, even if he is a little gruff, and doesn't take kindly at all to Rudolph's glowing red nose. Coach Comet doesn't sing a solo, so cast a good actor in this role who will read as older onstage compared to the yearlings. Gender: Male Clarice's Father A great role for a newcomer to the stage. Although he does not sing a solo, his brief cameo really drives home that Rudolph is an outcast in Christmastown. Gender: Male Yukon Cornelius A prospector in the hunt for silver and gold, Yukon has a big personality and is not afraid of anything, including Bumble. Yukon sings "Fame And Fortune," but keep in mind that this song can be done in a character voice. The most important qualities for this performer are a commanding stage presence, the ability to make strong character choices, and a willingness to chew the scenery! Gender: Male Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: C4 King Moonracer A great cameo role. This character does not sing a solo but should embody a regal, authoritative presence onstage. King Moonracer cares about the Misfit Toys on the island and wants to help them find real homes. Cast a good actor in this role who can command the stage. Gender: Male Charlie-In-The-Box The sentry on the Island of Misfit Toys. Sad to be named Charlie instead of Jack, Charlie-in-the-Box has several important lines and a few solos. This is a great role for a good actor and singer who can project and speak clearly onstage. Vocal range top: B4 Vocal range bottom: C4 Dolly Lives on the Island of Misfit Toys. This small role includes a solo and a few lines - ideal for a talented new performer who's not quite ready for a lead role. Vocal range top: G4 Vocal range bottom: E4 Cowboy One of the Misfit Toys. They have a few featured lines and are perfect for younger performers who may be new to the stage. Vocal range top: G4 Vocal range bottom: E4 Train One of the Misfit Toys. They have a few featured lines and are perfect for younger performers who may be new to the stage. Plane One of the Misfit Toys. They have a few featured lines and are perfect for younger performers who may be new to the stage. Bird-Fish One of the Misfit Toys. They have a few featured lines and are perfect for younger performers who may be new to the stage. Spotted Elephant Lives on the Island of Misfit Toys. This role is perfect for a new performer. Ensemble Roles include: Herald Reporter, Chicago Reporter, Daily Mail Reporter, Daily News Reporter, Chronicler Reporter, Reindeer (including Reindeer 1, Reindeer 2, Reindeer 3), Elves (including Elf 1, Elf 2, Elf 3, Elf 4, and Aviator Elf), Yearlings, Misfit Toys

Disney's Beauty And The Beast Jr. - Broadway Junior | Hal Leonard Menu LEARN MORE About Broadway Junior What Comes With the Showkit®? How to License a Broadway Junior Musical Order an Audio Sampler Frequently Asked Questions 60-Min.ute Musicals [JR.] 60-Minute Musicals 13 Jr. Alice In Wonderland Jr. (Disney) Aladdin Jr. (Disney) Annie Jr. Beauty and the Beast Jr. (Disney) The Big One-Oh! Jr. Bugsy Malone Jr. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. Dear Edwina Jr. Doctor Dolittle Jr. Dot & The Kangaroo Jr. The Drowsy Chaperone Jr. Elephant & Piggie's "We Are In A Play" Jr. Elf The Musical Jr. Fame Jr. Fiddler on the Roof Jr. Finding Nemo Jr. (Disney) Finian's Rainbow Jr. Flat Stanley Jr. Frozen Jr. (Disney) A Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens Jr. (Magic Tree House) Godspell Jr. Guys and Dolls Jr. Hairspray Jr. High School Musical Jr. (Disney) Honk! Jr. Into the Woods Jr. James and the Giant Peach Jr. (Roald Dahl) Junie B. Jones Jr. Legally Blonde Jr. The Lion King Jr. (Disney) The Little Mermaid Jr. (Disney) Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr. Mary Poppins Jr. (Disney/Cameron Mackintosh) Matilda Jr. (Roald Dahl) Mean Girls Jr. Moana Jr. (Disney) The Music Man Jr. My Son Pinocchio Jr. (Disney) Newsies Jr. (Disney) Oliver! Jr. Once on This Island Jr. Peter Pan Jr. (Broadway) The Phantom Tollbooth Jr. The Pirates of Penzance Jr. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. Seussical Jr. Shrek Jr. Singin' In The Rain Jr. Sister Act Jr. Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. Willy Wonka Jr. (Roald Dahl) Xanadu Jr. 30-Min.ute Musicals [KIDS] 30-Minute Musicals 101 Dalmatians KIDS (Disney) Aladdin KIDS (Disney) Annie KIDS Aristocats KIDS (Disney) Dinosaurs Before Dark KIDS (Magic Tree House) Finding Nemo KIDS (Disney) Frozen KIDS (Disney) The Jungle Book KIDS (Disney) The Knight at Dawn KIDS (Magic Tree House) The Lion King KIDS (Disney) The Music Man KIDS Pirates Past Noon KIDS (Magic Tree House) Seussical KIDS Willy Wonka KIDS (Roald Dahl) Winnie the Pooh KIDS (Disney) A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS Product Information Musical Numbers Cast of Characters Credits Music by Alan Menken Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice Book by Linda Woolverton Overview / Synopsis Based on the original Broadway production that ran for over thirteen years and was nominated for nine Tony Awards, and the Academy Award-winning motion picture, Disney's Beauty and the Beast JR. is a fantastic adaptation of the story of transformation and tolerance. Disney's Beauty and the Beast JR. features some of the most popular songs ever written by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, along with new songs by Mr. Menken and Tim Rice. Audio Sampler - HL00403278 $10.00 ShowKit - HL00403279 $695.00 This ShowKit includes: 30 Libretto/Vocal Books Piano/Vocal Score Director's Guide Choreography Videos Guide Vocal Tracks Performance Accompaniment Tracks Logo Pack (Coming Soon!) 60-Minute JR. Request Individual Components 00403269 - Piano/Vocal Score $40.00 00403268 - Director's Guide $100.00 00403273 - Libretto/Vocal Score $10.00 00403274 - Libretto/Vocal Score 10 Pak $75.00 00403278 - Audio Sampler $10.00 Hear A Sample MUSICAL NUMBERS Prologue Belle Maurice's Entrance Into the Forest Stranger in the House Maurice and the Beast Belle (Reprise) You Follow Me! Home Home (Tag) Gaston Gaston (Reprise) Be Our Guest Something There Human Again Beauty and the Beast The Mob Song The Battle Fight in the West Wing Home (Reprise) Transformation Finale Bows Cast of Characters Cast Size: Medium (11 to 20 performers) Cast Type: Star Vehicle Female Dance Requirements: Standard Belle Belle is a smart, confident young woman from a small village. You will want a strong singer and actress who is able to stand up to Gaston while showing compassion for Maurice, the Servants and eventually the Beast. If there are several female students in your school who could perform the role, consider casting two girls to play Belle on alternating nights. Gender: Female Vocal range top: F5 Vocal range bottom: G3 Beast The Beast is a young prince who was hideously transformed by the Enchantress's spell. Casting for size is not as important as choosing a student who can handle this complex character: a dictator, a hurt child, a hero, a defender and a smitten prince. Cast an actor who can deliver a range of conflicting emotional states. Although the Beast does sing a small bit during "Something There" and the "Finale," this is truly an acting role (and his lyrics can be spoken if you cast a non-singer). If you choose to cast the Prince separately from the Beast, the Prince would end up singing the Beast's lines in the "Finale." Gender: Male Vocal range top: E5 Vocal range bottom: B3 Narrators The Narrators provide great opportunities to involve students who are more comfortable speaking than singing. The script is written to feature four Narrators, but you can incorporate more students (or fewer) depending on the size of your cast. Be sure the students you choose for these roles can enunciate and project, as they guide the focus and pace of this beautiful tale. These roles are non-singing, but the actors can also be a part of your ensemble. Gender: Any Old Beggar Woman/Enchantress The Old Beggar Woman/Enchantress should be portrayed by an actor with a flair for the visually dramatic as this is a non-speaking role. Her transformation in the Prologue needs to entice the audience into the story. After the Prologue, this student may join the ensemble as a Villager or castle Servant. Gender: Female Gaston Gaston is pompous and dim-witted and will do whatever it takes to win Belle's hand. Gaston has all the confidence in the world but lacks the humility to balance it. Finding a strong singer and actor is more important than physical size and stature for this role. He has to be able to sell his big eponymous number with gusto and arrogance as well as lead the Villagers in "The Mob Song." Biceps can be added to the costume, but the bravura needs to come from within. Gender: Male Vocal range top: F5 Vocal range bottom: A3 Maurice Maurice is an aging and eccentric inventor, but more importantly, the adoring and protective father of Belle. This non-solo singing role is perfect for the student who can have fun interpreting this crazy old man while conveying some very strong emotions: fear and fatherly love. Gender: Male Lefou Lefou is Gaston's equally dim-witted lackey. This character needs to be Gaston's foil and should double the laughs for them both. Consider auditioning Lefou and Gaston in pairs to find the right chemistry. Lefou should be able to sing, act and dance. Choose a student who has some gymnastics training if you wish to embed tumbling into Lefou's movement. Gender: Male Vocal range top: E5 Vocal range bottom: B3 Les Filles De La Ville Les Filles De La Ville are in love with Gaston and will do almost anything just to be near him. Look for three girls who can portray the comic nature of these roles and enjoy playing off each other. Les Filles De La Ville sing together in three numbers and their sound should mix well. Gender: Female Vocal range top: F5 Vocal range bottom: C4 Lumiere Lumiere is a confident, charming French mâitre d who (under the enchantress's spell) is becoming a candelabra. He has an incessant bickering rapport with Cogsworth, so consider auditioning in pairs to find a good fit. Lumiere should be a strong singer who can light up the stage in "Be Our Guest." If you have a student who can handle the French accent, fantastic! This role covers a range of emotions (from charming entertainer to brave soldier) and requires prominent song and dance, so try to cast a strong, versatile performer.is a self-confident, charming, French mâitre d' who (under the Enhantress's spell) is becoming a candelabra. He has a never-ending give-and-take with Cogsworth, so the student playing Lumiere must work well with the child you cast for that role. Consider auditioning in pairs. Lumiere should be a strong singer who can "light up" the stage in "Be Our Guest." If you have a child who can handle the French accent, fantastic! This role covers a range of emotions (from charming entertainer to brave soldier) and requires prominent song and dance, so try to cast a strong, reliable performer. Gender: Male Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: A3 Cogsworth Cogsworth is the British major-domo of the castle who is becoming a clock. Like all of the castle's Servants, he shows a fatherly compassion for Belle yet is perfectly submissive to the master, the Beast. Cogsworth enjoys feeling like the boss and has no problem getting into it with Lumiere. Cast a strong actor and singer who can act in charge. Gender: Male Vocal range top: E5 Vocal range bottom: A3 Mrs. Potts Mrs. Potts is the castle's endearing cook who is becoming a teapot. The actor you cast needs a strong, sweet voice and should be able to convey comforting, maternal qualities amidst the chaos that is breaking out in the castle. Look for a student who can play a loving mother figure to all the characters. Gender: Female Vocal range top: E5 Vocal range bottom: F3 Chip Chip is Mrs. Potts's son who is becoming a teacup. You may cast a younger student for this role, but it is not imperative. Chip has a wonderful naïveté that endears him to all of the Servants. Cast an actor who can portray the honesty and spirit of a child and is comfortable trying to sing Chip's few solo lines. Gender: Male Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: D4 Madame De La Grande Bouche Madame De La Grande Bouche is an opera singer who is becoming a wardrobe. Madame is larger-than-life in everything she does, including her singing and dancing. Look for that student who can portray the ultimate diva with a heart with an outsized personality and voice. Madame has some harmony lines with Mrs. Potts and Babette, so cast a singer who can hold her own but knows when to pull back in order to sound good with the others. Gender: Female Vocal range top: C5 Vocal range bottom: A3 Babette Babette is the maid of the castle who is turning into a feather duster. She misses the finer things in life. Babette is happy to be at Belle's service at a moment's notice, but her true heart comes through in Human Again. Look for a good actor with solid vocal skills to handle Babette's harmonies. Gender: Female Vocal range top: B4 Vocal range bottom: A3 Monsieur D'Arque Monsieur D'Arque is a sinister townsman who works for Gaston. Cast an actor who can believably exude his sinister personality. Although Monsieur D'Arque has few lines of solo singing in "The Mob Song," this is primarily a non-singing role, so look for a solid actor first. Monsieur D'Arque can double as a Servant in the rest of the show. Gender: Male Servants The Servants of the castle can include Statues, a Dust Pan, Flatware, Plates, an Egg Timer, Napkins, a Carpet, Salt & Pepper Shakers and any other household (or castle hold items) you and your cast can imagine. These enchanted characters are the Rockettes of the castle. They should be able to handle a potentially awkward costume while singing and dancing in two big production numbers. These roles can also accommodate multiple ages if you are looking to augment your cast with some young students. Gender: Any Villagers The Villagers are the inhabitants of Belle's town. There are some featured solos and lines that will come from this ensemble (Bookseller, Baker, etc.). The group must provide vocal power throughout the show and dance in the production numbers, so be sure to cast performers with a wide base of ability. These actors can double as the castle Servants if needed. Gender: Any

Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach Jr. - Broadway Junior | Hal Leonard Menu LEARN MORE About Broadway Junior What Comes With the Showkit®? How to License a Broadway Junior Musical Order an Audio Sampler Frequently Asked Questions 60-Min.ute Musicals [JR.] 60-Minute Musicals 13 Jr. Alice In Wonderland Jr. (Disney) Aladdin Jr. (Disney) Annie Jr. Beauty and the Beast Jr. (Disney) The Big One-Oh! Jr. Bugsy Malone Jr. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. Dear Edwina Jr. Doctor Dolittle Jr. Dot & The Kangaroo Jr. The Drowsy Chaperone Jr. Elephant & Piggie's "We Are In A Play" Jr. Elf The Musical Jr. Fame Jr. Fiddler on the Roof Jr. Finding Nemo Jr. (Disney) Finian's Rainbow Jr. Flat Stanley Jr. Frozen Jr. (Disney) A Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens Jr. (Magic Tree House) Godspell Jr. Guys and Dolls Jr. Hairspray Jr. High School Musical Jr. (Disney) Honk! Jr. Into the Woods Jr. James and the Giant Peach Jr. (Roald Dahl) Junie B. Jones Jr. Legally Blonde Jr. The Lion King Jr. (Disney) The Little Mermaid Jr. (Disney) Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr. Mary Poppins Jr. (Disney/Cameron Mackintosh) Matilda Jr. (Roald Dahl) Mean Girls Jr. Moana Jr. (Disney) The Music Man Jr. My Son Pinocchio Jr. (Disney) Newsies Jr. (Disney) Oliver! Jr. Once on This Island Jr. Peter Pan Jr. (Broadway) The Phantom Tollbooth Jr. The Pirates of Penzance Jr. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. Seussical Jr. Shrek Jr. Singin' In The Rain Jr. Sister Act Jr. Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. Willy Wonka Jr. (Roald Dahl) Xanadu Jr. 30-Min.ute Musicals [KIDS] 30-Minute Musicals 101 Dalmatians KIDS (Disney) Aladdin KIDS (Disney) Annie KIDS Aristocats KIDS (Disney) Dinosaurs Before Dark KIDS (Magic Tree House) Finding Nemo KIDS (Disney) Frozen KIDS (Disney) The Jungle Book KIDS (Disney) The Knight at Dawn KIDS (Magic Tree House) The Lion King KIDS (Disney) The Music Man KIDS Pirates Past Noon KIDS (Magic Tree House) Seussical KIDS Willy Wonka KIDS (Roald Dahl) Winnie the Pooh KIDS (Disney) A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS Product Information Musical Numbers Cast of Characters Credits Book by Timothy Allen McDonald Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul Based on the book James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl Overview / Synopsis Based on one of Roald Dahl's most poignantly quirky stories, Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach JR. is a brand new take on this "masterpeach" of a tale. Featuring a wickedly tuneful score and a witty and charming book, this adventurous musical about courage and self-discovery is destined to be a classic. When James is sent by his conniving aunts to chop down their old fruit tree, he discovers a magic potion that grows a tremendous peach, rolls into the ocean and launches a journey of enormous proportions. James befriends a collection of singing insects that ride the giant piece of fruit across the ocean, facing hunger, sharks and plenty of disagreements along the way. The possibilities for creative costuming and puppetry abound, and young actors will love playing the outlandish and larger-than-life human and insect characters. Audio Sampler - HL01132422 $10.00 ShowKit - HL01132421 $695.00 This ShowKit includes: 30 Libretto/Vocal Books Piano/Vocal Score Directo's Guide Choreography Videos Guide Vocal Tracks Performance Accompaniment Tracks Logo Pack (Coming Soon!) 60-Minute JR. Request Individual Components 01132417 - Director's Guide $100.00 01132418 - Piano/Vocal Score $40.00 01132419 - Libretto/Vocal Score $10.00 01132420 - Libretto/Vocal Score 10-Pak $75.00 01132422 - Audio Sampler $10.00 Hear A Sample Overture Right Before Your Eyes On Your Way Home Shake It Up There's Money On That Tree Our Adventure Begins Floatin' Along A Getaway for Spiker and Sponge Everywhere That You Are I Got You Plump and Juicy Empire State/The Attack Welcome Home Curtain Call Cast of Characters Cast Size: Large (21 or more performers) Cast Type: Children Dance Requirements: Standard James James is the hero of our story, on an epic quest to find a family of his own and gain confidence in himself. Cast a young boy with an unchanged voice and someone who has great acting instincts. Make sure he can win over an audience and is comfortable being onstage. Gender: Male Vocal range top: E5 Vocal range bottom: G#3 Ladahlord Ladahlord is a mysterious character who seems to have a hand in the magical things that are happening. Though he may seem a bit off, he carefully watches over James, making sure James moves towards to a better life. Ladahlord also serves as a guiding narrator throughout the story. This is a perfect role for a charismatic young actor who can sing and dance well. Gender: Male Vocal range top: Gb5 Vocal range bottom: G3 Centipede Centipede may be a bit of grouch, but he is ever-loyal to the pack, and by the end of the story, he's won over by James. James sees Centipede as that cranky uncle with a heart of gold. Centipede should have a good singing voice, and be able to make strong, specific acting choices. Gender: Male Vocal range top: F#5 Vocal range bottom: G3 Grasshopper Grasshopper, the leader of the Insects, is ever the optimist and assumes a paternal role in James'life. Cast a performer who can sing and act well, but foremost has a warm, inviting presence. Gender: Male Vocal range top: F#5 Vocal range bottom: A3 Angry Crowd The Angry Crowd is in search of the amazing giant peach, but they quickly turn into an angry mob when the peach is nowhere to be found. These ensemble parts are easy to cast from any of your company. Gender: Any Earthworm Earthworm is a gentle spirit, although he can be a bit of a coward. Luckily, he gains enough courage to save the day by baiting some gullible seagulls. Earthworm looks at James as a brother figure. Cast a performer who can sing well, and more importantly, someone who isn't afraid of being a little outlandish. Gender: Male Vocal range top: A5 Vocal range bottom: B3 Spiker and Sponge Spiker and Sponge are the sort of aunts (or monsters) that you fear ever being stuck with. They take James into their home but only so that he can be their own personal servant. Spiker is the brains of the operation, and Sponge is more concerned with finding something to eat. These are great character roles for two young performers who are fantastic singers and actors. To play into the humor, cast a duo that contrasts completely in physical appearance. Gender: Female Vocal range top: E5 Vocal range bottom: F3 Ladybug Ladybug immediately takes on a doting, maternal role in James'life. This is a fantastic role for a performer with a great singing voice and a regal demeanor. Gender: Female Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: A3 Vagrants The Vagrants, including Doreen Driggles, Ridgley Rapscallion, Violet Funkschmeller, and Chris Cryermouth are an ensemble of have-nots to support Spiker and Sponge's treacherous plans. These ensemble roles are important for making up the world of the musical. The Passing Man, Man (with wallet) and Passing Woman all have featured moments where they fall victim to Spiker and Sponge. Gender: Any Spider Spider is a clever creature who becomes a fun-loving older sister to James. A young woman with a spunky personality and a great voice is a perfect choice for the role. Gender: Female Vocal range top: C5 Vocal range bottom: B3 Matron Nurse The Matron Nurse runs the Painswick Orphanage, and you definitely get a sense she hasn't had a vacation in years. This is a great acting role for a young woman who can command a room. Gender: Female Sharks And Seagulls The Sharks and Seagulls are featured in "Plump and Juicy." Cast strong movers and dancers in these roles. Gender: Any Reporters The Reporters, including Ida Walters, are on the scene just as the peach is becoming larger than life. Cast a group of energetic performers. Gender: Any New Yorkers New Yorkers, including the Screaming Women, Lucille Van Kooglestein, Bunny Mackenzie The Third, Jake and Joe all witness the peach land directly on the Empire State Building and are sent into a panic! Cast a handful of characters for these cameo roles. Gender: Any Zoo Crowd Mr. Trotter, Mrs. Trotter, Karl Kreatour and the Zoo Crowd are all part of James' nightmare. These are small, featured roles, so feel free to cast from your ensemble. Gender: Any Farm Animals, Willy Wonka And Oompa-Loompas Farm Animals, Willy Wonka and Oompa-Loompas are all in harm's way as the peach outgrows its stem and rolls towards the ocean. These are very fun cameo roles for performers with personality. Gender: Any Hollywood Agents The Hollywood Agents, led by Buzz, jump in on the success of the growing peach with movie and Broadway deals for Spiker and Sponge. Like the Reporters, this is a fun group to cast with some lively performers. Gender: Any Billy and Bobby Bobby-Cop Billy and Bobby Bobby-Cop are a perfectly unified pair of cops working for Scotland Yard. This is fun cameo role for two performers who work well together. Gender: Male Ladies Bitsy Botana and the rest of the Ladies' Garden Guild are in flowery frocks and hats, intent on having Spiker and Sponge give the keynote speech at their conference. A few young performers with good voices will do the trick. Gender: Female Cruise Ensemble The Cruise Ensemble are various vacationers en route to New York with Spiker and Sponge. Use anyone from your ensemble to fill out the scene! Gender: Any Garden Chorus The Garden Chorus comes to life in "Shake It Up" as Ladahlord mixes a magical potion. This is a great place to cast kids of various skill level and get them excited about musical theater. Gender: Any

Elf The Musical Jr. - Broadway Junior | Hal Leonard Menu LEARN MORE About Broadway Junior What Comes With the Showkit®? How to License a Broadway Junior Musical Order an Audio Sampler Frequently Asked Questions 60-Min.ute Musicals [JR.] 60-Minute Musicals 13 Jr. Alice In Wonderland Jr. (Disney) Aladdin Jr. (Disney) Annie Jr. Beauty and the Beast Jr. (Disney) The Big One-Oh! Jr. Bugsy Malone Jr. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. Dear Edwina Jr. Doctor Dolittle Jr. Dot & The Kangaroo Jr. The Drowsy Chaperone Jr. Elephant & Piggie's "We Are In A Play" Jr. Elf The Musical Jr. Fame Jr. Fiddler on the Roof Jr. Finding Nemo Jr. (Disney) Finian's Rainbow Jr. Flat Stanley Jr. Frozen Jr. (Disney) A Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens Jr. (Magic Tree House) Godspell Jr. Guys and Dolls Jr. Hairspray Jr. High School Musical Jr. (Disney) Honk! Jr. Into the Woods Jr. James and the Giant Peach Jr. (Roald Dahl) Junie B. Jones Jr. Legally Blonde Jr. The Lion King Jr. (Disney) The Little Mermaid Jr. (Disney) Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr. Mary Poppins Jr. (Disney/Cameron Mackintosh) Matilda Jr. (Roald Dahl) Mean Girls Jr. Moana Jr. (Disney) The Music Man Jr. My Son Pinocchio Jr. (Disney) Newsies Jr. (Disney) Oliver! Jr. Once on This Island Jr. Peter Pan Jr. (Broadway) The Phantom Tollbooth Jr. The Pirates of Penzance Jr. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. Seussical Jr. Shrek Jr. Singin' In The Rain Jr. Sister Act Jr. Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. Willy Wonka Jr. (Roald Dahl) Xanadu Jr. 30-Min.ute Musicals [KIDS] 30-Minute Musicals 101 Dalmatians KIDS (Disney) Aladdin KIDS (Disney) Annie KIDS Aristocats KIDS (Disney) Dinosaurs Before Dark KIDS (Magic Tree House) Finding Nemo KIDS (Disney) Frozen KIDS (Disney) The Jungle Book KIDS (Disney) The Knight at Dawn KIDS (Magic Tree House) The Lion King KIDS (Disney) The Music Man KIDS Pirates Past Noon KIDS (Magic Tree House) Seussical KIDS Willy Wonka KIDS (Roald Dahl) Winnie the Pooh KIDS (Disney) A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS Product Information Musical Numbers Cast of Characters Credits Book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin Music by Matthew Sklar Lyrics by Chad Beguelin Based on the New Line Cinema film written by David Berenbaum Overview / Synopsis A title known the world over, Elf The Musical JR. is a must-produce holiday musical that can easily become an annual tradition for any theatre. Based on the cherished 2003 New Line Cinema hit, Elf JR. features songs by TONY Award nominees Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin (Disney's Aladdin On Broadway, The Wedding Singer), with a book by TONY Award winners Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone). Buddy, a young orphan mistakenly crawls into Santa's bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is raised unaware that he is actually a human, until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa's permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Faced with the harsh reality that his father is on the naughty list, and his stepbrother doesn't even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas. This modern day holiday classic is sure to make everyone young performer embrace their inner elf. After all, the best way to spread Christmas Cheer is singing loud for all to hear. Audio Sampler - HL00147944 $10.00 ShowKit - HL00147934 $695.00 This ShowKit includes: Production Guide Director's Guide P/V Vocal Score 30 Actor's Scripts 2 Rehearsal CDs 2 Accompaniment CDs Media Disc Choreographic DVD Cross-curricular Guide 30 Family Matters Booklets 60-Minute JR. Request Individual Components 00147935 - Director's Guide $100.00 00147936 - Piano/Vocal Score $40.00 00147937 - Actor's Script $10.00 00147938 - Actor's Script 10-pak $75.00 00147939 - Performance/Accompaniment CD pack $75.00 00147940 - Student Rehearsal CD $10.00 00147941 - Student Rehearsal CD 20-pak $100.00 00147942 - Choreography DVD $50.00 00147943 - Media Disc $10.00 00147944 - Audio Sampler $10.00 Hear A Sample SCENE 1 Happy All the Time [Santa, Elves, Buddy] SCENE 1/2 World's Greatest Dad [Buddy, New Yorkers] SCENE 4 Sparklejollytwinklejingley [Buddy, Macy's Employees, Manager, Jovie] SCENE 5 I'll Believe in You [Michael, Emily] SCENE 7 A Christmas Song [Buddy, Jovie, Crowd] SCENE 8 World's Greatest Dad (Reprise) [Buddy, Carolers] SCENE 9 Never Fall in Love (with an Elf) [Jovie] SCENE 10 There Is a Santa Claus [Michael, Emily, New Yorkers] SCENE 11 The Story of Buddy [Buddy, Michael, Emily, Mr. Greenway, Deb, Matthews, Chadwick, Sam, Sarah, Walter] SCENE 13 A Christmas Song (Reprise) [Entire Cast] Sparklejollytwinklejingley (Reprise) [Entire Cast] Santa Claus Santa Claus has a lot on his plate during the Christmas season, and it is starting to show. He is annoyed with the Elves, tired of lying to Buddy and sad that people seem to be losing their Christmas spirit. He is still the same jolly old St. Nick underneath it all, but the job is getting to him. This is a great role for a character performer who can play an older (and somewhat cranky) man while trying hard to keep his holiday spirit. Vocal Range: Bb3 - D5 Buddy Buddy is the perfect elf! He's good-natured, he means well, and he's happy... all the time. There's only one problem. He's not an elf - he's an adult human. This role is perfect for a young man who is an excellent actor and good singer who has the energetic earnestness and comedic timing that Buddy needs. It's helpful to cast an actor who is taller than the other Elves. This will help differentiate Buddy and adds to the humor of the show. Vocal Range: B3 - G5 Elves The Elves are Santa's special helpers who love their job making toys to meet their Christmas Eve deadline. These roles are great for younger performers, or for those who can embody a youthful spirit, enjoy singing and work well together as a group. Vocal Ranges: Solo Elf 1: F#4 - C5, Solo Elf 2: G4 - Bb5 Charlie Charlie is in charge of monitoring the other Elves, making sure every present is wrapped and every bow is tied. Cast a young performer with a good speaking voice, someone who is comfortable taking command of the stage and has authority over the rest of the Elves, but always remains friendly. Vocal Range: Speaking role Shawanda Shawanda is a dependable and caring elf. She will do whatever she can to help out others, including Buddy, even though she accidentally reveals that he is a human. Cast a good actress with a clear speaking voice for this very important moment in the story. Vocal Range: Speaking Role Sam Sam is one of Walter's Office Staff who is in a bind at the top of the show. A young performer with a good speaking voice and strong character choices will do the trick. Vocal Range: Speaking Role Walter Hobbs Walter Hobbs, Buddy's real father, is so focused on keeping his job that he is not making time for his family. He can be stern and unemotional at times, but ultimately he learns to recommit to his family. Cast a great actor with a strong, authoritative presence, but be sure they can also show his softer side. Vocal Range: B3 - E5 Deb Deb, Walter's secretary, has the big responsibility of keeping her boss and the whole office happy. She does this by sharing her positive attitude with everyone. This is a plum role for a young woman with a pleasant demeanor, yet efficient work ethic, who is a solid actor with a good speaking voice. Emily Hobbs Emily Hobbs is Walter's devoted wife who would prefer her husband to spend a little more time at home. She is a problem solver and an excellent mother who is doing everything she can to provide a positive family dynamic. Cast an excellent actress and singer who effortlessly conveys a sense of maturity and warmth. Vocal Range: G3 - D5 Michael Hobbs Michael Hobbs is the smarter-than-average 12-year-old son of Walter and Emily. He quickly befriends his new adult brother, Buddy, and does everything he can to make sure Buddy becomes a permanent part of the family. Look for a solid young actor and singer with an unchanged voice. Vocal Range: G3 - D5 Security Guard 1 and 2 Security Guard 1 and 2 are a stern duo from Walter's office, making sure everyone who enters has permission. Cast a duo that works well together and fits the bill for a tough pair. Vocal Range: Speaking Role Saleswoman The saleswoman is the first person to greet Buddy as he enters Macy's. She's the consummate sales person: smiling, overfriendly, and always trying to sell something. This is a great ensemble role for a young woman with little stage experience. Vocal Range: Speaking Role Manager The Manager is a terrific featured acting role for a performer with good comedic timing. As the manager of Macy's, he's doing everything he can to make sure all the employees stay in line. Vocal Range: Speaking Role Jovie Jovie works as a store elf at Macy's, but don't be mistaken - she doesn't quite exude the Christmas spirit. She's kind of cynical, a bit tough around the edges, and now the target of Buddy's complete adoration. This is a fantastic role for a young woman with a strong singing voice and acting chops. Vocal Range: G3 - Db5 Santa's Helper Santa's Helper works as a Macy's Employee and announces when each kid gets to visit with Santa. This is a good ensemble role for a performer with a loud voice. Vocal Range: Speaking Role Fake Santa Fake Santa is a poor replacement for the real Santa. He's an employee of Macy's who is a bit rough around the edges. Fake Santa should be played by a performer who is unafraid of being a little over-the-top and has good physical control of his body. Vocal Range: Speaking Role Policeman 1 and 2 Policeman 1 and 2 are a friendly pair of cops who return Buddy to the Hobbs household. These are perfect featured roles for two ensemble members. Vocal Range: Speaking Roles Sarah Sarah is a staff member at Walter's office. This is a nice role for a less experienced actor with a good singing voice. Vocal Range: Speaking Role Mr. Greenway Mr. Greenway is one of the crankiest businessmen around. He is the big boss, so look for an older student with a commanding presence to tackle this acting role. Vocal Range: Speaking Role Chadwick and Matthews Chadwick and Matthews are staff members at Walter's office who are doing everything they can think of to save the day and make their boss happy. Cast a pair of good character actors who work well with each other and are able to drive the action of scenes. Vocal Range: Speaking Roles Charlotte Dennon Charlotte Dennon is a TV reporter with a big personality. She does her best to keep her professional persona in public and doesn't like being shown up. This is a great role for a young woman with professional charisma and someone who can make strong acting choices. Vocal Range: A3 to A4 Finale Soloists 1, 2, 3, and 4 Finale Soloists 1,2,3 and 4 are good roles to highlight four of your strong solos singers. Vocal Ranges: Solo 1: D4 - B4, Solo 2: D4 - B4, Solo 3: D4 - F#4, Solo 4: B3 - G#4 Darlene Lambert and Emma Van Brocklin Darlene Lambert and Emma Van Brocklin are on the scene in Central Park and are convinced of Santa's magic after Buddy reveals their past Christmas gifts. Look for two young ladies with nice singing voices and some acting experience to take on these small, but featured, roles. Ensemble New Yorkers, Comforting New Yorker, Macy's Employees, Macy's Employee 1, Member of the Rockefeller Crowd, Office Staff, Business Woman, Flyer guys, Teenager, Jogger, Carolers, Passerby, Children and Parents are all important roles for creating the distinct worlds of the North Pole and New York City. These roles can all be double cast from your ensemble, and it's important to remind your young performers that the stronger and more specific their character choices, the richer and more vivid the story becomes. Vocal Range: Comforting New Yorker: F4 - C5

Dot and The Kangaroo Jr. - Broadway Junior | Hal Leonard Menu LEARN MORE About Broadway Junior What Comes With the Showkit®? How to License a Broadway Junior Musical Order an Audio Sampler Frequently Asked Questions 60-Min.ute Musicals [JR.] 60-Minute Musicals 13 Jr. Alice In Wonderland Jr. (Disney) Aladdin Jr. (Disney) Annie Jr. Beauty and the Beast Jr. (Disney) The Big One-Oh! Jr. Bugsy Malone Jr. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. Dear Edwina Jr. Doctor Dolittle Jr. Dot & The Kangaroo Jr. The Drowsy Chaperone Jr. Elephant & Piggie's "We Are In A Play" Jr. Elf The Musical Jr. Fame Jr. Fiddler on the Roof Jr. Finding Nemo Jr. (Disney) Finian's Rainbow Jr. Flat Stanley Jr. Frozen Jr. (Disney) A Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens Jr. (Magic Tree House) Godspell Jr. Guys and Dolls Jr. Hairspray Jr. High School Musical Jr. (Disney) Honk! Jr. Into the Woods Jr. James and the Giant Peach Jr. (Roald Dahl) Junie B. Jones Jr. Legally Blonde Jr. The Lion King Jr. (Disney) The Little Mermaid Jr. (Disney) Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr. Mary Poppins Jr. (Disney/Cameron Mackintosh) Matilda Jr. (Roald Dahl) Mean Girls Jr. Moana Jr. (Disney) The Music Man Jr. My Son Pinocchio Jr. (Disney) Newsies Jr. (Disney) Oliver! Jr. Once on This Island Jr. Peter Pan Jr. (Broadway) The Phantom Tollbooth Jr. The Pirates of Penzance Jr. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. Seussical Jr. Shrek Jr. Singin' In The Rain Jr. Sister Act Jr. Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. Willy Wonka Jr. (Roald Dahl) Xanadu Jr. 30-Min.ute Musicals [KIDS] 30-Minute Musicals 101 Dalmatians KIDS (Disney) Aladdin KIDS (Disney) Annie KIDS Aristocats KIDS (Disney) Dinosaurs Before Dark KIDS (Magic Tree House) Finding Nemo KIDS (Disney) Frozen KIDS (Disney) The Jungle Book KIDS (Disney) The Knight at Dawn KIDS (Magic Tree House) The Lion King KIDS (Disney) The Music Man KIDS Pirates Past Noon KIDS (Magic Tree House) Seussical KIDS Willy Wonka KIDS (Roald Dahl) Winnie the Pooh KIDS (Disney) A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS Product Information Musical Numbers Cast of Characters Credits Music by Daniel Mertzlufft Lyrics by Kate Leonard Libretto by Daniel Stoddart Overview / Synopsis Based on the 1899 classic children's novel, with libretto by Daniel Stoddart, music by Daniel Mertzlufft (Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical, Breathe), and lyrics by Kate Leonard (Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical, Breathe), Dot & the Kangaroo JR. will lead audiences on a beautiful journey into the world and spirit of Australia. Young, rambunctious Dot longs for an adventure exploring everything the country has to offer. When she finds herself lost and afraid in the darkening Australian bush, Dot befriends a wise mother Kangaroo who enlists the help of Australia's favourite bush creatures to help Dot find her way back home. A charming tale full of quirky Aussie-native characters, Dot & the Kangaroo JR. transforms the endearing story that transfixed generations past into a fresh, new adventure for generations to come. Audio Sampler - HL01241752 $10.00 ShowKit - HL01241747 $695.00 This ShowKit includes: 30 Actor's Book Piano/Vocal Score Director's Guide Choreography Videos (Digital) Guide Vocal Tracks (Digital) Performance Tracks (Digital) Downloadable Resources and Media 60-Minute JR. Request Individual Components 01241747 - ShowKit $695.00 01241748 - Director's Guide $100.00 01241750 - Actor's Book (Single) $10.00 01241751 - Actor's Script (10 Pak) $75.00 01241752 - Audio Sampler $10.00 MUSICAL NUMBERS Prologue Everything, But Nothing Without You See The Country On Our Way Bottoms Up At The Waterhole The Lullaby King Of The Burrow The Ladies' Lounge Council Of The Animals (Part 1) Council Of The Animals (Part 2) Dot's Testimony See The Country (Reprise) Finale Cast of Characters Cast Size: Large (21 or more performers) Cast Type: Children Dot A smart, brave, and kind 8-year-old girl who lives with her family in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales in 1815 Australia. Quick- witted Dot is tired of doing chores and longs for an adventure. Dot is a major role with lots of stage time and carries her own song. Cast a strong singer and actor in this role who reads as younger onstage and makes a good team with Mrs. Kangaroo. Gender: Female Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: A3 Mrs. Kangaroo Wise, nurturing, and driven. Though she doesn't trust the "new humans," she is willing to help Dot get home as she searches for her missing Joey. Cast a strong singer and actor in this role who will pair well with Dot and can portray Mrs. Kangaroo's compassionate nature and strength of resolve while allowing her sense of humor to shine through. Gender: Female Vocal range top: E5 Vocal range bottom: B3 Matilda Dot's older sister. She loves her family and understands that they work as a team, with everyone contributing to their life in Australia - even if some of the jobs that need to get done aren't as exciting as having an adventure. Cast a good singer and actor in this role who reads as older than Dot onstage. Gender: Female Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: C4 May Dot's mother. Though she doesn't survive past the first scene, she has a small solo holding Dot as a baby. This is a good role for a performer who may be new to the stage but can handle a solo. Whoever plays May should join the rest of the ensemble after her scene. Gender: Female Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: D4 Henry Dot and Matilda's father. Though he sadly lost his wife, May, he loves his children and works hard to provide for the family. Cast a good singer and actor in this role who pairs well with Dot and Matilda and can depict Henry's hard-working, good nature. Gender: Male Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: C4 Willie Wagtail A bird first onstage in puppet form but later leads the courtroom during Dot's trial. He is a know-it-all and considers himself an expert on the court of law because he built a nest in the Gabble-Babble Courthouse and has listened to many trials. Willie doesn't sing a solo, so cast a performer who can express Willie's self-important attitude and command the courtroom. Gender: Male Larry Lorikeet Larry Lorikeet, Mal Magpie Goose, and Wazza Waterheron are the best of waterhole friends and lead the rousing hoedown "Bottoms Up At The Waterhole." These three function as a unit, so cast character actors with excellent comic timing who can move well and easily play off one another. Vocal range top: E5 Vocal range bottom: E3 Lillian, Lilith, and Leilani (The 3 L's) Lorena's friends who sing backup for her during "So Lame." Cast performers who can match Lorena's teenage attitude and are comfortable singing tight harmonies. Gender: Female Vocal range top: E5 Vocal range bottom: F#4 Mal Magpie Goose Larry Lorikeet, Mal Magpie Goose, and Wazza Waterheron are the best of waterhole friends and lead the rousing hoedown "Bottoms Up At The Waterhole." These three function as a unit, so cast character actors with excellent comic timing who can move well and easily play off one another. Vocal range top: E5 Vocal range bottom: E3 Wazza Waterheron Larry Lorikeet, Mal Magpie Goose, and Wazza Waterheron are the best of waterhole friends and lead the rousing hoedown "Bottoms Up At The Waterhole." These three function as a unit, so cast character actors with excellent comic timing who can move well and easily play off one another. Vocal range top: E5 Vocal range bottom: E3 Koala Koala and Kookaburra share a tree and function as a comic pair. They have a hilarious scene with Dot and Mrs. Kangaroo but no sung solos, so cast two character actors with great comic timing who make an interesting twosome and can dial up the silliness onstage. Kookaburra Koala and Kookaburra share a tree and function as a comic pair. They have a hilarious scene with Dot and Mrs. Kangaroo but no sung solos, so cast two character actors with great comic timing who make an interesting twosome and can dial up the silliness onstage. Platypus Though Platypus is a genius and the king of the burrow, he is not very nice to Dot at first. Beneath his gruff exterior is a loyal friend with a strong moral compass who sees Dot for who she truly is. Platypus leads his own number, so cast a fantastic singer and actor in this role who can command the stage and embody Platypus's grumpy dignity. Gender: Male Vocal range top: G5 Vocal range bottom: C4 "King of The Burrow" Soloists Soloist 1 Vocal range top: G4 Vocal range bottom: C5 Soloist 2 Vocal range top: F4 Vocal range bottom: Ab4 Soloist 3 Vocal range top: G#4 Vocal range bottom: C#5 Soloist 4 Vocal range top: F#4 Vocal range bottom: A4 Bowerbirds Belle, Bree, and Babs Bowerbirds Belle, Bree, and Babs are fierce, fashion-forward, and fabulous, darling, thank you very much! These divas have self-confidence in spades and remind Dot that, first and foremost, she must believe in herself. Cast a triple-threat trio that screams "girl power" and can handle close harmonies. Vocal range top: Db5 Vocal range bottom: Db3 Peacock Paul The Bowerbird girls' best friend and matches their confidence level - not to mention their decor! Peacock Paul does not sing a solo but should be comfortable singing in close harmonies with the Bowerbird girls. Cast a fabulous actor and a good dancer in this fun, energetic role. Pelican The prosecutor in Dot's trial. Pelican does not sing a solo, so cast a good actor who can command the room and lean into the courthouse drama of the scene. Joey Mrs. Kangaroo's missing child. Joey has a cameo at the end of the show when he is finally reunited with his "Mimi." This is a great role for a newer performer who is comfortable having a few lines and a brief duet line and reads as younger onstage. Black Swan Vocal range top: G4 Vocal range bottom: Gb3 Cockatoo Vocal range top: G4 Vocal range bottom: Gb3 Ensemble The Ensemble is a great place for any performer who'd like to be involved in the show. Featured ensemble roles are: Brolga, Snake, British Soldiers, Families, Bowerbirds, Brolgas, Dingoes, Rainbow Lorikeets, Waterhole Birds, Council of the Animals (which include Koalas, Possums, Wallabies, Kangaroos, Bilbies, Emus, Cranes, Plovers, Ducks, Frogs, Bandicoots, and Parrots). Brolga Vocal range top: Bb4 Vocal range bottom: Gb3

Magic Tree House: The Knight at Dawn KIDS - Broadway Junior | Hal Leonard Menu LEARN MORE About Broadway Junior What Comes With the Showkit®? How to License a Broadway Junior Musical Order an Audio Sampler Frequently Asked Questions 60-Min.ute Musicals [JR.] 60-Minute Musicals 13 Jr. Alice In Wonderland Jr. (Disney) Aladdin Jr. (Disney) Annie Jr. Beauty and the Beast Jr. (Disney) The Big One-Oh! Jr. Bugsy Malone Jr. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. Dear Edwina Jr. Doctor Dolittle Jr. Dot & The Kangaroo Jr. The Drowsy Chaperone Jr. Elephant & Piggie's "We Are In A Play" Jr. Elf The Musical Jr. Fame Jr. Fiddler on the Roof Jr. Finding Nemo Jr. (Disney) Finian's Rainbow Jr. Flat Stanley Jr. Frozen Jr. (Disney) A Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens Jr. (Magic Tree House) Godspell Jr. Guys and Dolls Jr. Hairspray Jr. High School Musical Jr. (Disney) Honk! Jr. Into the Woods Jr. James and the Giant Peach Jr. (Roald Dahl) Junie B. Jones Jr. Legally Blonde Jr. The Lion King Jr. (Disney) The Little Mermaid Jr. (Disney) Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr. Mary Poppins Jr. (Disney/Cameron Mackintosh) Matilda Jr. (Roald Dahl) Mean Girls Jr. Moana Jr. (Disney) The Music Man Jr. My Son Pinocchio Jr. (Disney) Newsies Jr. (Disney) Oliver! Jr. Once on This Island Jr. Peter Pan Jr. (Broadway) The Phantom Tollbooth Jr. The Pirates of Penzance Jr. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. Seussical Jr. Shrek Jr. Singin' In The Rain Jr. Sister Act Jr. Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. Willy Wonka Jr. (Roald Dahl) Xanadu Jr. 30-Min.ute Musicals [KIDS] 30-Minute Musicals 101 Dalmatians KIDS (Disney) Aladdin KIDS (Disney) Annie KIDS Aristocats KIDS (Disney) Dinosaurs Before Dark KIDS (Magic Tree House) Finding Nemo KIDS (Disney) Frozen KIDS (Disney) The Jungle Book KIDS (Disney) The Knight at Dawn KIDS (Magic Tree House) The Lion King KIDS (Disney) The Music Man KIDS Pirates Past Noon KIDS (Magic Tree House) Seussical KIDS Willy Wonka KIDS (Roald Dahl) Winnie the Pooh KIDS (Disney) A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS Product Information Musical Numbers Cast of Characters Credits Book by Jenny Laird Music and Lyrics by Randy Courts Additional Lyrics by Will Osborne Based on Magic Tree House #2: The Knight at Dawn by Mary Pope Osborne Overview / Synopsis Based on the best-selling book series, Jack and Annie journey to the Middle Ages and learn the power of hope. (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? Two siblings, Jack and Annie, return to visit the Magic Tree House filled with a magnificent collection of books that can transport the reader to the wonderful faraway settings featured in their pages. As they read a book about knights and the Middle Ages, Annie is intrigued by the Black Knight and the mysterious quest he says one must successfully complete before becoming a knight. When she wishes to visit the castle in the book, the siblings are whisked away to medieval times and set off to learn more about the Black Knight and his quest. Through their adventure, the two discover the power of hope and the true meaning of gallantry. MAGIC TREE HOUSE: THE KNIGHT AT DAWN KIDS is an adaptation of the second 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. As the curtain rises, a Jester takes the stage and tells the tale of a magic tree house full of books that will transport the reader to wonderful faraway settings ("Prologue, How Far Can You See?"). Jack and Annie discover a book about knights and castles. In it, there is a bookmark with a strange inscription from the Black Knight, encouraging them to be brave and gallant if they wish to be knights ("You Must Pass My Test"). Inquisitive about the Black Knight and his quest, Annie wishes to visit the castle in the book. Before Jack can intercede, the tree house begins to spin and the two are whisked away to the medieval castle ("A Spin Before Dawn"). At the entrance to the castle, three guards - Mustache, Squinty and Red - stand watch while a grand feast is being held inside to win the favor of the Black Knight. The rumor of the Black Knight's presence has attracted a crowd of commoners, all wanting to catch a glimpse of the elusive hero. The guards let only the nobility into the feast and toss the Commoners out ("Mustache, Squinty and Red"). Finally, the Black Knight arrives, and the guards, star struck, scramble to show him in. Just as the drawbridge is about to be pulled up, Annie and Jack slip through the castle gate. Inside the Great Hall, the Jester and other minstrels are entertaining members of the Royal Court. The Duke requests a song about his favorite subject - himself. The Jester and Minstrels oblige, performing a song about the Duke and his brother, Harry ("The Apple Song"), whom the Duke imprisoned in the dungeon after Harry criticized the Duke's crop of apples. Just as the Black Knight is about to enter, Jack and Annie are discovered by Yates, Rikki, Baxter and other kids whose parents work in the castle kitchens. Convinced that Jack and Annie are thieves, the kids run off to tell the Duke. Before they can return, Jack and Annie hide in a dark room. Annie clicks on her flashlight and discovers rows and rows of shining Suits of Armor. With some help from the Suits of Armor, Jack and Annie imagine what it would be like to be a knight ("To Be A Knight"). Accidentally, Annie leans against a Suit of Armor, causing the whole line to topple like dominoes. Mustache, Squinty and Red appear and believe Jack and Annie are thieves or spies and are lying about their connection to the Black Knight. Keenan, the dungeon master, and the Keepers of the Dungeon welcome Jack and Annie to their new home ("Welcome to the Dungeon"). As they are shown around the premises, they are introduced to Harry, the Duke's brother, now a sad old man who won't speak to anyone, and many other Vagrants who the Duke has had imprisoned for questionable reasons. Keenan and the Keepers leave, and Jack and Annie implore Harry to reveal the location of a secret passageway that might lead them to freedom. The other Vagrants say it's no use - Harry has given up hope and will speak to no one. Annie and the others encourage him to look deep within to find a glimmer of hope ("A Light In the Dark"). Encouraged by the youngsters' moving message, Harry offers to draw a map leading to the secret passages of the castle. Jack clicks on the flashlight so Harry can see better, and everyone gasps - "Is it a wand? Like the wizards carry?" Realizing the power she has, Annie summons Keenan and the Keepers of the Dungeon. When they appear, she shines the flashlight on them and threatens to use her magic wand. With the guards stunned, the prisoners make their escape to the orchard, while Jack and Annie run toward another secret exit that leads to the moat and back to the tree house. The steps they are climbing suddenly come to an end and the two must jump into the moat and swim to safety ("The Legend Begins"). The Black Knight appears on the shore, helps Jack and Annie out of the moat, and praises them for passing his test - they helped the innocent without sword or might, but with their brains and their hearts. He dubs them knights, and thanks them for their service ("You Have Passed My Test - Reprise"). Jack and Annie climb back into the tree house and wish themselves back to Pennsylvania ("Spinning Into Dawn"). As the sun starts to come up, the two start to imagine all the places they can go and the adventures they'll have in their magic tree house ("How Far Can You See? - Epilogue"). Audio Sampler - HL00124950 $10.00 ShowKit - 00124940 $545.00 This ShowKit includes: 2 Accompaniment & Guide Vocal CDs Choreography DVD Director's Guide 30 Family Matters Booklets Media Disk Piano/Vocal Score 30 Student Books 30-Minute KIDS Request Individual Components 00124941 - Director's Guide $100.00 00124942 - Piano/Vocal Score $40.00 00124943 - Actor's Script $10.00 00124944 - Actor's Script 10-Pak $75.00 00124945 - Rehearsal/Accompaniment CD $75.00 00124946 - Student Rehearsal CD $10.00 00124947 - Student Rehearsal CD 20-Pak $100.00 00124948 - Choreography DVD $50.00 00124949 - Media Disc $10.00 00124950 - Audio Sampler $10.00 Hear A Sample How Far Can You See? You Must Pass My Test A Spin Before Dawn Mustache, Squinty and Red The Apple Song To Be A Knight (Part 1) To Be A Knight (Part 2) Welcome To The Dungeon (Part 1) Welcome To The Dungeon (Part 2) A Light In The Dark The Legend Begins You Have Passes My Test (Reprise) Spinning Into Dawn How Far Can you See? (Epilogue) Bows Cast Size Medium (11-20), Large (over 20), Flexible Cast Type Children in Cast, Ensemble Cast - Many featured roles, Strong/Large Chorus, Teenage Roles Dance Requirement None/minimal, Standard (Musical Staging/Some Dance/Optional) Annie 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: G3-Bb4 Black Knight Black Knight A mysterious figure who sends Jack and Annie on their quest. In the Duke's kingdom, the Black Knight is something of a legend and a celebrity. Range: Bb3-Ab4 Commoners Commoners The common members of the kingdom who try to talk their way into the castle feast so that they can catch a glimpse of the Black Knight. Duke Duke A pompous bully who enjoys being the center of attention and wielding his power. Elf Elf Keenan's right hand man/woman and another big fan of dungeon life. Range: A3-D5 Harry Harry The Duke's brother and although he has been in the dungeon for forty-seven years, he has retained his quiet dignity and nobility. Range: F3-G4 Jack 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: Bb3-Bb4 Keenan Keenan The head honcho for all things concerning the Duke's dungeon. Range: A3-D5 Keepers of the Dungeon Keepers of the Dungeon The servants of Keenan and Elf who enjoy every moment of their lives in the dungeon. Range: A3-D5 Minstrels Minstrels The castle musicians and singers. Range: G3-G4 Mustache Mustache One of the main Castle Sentries/Guards. Mustache is a tough guy type and most of what he says and does is done in an effort to impress his boss, Red. Range: G3-C5 Red Red One of the main Castle Sentries/Guards. Red is the ringleader, a bit of a braggart, and the most ambitious of the three guards. Range: G3-G4 Rikki, Baxter, Yates and other Castle Kids Rikki, Baxter, Yates and other Castle Kids The children of the castle servants. They are spunky and adventurous and highly competitive with one another. Squinty Squinty One of the main Castle Sentries/Guards. Squinty is more childlike than the others, and his guilelessness helps provide much of the comic relief in their scenes. Range: G3-C5 Suits of Armor Suits of Armor The Suits are housed in the armory and brought to life by the song "To Be A Knight." Range: Bb3-Bb4 The Jester The Jester A professional entertainer/performer whose job it is to amuse the Duke and his guests, and he or she is the only person allowed to criticize or make fun of the Duke. Range: A3-C5 Vagrants Vagrants The prisoners of the dungeon being held for the "crime" of being orphaned. Range: F3-A4

Disney's The Lion King Experience Jr. - Broadway Junior | Hal Leonard Menu LEARN MORE About Broadway Junior What Comes With the Showkit®? How to License a Broadway Junior Musical Order an Audio Sampler Frequently Asked Questions 60-Min.ute Musicals [JR.] 60-Minute Musicals 13 Jr. Alice In Wonderland Jr. (Disney) Aladdin Jr. (Disney) Annie Jr. Beauty and the Beast Jr. (Disney) The Big One-Oh! Jr. Bugsy Malone Jr. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. Dear Edwina Jr. Doctor Dolittle Jr. Dot & The Kangaroo Jr. The Drowsy Chaperone Jr. Elephant & Piggie's "We Are In A Play" Jr. Elf The Musical Jr. Fame Jr. Fiddler on the Roof Jr. Finding Nemo Jr. (Disney) Finian's Rainbow Jr. Flat Stanley Jr. Frozen Jr. (Disney) A Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens Jr. (Magic Tree House) Godspell Jr. Guys and Dolls Jr. Hairspray Jr. High School Musical Jr. (Disney) Honk! Jr. Into the Woods Jr. James and the Giant Peach Jr. (Roald Dahl) Junie B. Jones Jr. Legally Blonde Jr. The Lion King Jr. (Disney) The Little Mermaid Jr. (Disney) Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr. Mary Poppins Jr. (Disney/Cameron Mackintosh) Matilda Jr. (Roald Dahl) Mean Girls Jr. Moana Jr. (Disney) The Music Man Jr. My Son Pinocchio Jr. (Disney) Newsies Jr. (Disney) Oliver! Jr. Once on This Island Jr. Peter Pan Jr. (Broadway) The Phantom Tollbooth Jr. The Pirates of Penzance Jr. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. Seussical Jr. Shrek Jr. Singin' In The Rain Jr. Sister Act Jr. Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. Willy Wonka Jr. (Roald Dahl) Xanadu Jr. 30-Min.ute Musicals [KIDS] 30-Minute Musicals 101 Dalmatians KIDS (Disney) Aladdin KIDS (Disney) Annie KIDS Aristocats KIDS (Disney) Dinosaurs Before Dark KIDS (Magic Tree House) Finding Nemo KIDS (Disney) Frozen KIDS (Disney) The Jungle Book KIDS (Disney) The Knight at Dawn KIDS (Magic Tree House) The Lion King KIDS (Disney) The Music Man KIDS Pirates Past Noon KIDS (Magic Tree House) Seussical KIDS Willy Wonka KIDS (Roald Dahl) Winnie the Pooh KIDS (Disney) A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS Product Information Musical Numbers Cast of Characters Credits Music and Lyrics by Elton John and Tim Rice Additional Music and Lyrics by Lebo M and Mark Mancina and Jay Rifkin and Hans Zimmer Book by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi Based on the Broadway production directed by Julie Taymor Overview / Synopsis Disney's The Lion King has captivated the imagination of audiences around the world, and now - for the first time ever - you have the opportunity to produce this one-of-a-kind musical. The Lion King Experience is an immersive, project-based exploration of theater-making. This easy-to-use program has been developed to give you all the tools you need to introduce theater in the classroom and to produce your very own production of The Lion King. In addition to a performance license to produce The Lion King JR., a 60-minute adaptation created especially for the strengths and skill levels of middle school students, The Lion King Experience includes a ShowKit® of materials to help bring your production to life and an 18-session curriculum that explores the fundamentals of theater-making. Audio Sampler - HL00137491 $10.00 ShowKit - HL001192578 $695.00 This ShowKit includes: 30 Actor's Scripts Director's Guide Piano/Vocal Score Experience Binder Digital Access to: Performance / Acccompaniment Tracks Guide Vocal Tracks Choreography Videos Family Matters Resources 30 Family Matters Booklets 60-Minute JR. Request Individual Components 00137483 - Piano/Vocal Score $40.00 00137482 - Director's Script $100.00 00137484 - Actor's Script $10.00 00137485 - Actor's Script 10 Pak $75.00 00137486 - Performance/Rehearsal CD* $75.00 00137489 - Choreography DVD* $50.00 00137487 - Student Rehearsal CD* $10.00 00137488 - Student Rehearsal CDs (20-Pak)* $100.00 00137490 - Media Disc* $10.00 00137492 - Experience Binder $100.00 00137493 - Djembe $50.00 00137494 - Djembe (3) $150.00 00217285 - Totems (10-Pak)* $5.00 00137876 - Demonstration DVD $50.00 00137491 - Audio Sampler $10.00 *Legacy ShowKit components with limited stock Hear A Sample Circle of Life with Nants' Ingonyama Grasslands Chant The Lioness Hunt I Just Can't Wait To Be King Be Prepared They Live In You The Stampede The Mourning Hakuna Matata (Part 1) Hakuna Matata (Part 2) Shadowland Can You Feel The Love Tonight He Lives In You Luau Hawaiian Treat Finale BANZAI A slick yet childish hyena who works for Scar. He would be the leader of the group if hyenas weren't so lazy. Look for an outgoing and confident actor who can portray nastiness and gruffness. As Banzai is always featured with Shenzi and Ed, consider auditioning the hyenas in trios. Male, Any Age ED The third member of Scar's trio of lackeys. He has a loud, cackling laugh that is his only form of communication. Ed should be played by an actor who can laugh unabashedly and communicate through physicality and facial expressions rather than words. This role can be played by a boy or girl. Male or Female, Any Age ENSEMBLE The ensemble plays various inhabitants of the Pridelands, such as giraffes, elephants, antelopes, wildebeest, and other creatures you choose to include. This group can have as few or as many performers as your production permits. Be sure to cast many strong singers. There are also several moments to showcase individual dancers in "The Lioness Hunt" and "I Just Can't Wait to Be King." HYENAS Scar's army, helping carry out his evil plot to take over the Pridelands. Hyenas are mangy, mindless creatures who sing in "Be Prepared." Cast actors who are able to sing the background parts of that song while playing the loud and raucous characters. Your hyenas can double as animals of the Pridelands or lionesses. Male or Female, Any Age LIONESSES The fierce hunters of the Pridelands and featured in "The Lioness Hunt," "The Mourning," and "Shadowland." These actors should be strong singers, as the material can be challenging. Depending on the complexity of your choreography, particuarly for "The Lioness Hunt," strong dancers may be desirable as well. Female, Any Age MUFASA The strong, honorable, and wise lion who leads the Pridelands. Mufasa should command respect onstage and also show tenderness with his son, Simba. Cast a mature actor who can convincingly portray the king. Male, Any Age Range: B3 - C5 NALA Grows from a cub to a lioness before she confronts Scar, so cast a more mature actress to play the character beginning in Scene 10, As with older Simba and Young Simba, ensure that this switch in actors performing a single role is clear. Direct the actors to share a mask or costume piece that distinctly represents Nala, as well as a movement vocabulary. Female, Any Age Range: G3 - E5 PUMBAA A kindhearted, sensitive warthog who enjoys his simple life of grubs and relaxation. Cast a boy or girl who can portray this loveable and loyal friend to Timon and Simba with deadpan humor. Male or Female, Any Age Range: D4 - G5 RAFIKI A wise mandrill who acts as healer of the Pridelands and guides Simba on his journey home. She is an omniscient character, evincing an air of mystery. Rafiki has significant solos in "Circle of Life" and "He Lives in You," and leads the African chants throughout the show, so cast a confident performer with a strong singing voice. Female, Any Age Range: A3 - C5 SARABI A featured lioness, Mufasa's mate, and Simba's mother. Sarabi has a few key speaking lines for an actor who can deliver the care and command of a queen. Female, Any Age SARAFINA A featured lioness and Nala's mother. She has one short, spoken line, so consider giving this part to an actor who is putting in a lot of effort and hard work in rehearsal as a lioness. Female, Any Age SCAR The antagonist of the show, overcome with jealousy of his brother, Mufasa, and nephew, Simba. Coldhearted and wickedly intelligent, he will stop at nothing to become king of the Pridelands. Cast a mature performer who can bring out this villain's dark side while handling Scar's sarcastic sense of humor. As his solos can be spoken, opt for an actor over a singer. Male, Any Age Range: A3 - A4 SHENZI One of Scar's hyenas who plot to take over the Pridelands. She is the sassy one of the trio and is always looking out for herself. With Banzai and Ed, she should be able to laugh loudly and long, as well as be menacing to Young Simba and Young Nala. Female, Any Age SIMBA Grows from a cub to lion in "Hakuna Matata." Older Simba has more complex moments as he reunites with Nala, mourns his father, and returns to confront Scar, so cast a more mature actor. Be sure that the change in actors is clear: Try having Young Simba hand-off a costume piece, such as a medallion, to older Simba. Also be sure that Simba and Young Simba share a movement vocabulary. Male, Any Age Range: B3 - E5 TIMON An outcast meerkat who lives in the jungle with Pumbaa. He is afraid of his own shadow, but pretends to be the confident, relaxed leader of the duo. Timon is one of the funniest characters in the show and should be played by a charismatic actor who understands comic timing. This part can be played by a boy or a girl. Male or Female, Any Age Range: B3 - B4 YOUNG NALA A courageous lion and Young Simba's best friend. She is not afraid to speak her mind. While Young Nala does sing a little, look for a strong female performer who can portray this confident cub. Female, Any Age Range: A3 - C5 YOUNG SIMBA The protagonist of the story, is an adventurous and endearing cub who can't wait to be king of the Pridelands. Simba is playful, energetic, and naive, but after his father Mufasa's death, Simba struggles with shame and his destiny. Cast a strong singer and dynamic performer in this role. Male, Any Age Range: B3 - E5 ZAZU The anxious yet loyal assistant to Mufasa who is always busy trying to do his duty. Zazu's lyrics are spoken rather than sung, and the role can be played by a boy or girl. Male or Female, Any Age

Disney's The Lion King KIDS - Broadway Junior | Hal Leonard Menu LEARN MORE About Broadway Junior What Comes With the Showkit®? How to License a Broadway Junior Musical Order an Audio Sampler Frequently Asked Questions 60-Min.ute Musicals [JR.] 60-Minute Musicals 13 Jr. Alice In Wonderland Jr. (Disney) Aladdin Jr. (Disney) Annie Jr. Beauty and the Beast Jr. (Disney) The Big One-Oh! Jr. Bugsy Malone Jr. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. Dear Edwina Jr. Doctor Dolittle Jr. Dot & The Kangaroo Jr. The Drowsy Chaperone Jr. Elephant & Piggie's "We Are In A Play" Jr. Elf The Musical Jr. Fame Jr. Fiddler on the Roof Jr. Finding Nemo Jr. (Disney) Finian's Rainbow Jr. Flat Stanley Jr. Frozen Jr. (Disney) A Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens Jr. (Magic Tree House) Godspell Jr. Guys and Dolls Jr. Hairspray Jr. High School Musical Jr. (Disney) Honk! Jr. Into the Woods Jr. James and the Giant Peach Jr. (Roald Dahl) Junie B. Jones Jr. Legally Blonde Jr. The Lion King Jr. (Disney) The Little Mermaid Jr. (Disney) Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr. Mary Poppins Jr. (Disney/Cameron Mackintosh) Matilda Jr. (Roald Dahl) Mean Girls Jr. Moana Jr. (Disney) The Music Man Jr. My Son Pinocchio Jr. (Disney) Newsies Jr. (Disney) Oliver! Jr. Once on This Island Jr. Peter Pan Jr. (Broadway) The Phantom Tollbooth Jr. The Pirates of Penzance Jr. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. Seussical Jr. Shrek Jr. Singin' In The Rain Jr. Sister Act Jr. Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. Willy Wonka Jr. (Roald Dahl) Xanadu Jr. 30-Min.ute Musicals [KIDS] 30-Minute Musicals 101 Dalmatians KIDS (Disney) Aladdin KIDS (Disney) Annie KIDS Aristocats KIDS (Disney) Dinosaurs Before Dark KIDS (Magic Tree House) Finding Nemo KIDS (Disney) Frozen KIDS (Disney) The Jungle Book KIDS (Disney) The Knight at Dawn KIDS (Magic Tree House) The Lion King KIDS (Disney) The Music Man KIDS Pirates Past Noon KIDS (Magic Tree House) Seussical KIDS Willy Wonka KIDS (Roald Dahl) Winnie the Pooh KIDS (Disney) A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS Product Information Musical Numbers Cast of Characters Credits Music and Lyrics by Elton John and Tim Rice Additional Music and Lyrics by Lebo M and Mark Mancina and Jay Rifkin and Hans Zimmer Book by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi Based on the Broadway production directed by Julie Taymor Overview / Synopsis Disney's The Lion King has captivated the imagination of audiences around the world, and now-for the first time ever-you have the opportunity to produce this one-of-a-kind musical. The Lion King Experience is an immersive, project-based exploration of theater-making. This easy-to-use program has been developed to give you all the tools you need to introduce theater in the classroom and to produce your very own production of The Lion King. In addition to a performance license to produce The Lion King KIDS, a 30-minute adaptation created especially for the strengths and skill levels of elementary school students, The Lion King Experience includes a ShowKit® of materials to help bring your production to life and a rigorous 11-session curriculum that explores the fundamentals of theater-making. Audio Sampler - HL00137559 $10.00 ShowKit - 01173056 $545.00 This ShowKit includes: 30 Actor's Scripts 1 Director's Guide 1 Piano/Vocal Score Digital Access to: Performance / Acccompaniment Tracks Guide Vocal Tracks Choreography Videos Family Matters Resources 3 pack of Djembe 1 Experience Binder Includes Activities and Sessions for the Kids 30 Family Matters Booklets 30-Minute KIDS Request Individual Components 00137550 - Director's Guide $100.00 00137551 - Piano/Vocal Score $40.00 00137552 - Actor's Script $10.00 00137553 - Actor's Script 10 Pak $75.00 00137554 - Performance/Accompaniment CD* $75.00 00137555 - Student Rehearsal CD* $10.00 00137556 - Student Rehearsal CDs (20-Pak)* $100.00 00137557 - Choreography DVD* $50.00 00137558 - Resources Disc* $10.00 00137560 - Experience Binder $100.00 00137877 - Demonstration DVD $50.00 00137559 - Audio Sampler $10.00 *Legacy ShowKit components with limited stock Hear A Sample One By One Circle of Life with Nants' Ingonyama I Just Can't Wait To Be King Be Prepared Hakuna Matata (Part 1) Hakuna Matata (Part 2) Can You Feel The Love Tonight He Lives In You Luau Hawaiian Treat Cast Size Medium (11-20), Large (over 20), Flexible Cast Type Children in Cast, Ensemble Cast - Many featured roles, Strong/Large Chorus, Teenage Roles Dance Requirement None/minimal, Standard (Musical Staging/Some Dance/Optional) Banzai Banzai A slick yet childish hyena who works for Scar. He would be the leader of the group if hyenas weren't so lazy. Look for an outgoing and confident actor who can portray nastiness and gruffness. As Banzai is always featured with Shenzi and Ed, consider auditioning the hyenas in trios. Gender: Male, Any Age Ed Ed The third member of Scar's trio of lackeys. He has a loud, cackling laugh that is his only form of communication. Ed should be played by an actor who can laugh unabashedly and communicate through physicality and facial expressions rather than words. This role can be played by a boy or girl. Gender: Male or Female, Any Age Hyenas Hyenas Scar's army, helping carry out his evil plot to take over the Pridelands. Hyenas are mangy, mindless creatures who sing in "Be Prepared." Cast actors who are able to sing the background parts of that song while playing the loud and raucous characters. Your hyenas can double as animals of the Pridelands or lionesses. Gender: Male or Female, Any Age Mufasa Mufasa The strong, honorable, and wise lion who leads the Pridelands. Mufasa should command respect onstage and also show tenderness with his son, Simba. Cast a mature actor who can convincingly portray the king. Gender: Male, Any Age Nala Nala Grows from a cub to a lioness before she confronts Scar, so cast a more mature actress. As with Young Simba and older Simba, ensure that this switch in actors performing a single role is clear. Direct the actors to share a mask or costume piece that distinctly represents Nala. Gender: Female, Any Age Vocal Range: Bb3 - Bb4 Pumbaa Pumbaa A kindhearted, sensitive warthog who enjoys his simple life of grubs and relaxation. Cast a boy or girl who can portray this loveable and loyal friend to Timon and Simba with deadpan humor. Gender: Male or Female, Any Age Vocal Range: B3 - E5 Rafiki (1-5) Rafiki (1-5) A wise madrill who acts as healer of the Pridelands and guides Simba on his journey home. The Rafiki narrators - five aspects of one character - are the five leading villagers who become the story's narrators. They are key to the storytelling, and should be played by confident performers who are able to enunciate and project, so look for strong singers, as together they sing sections of "He Lives in You" and "Cricle of Life with Nants' Ingonyama." There is an air of mystery to Rafiki, who seemingly knows all, so be sure to cast actors who can command the stage as a cohesive unit. Though written to feature five narrators, the script can be adapted to incorporate more students (or fewer) depending upon your cast size. Gender: Male or Female, Any Age Vocal Range: C4 - Bb4 Sarabi Sarabi A featured lioness, Mufasa's mate, and Simba's mother. She has a few speaking lines and provides an opportunity for an actor who can be maternal to Simba and leader of the lionesses. Gender: Female, Any Age Scar Scar The antagonist of the show, overcome with jealousy of his brother, Mufasa, and nephew, Simba. Coldhearted and wickedly intelligent, he will stop at nothing to become king of the Pridelands. Cast a mature performer who can bring out this villain's dark side while handling Scar's sarcastic sense of humor. As his solos can be spoken, opt for an actor over a singer. Gender: Male, Any Age Vocal Range: B3 - B4 Shenzi Shenzi One of Scar's hyenas who plot to take over the Pridelands. She is the sassy one of the trio and is always looking out for herself. With Banzai and Ed, she should be able to laugh loudly and long, as well as be menacing to Young Simba and Young Nala. Female, Any Age Simba Simba Grows from a cub to lion in "Hakuna Matata." Older Simba has more complex moments as he reunites with Nala, mourns his father, and returns to confront Scar, so cast a more mature actor. Be sure that the change in actors is clear: Try having Young Simba hand-off a costume piece, such as a medallion, to older Simba. Also be sure that Simba and Young Simba share a movement vocabulary. Gender: Male, Any Age Vocal Range: Bb3 - C#5 Timon Timon An outcast meerkat who lives in the jungle with Pumbaa. He is afraid of his own shadow, but pretends to be the confident, relaxed leader of the duo. Timon is one of the funniest characters in the show and should be played by a charismatic actor who understands comic timing. This part can be played by a boy or a girl. Gender: Male or Female, Any Age Vocal Range: Bb3 - D5 Villagers Villagers Your entire cast will portray villagers, with central characters emerging from this essential group. Whether an actor transforms into a lioness, Simba, or Mufasa, this can be done by donning a costume piece, prop, or mask to transition from villager to character. Some villagers will play many roles in the story, from animals of the Pridelands (such as giraffes, elephants, lionesses, etc.) to hyenas to wildebeest (should you choose to stage the stampede with actors). Whenever not speaking as their assigned characters, cast members will return to their villager characters, sitting and watching the action unfold on the perimeter of the stage. Use this concept to suit the needs of your ensemble; multiple actors can play the same role throughout the show simply by passing on a key costume or prop piece. Young Nala Young Nala A courageous lion and Young Simba's best friend. She is not afraid to speak her mind. While Young Nala does sing a little, look for a strong female performer who can portray this confident cub. Gender: Female, Any Age Vocal Range: C4 - A4 Young Simba Young Simba The protagonist of the story, is an adventurous and endearing cub who can't wait to be king of the Pridelands. Simba is playful, energetic, and naive, but after his father Mufasa's death, Simba struggles with shame and his destiny. Cast a strong singer and dynamic performer in this role. Gender: Male, Any Age Vocal Range: C4 - C#5 Zazu Zazu The anxious yet loyal assistant to Mufasa who is always busy trying to do his duty. Zazu's lyrics are spoken rather than sung, and the role can be played by a boy or girl. Gender: Male or Female, Any Age

The Drowsy Chaperone Jr. - Broadway Junior | Hal Leonard Menu LEARN MORE About Broadway Junior What Comes With the Showkit®? How to License a Broadway Junior Musical Order an Audio Sampler Frequently Asked Questions 60-Min.ute Musicals [JR.] 60-Minute Musicals 13 Jr. Alice In Wonderland Jr. (Disney) Aladdin Jr. (Disney) Annie Jr. Beauty and the Beast Jr. (Disney) The Big One-Oh! Jr. Bugsy Malone Jr. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. Dear Edwina Jr. Doctor Dolittle Jr. Dot & The Kangaroo Jr. The Drowsy Chaperone Jr. Elephant & Piggie's "We Are In A Play" Jr. Elf The Musical Jr. Fame Jr. Fiddler on the Roof Jr. Finding Nemo Jr. (Disney) Finian's Rainbow Jr. Flat Stanley Jr. Frozen Jr. (Disney) A Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens Jr. (Magic Tree House) Godspell Jr. Guys and Dolls Jr. Hairspray Jr. High School Musical Jr. (Disney) Honk! Jr. Into the Woods Jr. James and the Giant Peach Jr. (Roald Dahl) Junie B. Jones Jr. Legally Blonde Jr. The Lion King Jr. (Disney) The Little Mermaid Jr. (Disney) Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr. Mary Poppins Jr. (Disney/Cameron Mackintosh) Matilda Jr. (Roald Dahl) Mean Girls Jr. Moana Jr. (Disney) The Music Man Jr. My Son Pinocchio Jr. (Disney) Newsies Jr. (Disney) Oliver! Jr. Once on This Island Jr. Peter Pan Jr. (Broadway) The Phantom Tollbooth Jr. The Pirates of Penzance Jr. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. Seussical Jr. Shrek Jr. Singin' In The Rain Jr. Sister Act Jr. Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. Willy Wonka Jr. (Roald Dahl) Xanadu Jr. 30-Min.ute Musicals [KIDS] 30-Minute Musicals 101 Dalmatians KIDS (Disney) Aladdin KIDS (Disney) Annie KIDS Aristocats KIDS (Disney) Dinosaurs Before Dark KIDS (Magic Tree House) Finding Nemo KIDS (Disney) Frozen KIDS (Disney) The Jungle Book KIDS (Disney) The Knight at Dawn KIDS (Magic Tree House) The Lion King KIDS (Disney) The Music Man KIDS Pirates Past Noon KIDS (Magic Tree House) Seussical KIDS Willy Wonka KIDS (Roald Dahl) Winnie the Pooh KIDS (Disney) A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS Product Information Musical Numbers Cast of Characters Credits Music and Lyrics by Lisa Lambert Greg Morrison Book by Bob Martin Don McKellar Overview / Synopsis A Broadway Junior adaptation of the Tony-winning musical comedy, The Drowsy Chaperone JR. is a loving satire of the Golden Age musical, featuring hysterical numbers and colorful characters. It is the perfect show for young performers with a knack for musical comedy. A man shares with the audience his favorite record - the 1928 musical The Drowsy Chaperone. As he plays the record, the show comes to life in his apartment. Mix in two lovebirds on the eve of their wedding, a bumbling best man, a desperate theatre producer, a not-so-bright hostess, gangsters posing as pastry chefs, a misguided Don Juan and a sleepy chaperone, and you have the ingredients for a show that will have everyone laughing. With plenty of hilarious roles, The Drowsy Chaperone JR. is a fun, delightful show for both performers and their audience. Audio Sampler - HL01138106 $10.00 ShowKit - HL01138109 $695.00 This ShowKit includes: 30 Libretto/Vocal Books Piano/Vocal Score Director's Guide Choreography Videos Guide Vocal Tracks Performance Accompaniment Tracks Logo Pack (Coming Soon!) 60-Minute JR. Request Individual Components 01138109 - ShowKit $695.00 01138101 - Piano/Vocal Score $40.00 01138100 - Director's Guide $100.00 01138103 - Libretto/Vocal Score $10.00 01138105 - Libretto/Vocal Score (10 Pack) $75.00 01138106 - Audio Sampler $10.00 MUSICAL NUMBERS Fancy Dress Cold Feets (Part 1) Cold Feets (Part 2) Show Off Show Off Encore As We Stumble Along Aldolpho Toledo Surprise (Part 1) Toledo Surprise (Part 2) Act One Finale Bride's Lament Love Is Always Lovely Wedding Bells #2 (Part 1) Wedding Bells #2 (Part 2) I Do, I Do In The Sky (Part 1) I Do, I Do In The Sky (Part 2) Finale Ultimo Cast of Characters Cast Size: Large (21 or more performers) Cast Type: Ensemble Cast Dance Requirements: Standard Drowsy Chaperone Played by the famous Beatrice Stockwell, is a diva leading lady who takes pride in chewing the scenery. Though Ms. Stockwell is a bit too old to play an ingénue, she remembers those days well and is bitter that she now plays supporting roles. That is until she finds love, which she latches onto with the all her might. Gender: Female Vocal range top: E5 Vocal range bottom: C2 Man in Chair The narrator of this story. It's his passion and enthusiasm for this musical that brings the story into existence. He is a bit lonely, a definite homebody, and very particular about his privacy and his space. He has strong opinions about the musical and a strong emotional connection to its characters. Gender: Male Vocal range top: C5 Vocal range bottom: C3 Underling Mrs. Tottendale's much-putupon right hand man. He tries to do the best job he can for Mrs. Tottendale - though he often gets exasperated. No one is more surprised than he when she confesses her love for him, and also when he realizes he loves her too. Cast a fantastic comedic actor who can play understated in this role. Gender: Male Vocal range top: Gb3 Vocal range bottom: Gb5 Mrs. Tottendale The befuddled hostess for Janet and Robert's wedding. She is always happy, always looking on the bright side, andoften confused about what is happening. Gender: Female Vocal range top: Db5 Vocal range bottom: C3 Robert Martin Janet's fiancé. Though he has the air of a debonair leading man, he wrestles with insecurities over his upcoming wedding. Gender: Female Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: C4 George Robert's stressed-out best man. He is happy to take on the role of best man, but is having to really work to keep the wedding on track. Though George spends a good amount of the show in a tizzy, he knows how to pull it together to get things done. Gender: Male Vocal range top: G5 Vocal range bottom: D4 Victor Feldzieg Producer who has a lot of people putting pressure on him, including a gang boss, his pseudo-girlfriend Kitty, and Janet, the leading lady who is leaving his show. He is always seems a bit on edge as he schemes to stop the wedding and save his own life. Gender: Male Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: Gb3 Kitty A chorus girl who is gunning to take over Janet's role. Though Kitty has a lot of heart, she isn't very bright, and has trouble convincing Feldzieg that she would be able to carry the show. Gender: Female Vocal range top: Db5 Vocal range bottom: Eb3 Janet Van De Graff A glamorous showgirl who plans to give up her career to wed Robert Martin. She presents herself as confident and powerful, but underneath she wonders if she is doing the right thing. Cast a true triple-threat performer in this role. She must be an excellent singer, actor, and dancer, especially for her signature number "Show Off". Gender: Female Vocal range top: D#5 Vocal range bottom: Db4 Gangster 1, Gangster 2, and Gangsters Have been sent by Feldzieg's largest investor to ensure that Janet re-joins the show. Vocal range top: Db5 Vocal range bottom: Ab2 Aldolpho A famously charming man who believes he is a true gift to women and will do anything to uphold his honor. He is secure in his actions and goes after what things he must. Gender: Male Vocal range top: F5 Vocal range bottom: C3 Trix Trix the Aviatrix is one spunky pilot! She saves the day at the end of the show by officiating all the weddings. Gender: Female Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: Ab3 Ensemble The SUPERINTENDENT is a hilarious cameo for an actor who makes a great foil for Man In Chair. The Superintendent does not come onstage until nearly the end of the show, but feel free to use this actor in the ensemble before their big scene. GUESTS STAFF REPORTER 1, 2, 3, 4, and REPORTERS are great roles for anyone who would like to be involved in your production. Gender: Any

Disney's Alice In Wonderland Jr. - Broadway Junior | Hal Leonard Menu LEARN MORE About Broadway Junior What Comes With the Showkit®? How to License a Broadway Junior Musical Order an Audio Sampler Frequently Asked Questions 60-Min.ute Musicals [JR.] 60-Minute Musicals 13 Jr. Alice In Wonderland Jr. (Disney) Aladdin Jr. (Disney) Annie Jr. Beauty and the Beast Jr. (Disney) The Big One-Oh! Jr. Bugsy Malone Jr. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. Dear Edwina Jr. Doctor Dolittle Jr. Dot & The Kangaroo Jr. The Drowsy Chaperone Jr. Elephant & Piggie's "We Are In A Play" Jr. Elf The Musical Jr. Fame Jr. Fiddler on the Roof Jr. Finding Nemo Jr. (Disney) Finian's Rainbow Jr. Flat Stanley Jr. Frozen Jr. (Disney) A Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens Jr. (Magic Tree House) Godspell Jr. Guys and Dolls Jr. Hairspray Jr. High School Musical Jr. (Disney) Honk! Jr. Into the Woods Jr. James and the Giant Peach Jr. (Roald Dahl) Junie B. Jones Jr. Legally Blonde Jr. The Lion King Jr. (Disney) The Little Mermaid Jr. (Disney) Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr. Mary Poppins Jr. (Disney/Cameron Mackintosh) Matilda Jr. (Roald Dahl) Mean Girls Jr. Moana Jr. (Disney) The Music Man Jr. My Son Pinocchio Jr. (Disney) Newsies Jr. (Disney) Oliver! Jr. Once on This Island Jr. Peter Pan Jr. (Broadway) The Phantom Tollbooth Jr. The Pirates of Penzance Jr. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. Seussical Jr. Shrek Jr. Singin' In The Rain Jr. Sister Act Jr. Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. Willy Wonka Jr. (Roald Dahl) Xanadu Jr. 30-Min.ute Musicals [KIDS] 30-Minute Musicals 101 Dalmatians KIDS (Disney) Aladdin KIDS (Disney) Annie KIDS Aristocats KIDS (Disney) Dinosaurs Before Dark KIDS (Magic Tree House) Finding Nemo KIDS (Disney) Frozen KIDS (Disney) The Jungle Book KIDS (Disney) The Knight at Dawn KIDS (Magic Tree House) The Lion King KIDS (Disney) The Music Man KIDS Pirates Past Noon KIDS (Magic Tree House) Seussical KIDS Willy Wonka KIDS (Roald Dahl) Winnie the Pooh KIDS (Disney) A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS Product Information Musical Numbers Cast of Characters Credits Music and Lyrics by Danny Elfman, Sammy Fain, Bob Hilliard, Oliver Wallace, Cy Coben, Michael Abbott, Sarah Weeks, Mack David, Al Hoffman, Jerry Livingston Music Adapted and Arranged and Additional Music and Lyrics by Bryan Louiselle Additional Arrangements and Orchestrations by Patrick Sulken Book and Additional Lyrics by David Simpatico Based on the 1951 Disney film Alice in Wonderland and the novels The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll Overview / Synopsis Fall down the rabbit hole with Alice as she navigates the curious world of Wonderland on a journey of self-discovery. This 60-minute stage adaptation of the classic Disney animated film and the Lewis Carroll stories makes a triumphant return to the Broadway Junior® catalogue, with an updated script and score made specifically for today's young performers. When young Alice finds herself in a strange world where everything seems upside down, she must find her way home...and find herself along the way. As she travels through Wonderland, she encounters all of the iconic characters that audiences have come to love: including the ever-tardy White Rabbit, the grinning Cheshire Cat, a cool Caterpillar, the wacky Mad Hatter, and the hot-tempered Queen of Hearts. Alice in Wonderland JR. features Disney favorites such as "The Golden Afternoon," "The Unbirthday Song," and "Painting the Roses Red" along with brand-new songs, including music from the 2010 live-action film. Whether this is your first experience with Alice or your hundredth, you'll fall in love all over again with this timeless story of adventure, imagination, and pure fun! Audio Sampler - HL01218087 $10.00 ShowKit - HL01218070 $695.00 This ShowKit includes: 30 Actor's Books Piano/Vocal Score Director's Guide Choreography Videos (Digital) Guide Vocal Tracks (Digital) Performance Tracks (Digital) Downloadable Resources and Media Digital Delivery Update Now you can receive digital access to many of the ShowKit components you know and love. Look forward to easily distributing these crucial components to your cast and creative team: Performance Accompaniment Tracks and Guide Vocal Tracks (Formerly Accompaniment CD & Rehearsal CD, respectively) will now be delivered together as a digital download and easily shared with your entire team, cast, and crew Choreography Videos (formerly the Choreography DVD) will be available to stream directly from mtishows.com. Now not only your choreographer but the entire cast will have access to fantastic step-by-step instruction for every Broadway Junior title! Downloadable Resources (formerly the Resources (or Media) Disc), including Audition Materials, a customizable press release, program and other helpful templates, and more can all be accessed with a click of a button 60-Minute JR. Request Individual Components 01218075 - Piano/Vocal Score $40.00 01218071 - Director's Guide $100.00 01218083 - Actor's Book $10.00 01218084 - Actor's Book 10 Pak $75.00 01218087 - Audio Sampler $10.00 MUSICAL NUMBERS Opening (Alice's Theme) In A World of My Own I'm Late Very Good Advice The Caucus Race I'm Late (Reprise) How D'ye Do and Shake Hands How D'ye Do and Shake Hands (Reprise) The Golden Afternoon Adventure Is A Wonderful Thing The Unbirthday Song (Part 1) The Unbirthday Song (Part 2) I'm Late (Reprise 2) Painting The Roses Red Painting The Roses Red (Reprise) Simon Says (Part 2) The Unbirthday Song (Reprise) Finale Cast of Characters Cast Size: Large (21 or more performers) Cast Type: Children Dance Requirements: Standard Alice A curious and adventurous girl of different sizes. Gender: Female Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: Bb3 Small Alice A curious and adventurous girl of different sizes. Gender: Female Vocal range top: A4 Vocal range bottom: B3 Tall Alice A curious and adventurous girl of different sizes. Mathilda Alice's older sister, who is more logical and grounded than her sibling. Friends 1 & 2 Mathilda's snooty friends who find Alice odd. Chesire Cats 1-3 Magical felines in three parts who don't always agree; friendly guides for both Alice and the audience. White Rabbit The perennially tardy royal trumpeter. Vocal range top: E5 Vocal range bottom: C4 Doorknob Gatekeeper of Wonderland. Dodo Bird Captain of the Queen's Navy and referee of the caucus race. Vocal range top:C5 Vocal range bottom: B3 Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum Goofy twins with impeccable manners who are easily confused. Vocal range top: Eb5 Vocal range bottom: C#4 Rose, Lily, Petunia, Daisy, Violet The rudely exclusive Flowers of the Golden Afternoon. Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: B3 Caterpillar A charming, theatrical, and encouraging soon-to-be-butterfly. Vocal range top: C#5 Vocal range bottom: A#3 Mad Hatter A tea party host with a penchant for hats and making up rules. Vocal range top: Bb4 Vocal range bottom: Bb3 March Hare The ever-celebrating and game-loving tea party host. Vocal range top: B4 Vocal range bottom: B3 King of Hearts The Queen's placid partner. Queen of Hearts The highly feared, hot-tempered monarch of Wonderland. Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: C4 Wonderland Ensemble The zany, magical, and unique characters that Alice meets along her journey, from cats and rabbits to flowers and doorknobs. This group includes participants in the caucus race who are swept up by the ocean of tears; Party Guests at the March Hare and Mad Hatter's tea party; and Royal Cards, servants of the Queen and King of Hearts, including Ace of Spades, Two of Clubs, Three of Diamonds, and Four of Hearts.

Oliver! Jr. - Broadway Junior | Hal Leonard Menu LEARN MORE About Broadway Junior What Comes With the Showkit®? How to License a Broadway Junior Musical Order an Audio Sampler Frequently Asked Questions 60-Min.ute Musicals [JR.] 60-Minute Musicals 13 Jr. Alice In Wonderland Jr. (Disney) Aladdin Jr. (Disney) Annie Jr. Beauty and the Beast Jr. (Disney) The Big One-Oh! Jr. Bugsy Malone Jr. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. Dear Edwina Jr. Doctor Dolittle Jr. Dot & The Kangaroo Jr. The Drowsy Chaperone Jr. Elephant & Piggie's "We Are In A Play" Jr. Elf The Musical Jr. Fame Jr. Fiddler on the Roof Jr. Finding Nemo Jr. (Disney) Finian's Rainbow Jr. Flat Stanley Jr. Frozen Jr. (Disney) A Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens Jr. (Magic Tree House) Godspell Jr. Guys and Dolls Jr. Hairspray Jr. High School Musical Jr. (Disney) Honk! Jr. Into the Woods Jr. James and the Giant Peach Jr. (Roald Dahl) Junie B. Jones Jr. Legally Blonde Jr. The Lion King Jr. (Disney) The Little Mermaid Jr. (Disney) Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr. Mary Poppins Jr. (Disney/Cameron Mackintosh) Matilda Jr. (Roald Dahl) Mean Girls Jr. Moana Jr. (Disney) The Music Man Jr. My Son Pinocchio Jr. (Disney) Newsies Jr. (Disney) Oliver! Jr. Once on This Island Jr. Peter Pan Jr. (Broadway) The Phantom Tollbooth Jr. The Pirates of Penzance Jr. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. Seussical Jr. Shrek Jr. Singin' In The Rain Jr. Sister Act Jr. Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. Willy Wonka Jr. (Roald Dahl) Xanadu Jr. 30-Min.ute Musicals [KIDS] 30-Minute Musicals 101 Dalmatians KIDS (Disney) Aladdin KIDS (Disney) Annie KIDS Aristocats KIDS (Disney) Dinosaurs Before Dark KIDS (Magic Tree House) Finding Nemo KIDS (Disney) Frozen KIDS (Disney) The Jungle Book KIDS (Disney) The Knight at Dawn KIDS (Magic Tree House) The Lion King KIDS (Disney) The Music Man KIDS Pirates Past Noon KIDS (Magic Tree House) Seussical KIDS Willy Wonka KIDS (Roald Dahl) Winnie the Pooh KIDS (Disney) A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS Product Information Musical Numbers Cast of Characters Credits Book, Music, and Lyrics by Lionel Bart Overview / Synopsis Consider yourself at home with Oliver! JR., the Broadway Junior version of Lionel Bart's classic musical based on Charles Dickens' novel, Oliver Twist. The Tony and Olivier Award-winning show is one of the few musicals to win an Academy Award for Best Picture and is widely hailed as a true theatrical masterpiece by actors and audience members alike. The streets of Victorian England come to life as Oliver, a malnourished orphan in a workhouse, becomes the neglected apprentice of an undertaker. Oliver escapes to London and finds acceptance amongst a group of petty thieves and pickpockets led by the elderly Fagin. When Oliver is captured for a theft that he did not commit, the benevolent victim, Mr. Brownlow takes him in. Fearing the safety of his hideout, Fagin employs the sinister Bill Sikes and the sympathetic Nancy to kidnap him back, threatening Oliver's chances of discovering the true love of a family. Oliver! JR. is full of classic songs like "Consider Yourself", "Food Glorious Food", and "Oom-Pah-Pah", and perfectly showcases the talents of a large ensemble cast. Audio Sampler - HL00295941 $10.00 ShowKit - HL00295942 $695.00 This ShowKit includes: 30 Libretto/Vocal Books Piano/Vocal Score Director's Guide Choreography Videos (Digital) Guide Vocal Tracks (Digital) Performance Tracks (Digital) Downloadable Resources and Media 60-Minute JR. Request Individual Components 00295942 - ShowKit $695.00 00295932 - Director's Guide $100.00 00295933 - Piano/Vocal Score $40.00 00295934 - Libretto/Vocal Score (Single) $10.00 00295935 - Libretto/Vocal Score (10 Pack) $75.00 00295941 - Audio Sampler $10.00 MUSICAL NUMBERS Food Glorious Food Oliver Boy For Sale Where Is Love? Consider Yourself Pick A Pocket Or Two Rum-Tum-Tum It's A Fine Life I'd Do Anything Be Back Soon Oom-Pah-Pah My Name As Long As He Needs Me Where Is Love? (Reprise) Who Will Buy? (Part 1) Who Will Buy? (Part 2) It's A Fine Life (Reprise) Reviewing The Situation Oliver (Reprise) As Long As He Needs Me (Reprise) London Bridge Bows Cast of Characters Cast Size: Large (21 or more performers) Cast Type: Children Dance Requirements: Standard Mr. Bumble Mr. Bumble runs the workhouse where Oliver finds himself in the beginning of the show. He is cold, cruel, and he doesn't care one bit about the boys in his workhouse. Cast a good actor and decent singer who reads as older onstage and makes a good team with Widow Corney. Gender: Male Vocal range top: F4 Vocal range bottom: Bb2 Widow Corney Widow Corney runs the workhouse along with Mr. Bumble. She is cold and calculating, like Mr. Bumble, and only cares that the work gets done and puts money in her pocket. Cast a good actor and singer who works well with Mr. Bumble. Gender: Female Vocal range top: Eb5 Vocal range bottom: B3 Oliver Twist Oliver Twist is the 11-year-old orphan around which the whole plot of the show revolves. Oliver is intelligent and kind, but he is not afraid to stand up for himself when the situation calls for it. He longs for a family and escapes to London to try to make his fortune - though he has no idea what adventures await him there! Ideally, Oliver should read as younger onstage, but a great singer with a strong stage presence is more important than a physically smaller actor. Gender: Male Vocal range top: E5 Vocal range bottom: A3 Mr. Sowerberry Mr. Sowerberry is the undertaker who purchases Oliver from Mr. Bumble. He is a callous man who does not treat Oliver much better than Mr. Bumble. He does not sing a solo but should be an actor that pairs well with Mrs. Sowerberry. Gender: Male Mrs. Sowerberry Mrs. Sowerberry gives Oliver scraps left for the dog to eat. She, like her husband, does not care at all for Oliver's well-being and only wants him to work. Cast an actor who pairs well with Mr. Sowerberry. Gender: Female Charlotte Charlotte works for the Sowerberrys. She is kinder to Oliver than the others in the Sowerberry home, but not by much. Charlotte has a few lines but does not sing, so feel free to cast a performer new to the stage in this role. Gender: Female Noah Claypole Noah Claypole works for the Sowerberrys. He is a mean, nasty person who insults Oliver's mother on purpose to upset him. Noah should read as older onstage than Oliver and have good stage presence. He does not have to sing. Gender: Male Artful Dodger The Artful Dodger, a.k.a. Jack Dawkins, is one of the most famous characters in literature. He is charming, upbeat, and charismatic. Though Dodger works for Fagin as a thief, he is the first person to show Oliver real kindness and gives him a place to belong. Cast a great singer and actor who exudes charm and commands the stage. Gender: Male Vocal range top: E5 Vocal range bottom: A3 Fagin Fagin recruits, trains, and manages a gang of child-thieves. Though he claims he cares for each of his children, providing them food and shelter and characteristically calling them "my dear," he's really only concerned with the money these young thieves bring in. Cast a charismatic actor with a robust voice who can portray Fagin's nuanced charm. Gender: Male Vocal range top: G4 Vocal range bottom: C3 Charlie Bates Charlie Bates is one of Fagin's child-thieves. He is a great admirer of the Artful Dodger and an accomplished pocket-picker. Cast a good actor and singer in this fun role. Gender: Male Vocal range top: B4 Vocal range bottom: G4 Nipper Nipper is the smallest member of Fagin's gang. He has a small solo but no lines, so cast an actor of a smaller stature who can sing in this role. Gender: Any Vocal range top: E4 Vocal range bottom: A3 Captain The CAPTAIN and HANDWALKER are children in Fagin's gang. They each have small solos, so make sure these actors are comfortable singing onstage. Gender: Any Vocal range top: A4 Vocal range bottom: B3 Handwalker The CAPTAIN and HANDWALKER are children in Fagin's gang. They each have small solos, so make sure these actors are comfortable singing onstage. Gender: Any Vocal range top: B4 Vocal range bottom: D4 Nancy Nancy is an adventurous young lady with a heart of gold who has fallen in with the wrong crowd. She is vivacious and kind, the life of the party, and she immediately takes Oliver under her wing. Unfortunately, she is involved with Bill Sikes, who is a troublesome person. Cast a fantastic actress and great singer in this dynamic role. Gender: Female Vocal range top: E5 Vocal range bottom: G3 Bet Bet is a friend of Nancy's who shares her spirited nature and sense of adventure. Like Nancy, Bet has a kind heart but has fallen upon hard times. Cast a reliable singer and dancer who pairs well with Nancy. Gender: Female Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: A3 Mr. Brownlow Mr. Brownlow is a sweet man who takes Oliver in, even after Oliver has picked his pocket. Oliver is familiar to Mr. Brownlow immediately, even though he has no idea that Oliver is his grandchild. Mr. Brownlow doesn't have any solos, so he does not have to be a singer. This role is perfect for a strong, caring actor. Gender: Male Bill Sikes Bill Sikes is a quintessential villain. He is mean, selfish, and ruthless, and he always looks out for number one. He bullies everyone around him, especially Nancy, and is paranoid, always afraid that people will betray him. Cast a terrific actor and consistent singer who can lean into this character's menacing presence. Gender: Male Vocal range top: D4 Vocal range bottom: B2 Chairman The Chairman is a small featured role in the Three Cripples Public House. His few lines are crucial to the storytelling, so be sure to cast an actor in this role who has solid diction and can project. Gender: Male Mrs. Bedwin Mrs. Bedwin is Mr. Brownlow's kindhearted housekeeper. This is a lovely featured role for a singer and actor who reads as older onstage. Gender: Female Vocal range top: B4 Vocal range bottom: C4 Milkmaid The MILKMAID, STRAWBERRY SELLER, KNIFE GRINDER, and ROSE SELLER are featured roles that fill out the world of Oliver! JR. They all have solos, so cast good singers in these roles. These roles are great for younger performers who may not be ready to take on a larger part. Gender: Female Vocal range top: C5 Vocal range bottom: Eb4 Strawberry Seller The MILKMAID, STRAWBERRY SELLER, KNIFE GRINDER, and ROSE SELLER are featured roles that fill out the world of Oliver! JR. They all have solos, so cast good singers in these roles. These roles are great for younger performers who may not be ready to take on a larger part. Gender: Female Vocal range top: Eb5 Vocal range bottom: Eb4 Knife Grinder The MILKMAID, STRAWBERRY SELLER, KNIFE GRINDER, and ROSE SELLER are featured roles that fill out the world of Oliver! JR. They all have solos, so cast good singers in these roles. These roles are great for younger performers who may not be ready to take on a larger part. Gender: Male Vocal range top: G3 Vocal range bottom: Bb2 Rose Seller The MILKMAID, STRAWBERRY SELLER, KNIFE GRINDER, and ROSE SELLER are featured roles that fill out the world of Oliver! JR. They all have solos, so cast good singers in these roles. These roles are great for younger performers who may not be ready to take on a larger part. Gender: Female Vocal range top: Ab4 Vocal range bottom: Bb3 Dr. Grimwig Dr. Grimwig is a featured acting role. He is extremely intelligent but a bit pessimistic, especially compared to Mr. Brownlow. Cast a character actor who will enjoy playing an older character onstage in this non-singing role. Gender: Male Old Sally OLD SALLY and the MATRON confirm that Oliver is Agnes's son, and therefore Mr. Brownlow's grandson. These featured roles do not have solos, so they are perfect for actors who can deliver their important lines clearly. Gender: Female Matron OLD SALLY and the MATRON confirm that Oliver is Agnes's son, and therefore Mr. Brownlow's grandson. These featured roles do not have solos, so they are perfect for actors who can deliver their important lines clearly. Gender: Female Ensemble The large ensemble in Oliver! JR. fills out the world of the musical. The ensemble roles include CHILDREN (including CHILD), WORKHOUSE GOVERNORS, SERVANTS, MAID, DELIVERY PERSON, PAUPER ASSISTANTS, PEOPLE IN THE CITY (including PASSING MAN), FAGIN'S GANG, POLICEMAN, CUSTOMERS at the Three Cripples Public House, STREET SELLERS, MARKET SELLERS, CROWD in the Town square (including FIRST WOMAN, SECOND WOMAN, THIRD WOMAN and FIRST MAN), PEOPLE and POLICE at London Bridge (including LAMPLIGHTER, FIRST RUNNER, POLICE 1, POLICE 2). Gender: Any

Annie KIDS - Broadway Junior | Hal Leonard Menu LEARN MORE About Broadway Junior What Comes With the Showkit®? How to License a Broadway Junior Musical Order an Audio Sampler Frequently Asked Questions 60-Min.ute Musicals [JR.] 60-Minute Musicals 13 Jr. Alice In Wonderland Jr. (Disney) Aladdin Jr. (Disney) Annie Jr. Beauty and the Beast Jr. (Disney) The Big One-Oh! Jr. Bugsy Malone Jr. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. Dear Edwina Jr. Doctor Dolittle Jr. Dot & The Kangaroo Jr. The Drowsy Chaperone Jr. Elephant & Piggie's "We Are In A Play" Jr. Elf The Musical Jr. Fame Jr. Fiddler on the Roof Jr. Finding Nemo Jr. (Disney) Finian's Rainbow Jr. Flat Stanley Jr. Frozen Jr. (Disney) A Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens Jr. (Magic Tree House) Godspell Jr. Guys and Dolls Jr. Hairspray Jr. High School Musical Jr. (Disney) Honk! Jr. Into the Woods Jr. James and the Giant Peach Jr. (Roald Dahl) Junie B. Jones Jr. Legally Blonde Jr. The Lion King Jr. (Disney) The Little Mermaid Jr. (Disney) Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr. Mary Poppins Jr. (Disney/Cameron Mackintosh) Matilda Jr. (Roald Dahl) Mean Girls Jr. Moana Jr. (Disney) The Music Man Jr. My Son Pinocchio Jr. (Disney) Newsies Jr. (Disney) Oliver! Jr. Once on This Island Jr. Peter Pan Jr. (Broadway) The Phantom Tollbooth Jr. The Pirates of Penzance Jr. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. Seussical Jr. Shrek Jr. Singin' In The Rain Jr. Sister Act Jr. Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. Willy Wonka Jr. (Roald Dahl) Xanadu Jr. 30-Min.ute Musicals [KIDS] 30-Minute Musicals 101 Dalmatians KIDS (Disney) Aladdin KIDS (Disney) Annie KIDS Aristocats KIDS (Disney) Dinosaurs Before Dark KIDS (Magic Tree House) Finding Nemo KIDS (Disney) Frozen KIDS (Disney) The Jungle Book KIDS (Disney) The Knight at Dawn KIDS (Magic Tree House) The Lion King KIDS (Disney) The Music Man KIDS Pirates Past Noon KIDS (Magic Tree House) Seussical KIDS Willy Wonka KIDS (Roald Dahl) Winnie the Pooh KIDS (Disney) A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS Product Information Musical Numbers Cast of Characters Credits Music by Charles Strouse Lyrics by Martin Charnin Book by Thomas Meehan Based on the Tribune Media Service Comic Strip, Little Orphan Annie Overview / Synopsis The idea of turning Harold Gray's "Little Orphan Annie" into a musical comedy was the inspiration of lyricist-director Martin Charnin, who convinced Charles Strouse and librettist Thomas Meehan to join in creating it. The show, which places Annie, Daddy Warbucks and Annie's mutt, Sandy, in New York City in the midst of the Depression, opened on Broadway on April 21, 1977. As an infant, Annie had been abandoned on the front steps of The New York City Municipal Orphanage with a note from her parents promising to return for her someday. Life in the orphanage had been rough under the strict hand of Miss Hannigan, but Annie's life was about to change. Billionaire Oliver Warbucks invites Annie to spend Christmas with him in his mansion, and together, they each discover new happiness. Warbucks soon decides he wants to adopt Annie, but when he learns about her dream of finding her parents and the secret of the half-locket she has treasured for so long, he sets his own feelings aside and orders an exhaustive search for Annie's parents. Annie went on to win seven Tony awards and became the third longest running musical of the 1970s with 2,377 performances. It also won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical. Writing in The World of Musical Comedy, author Stanley Green has said, "...she has unquestionably taken her place as Broadway's most beloved waif of all times." Audio Sampler - HL00102684 $10.00 ShowKit - HL09971633 $545.00 This ShowKit includes: 30 Actor's Scripts Piano/Vocal Score Director's Guide 2 Performance/Accompaniment CDs Choreography DVD Media Disc 30 Family Matters Booklets 30-Minute KIDS Request Individual Components 09971635 - Piano/Vocal Score $40.00 09971636 - Director's Guide $100.00 09971634 - Actor's Script $10.00 09971637 - Actor's Script 10-pak $75.00 09971638 - Rehearsal/Accompaniment CDs $75.00 09971639 - Choreography DVD $50.00 09971641 - Student Rehearsal CD $10.00 09971642 - Student Rehearsal CD 20 Pak $100.00 09971640 - Media Disc $10.00 00102684 - Audio Sampler $10.00 Hear A Sample Maybe [Annie] It's the Hard-Knock Life [Annie, Orphans] Tomorrow [Annie, Sandy] Little Girls [Miss Hannigan] Easy Street [Rooster, Miss Hannigan, Lily] N.Y.C. [Warbucks, Grace, Annie, Star(s)-To-Be, Ensemble] You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile [Tessie, July, Kate, Orphans] Maybe (Reprise) [Annie] Tomorrow (Reprise) [Warbucks, Grace, Roosevelt, Annie, Orphans, Ensemble] The Chase [Jasper, Puppies, Horace, Cruella] Cast of Characters Cast Size: Medium (11 to 20 performers) Cast Type: Children Dance Requirements: Standard Annie Annie is a complex, tough, streetwise urchin who is surprisingly vulnerable when she thinks she might lose what has become most important to her: her newfound "family." Cast an excellent actress who can act motherly, independent, overwhelmed and hopeful. She should be strong vocally and musically and be able to light up the stage in "Tomorrow!" Gender: Female Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: A3 Molly The Orphans are gritty girls that are neglected and vulnerable, yet basically honest and lovable. Cast girls that can have "mischievous" fun together, as well as "sibling style" fights. Each actress should be able to shape her own specific character, be a good singer and visually expressive. Molly is the littlest at age 6. Gender: Female Vocal range top: B4 Vocal range bottom: A3 Kate The Orphans are gritty girls that are neglected and vulnerable, yet basically honest and lovable. Cast girls that can have "mischievous" fun together, as well as "sibling style" fights. Each actress should be able to shape her own specific character, be a good singer and visually expressive. Kate is the next-to-youngest at age 7. Gender: Female Vocal range top: C5 Vocal range bottom: C4 Tessie The Orphans are gritty girls that are neglected and vulnerable, yet basically honest and lovable. Cast girls that can have "mischievous" fun together, as well as "sibling style" fights. Each actress should be able to shape her own specific character, be a good singer and visually expressive. Tessie is the cry baby at age 11. Age: 11 to 11 Vocal range top: C5 Vocal range bottom: A3 Pepper The Orphans are gritty girls that are neglected and vulnerable, yet basically honest and lovable. Cast girls that can have "mischievous" fun together, as well as "sibling style" fights. Each actress should be able to shape her own specific character, be a good singer and visually expressive. Pepper is the toughest at age 12. Gender: Female Vocal range top: Bb4 Vocal range bottom: C4 July The Orphans are gritty girls that are neglected and vulnerable, yet basically honest and lovable. Cast girls that can have "mischievous" fun together, as well as "sibling style" fights. Each actress should be able to shape her own specific character, be a good singer and visually expressive. July is the quietest at age 13. Gender: Female Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: C4 Duffy The Orphans are gritty girls that are neglected and vulnerable, yet basically honest and lovable. Cast girls that can have "mischievous" fun together, as well as "sibling style" fights. Each actress should be able to shape her own specific character, be a good singer and visually expressive. Duffy is the oldest at age 13. Gender: Female Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: C4 Miss Hannigan Miss Hannigan is a definite "has-been." Her distaste for her job should ooze from every line she delivers. Cast a strong actress with excellent comic timing. She must have a strong versatile singing voice and be able to create a character that is larger than life. Gender: Female Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: G3 Grace Farrell Grace Farrell is Oliver Warbucks's calm, cool and classy secretary. She appears businesslike when dealing with Miss Hannigan and Warbucks, yet maternal toward Annie. Cast an actress that can always appear "in control" and sophisticated. She has a small solo at the beginning of "N.Y.C." This is a great feature part for an actress who is likable, sweet and confident. Gender: Female Vocal range top: C5 Vocal range bottom: D4 Rooster Hannigan Rooster Hannigan and Lily St. Regis are the comic team who claim to be Annie's parents but are revealed to be Miss Hannigan's swindling brother and his sleazy girlfriend in disguise. These characters play off each other constantly. Consider casting performers of contrasting heights. The flashy, self-assured Rooster can even be shorter than his airhead accomplice, Lily. Cast a boy for Rooster that can convincingly pull off the "smooth gambler" persona, and vocally and physically handle "Easy Street." Consider auditioning these roles together to cast the perfect duo. Gender: Male Vocal range top: Bb4 Vocal range bottom: G3 Lily St. Regis Rooster Hannigan and Lily St. Regis are the comic team who claim to be Annie's parents but are revealed to be Miss Hannigan's swindling brother and his sleazy girlfriend in disguise. These characters play off each other constantly. Consider casting performers of contrasting heights. The flashy, self-assured Rooster can even be shorter than his airhead accomplice, Lily. Lily is a perfect role for an actress who is naturally funny, has a good sense of timing and is a strong singer. Consider auditioning these roles together to cast the perfect duo. Gender: Female Vocal range top: Bb4 Vocal range bottom: Bb3 Oliver Warbucks Oliver Warbucks is the daunting millionaire who made his fortune during World War I as an industrialist. This is a challenging role, so cast an actor that can appear middle-aged, self-assured and confident. In the beginning, Warbucks is awkwardly affectionate toward Annie and then finds himself completely charmed by her. Cast an actor who is focused and gently authoritative. His few solos in "N.Y.C." are secondary to the character commitment as an actor. Gender: Male Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: A3 Sandy Sandy is the stray dog that Annie adopts. Sandy has no lines but has the capability of earning spontaneous applause when he sings "Tomorrow" with Annie! Gender: Any Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: F4 Drake and the Servants Drake and the Servants are the loyal domestic help of Oliver Warbucks. Your kids will have fun perfecting precision steps, nods and curtsies. This group of performers sings with the ensemble and can be double cast as New Yorkers in "N.Y.C." These roles are ideally suited for performers of any ability. This is another excellent place to expand your cast. Gender: Any Apple Seller The Apple Seller opens Scene 2 speaking to Annie and giving her an apple. With just a few lines, this is a good character part for a young, inexperienced actor. Gender: Any Lt. Ward Lt. Ward is the policeman who questions Annie about Sandy, the stray dog. This is a non-singing role and great for a kid who can play an authoritative adult. This is also a great cameo role for a principal or well-known community member. Gender: Male Bert Healy Bert Healy is the classic announcer on a radio show of the era. This is a non-singing role and is perfect for someone who is naturally funny with a big voice. Gender: Male Bundles Bundles is the laundryman for the orphanage. This is a minor speaking role and is perfect for the actor who can create a likeable character. A great spot for an actor who is not quite ready for a large part. Gender: Male President Franklin D. Roosevelt President Franklin D. Roosevelt is enlisted by Oliver Warbucks to help locate Annie's parents. He will be pushed onstage in a wheelchair and delivers a momentous line about "A New Deal!" This is an excellent spot to cast an actor who is not quite ready for a large part or who doesn't have a strong singing voice. Gender: Male Louis Home Louis Howe is President Roosevelt's trustworthy aide. This is a great role for someone new to performing. Gender: Male Star(s)-To-Be Star(s)-To-Be is a glamorous diva in the number "N.Y.C." Feel free to cast multiple girls in this part and split the singing solos between them. Although this is not a speaking role, cast a girl that can confidently sing and act. Gender: Female Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: Ab3 Usherette The Usherette ushers Warbucks, Annie and Grace to their seats in the Roxy at the end of "N.Y.C." She has one line and then sings with the ensemble. New Yorkers The New Yorkers are comprised of a wonderfully colorful collection of characters, usually identified by their occupation. It is great fun to have your students explore and develop these characters in the historical context of the 1930s. Some ideas for these roles are: street vendors, homeless people, tourists, taxi drivers, newsboys, pickpockets, street cleaners, mothers and children, additional stars-to-be, and news reporters. Gender: Any

Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka Kids - Broadway Junior | Hal Leonard Menu LEARN MORE About Broadway Junior What Comes With the Showkit®? How to License a Broadway Junior Musical Order an Audio Sampler Frequently Asked Questions 60-Min.ute Musicals [JR.] 60-Minute Musicals 13 Jr. Alice In Wonderland Jr. (Disney) Aladdin Jr. (Disney) Annie Jr. Beauty and the Beast Jr. (Disney) The Big One-Oh! Jr. Bugsy Malone Jr. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. Dear Edwina Jr. Doctor Dolittle Jr. Dot & The Kangaroo Jr. The Drowsy Chaperone Jr. Elephant & Piggie's "We Are In A Play" Jr. Elf The Musical Jr. Fame Jr. Fiddler on the Roof Jr. Finding Nemo Jr. (Disney) Finian's Rainbow Jr. Flat Stanley Jr. Frozen Jr. (Disney) A Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens Jr. (Magic Tree House) Godspell Jr. Guys and Dolls Jr. Hairspray Jr. High School Musical Jr. (Disney) Honk! Jr. Into the Woods Jr. James and the Giant Peach Jr. (Roald Dahl) Junie B. Jones Jr. Legally Blonde Jr. The Lion King Jr. (Disney) The Little Mermaid Jr. (Disney) Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr. Mary Poppins Jr. (Disney/Cameron Mackintosh) Matilda Jr. (Roald Dahl) Mean Girls Jr. Moana Jr. (Disney) The Music Man Jr. My Son Pinocchio Jr. (Disney) Newsies Jr. (Disney) Oliver! Jr. Once on This Island Jr. Peter Pan Jr. (Broadway) The Phantom Tollbooth Jr. The Pirates of Penzance Jr. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. Seussical Jr. Shrek Jr. Singin' In The Rain Jr. Sister Act Jr. Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. Willy Wonka Jr. (Roald Dahl) Xanadu Jr. 30-Min.ute Musicals [KIDS] 30-Minute Musicals 101 Dalmatians KIDS (Disney) Aladdin KIDS (Disney) Annie KIDS Aristocats KIDS (Disney) Dinosaurs Before Dark KIDS (Magic Tree House) Finding Nemo KIDS (Disney) Frozen KIDS (Disney) The Jungle Book KIDS (Disney) The Knight at Dawn KIDS (Magic Tree House) The Lion King KIDS (Disney) The Music Man KIDS Pirates Past Noon KIDS (Magic Tree House) Seussical KIDS Willy Wonka KIDS (Roald Dahl) Winnie the Pooh KIDS (Disney) A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS Product Information Musical Numbers Cast of Characters Credits Words and Music by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley Adapted for the Stage by Leslie Bricusse and Timothy A. McDonald Based on the book: "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" By Roald Dahl Overview / Synopsis The delicious adventures experienced by Charlie Bucket on his visit to Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate factory light up the stage in this captivating adaptation of Roald Dahl's fantastical tale. Featuring the enchanting songs from the 1971 film starring Gene Wilder, in addition to a host of fun new songs, Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka KIDS is a scrumdidilyumptious musical guaranteed to delight everyone's sweet tooth. Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka KIDS follows enigmatic candy manufacturer Willy Wonka as he stages a contest by hiding golden tickets in five of his scrumptious candy bars. Whomever comes up with these tickets will win a free tour of the Wonka factory, as well as a lifetime supply of candy. Four of the five winning children are insufferable brats, but the fifth is a likeable young lad named Charlie Bucket, who takes the tour in the company of his equally amiable grandfather. The children must learn to follow Mr. Wonka's rules in the factory - or suffer the consequences. Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka KIDS has a flexible cast size with many featured and ensemble roles, including the singing and dancing Oompa-Loompas. Audio Sampler - HL01149056 $10.00 ShowKit - HL01149057 $545.00 This ShowKit includes: 30 Student Scripts Piano/Vocal Score Director's Script Rehearsal/Accompaniment CD Choreography DVD 30 Family Matters Booklets 30-Minute KIDS Request Individual Components 01149053 - Piano/Vocal Score $40.00 01149052 - Director's Guide $100.00 01149054 - Libretto/Vocal Score $10.00 01149055 - Libretto/Vocal Score 10-Pak $75.00 01146056 - Audio Sampler $10.00 Hear A Sample The Candy Man Golden Age of Chocolate At the Gates (Pure Imagination) Factory Reveal Sequence Oompa-Loompa 2 Oompa-Loompa 3 Burping Song Oompa-Loompa 4 (I've Got a) Golden Ticket Oompa-Loompa 1 I Want It Now! Bows Cast of Characters Cast Size: Medium (11 to 20 performers) Cast Type: Children Dance Requirements: Standard Grandma Josephina Charlie's three grandparents are mainly non-singing character roles. Cast performers that are innately interesting, who have good comic timing and are solid actors. These actors can double as Oompa-Loompas in the second half of the show. Gender: Female Grandma Georgina Charlie's three grandparents are mainly non-singing character roles. Cast performers that are innately interesting, who have good comic timing and are solid actors. These actors can double as Oompa-Loompas in the second half of the show. Gender: Female Grandpa George Charlie's three grandparents are mainly non-singing character roles. Cast performers that are innately interesting, who have good comic timing and are solid actors. These actors can double as Oompa-Loompas in the second half of the show. Gender: Male The Candy Man Kids Sophie, Danny, Alfie, Billie and additional kids as needed are The Candy Man Kids. These kids sing "The Candy Man" and their numbers may be expanded as you see fit and your program will allow. The names of the characters have been drawn from other Roald Dahl books. Feel free to assign additional names to match the number of performers you cast. All students like to go home and exclaim "I'm playing Alfie" versus "I'm just Kid 2 in 'The Candy Man.'") You may also cast a single class (say the sixth grade chorus) to perform these roles, as they appear only in this number unless you choose to double them as Cooks and Oompa-Loompas. Gender: Any Oompa-Loompa Chorus The Oompa-Loompa Chorus can be as small as a handful of performers or as large as your stage and theater can accommodate. Consider casting your youngest performers as Oompa-Loompas and augment them with a handful of older students who can take the lead and serve as Oompa-Loompa wranglers. Gender: Any Willy Wonka / Candy Man Willy Wonka is an enigmatic character; at once mysterious and mischievous but also charismatic. There are a number of directions to take with Wonka, ranging from Gene Wilder's version in the original film, Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory, to Johnny Depp's portrayal in the recent film, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and everything in between. Pick a young man (or a young woman) who is charismatic, engaging and has a great voice (in the case of a young man, preferably a changed voice). The actor should be able to be funny and serious and change between the two on a dime. It is preferred that Wonka double as the Candy Man, as it helps reinforce that Wonka has staged the Golden Ticket competition and is somewhat controlling this contest along the way. Gender: Male Vocal range top: E5 Vocal range bottom: G3 Phineous Trout Phineous is the reporter who announces the winners of the Golden Ticket contest throughout the show. The role requires some singing, and can be played by either a boy or a girl. If played by a girl, be sure to change the pronouns appropriately. Gender: Any Mrs. Gloop Mrs. Gloop is Augustus' mother who has overindulged her son with food. The role requires a character actress who isn't afraid to take positive risks both in her acting and her singing. Gender: Female Violet Beauregarde Gum chewer extraordinaire, Violet hails from Snellville, Georgia, so it's nice if she has a Southern American accent, but not necessary. Violet should stand in stark contrast to Veruca Salt. Veruca is a wealthy refined brat; Violet is more of a blue-collar, middle-class brat. Gender: Female Vocal range top: Db5 Vocal range bottom: C4 Matilda Matilda is also a schoolmate of Charlie's, but she's a bit of bully. Matilda has a few lines and sings the introduction of "The Candy Man" along with James and Charlie. Gender: Female Vocal range top: B4 Vocal range bottom: C#4 Candy Man The Candy Man goes from neighborhood to neighborhood selling candy, much like an ice cream truck. He should be pleasant, charismatic, and friendly. It's possible for a girl to play this role, but she should play the role as male, otherwise, the title of the song may not make sense. Gender: Male Vocal range top: E5 Vocal range bottom: G3 Mr. Bucket These are great roles for young people who have nice voices, and are natural nurturers. Mr. and Mrs. Bucket can double as Oompa-Loompas in the second half of the show. Gender: Male Mike Teavee For this adaptation Mike is not just a TV junky. He is also addicted to video games, the Internet and any other mindnumbing technological device. Mike is bratty, loud and obnoxious. He does not know the word "no." Mike could also be portrayed by a girl playing a boy, but generally works best with a male actor. Gender: Male Vocal range top: Db5 Vocal range bottom: Db4 Squirrels The squirrels are non-speaking, non-singing roles and you can cast as many as necessary. This is a great part for beginning actors. Gender: Any Charlie Bucket The role of Charlie Bucket is the emotional heart and soul of the musical. The actor performing Charlie should have an unchanged voice and lots of pluck and enthusiasm. Think a male "Annie." Charlie is in nearly every scene, so make sure you select an actor who can handle the demands of a sizable role. Gender: Male Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: A3 Mrs. Bucket These are great roles for young people who have nice voices, and are natural nurturers. Mr. and Mrs. Bucket can double as Oompa-Loompas in the second half of the show. Gender: Female Augustus Gloop Augustus is the overachieving eater who represents the evils of eating too much. Be extremely sensitive in casting this role as it is tempting to cast an overweight young person and that can be scarring-especially if the child struggles with this issue. Consider casting a thin child and creating the illusion of size via the costume. Either a boy or a girl acting like a boy can play Augustus. Gender: Male Vocal range top: Db5 Vocal range bottom: Eb4 Ms. Teavee Ms. Teavee is a take on all television moms of the distant past. Think June Cleaver (Leave it to Beaver) or Marion Cunningham (Happy Days) or Carol Brady (The Brady Bunch). She's perfectly put together and a bit vacant. Gender: Female Veruca Salt Veruca is the wealthy, class-conscious, spoiled brat. She is often portrayed with a high British accent that is by no means required (brats come in all nationalities). Veruca's solo number "I Want It Now" is deceptively tricky and comes late in the show, so select a young woman with a strong voice. Veruca should contrast sharply with Violet Beauregarde in terms of look and physical type. Gender: Female Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: A3 James James is Charlie's friend from school. He has a few lines and sings the introduction of "The Candy Man" along with Matilda and Charlie. Gender: Male Vocal range top: A4 Vocal range bottom: A3 Mrs. Beauregarde Mrs. Beauregard is a teacher of geography and has invested a great deal of hard-earned money on therapy for her orally fixated daughter, with less than stellar results. The role is virtually non-singing. Her accent should match Violet's. Gender: Female Grandpa Joe Grandpa Joe is the grandfather we all wish we had when we were Charlie's age. He is caring, patient, sweet and always reminds Charlie to remain cheerful. Cast an actor who can be kind and funny. Gender: Male Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: C4 Chorus Of Cooks Please note this is an optional chorus. The Cooks appear during "I Eat More!" presenting Augustus with a smorgasbord of food choices. (Check out the Director's Guide note in the song for more information.) Double the Candy Man Kids Chorus and Oompa-Loompa Chorus or cast a single class of kids to perform this section. (For example, Mrs. Ripley's third grade class.) Gender: Any Mr. Salt Mr. Salt's solution to most problems is to buy his way out. He is upper class, and usually portrayed with a high British accent. (But this accent is not necessary-just make sure Veruca and Mr. Salt sound like they hail from the same place.) He sings very little. A female actress playing male may also play the role. Gender: Male

Hairspray Jr. - Broadway Junior | Hal Leonard Menu LEARN MORE About Broadway Junior What Comes With the Showkit®? How to License a Broadway Junior Musical Order an Audio Sampler Frequently Asked Questions 60-Min.ute Musicals [JR.] 60-Minute Musicals 13 Jr. Alice In Wonderland Jr. (Disney) Aladdin Jr. (Disney) Annie Jr. Beauty and the Beast Jr. (Disney) The Big One-Oh! Jr. Bugsy Malone Jr. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. Dear Edwina Jr. Doctor Dolittle Jr. Dot & The Kangaroo Jr. The Drowsy Chaperone Jr. Elephant & Piggie's "We Are In A Play" Jr. Elf The Musical Jr. Fame Jr. Fiddler on the Roof Jr. Finding Nemo Jr. (Disney) Finian's Rainbow Jr. Flat Stanley Jr. Frozen Jr. (Disney) A Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens Jr. (Magic Tree House) Godspell Jr. Guys and Dolls Jr. Hairspray Jr. High School Musical Jr. (Disney) Honk! Jr. Into the Woods Jr. James and the Giant Peach Jr. (Roald Dahl) Junie B. Jones Jr. Legally Blonde Jr. The Lion King Jr. (Disney) The Little Mermaid Jr. (Disney) Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr. Mary Poppins Jr. (Disney/Cameron Mackintosh) Matilda Jr. (Roald Dahl) Mean Girls Jr. Moana Jr. (Disney) The Music Man Jr. My Son Pinocchio Jr. (Disney) Newsies Jr. (Disney) Oliver! Jr. Once on This Island Jr. Peter Pan Jr. (Broadway) The Phantom Tollbooth Jr. The Pirates of Penzance Jr. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. Seussical Jr. Shrek Jr. Singin' In The Rain Jr. Sister Act Jr. Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. Willy Wonka Jr. (Roald Dahl) Xanadu Jr. 30-Min.ute Musicals [KIDS] 30-Minute Musicals 101 Dalmatians KIDS (Disney) Aladdin KIDS (Disney) Annie KIDS Aristocats KIDS (Disney) Dinosaurs Before Dark KIDS (Magic Tree House) Finding Nemo KIDS (Disney) Frozen KIDS (Disney) The Jungle Book KIDS (Disney) The Knight at Dawn KIDS (Magic Tree House) The Lion King KIDS (Disney) The Music Man KIDS Pirates Past Noon KIDS (Magic Tree House) Seussical KIDS Willy Wonka KIDS (Roald Dahl) Winnie the Pooh KIDS (Disney) A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS Product Information Musical Numbers Cast of Characters Hairspray Jr. is not available for licensing at this time. MTI and the authors are refurbishing the materials, please check back for updates. Credits Book by Mark O'Donnell & Thomas Meehan Music by Marc Shaiman Lyrics by Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman Based on the New Line Cinema film written and directed by John Waters Overview / Synopsis One Act, Book Musical, Rated G Broadway Junior Version You can't stop the beat in this big and bold musical about one girl's inspiring dream to dance. (60-MINUTE VERSION FOR YOUNG PERFORMERS) The 1950s are out and change is in the air! HAIRSPRAY JR. the family-friendly musical piled bouffant high with laughter, romance, and deliriously tuneful songs is adapted from the Original Broadway Version which won 8 Tony Awards including Best Musical. It's 1962, and spunky plus-size teen Tracy Turnblad has one big dream -- to dance on the popular Corny Collins Show. When she finally gets her shot, she's transformed from social outcast to sudden star. In balancing her new-found power with her desire for justice, Tracy fights to dethrone the reigning Miss Teen Hairspray, Amber von Tussle, and integrate a TV network in the process. With the help of her outsized mom, Edna, and guest DJ Motormouth Maybelle, the rhythm of Tracy's new beat just might prove unstoppable. HAIRSPRAY JR. is filled with a host of parts for a wide cross-section of students and an abundance of energetic production numbers. HAIRSPRAY JR. is a show that will celebrate your students' diversity and bring audiences to their feet with its positive message and uproarious sense of humor. - See more HERE. Early on a Monday morning in early June, 1962, Tracy Turnblad wakes up to face another day, full of hope and big dreams (Good Morning Baltimore). After school, Tracy and her best friend Penny Pingleton race home to watch "The Corny Collins Show," a local teenage music and dance show on TV (The Nicest Kids in Town). On the show, teen idol Link Larkin pledges his love to Amber Von Tussle by giving her his Council Member ring, and Corny Collins announces auditions for new Council Members. Seeing her chance at stardom, Tracy plans to cut school and audition for the show, but her mother Edna Turnblad does not approve. Elsewhere, Penny and Amber also argue with their mothers (Mama I'm a Big Girl Now). Tracy goes to the audition, but is ridiculed by the girls on the show and sent away by Amber's mother and show producer, Velma Von Tussle. Sitting in detention, a frustrated Tracy learns some new dance moves from Seaweed J Stubbs, a black student whose mother is Motormouth Maybelle - the DJ who hosts the monthly Negro Day on "The Corny Collins Show." The next evening there is a school dance and there, Tracy is able to impress Corny with the new moves she picked up in detention, earning her a spot on "The Corny Collins Show." During her debut, Link Larkin sings a song just for Tracy (It Takes Two). Now a local star, Tracy gets an offer to be the spokes-girl for Mr. Pinky's The Hefty Hideaway, a clothing store, gets her mother out of the house for the first time in years as the duo heads to the store to update their wardrobes (Welcome to the Sixties). At school, Tracy continues to be teased by Amber and becomes the target in a dodgeball game. After the game, Link, Penny, and Seaweed stay behind to help Tracy, and there Seaweed invites them to join him at his mother's record shop (Run and Tell That). The Von Tussles barge in and spoil the party with their bigotry, however, this gives Tracy the idea to integrate "The Corny Collins Show" by having Motormouth and her daughter, Little Inez, crash Mother/Daughter Day on the show. Fears of police and jail don't stop Tracy from moving forward with the plan. Unfortunately, the plan for integration lands all of the mothers and daughters in jail (The Big Dollhouse). Everyone gets out, except Tracy who is denied bail (Baltimore - Reprise). Link comes to the rescue and professes his love for Tracy, while elsewhere Seaweed and Penny reveal their feelings for each other too (Without Love). The kids hatch a plan to get Tracy on the nationwide Miss Teenage Hairspray broadcast, and bring the news to Motormouth, who expresses that she will never stop fighting for equality (I Know Where I've Been). Corny Collins begins his nationwide broadcast ((It's) Hairspray) and introduces Amber for her dance (Cooties). Just before Amber is crowned Miss Teenage Hairspray, Tracy and her friends storm in and take over the show (You Can't Stop the Beat - Part 1). Corny declares Tracy as the new Miss Teenage Hairspray 1962, and Tracy declares that "The Corny Collins Show" is officially integrated. Edna makes a grand entrance, and even the Von Tussles can't resist the celebration (You Can't Stop the Beat - Part 2). Audio Sampler - HL00123343 $10.00 ShowKit - HL09971731 $695.00 This ShowKit includes: 30 Actor's Books Choreography DVD Director's Guide 30 Family Matters Booklets Media Disk 2 Performance/Accompaniment CDs 60-Minute JR. Request Individual Components 09971732 - Director's Guide $100.00 09971733 - Piano/Vocal Score $40.00 09971734 - Actor's Script $10.00 00123341 - Actor's Script 10-Pak $75.00 09971735 - Rehearsal/Accompaniment CD $75.00 09971737 - Student Rehearsal CD $10.00 00123342 - Student Rehearsal CD 20-Pak $100.00 09971736 - Choreography DVD $50.00 09971738 - Media Disc $10.00 00123343 - Audio Sampler $10.00 Hairspray Jr. is not available for licensing at this time. MTI and the authors are refurbishing the materials, please check back for updates. Hear A Sample Good Morning Baltimore The Nicest Kids In Town Mama, I'm A Big Girl Now The Nicest Kids (Reprise) It Takes Two Welcome To The Sixties Run and Tell That The Big Dollhouse Baltimore (Reprise) Without Love I Know Where I've Been (It's) Hairspray Cooties You Can't Stop The Beat (Part 1) You Can't Stop The Beat (Part 2) Hairspray Jr. is not available for licensing at this time. MTI and the authors are refurbishing the materials, please check back for updates. AMBER VONTUSSLE A prom queen nightmare! She is definitely "The Corny Collins Show" favorite, but she is competitive and has a bad attitude. Range: C4-E5 CORNY COLLINS The host of "The Corny Collins Show," and a Baltimore celebrity. Foremost, Corny is a charmer. Range: C3-G4 COUNCIL MEMBERS- BRAD, TAMMY, FENDER, SKETCH, SHELLEY, IQ, BRENDA and LOU ANN The famed teenage performers on "The Corney Collins Show." EDNA TURNBLAD Tracy's loving mother who doesn't spend much time outside the house. She works days and nights as a laundress in her home, and her lack of social interaction has made her a bundle of nerves. Range: Bb3-Eb5 LINK LARKIN Baltimore's biggest heartthrob, and Tracy's dream guy. Link is considered the best performer in town. Think of any teenage idol who is able to reduce girls to tears - there's your guy! Range: G2-A4 LITTLE INEZ STUBBS Seaweed's little sister and a great breakout role for a black actress. Range: Bb3-E5 MOTORMOUTH MAYBELLE MOTORMOUTH MAYBELLE is the face of the Civil Rights Movement and sings the beautiful anthem, "I Know Where I've Been." Range: F3-F5 MR. PINKY Owner of a ladies' clothing shop and is a salesperson inside and out - he is always the first to give a compliment. Range: C3-C4 PENNY PINGLETON Tracy's fun and sheltered sidekick. She is a young lady caught between her mother's very strict rules and her own wants and desires to be just another teenage girl. Range: C4-E5 PRUDY PINGLETON Penny's eccentric but loving mother, who wants the best for her daughter but is extreme in her means. SEAWEED J. STUBBS The object of Penny's affections, and together, they are determined to defy the segregation laws of the 1960s. Range: Gb2-Bb3 THE DUNAMITES (JUDINE, KAMILAH & SHAYNA) A dynamic musical trio, iconic of the Motown era and the 1960s. Think the Supremes. Range: E4-A5 TRACY TURNBLAD A young lady with big hair and an even bigger personality! She is the hero of our story and she is sweet but also strong in her convictions. She is bigger in size than the other girls, but she isn't shy about it - she can still dance with the best of them! Range: G3-C#5 VELMA VON TUSSLE A carbon copy of Amber - just twenty years older and meaner! She is most concerned with making sure her daughter wins Miss Teenage Baltimore. Range: C4-E5 WILBUR TURNBLAD Edna's loving husband and Tracy's supportive father who just wants the best for his girls.

Legally Blonde Jr. - Broadway Junior | Hal Leonard Menu LEARN MORE About Broadway Junior What Comes With the Showkit®? How to License a Broadway Junior Musical Order an Audio Sampler Frequently Asked Questions 60-Min.ute Musicals [JR.] 60-Minute Musicals 13 Jr. Alice In Wonderland Jr. (Disney) Aladdin Jr. (Disney) Annie Jr. Beauty and the Beast Jr. (Disney) The Big One-Oh! Jr. Bugsy Malone Jr. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. Dear Edwina Jr. Doctor Dolittle Jr. Dot & The Kangaroo Jr. The Drowsy Chaperone Jr. Elephant & Piggie's "We Are In A Play" Jr. Elf The Musical Jr. Fame Jr. Fiddler on the Roof Jr. Finding Nemo Jr. (Disney) Finian's Rainbow Jr. Flat Stanley Jr. Frozen Jr. (Disney) A Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens Jr. (Magic Tree House) Godspell Jr. Guys and Dolls Jr. Hairspray Jr. High School Musical Jr. (Disney) Honk! Jr. Into the Woods Jr. James and the Giant Peach Jr. (Roald Dahl) Junie B. Jones Jr. Legally Blonde Jr. The Lion King Jr. (Disney) The Little Mermaid Jr. (Disney) Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr. Mary Poppins Jr. (Disney/Cameron Mackintosh) Matilda Jr. (Roald Dahl) Mean Girls Jr. Moana Jr. (Disney) The Music Man Jr. My Son Pinocchio Jr. (Disney) Newsies Jr. (Disney) Oliver! Jr. Once on This Island Jr. Peter Pan Jr. (Broadway) The Phantom Tollbooth Jr. The Pirates of Penzance Jr. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. Seussical Jr. Shrek Jr. Singin' In The Rain Jr. Sister Act Jr. Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. Willy Wonka Jr. (Roald Dahl) Xanadu Jr. 30-Min.ute Musicals [KIDS] 30-Minute Musicals 101 Dalmatians KIDS (Disney) Aladdin KIDS (Disney) Annie KIDS Aristocats KIDS (Disney) Dinosaurs Before Dark KIDS (Magic Tree House) Finding Nemo KIDS (Disney) Frozen KIDS (Disney) The Jungle Book KIDS (Disney) The Knight at Dawn KIDS (Magic Tree House) The Lion King KIDS (Disney) The Music Man KIDS Pirates Past Noon KIDS (Magic Tree House) Seussical KIDS Willy Wonka KIDS (Roald Dahl) Winnie the Pooh KIDS (Disney) A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS Product Information Musical Numbers Cast of Characters Credits Music & Lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe & Nell Benjamin Book by Heather Hach Based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture Overview / Synopsis One Act, Book Musical, Pop / Rock, Rated G Broadway Junior Version Harvard's beloved blonde takes the stage by glittery pink storm in this fun and upbeat musical. (60-MINUTE VERSION FOR YOUNG PERFORMERS) A fabulously fun international award-winning musical based on the adored movie, LEGALLY BLONDE JR., follows the transformation of Elle Woods as she tackles stereotypes, snobbery, and scandal in pursuit of her dreams. Adapted for younger performers and based on the popular movie, this show features an upbeat original score that's sure to leave cast members and audiences alike seeing pink! When Elle's high school boyfriend Warner dumps her and heads to Harvard, claiming she's not "serious" enough, Elle takes matters into her own hands, crafting a showy song-and-dance personal essay and charming her way into law school. Befriending classmate Emmett and spunky hairdresser Paulette along the way, Elle finds that books and looks aren't mutually exclusive - in fact, law may be her natural calling after all as she quickly begins outsmarting her peers. LEGALLY BLONDE JR. features a large, expandable cast, lead and supporting roles for male and female actors, as well as energetic production numbers. The show's sense of humor, as well as its themes of self-empowerment and open-mindedness, make LEGALLY BLONDE JR. ideal for young performers. At the Delta Nu sorority house, word is out that Elle Woods is going to dinner to get engaged to her beau Warner Huntington III ("Omigod You Guys"). Margo, Serena and Pilar lead the other Delta Nus to the mall, where Elle is having trouble choosing the right dress for the occasion. Later at dinner, just when Elle is sure Warner is going to propose, he breaks up with her, explaining that with his departure for Harvard Law School, it's time to get serious ("Serious"). Devastated, Elle locks herself in her room. Twelve days later, the Delta Nus finally get Elle to emerge ("Daughter of Delta Nu"). Elle realizes the only solution to her heartache is to get into Harvard Law and prove to Warner she's serious enough for him ("What You Want"). Sorority sister Kate helps Elle study for the LSAT, and after several attempts and a lot of hard work, Elle's application comes upon Harvard Admissions. Lowell, Winthrop and Pforzheimer, three Harvard admissions coordinators, decide to admit Elle after a very extravagant song and dance (which she submits in lieu of a personal essay) citing love as her main motivation. On the first day of class, Elle meets her fellow first-year law classmates, Aaron, Padamadan and Enid, as well as Warner, who is shocked to see her on campus. Callahan (the most feared teacher at Harvard) kicks Elle out of class for being unprepared at the suggestion of classmate Vivienne Kensington. Callahan's TA, Emmett, tries to console Elle, but her mood only worsens when Warner confesses to Elle that Vivienne is his new girlfriend. Elle finds the nearest salon and meets Paulette, who commiserates with her situation ("Ireland"). Afterward, Elle runs into Vivienne who invites her to a costume party. Elle attends, hoping to see Warner, but is dismayed to discover she is the only one who wore a costume - much to Vivienne's delight. On the way home, Elle meets Emmett, who tells Elle how hard he's worked to get where he is and encourages her to do the same ("Chip On My Shoulder"). Time is passing quickly at law school and Elle is working harder than ever, eventually winning her first court case in class and receiving a recommendation to apply for Callahan's internship. With her newfound confidence, Elle helps Paulette win her dog back from her estranged boyfriend, Dewey. Back at Harvard, Warner and Vivienne win two of Callahan's coveted internship positions, and Warner proposes to Vivienne on the spot right in front of Elle. Before her heart can break, Emmett shows her the internship list, and Elle is ecstatic to discover her name is on it as well ("So Much Better"). The interns quickly jump into the case of fitness video guru Brooke Wyndham, who is accused of killing her wealthy husband. After watching her fitness video ("Whipped into Shape"), the interns meet her at a correctional facility where she refuses to give her alibi to anyone but Elle, thanks to their Delta Nu sisterhood ("Delta Nu Nu Nu"). In confidence, Brooke shares with Elle that she was getting liposuction the day her husband was killed, so there is no way she could be guilty, but no one can know because her fitness empire would be destroyed. The other interns demand that Elle give up Brooke's alibi, but Elle refuses to go against her Delta Nu pledge. Back at the salon, Paulette has eyes for the UPS delivery man, Kyle, but isn't confident enough to go after him. Elle teaches her a guaranteed move to win any guy's affections - the Bend and Snap ("Bend and Snap"), but when Paulette tries it, she accidentally breaks Kyle's nose. Elle returns to the case, but Callahan has a different agenda and tries to kiss her, just as Vivienne returns, unnoticed. Elle rejects Callahan's advances and is fired. Defeated, she prepares to go home convinced she was only ever seen as a joke, even though Emmett asks her to stay, finally realizing that he is in love with her ("Legally Blonde"). Elle stops by the salon to say goodbye to Paulette, but Vivienne - who witnessed what happened to Elle in Callahan's office and finally understands her - convinces her to keep fighting. The entire salon rallies behind Elle as she heads back to the courtroom ("Legally Blonde - Remix") where Brooke fires Callahan and hires Elle to continue her defense. Everyone is present to witness Elle's first day in court, including Paulette and Kyle (now a couple), Margo, Serena, Pilar and the other Delta Nus. Brooke's stepdaughter Chutney takes the stand, testifying that when she got out of the shower, she witnessed Brooke standing over her father's body, covered in blood. When asked what she had been doing earlier that day, Chutney reveals she had gotten a perm, and Elle realizes a flaw in Chutney's alibi - she couldn't possibly have showered the same day as receiving a perm or her hair would be flattened. Since her perm is still intact, she has obviously lied about her alibi. Under some intense questioning from Elle, Chutney accidentally reveals that she killed her father, mistaking him for Brooke. Elle wins the case and Brooke is set free. Warner tries to propose to Elle, but she gently refuses, having gained her independence and a desire to be the best she can be ("Find My Way"). Three years later, Elle is made valedictorian of her class, and in her commencement speech she proposes to Emmett, who accepts. Everyone celebrates their legally blonde friend and heroine, Elle Woods ("Finale"). Audio Sampler - HL00125163 $10.00 ShowKit - HL00125152 $695.00 This ShowKit includes: 30 Actor's Books Choreography DVD Director's Guide 30 Family Matters Booklets Media Disk 2 Performance/Accompaniment CDs Piano/Vocal Score 60-Minute JR. Request Individual Components 00125153 - Director's Guide $100.00 00125154 - Piano/Vocal Score $40.00 00125155 - Actor's Script $10.00 00125156 - Actor's Script 10-Pak $75.00 00125157 - Rehearsal/Accompaniment CD $75.00 00125158 - Student Rehearsal CD $10.00 00125159 - Student Rehearsal CD 20-Pak $100.00 00125160 - Choreography DVD $50.00 00125161 - Media Disc $10.00 00125163 - Audio Sampler $10.00 Hear A Sample Omigod You Guys (Part 1) Omigod You Guys (Part 2) Serious (Part 1) Serious (Part 2) Daughter of Delta Nu What You Want (Part 1) What You Want (Part 2) What You Want (Part 3) Ireland Chip On My Shoulder (Part 1) Chip On My Shoulder (Part 2) Chip On My Shoulder (Part 3) Run Rufus Run!/Elle Reflects So Much Better Whipped Into Shape Delta Nu Nu Nu And Snap Bend And Snap Legally Blonde Legally Blonde Remix (Part 1) Legally Blonde Remix (Part 2) Legally Blonde Remix (Part 3) Scene Of The Crime (Part 2) Find My Way/Finale Cast Size Large (over 20), Flexible Cast Type Ensemble Cast - Many featured roles, Mainly Women, Showcases trained dancers, Showcases trained singers, Star Vehicle - Female, Teenage Roles Dance Requirement Heavy (Extensive Dance Sections/Solos), Standard (Musical Staging/Some Dance/Optional) AARON SCHULTZ, SUNDEEP AGRAWAL PADAMADAN and ENID HOOPES Three law students with academic credits that would intimidate anyone. BROOKE WYNDAM An exercise video mogul who is also a former sorority girl. She is energetic and charismatic, yet currently on trial for murder. Range: A3-D5 CHUTNEY WYNDHAM Brooke's unhappy stepdaughter with a really bad perm and an even worse attitude. DEWEY Paulette's brash ex-husband who lives in a trailer and holds her dog captive. ELLE WOODS The quintessential Valley Girl may appear like a typical blonde California sorority girl, but don't count her out. She is hardworking, optimistic and tenacious. Range: F#3-Eb5 EMMETT FORREST A smart and sensitive law student who takes Elle under his wing. He is charming, quirky, loveable, and friendly. Range: C3-F#4 ENSEMBLE WAITERS, DELTA NUS, FRAT BOYS, GREEK CHORUS, STUDENTS and INMATES. GAELEN, JUDGE, JET BLUE PILOT, SALESWOMAN, STORE MANAGER, PRISON GUARD, BOOKISH CLIENT and SABRINA Featured roles for young performers who may have less experience on the stage but have vibrant personalities. GRANDMASTER CHAD A fun cameo role for a young guy who is a great musician but may be less experienced onstage. Range: D3-D4 KATE A featured Delta Nu sister - the acedemic of the bunch. Range: Bb3-Db5 KIKI THE COLORIST, CASHIER and STYLIST Part of Paulette's entourage at the salon who are very adept at the "Bend and Snap." Range: C4-A4 KYLE The delivery man who Paulette has her eyes on each time his job brings him to the salon. MARGOT, SERENA, and PILAR Elle's trio of best friends and Delta Nu sisters. Range: F#3-C#5 PAULETTE A brash, caring, optimistic hair stylist who is friends with Elle and longs to find a man for herself. Range: A3-Bb4 PROFESSOR CALLAHAN The most-feared professor at Harvard Law School. Range: Bb2-F#4 VIVIENNE KENSINGTON A smart, savvy, and uptight law student and Warner's fiancee who initially dismisses Elle, but grows to be her friend. Range: A3-Eb5 WARNER HUNTINGTON III A good-looking but shallow and pompous guy who breaks Elle's heart and heads off to Harvard Law. He is caught between his former life with Elle and his newfound serious East Coast life with Vivienne. Range: D3-F4 WHITNEY Vivienne's law school friend and partner in mischief when it comes to bringing down Elle. WINTHROP, LOWELL and PFORZHEIMER Three admissions officers of Harvard Law School who eventually admit Elle into the program after some critical evaluation.

Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr. - Broadway Junior | Hal Leonard Menu LEARN MORE About Broadway Junior What Comes With the Showkit®? How to License a Broadway Junior Musical Order an Audio Sampler Frequently Asked Questions 60-Min.ute Musicals [JR.] 60-Minute Musicals 13 Jr. Alice In Wonderland Jr. (Disney) Aladdin Jr. (Disney) Annie Jr. Beauty and the Beast Jr. (Disney) The Big One-Oh! Jr. Bugsy Malone Jr. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. Dear Edwina Jr. Doctor Dolittle Jr. Dot & The Kangaroo Jr. The Drowsy Chaperone Jr. Elephant & Piggie's "We Are In A Play" Jr. Elf The Musical Jr. Fame Jr. Fiddler on the Roof Jr. Finding Nemo Jr. (Disney) Finian's Rainbow Jr. Flat Stanley Jr. Frozen Jr. (Disney) A Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens Jr. (Magic Tree House) Godspell Jr. Guys and Dolls Jr. Hairspray Jr. High School Musical Jr. (Disney) Honk! Jr. Into the Woods Jr. James and the Giant Peach Jr. (Roald Dahl) Junie B. Jones Jr. Legally Blonde Jr. The Lion King Jr. (Disney) The Little Mermaid Jr. (Disney) Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr. Mary Poppins Jr. (Disney/Cameron Mackintosh) Matilda Jr. (Roald Dahl) Mean Girls Jr. Moana Jr. (Disney) The Music Man Jr. My Son Pinocchio Jr. (Disney) Newsies Jr. (Disney) Oliver! Jr. Once on This Island Jr. Peter Pan Jr. (Broadway) The Phantom Tollbooth Jr. The Pirates of Penzance Jr. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. Seussical Jr. Shrek Jr. Singin' In The Rain Jr. Sister Act Jr. Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. Willy Wonka Jr. (Roald Dahl) Xanadu Jr. 30-Min.ute Musicals [KIDS] 30-Minute Musicals 101 Dalmatians KIDS (Disney) Aladdin KIDS (Disney) Annie KIDS Aristocats KIDS (Disney) Dinosaurs Before Dark KIDS (Magic Tree House) Finding Nemo KIDS (Disney) Frozen KIDS (Disney) The Jungle Book KIDS (Disney) The Knight at Dawn KIDS (Magic Tree House) The Lion King KIDS (Disney) The Music Man KIDS Pirates Past Noon KIDS (Magic Tree House) Seussical KIDS Willy Wonka KIDS (Roald Dahl) Winnie the Pooh KIDS (Disney) A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS Product Information Musical Numbers Cast of Characters Credits Based on the DreamWorks Animation Motion Picture Book by Kevin Del Aguila Music and Lyrics by George Noriega and Joel Someillan Overview / Synopsis Join Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the hip hip Hippo and, of course, those hilarious, plotting penguins as they bound onto your stage in the musical adventure of a lifetime. Based on the smash DreamWorks animated motion picture, Madagascar - A Musical Adventure JR. follows all of your favorite crack-a-lackin' friends as they escape from their home in New York's Central Park Zoo and find themselves on an unexpected journey to the madcap world of King Julien's Madagascar. Alex the lion is the king of the urban jungle, the main attraction at New York's Central Park Zoo. He and his best friends - Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe and Gloria the hippo - have spent their whole lives in blissful captivity before an admiring public and with regular meals provided for them. Not content to leave well enough alone, Marty lets his curiosity get the better of him and makes his escape - with the help of some prodigious penguins - to explore the world. Filled with outlandish characters, adventure galore and an upbeat score, Madagascar JR. will leave audiences with no choice but to "Move It, Move It!" Audio Sampler - HL00190213 $10.00 ShowKit - HL00183412 $695.00 This ShowKit includes: 30 Student Books Director's Guide Piano/Vocal Score 2 Accompaniment CDs Media Disc Choreography DVD 60-Minute JR. Request Individual Components 00183215 - Director's Guide $100.00 00183219 - Piano/Vocal Score $40.00 00183221 - Student Book $10.00 00183240 - Student Book 10-pak $75.00 00183241 - Performance/Accomp CD pack $75.00 00183304 - Student Rehearsal CD $10.00 00183305 - Student Rehearsal CDs 20-Pak $100.00 00183306 - Choreography DVD $50.00 00190206 - Media Disc $10.00 00190213 - Audio Sampler $10.00 Hear A Sample It's Showtime [Alex, Marty, Gloria, Melman, Zoo Guests, Zookeepers, Penguins, Lionesses] Wild and Free [Marty, Zookeepers, Zoo Guests] Best Friends [Marty, Alex, Mason] Relax, Be Cool, Chill Out [Marty, Skipper, Penguins, Police Officers, Alex, Gloria, Melman, Old Lady, Subway Announcer, Animal Control Officers] Grand Central [Marty, Alex, Gloria, Melman, Mason, Penguins] Penguins' Sea Shanty [Penguins] I Like to Move It [King Julien, Lynn, Lars, Lee, Lew, Lemurs, Marty, Alex, Gloria, Melman] Steak [Alex, Lead Servers, Servers] Penguins' Sea Shanty (Reprise) [Penguins] Living in Paradise [Marty, Alex, Gloria, Melman, King Julien, Lemurs] Foosa Hungry [Foosa] Best Friends (Reprise) [Marty, Alex, Foosa] The King of Madagascar [Marty, Alex, Gloria, Melman, Foosa, Penguins, Lemurs, King Julien] Together Forever [Marty, Alex, Gloria, Melman, Penguins] I Like to Move It (Reprise) [Company] Alex Alex, the lion, is the main attraction at the Central Park Zoo and undoubtedly "The King of New York City." He's a fun-loving fella whose devotion to steak is matched only by his devotion to his friends. Cast a great singer and actor but most importantly, someone who has that magnetic quality of a showman. Gender: Male Vocal range: A3-Eb5 Marty Marty is a zebra with dreams of exploring beyond the confines of the Central Park Zoo and into the wild. Cast a young man who is a solid singer and actor who also possesses a sweet disposition. You want your audience to root for Marty. He should be a perfect complement to Alex. Gender: Male Vocal range: A3-D5 Gloria Gloria, the hippopotamus, is a bold young lady with a maternal streak that shines when she's with her three closest friends: Alex, Marty and Melman. This a great part for a performer who can act, sing and who can serve as the caretaker of the group. Gender: Female Vocal range: Eb4-E5 Melman Melman is a kind-hearted giraffe who is a bit of a hypochondriac. He's always just a little bit nervous, but when it comes down to it, he'll rise to the situation. Pick a performer who can sing well but more notably, can carve out this comedic part with strong acting choices. Gender: Male Vocal range: E3-Db5 The Penguins The Penguins are a group of birds on a mission: bust out of the zoo and return home to Antarctica. Skipper serves as the captain of the group, giving orders with ease and command. Kowalski is Skipper's second-in-command and a dutiful one at that. Rico is the brute of the group and can karate chop anything in sight. Private's primary job in the group is to maintain the cute and fuzzy disguise. Cast these four primary roles with performers who work well together. This is a fun opportunity to cast your youngest performers. Gender: Both The Zookeepers The Zookeepers introduce the crowds to all the sights and attractions of the Central Park Zoo. Zookeeper Zelda, Zookeeper Zeke and Zookeeper Zoe are perfect parts for proficient musicians and actors who can express a real excitement and passion for the animals. Zelda has a large solo in the opening, so cast your best singer amongst the Zookeepers in that role. Gender: Male Vocal range: B3-G4 Mason Mason is a chimpanzee with a bone to pick: though highly intelligent, his species seems to get a bad reputation for being simpleminded, and he takes that quite personally. This is a great acting role for a performer who can make bold choices from the get-go. Gender: Male The Lemurs The Lemurs are a wild band of creatures native to Madagascar trying desperately to avoid being eaten by the cat-like creatures called the Fossa. King Julien is their leader and the perfect part for the comedian of your company who can sing, dance, act and has intuitive comedic timing. Maurice is King Julien's assistant who is not so welcoming to Madagascar's new inhabitants. This part is perfect for an actor who can convey distrust and disinterest while still being a powerful second-in-command to King Julien. Mort is the littlest of the Lemurs, who can barely speak. Find a young, small, sweet performer who possesses a sense of comedy. Lynn, Lew, Lee and Lars are fun smaller roles for young actors with bold personalities. Gender: Both Vocal range: A3-B4 The Foosa The Fossa are cat-like predators with an appetite for Lemurs! The Fossa Leader is the biggest and baddest of the Fossa and is feared by most of the creatures in Madagascar. Cast an actor who has a great imagination for creating a larger-than-life creature who can strike fear with one look. For the rest of Fossa, choose an ensemble that can create a dominating pack of predators. Gender: Both Servers Servers #1, #2 and #3 are imagined servers in Alex's dream when he starts to desire meat desperately! Cast three performers who can both dance and sing well and work as a unit well together. Gender: Both Vocal range: D4-D5 The Lionesses The Lionesses are a group of lady lions and Alex's background singers and dancers. These are great featured roles for dancers. Gender: Female Cameraman, Candy Hammernose, Passerby, Old Lady, Police Officer #1 and #2, Animal Control Officers, Newspaper Man and Ship's Captain Cameraman, Candy Hammernose, Passerby, Old Lady, Police Officer #1 and #2, Animal Control Officers, Newspaper Man and Ship's Captain are all great cameo roles with speaking lines. Remember: No role is too small, and each one serves to create the larger picture of the world of Madagascar JR., so cast a colorful group of characters in these fun roles. Gender: Both New Yorkers and Animals The New Yorkers and Animals are two separate ensemble groups that are essential for setting up the world of the Central Park Zoo. Remind these groups to be bold, specific and full of energy to kick off the show with a bang! Gender: Both

Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs Before Dark KIDS - Broadway Junior | Hal Leonard Menu LEARN MORE About Broadway Junior What Comes With the Showkit®? How to License a Broadway Junior Musical Order an Audio Sampler Frequently Asked Questions 60-Min.ute Musicals [JR.] 60-Minute Musicals 13 Jr. Alice In Wonderland Jr. (Disney) Aladdin Jr. (Disney) Annie Jr. Beauty and the Beast Jr. (Disney) The Big One-Oh! Jr. Bugsy Malone Jr. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. Dear Edwina Jr. Doctor Dolittle Jr. Dot & The Kangaroo Jr. The Drowsy Chaperone Jr. Elephant & Piggie's "We Are In A Play" Jr. Elf The Musical Jr. Fame Jr. Fiddler on the Roof Jr. Finding Nemo Jr. (Disney) Finian's Rainbow Jr. Flat Stanley Jr. Frozen Jr. (Disney) A Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens Jr. (Magic Tree House) Godspell Jr. Guys and Dolls Jr. Hairspray Jr. High School Musical Jr. (Disney) Honk! Jr. Into the Woods Jr. James and the Giant Peach Jr. (Roald Dahl) Junie B. Jones Jr. Legally Blonde Jr. The Lion King Jr. (Disney) The Little Mermaid Jr. (Disney) Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr. Mary Poppins Jr. (Disney/Cameron Mackintosh) Matilda Jr. (Roald Dahl) Mean Girls Jr. Moana Jr. (Disney) The Music Man Jr. My Son Pinocchio Jr. (Disney) Newsies Jr. (Disney) Oliver! Jr. Once on This Island Jr. Peter Pan Jr. (Broadway) The Phantom Tollbooth Jr. The Pirates of Penzance Jr. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. Seussical Jr. Shrek Jr. Singin' In The Rain Jr. Sister Act Jr. Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. Willy Wonka Jr. (Roald Dahl) Xanadu Jr. 30-Min.ute Musicals [KIDS] 30-Minute Musicals 101 Dalmatians KIDS (Disney) Aladdin KIDS (Disney) Annie KIDS Aristocats KIDS (Disney) Dinosaurs Before Dark KIDS (Magic Tree House) Finding Nemo KIDS (Disney) Frozen KIDS (Disney) The Jungle Book KIDS (Disney) The Knight at Dawn KIDS (Magic Tree House) The Lion King KIDS (Disney) The Music Man KIDS Pirates Past Noon KIDS (Magic Tree House) Seussical KIDS Willy Wonka KIDS (Roald Dahl) Winnie the Pooh KIDS (Disney) A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS Product Information Musical Numbers Cast of Characters Credits 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 Overview / Synopsis 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 30-Minute KIDS Request Individual Components 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 Hear A Sample 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 Ankylosaurus: four-ton dinosaurs with spikes on their backs. Annie 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 Baby Dinosaurs: Freshly hatched Anatosaurus dinosaurs who are filled with wonder upon encountering the world for the first time. Gary 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 Henry: A pteranodon that Jack and Annie encounter upon first arriving. Annie names him Henry and believes he is magic. Iguanodons Iguanodons: The cool kids of the dinosaur lot. They have spikes for thumbs and are not afraid to brag about it. Jack 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 Joan: The most stressed out of all the Anatosaurus Mothers. Range: A3-C5 Larry 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 Natty: The ultimate mother hen and takes great pride in protecting the baby Anatosaurus eggs. Range: A3-C5 Otto Otto: The oldest oak tree in the forest, a mild-mannered grandfatherly or grandmotherly type and a natural storyteller. Range: C4-E5 Panoplosaurus Panoplosaurus: Tank-like dinosaurs who take a lot of pride in all of their unique characteristics. Protoceratops Protoceratops: The "runts" of the dinosaur litter Red Pines/ Hemlocks Red Pines/ Hemlocks: Groups of trees who narrate the story for the opening and closing of the show. Saplings Saplings: Young, spirited and curious Trees, eager to hear about the mysterious tree house that appears in their Woods. Stump Stump: A grumpy tree stump, who, in direct contrast to Otto, is impatient and ill-tempered. Range: C4-E5 Susan Susan: A sassy Anatosaurus Mom who is more intrigued by Jack and Annie's presence than afraid of them. Range: A3-C5 Terri 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 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 T-Rex: A fierce, meat-eating dinosaur that Jack and Annie encounter right before getting back to the tree house. Troodon Troodon: The "brains" of the dinosaur lot but are not braggarts.

Disney's Finding Nemo KIDS - Broadway Junior | Hal Leonard Menu LEARN MORE About Broadway Junior What Comes With the Showkit®? How to License a Broadway Junior Musical Order an Audio Sampler Frequently Asked Questions 60-Min.ute Musicals [JR.] 60-Minute Musicals 13 Jr. Alice In Wonderland Jr. (Disney) Aladdin Jr. (Disney) Annie Jr. Beauty and the Beast Jr. (Disney) The Big One-Oh! Jr. Bugsy Malone Jr. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. Dear Edwina Jr. Doctor Dolittle Jr. Dot & The Kangaroo Jr. The Drowsy Chaperone Jr. Elephant & Piggie's "We Are In A Play" Jr. Elf The Musical Jr. Fame Jr. Fiddler on the Roof Jr. Finding Nemo Jr. (Disney) Finian's Rainbow Jr. Flat Stanley Jr. Frozen Jr. (Disney) A Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens Jr. (Magic Tree House) Godspell Jr. Guys and Dolls Jr. Hairspray Jr. High School Musical Jr. (Disney) Honk! Jr. Into the Woods Jr. James and the Giant Peach Jr. (Roald Dahl) Junie B. Jones Jr. Legally Blonde Jr. The Lion King Jr. (Disney) The Little Mermaid Jr. (Disney) Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr. Mary Poppins Jr. (Disney/Cameron Mackintosh) Matilda Jr. (Roald Dahl) Mean Girls Jr. Moana Jr. (Disney) The Music Man Jr. My Son Pinocchio Jr. (Disney) Newsies Jr. (Disney) Oliver! Jr. Once on This Island Jr. Peter Pan Jr. (Broadway) The Phantom Tollbooth Jr. The Pirates of Penzance Jr. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. Seussical Jr. Shrek Jr. Singin' In The Rain Jr. Sister Act Jr. Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. Willy Wonka Jr. (Roald Dahl) Xanadu Jr. 30-Min.ute Musicals [KIDS] 30-Minute Musicals 101 Dalmatians KIDS (Disney) Aladdin KIDS (Disney) Annie KIDS Aristocats KIDS (Disney) Dinosaurs Before Dark KIDS (Magic Tree House) Finding Nemo KIDS (Disney) Frozen KIDS (Disney) The Jungle Book KIDS (Disney) The Knight at Dawn KIDS (Magic Tree House) The Lion King KIDS (Disney) The Music Man KIDS Pirates Past Noon KIDS (Magic Tree House) Seussical KIDS Willy Wonka KIDS (Roald Dahl) Winnie the Pooh KIDS (Disney) A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS Product Information Musical Numbers Cast of Characters Credits Music and Lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez Book Adapted by Lindsay Anderson Music and Orchestrations Adapted and Arranged by Myrna Conn Based on the 2003 Disney / Pixar film Finding Nemo written by Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson, David Reynolds and directed by Andrew Stanton Overview / Synopsis Disney's Finding Nemo KIDS is a 30-minute musical adaptation of the beloved 2003 Pixar movie Finding Nemo, with new music by award-winning songwriting team Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. Marlin, an anxious and over-protective clownfish, lives in the Great Barrier Reef with his kid Nemo, who longs to explore the world beyond their anemone home. But when Nemo is captured and taken to Sydney, Marlin faces his fears and sets off on an epic adventure across the ocean. With the help of lovable characters such as optimistic Dory, laid-back sea turtle Crush, and the supportive Tank Gang, Marlin and Nemo both overcome challenges on their journey to find each other and themselves. Featuring memorable songs such as "Just Keep Swimming," "Fish Are Friends Not Food," and "Go With the Flow," Finding Nemo KIDS brings a vibrant underwater world to life on stage in a story full of family, friendship, and adventure. Audio Sampler - HL00467224 $10.00 ShowKit - HL00467225 $495.00 This ShowKit includes: 30 Actor's Books Digital Showkit Choreography Videos (Digital) Downloadable Resources and Media Guide Vocal and Performance Tracks (Digital) Piano/Vocal Score Streaming License (US & Canada Only) 30-Minute KIDS Request Individual Components 00467221 - Piano/Vocal Score $40.00 00467220 - Director's Guide $100.00 00467222 - Libretto/Vocal Score $10.00 00467223 - Libretto/Vocal Score 10-pak $75.00 00467224 - Audio Sampler $10.00 One Dedicated Father Big Blue World Fish Are Friends Not Food We Swim Together Just Keep Swimming (Part 1) Just Keep Swimming (Part 2) Go With The Flow We Swim Together (Reprise) Just Keep Swimming Together Finale (Part 1) Finale (Part 2) Cast of Characters Cast Size: Large (21 or more performers) Cast Type: Children Nemo A curious young clownfish who brims with excitement to explore the wonders that lie beyond the Great Barrier Reef. Born with a "lucky fin" - or what humans would call a limb difference - Nemo quickly learns that the world possesses incredible dangers in addition to the promise of big adventures. By making new friends, finding strength within, and practicing teamwork, Nemo transforms into a capable and brave leader, able to self-advocate and take on challenges big and small. Gender: Any Vocal range top: Eb5 Vocal range bottom: A3 Marlin An anxious clownfish and Nemo's overprotective father who prefers the safety of his anemone to the frightening unknowns of the open ocean. As he travels across the sea in search of Nemo, Marlin develops the courage to face the unpredictable ocean and the wisdom to trust others - including his own kid. Gender: Male Vocal range top: Eb5 Vocal range bottom: A3 Dory An optimistic and bubbly blue tang, experiences frequent short-term memory loss and finds herself wandering through the ocean with no place to call home. Sparking friendships with whomever she meets, Dory immediately offers to help Marlin find his lost child, and the two set out on an adventurous journey through the ocean. Along the way, Dory's kindness and bright spirit ease Marlin's fears, and the unlikely duo finds comfort and family in each other. Look for a performer with great charisma and a stage presence that can light up a room. Gender: Female Vocal range top: Eb5 Vocal range bottom: A3 Nigel, Sprit, Tiller & Jib A knowledgeable pod of pelicans, are the show's helpful narrators. These informative birds are responsible for conveying important plot points and must be played by enthusiastic actors with excellent diction and volume. Gender: Any Sea Chorus Functions as the general ensemble, creating the environment of the play and becoming the characters that Marlin and Dory interact with on their journey to Sydney. They will also help with the transitions from the Ocean to the Aquarium Tank. Your Sea Chorus can be filled with any species of sea creatures you would like, but below are the featured roles that can emerge from this Ensemble: JELLYFISH YOUNG SEA TURTLES (1 & 2) SMALL FISH SEAHORSES (1 & 2) SEAGULLS FISH are a school of fish, including FISH 1 REEF KIDS REEF PARENTS SHELDON'S PARENT PEARL'S PARENT TAD'S PARENT Reef Kids PEARL, a friendly flapjack octopus who is quick to befriend Nemo SHELDON, an H2O-intolerant seahorse with an appetite for trouble who taunts Nemo to swim beyond the reef TAD, a self-admittedly obnoxious butterflyfish who joins Sheldon in encouraging Nemo to swim past the Drop-Off Professor Ray A stingray and Nemo's enthusiastic teacher, takes pride in sharing the curiosities and marvels of the world with the class and encourages every student to be a brave explorer. Gender: Any Scuba Mask Dancer A performer responsible for floating the diver's mask through the water whenever it appears onstage. You can make this role's choreography as complex or as simple as you like depending on your selected actor's dance level and experience. Gender: Any Bruce An intimidating great white shark, is the sharks' ringleader. Despite Bruce's best efforts to adopt a vegetarian diet, Bruce loses control and is sent into a frenzy, threatening to devour every fish in sight. Gender: Any Chum and Anchor Two of Bruce's shark friends, try to live vegetarian lifestyles but are eventually forced to restrain an out-of- control Bruce from eating innocent fish. Gender: Any Bubbles A yellow tang who is captivated by bubbles, is one of the first to welcome Nemo to the tank. This friendly fish exclusively uses the word "bubbles" to communicate. Gender: Any Bloat An open-minded and supportive blowfish, is proud to be part of the Tank Gang family and helps keep everyone's spirits up, even when things seem bleak. Gender: Any Gurgle Frightened of strangers and the germs they carry with them, is a royal gramma who enjoys the safety and regulated cleanliness of the tank. Gender: Any Peach A mature and down-to-earth starfish, offers guidance and reassurance to all those who need it. Gender: Any Gill A relentless and inspiring leader who will stop at nothing to return to the freedom of the ocean. This Moorish idol fish believes in the Tank Gang and concocts countless plans to bust them out of the aquarium. Gill is the first fish Nemo has ever met with a similar "fin difference," quickly becoming a mentor and inspiration for the young clownfish. Gender: Any Sea Turtles & Sea Turtle Kids Righteously mellow creatures featured in "Go With the Flow." CRUSH, a 150-year-old sea turtle who knows how to hang loose, teaches Marlin a thing or two about being a good parent. Look for a strong singer who can confidently belt "Go With the Flow" to make it a truly radical jam. SQUIRT, offspring of Crush, fearlessly twirls through turbulent waters of the ocean and enjoys trying out cool new moves in the high- speed EAC. KAI and BREEZE each have individual singing solos in "Go With the Flow."

Disney's Finding Nemo Jr. - Broadway Junior | Hal Leonard Menu LEARN MORE About Broadway Junior What Comes With the Showkit®? How to License a Broadway Junior Musical Order an Audio Sampler Frequently Asked Questions 60-Min.ute Musicals [JR.] 60-Minute Musicals 13 Jr. Alice In Wonderland Jr. (Disney) Aladdin Jr. (Disney) Annie Jr. Beauty and the Beast Jr. (Disney) The Big One-Oh! Jr. Bugsy Malone Jr. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. Dear Edwina Jr. Doctor Dolittle Jr. Dot & The Kangaroo Jr. The Drowsy Chaperone Jr. Elephant & Piggie's "We Are In A Play" Jr. Elf The Musical Jr. Fame Jr. Fiddler on the Roof Jr. Finding Nemo Jr. (Disney) Finian's Rainbow Jr. Flat Stanley Jr. Frozen Jr. (Disney) A Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens Jr. (Magic Tree House) Godspell Jr. Guys and Dolls Jr. Hairspray Jr. High School Musical Jr. (Disney) Honk! Jr. Into the Woods Jr. James and the Giant Peach Jr. (Roald Dahl) Junie B. Jones Jr. Legally Blonde Jr. The Lion King Jr. (Disney) The Little Mermaid Jr. (Disney) Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr. Mary Poppins Jr. (Disney/Cameron Mackintosh) Matilda Jr. (Roald Dahl) Mean Girls Jr. Moana Jr. (Disney) The Music Man Jr. My Son Pinocchio Jr. (Disney) Newsies Jr. (Disney) Oliver! Jr. Once on This Island Jr. Peter Pan Jr. (Broadway) The Phantom Tollbooth Jr. The Pirates of Penzance Jr. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. Seussical Jr. Shrek Jr. Singin' In The Rain Jr. Sister Act Jr. Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. Willy Wonka Jr. (Roald Dahl) Xanadu Jr. 30-Min.ute Musicals [KIDS] 30-Minute Musicals 101 Dalmatians KIDS (Disney) Aladdin KIDS (Disney) Annie KIDS Aristocats KIDS (Disney) Dinosaurs Before Dark KIDS (Magic Tree House) Finding Nemo KIDS (Disney) Frozen KIDS (Disney) The Jungle Book KIDS (Disney) The Knight at Dawn KIDS (Magic Tree House) The Lion King KIDS (Disney) The Music Man KIDS Pirates Past Noon KIDS (Magic Tree House) Seussical KIDS Willy Wonka KIDS (Roald Dahl) Winnie the Pooh KIDS (Disney) A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS Product Information Musical Numbers Cast of Characters Credits Book adapted by Lindsay Anderson Music and Lyrics by Robert Lopez & Kristen Anderson-Lopez Overview / Synopsis Disney's Finding Nemo JR. is a 60-minute musical adaptation of the beloved 2003 Pixar movie Finding Nemo, with new music by award-winning songwriting team Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. Marlin, an anxious and over-protective clownfish, lives in the Great Barrier Reef with his kid Nemo, who longs to explore the world beyond their anemone home. But when Nemo is captured and taken to Sydney, Marlin faces his fears and sets off on an epic adventure across the ocean. With the help of lovable characters such as optimistic Dory, laid-back sea turtle Crush, and the supportive Tank Gang, Marlin and Nemo both overcome challenges on their journey to find each other and themselves. Featuring memorable songs such as "Just Keep Swimming," "Fish Are Friends Not Food," and "Go With the Flow," Finding Nemo JR. brings a vibrant underwater world to life on stage in a story full of family, friendship, and adventure. Audio Sampler - HL00467210 $10.00 ShowKit - HL00467211 $695.00 This ShowKit includes: 30 Libretto/Vocal Books Piano/Vocal Score Director's Guide Choreography Videos Guide Vocal Tracks Performance Accompaniment Tracks Logo Pack (Coming Soon!) 60-Minute JR. Request Individual Components 00467211 - ShowKit $695.00 00467206 - Director's Guide $100.00 00467207 - Piano/Vocal Score $40.00 00467208 - Actor's Script (Single) $10.00 00467209 - Actor's Script (10 Pack) $75.00 00467210 - Audio Sampler $10.00 MUSICAL NUMBERS Prologue Big Blue World (Part 1) Big Blue World (Part 2) Abduction/Big Blue World (Reprise) Dory's Ditty Fish Are Friends Not Food Where's My Dad We Swim Together Just Keep Swimming (Part 1) Just Keep Swimming (Part 2) Not My Dad Go With The Flow One Dedicated Father That's My Dad We Swim Together (Reprise) Just Keep Swimming Together Finale Part 1 Finale Part 2 Bows Cast of Characters Cast Size: Large (21 or more performers) Cast Type: Children Dance Requirements: Standard Disney's Finding Nemo JR. has 34 speaking roles but can also be performed with a smaller cast in the 15-20 range. Many featured and ensemble roles can be double cast if needed; refer to the Casting section of your Director's Guide for more details. Nemo A curious young clownfish who brims with excitement to explore the wonders that lie beyond the Great Barrier Reef. Born with a "lucky fin" - or what humans would call a limb difference Nemo quickly learns that the world possesses incredible dangers in addition to the promise of big adventures. By making new friends, finding strength within, and practicing teamwork, Nemo transforms into a capable and brave leader, able to self-advocate and take on challenges big and small. Cast an energetic performer who can capture Nemo's innocence and sense of wonder. Gender: Any Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: C4 Marlin An anxious clownfish and Nemo's overprotective father, who, after the tragic death of his wife Coral, prefers the safety of his anemone to the frightening unknowns of the open ocean. Forced to travel across the sea in search of Nemo, Marlin develops the courage to face the unpredictable ocean and the wisdom to trust others - including his own kid. Consider casting an older, mature actor to play this helicopter parent who eventually learns to lighten up and embrace the clown in "clownfish." Gender: Male Vocal range top: Eb5 Vocal range bottom: C4 Dory An optimistic and bubbly blue tang, experiences frequent short-term memory loss and finds herself wandering through the ocean with no place to call home. Sparking friendships with whomever she meets, Dory immediately offers to help Marlin find his lost child, and the two set out on an adventurous journey through the ocean. Along the way, Dory's kindness and bright spirit ease Marlin's fears, and the unlikely duo finds comfort and family in each other. Look for a performer with great charisma and a stage presence that can light up a room. Consider auditioning several Marlins and Dorys together, as the two should be able to playfully banter with great comic timing. Gender: Female Vocal range top: F5 Vocal range bottom: B3 Coral A loving mother-to-be clownfish, married to Marlin, who will stop at nothing to protect her eggs. After your actor has finished with this role, have them join the Sea Chorus or other ensemble group for the rest of the show. Gender: Female Sea Chorus Functions as the general ensemble, creating the environment of the play and becoming the characters that Marlin and Dory interact with on their journey to Sydney. They will also help with the transitions from the Ocean to the Aquarium Tank. Roles include: Angelfish, Damselfish, Barracuda, Moonfish 1-6, Jellyfish, Sea Turtles, Grouper, Lobsters (1 & 2), Octopuses (1 & 2), Electric Eels (1 & 2), & Seahorses (1 & 2). Gender: Any Reef Kids Nemo's classmates. Roles include: Pearl, a friendly flapjack octopus who is, quick to befriend Nemo. Sheldon, an H2O-intolerant seahorse with an appetite for trouble who taunts Nemo to swim beyond the reef. Tad, a self-admittedly obnoxious butterflyfish who joins Sheldon in encouraging Nemo to swim past the Drop-Off. Gender: Any Reef Parents Roles include: Sheldon's Parent, Pearl's Parent, and Tad's Parent Gender: Any Professor Ray A stingray and Nemo's enthusiastic teacher, takes pride in sharing the curiosities and marvels of the world with the class and encourages every student to be a brave explorer. Cast a performer with excellent diction to handle the large scientific words in this professor's advanced vocabulary. Gender: Any Scuba Mask Dancer A performer responsible for floating the diver's mask through the water whenever it appears onstage. Gender: Any Bruce An intimidating great white shark, is the sharks' ringleader. Despite Bruce's best efforts to adopt a vegetarian diet, Bruce loses control and is sent into a frenzy, threatening to devour every fish in sight. Part of the Sharks. Gender: Any Chum and Anchor Two of Bruce's shark friends, try to live vegetarian lifestyles but are eventually forced to restrain an out-of- control Bruce from eating innocent fish. Part of The Sharks. Gender: Any Fish "Friends" Forced to attend the sharks' party but aren't quite so convinced that their hosts will be satisfied with a kelp-only diet. Gender: Any Bubbles Part of the "Tank Gang" that helps Nemo escape the Sydney Harbor Aquarium and return to the ocean. A yellow tang who is captivated by bubbles, is the first to welcome Nemo to the tank. This friendly fish exclusively uses the word "bubbles" to communicate. Gender: Any Bloat Part of the "Tank Gang" that helps Nemo escape the Sydney Harbor Aquarium and return to the ocean. An open-minded and supportive blowfish, is proud to be part of the Tank Gang family and helps keep everyone's spirits up, even when things seem bleak. Vocal range top: C5 Vocal range bottom: A3 Gurgle Part of the "Tank Gang" that helps Nemo escape the Sydney Harbor Aquarium and return to the ocean. Frightened of strangers and the germs they carry with them, is a royal gramma who enjoys the safety and regulated cleanliness of the tank. Gender: Any Peach Part of the "Tank Gang" that helps Nemo escape the Sydney Harbor Aquarium and return to the ocean. A mature and down-to-earth starfish, offers guidance and reassurance to all those who need it. Gender: Any Gill Part of the "Tank Gang" that helps Nemo escape the Sydney Harbor Aquarium and return to the ocean. A relentless and inspiring leader who will stop at nothing to return to the freedom of the ocean. This Moorish idol fish believes in the Tank Gang and concocts countless plans to bust them out of the aquarium. Gill is the first fish Nemo has ever met with a similar "fin difference," quickly becoming a mentor and inspiration for the young clownfish. Gender: Any Nigel A sharp-eyed pelican, Nigel is the Tank Gang's feathered friend and only connection to the outside world. This bird is someone you can count on to know all the latest news on the happenings of Sydney Harbour. Gender: Any Seagulls Are a pesky group of birds who persistently try to snatch an unlucky VACATIONER's snack on the boardwalk. Gender: Any Sea Turtles & Sea Turtle Kids Righteously mellow creatures featured in "Go With the Flow." Roles include: Crush, Squirt, Kai, and Breeze. Crush, a 150-year-old sea turtle who knows how to hang loose, teaches Marlin a thing or two about being a good parent. Look for a strong singer who can confidently belt "Go With the Flow" to make it a truly radical jam. Squirt, offspring of Crush, fearlessly twirls through turbulent waters of the ocean and enjoys trying out cool new moves in the high-speed EAC. Kai and Breeze each have individual singing solos in "Go With the Flow". Gender: Any

Magic Tree House: Pirates Past Noon KIDS - Broadway Junior | Hal Leonard Menu LEARN MORE About Broadway Junior What Comes With the Showkit®? How to License a Broadway Junior Musical Order an Audio Sampler Frequently Asked Questions 60-Min.ute Musicals [JR.] 60-Minute Musicals 13 Jr. Alice In Wonderland Jr. (Disney) Aladdin Jr. (Disney) Annie Jr. Beauty and the Beast Jr. (Disney) The Big One-Oh! Jr. Bugsy Malone Jr. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. Dear Edwina Jr. Doctor Dolittle Jr. Dot & The Kangaroo Jr. The Drowsy Chaperone Jr. Elephant & Piggie's "We Are In A Play" Jr. Elf The Musical Jr. Fame Jr. Fiddler on the Roof Jr. Finding Nemo Jr. (Disney) Finian's Rainbow Jr. Flat Stanley Jr. Frozen Jr. (Disney) A Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens Jr. (Magic Tree House) Godspell Jr. Guys and Dolls Jr. Hairspray Jr. High School Musical Jr. (Disney) Honk! Jr. Into the Woods Jr. James and the Giant Peach Jr. (Roald Dahl) Junie B. Jones Jr. Legally Blonde Jr. The Lion King Jr. (Disney) The Little Mermaid Jr. (Disney) Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr. Mary Poppins Jr. (Disney/Cameron Mackintosh) Matilda Jr. (Roald Dahl) Mean Girls Jr. Moana Jr. (Disney) The Music Man Jr. My Son Pinocchio Jr. (Disney) Newsies Jr. (Disney) Oliver! Jr. Once on This Island Jr. Peter Pan Jr. (Broadway) The Phantom Tollbooth Jr. The Pirates of Penzance Jr. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. Seussical Jr. Shrek Jr. Singin' In The Rain Jr. Sister Act Jr. Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. Willy Wonka Jr. (Roald Dahl) Xanadu Jr. 30-Min.ute Musicals [KIDS] 30-Minute Musicals 101 Dalmatians KIDS (Disney) Aladdin KIDS (Disney) Annie KIDS Aristocats KIDS (Disney) Dinosaurs Before Dark KIDS (Magic Tree House) Finding Nemo KIDS (Disney) Frozen KIDS (Disney) The Jungle Book KIDS (Disney) The Knight at Dawn KIDS (Magic Tree House) The Lion King KIDS (Disney) The Music Man KIDS Pirates Past Noon KIDS (Magic Tree House) Seussical KIDS Willy Wonka KIDS (Roald Dahl) Winnie the Pooh KIDS (Disney) A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS Product Information Musical Numbers Cast of Characters Credits Book by Jenny Laird and Will Osborne Lyrics by Randy Courts and Will Osborne Music by Randy Courts Based on Magic Tree House #4: Pirates Past Noon by Mary Pope Osborne Overview / Synopsis Magic Tree House: Pirates Past Noon KIDS is an adaptation of the fourth of Mary Pope Osborne's award-winning fantasy adventure books from the Magic Tree House book series, which has sold more than 100 million copies and is available in more than a hundred countries around the world. This time around, Jack and Annie's tree house takes them to an exotic island with pirates, where the two discover the power of friendship and the simple pleasures in everyday life. The two siblings return to visit the magic tree house on a dreary, rainy day. They find a book where the sun is shining and the waves are crashing, so they wish to travel to this tropical place. They realize that they are in the eighteenth-century Caribbean, the time of pirates! The siblings meet Captain Bones, a mean old pirate who captures the two and forces them to help him find buried treasure. It's up to Jack and Annie to find their way back to the tree house and make their way home. Magic Tree House: Pirates Past Noon KIDS is a great first pick for new directors, or if you have students who are new to the performing arts. The cast can be expanded to include plenty of pirates and island creatures, and students always enjoy a musical that takes place in a fantasy setting. Audio Sampler - HL00196012 $10.00 ShowKit - HL00196002 $545.00 This ShowKit includes: 30 - Student Books 1 - Director's Guide 1 - Piano/Vocal Score 1 - Accompaniment CD 1 - Choreography DVD 1 - Media Disc 30-Minute KIDS Request Individual Components 00196003 - Director's Guide $100.00 00196004 - Piano/Vocal Score $40.00 00196005 - Student Book $10.00 00196006 - Student Book 10-pak $75.00 00196007 - Performance/Accomp CD pack $75.00 00196008 - Student Rehearsal CD $10.00 00196009 - Student Rehearsal CD 20-pak $100.00 00196010 - Choreography DVD $50.00 00196011 - Media Disc $10.00 00196012 - Audio Sampler $10.00 Hear A Sample Pirates Putting on a Play Spinning to an Island The Tropical Island Song Row, Dogs, Row How Do You Do, I'm Captain Bones (Part 1) How Do You Do, I'm Captain Bones (Part 2) Bones, Bones, Bones Every Pirate Needs a Parrot Reading a Book Gold (Part 1) Gold (Part 2) Spinning Home Treasure Pirates Putting on a Play (Reprise) Bows Jack Jack is a young boy. 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. This is a big role and requires a strong singer and actor. Gender: Male Vocal Range: C4-D5 Annie Annie is 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 encourages him to be more adventurous. She loves animals of any kind and has a very loving heart. Like Jack, this role requires strong singing and acting. When auditioning, you might mix and match your Jack and Annie hopefuls to see which ones have the best brother-sister chemistry. Gender: Female Vocal Range: C4-E5 Morgan/Polly Morgan is an ageless librarian enchantress. By the end of the play, Jack and Annie learn that the Magic Tree House belongs to Morgan. Morgan magically turns herself into Polly so that she can try to help the kids on this adventure, so for most of the show, Morgan will be costumed as a parrot. Look for an actor who can move easily in a more elaborate costume for most of the show. Although she doesn't speak or sing until the end, this large and important part requires one of your most mature female performers with both strong singing and acting skills. Gender: Female Vocal Range: A3-C5 First Mate The First Mate enjoys being in charge of his crew and must jumpstart the play with a commanding first line. He has solo singing lines and also helps to narrate the story, so cast an actor with a strong speaking and singing voice. This character can be played by a male or female actor. Gender: Both Vocal Range: Bb3-D5 Captain Bones Captain Bones is the epitome of a fearsome, odious pirate. He enjoys being vile and mean. Look for an actor who isn't afraid to really put himself out there - one who has both a physical and vocal swagger. Consider casting your strongest comic performer for this role - the absurd comedic tone of the play is highly dependent on Bones. If possible, it would be fun to cast an actor who is smaller in stature than his minions to highlight the comedy of his bullish ways. Although Bones does sing a solo part on "How Do You Do, I'm Captain Bones (Part 2)," those lines can be spoken, so if you have a kid who is a talented actor but a less-experienced singer, this role would be good for him. Captain Bones can be played by either a girl or a boy as long as the actor has a commanding stage presence and great comedic timing. Gender: Both Vocal Range: B3-C#5 Pinky, Stinky, Blinky and Slinky Pinky, Stinky, Blinky and Slinky are henchmen for Captain Bones. Though these pirates are devoted to Bones, they are not nearly as clever or mean. These large speaking roles all require good comedic timing. These roles are good for kids who will relish being able to dress and talk like a pirate in front of their peers. Look for strong actors who can carry a tune, are good at focusing and taking direction and who are capable of working together as a team. Cast males, females or both. Gender: Both Vocal Range: C4-B4 Jonah Jonah is a cabin boy who wants to help Jack and Annie escape from Bones. In stark contrast to the Pirates, he is kind, soft-spoken and tender-hearted. While being held captive, Jack and Annie teach Jonah how to read. Jonah's solo parts in "Reading a Book" require a strong singer, and the role requires an actor capable of quiet subtlety, so if possible, cast one of your strong performers in this role. If you are short on boys, cast a girl to play a boy. Gender: Both Vocal Range: C4-D5 Billy, Molly, Nathaniel, Wilhelmina, Peter, Pirates Billy, Molly, Nathaniel, Wilhelmina, Peter, and additional Pirates are the often funny and spirited Pirates under the command of Captain Bones. The named Pirates should be the strongest actors and singers of this group. If you don't have enough boys to play Billy and Nathaniel, cast girls who would have fun playing a boy. Casting extra Pirates is a good way to round out the chorus and to utilize performers who are less experienced. Gender: Both Vocal Range: B3-B4 Teeki the Seagull Teeki the Seagull is a jubilant bird with a need to express her joy for life. She is the matriarch of the Island Creatures on this particular Caribbean island. Cast an actor who enjoys the spotlight and who is physically uninhibited - someone who has good vocal and movement skills and isn't afraid to "get into the groove" of the "Tropical Island Song." Gender: Female Vocal Range: Bb3-Eb5 Pedro the Pelican Pedro the Pelican is a prim and proper pelican. Although not a large role, Pedro has a few solo lines. It might be comedic to watch this rather rigid, self-conscious bird get lured into the groove of "The Tropical Island Song" until he or she is the most enthusiastic dancer of them all. Cast an actor who can play shy but who isn't afraid to dance and let loose on stage. Gender: Male Stella the Starfish Stella the Starfish is a sweet, happy starfish who loves to dance. Stella has a few solo lines, so look for an actor who has a strong voice and can lead the other Starfish in a dance. Gender: Female Island Creatures Island Creatures including Pelican #1, Pelican #2, Pelican #3, Lizard #1, Lizard #2, Lizard #3, Corey the Crab, Starfish Partner, Additional Crabs, Lobsters, Starfish and Jellyfish sing "The Tropical Island Song" and "Treasure." Cast as many performers as your stage and program will allow. As long as you have a few strong performers representing each group of creatures, casting extra creatures is a great way to give additional children experience without the pressure of a large role. Feel free to assign character names to match the number of performers you cast. If needed, you can double-cast your more experienced Island Creatures as Pirates as well. Gender: Both

Benjamin Britten Article | Hal Leonard Distributed by Britten Home YouTube Festival Biography Choral Publications Article: Explore the Choral Music of Benjamin Britten by Paul Spicer Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) was a unique force in British music. Of the fine composers among his contemporaries, none wrote such a wide variety of music across such a broad spectrum of genres and for such a range of ages and abilities. In many ways, though he might have been surprised by the comparison, he was the natural successor to Vaughan Williams, whose instincts for community and the nurture of amateur musicians brought him an almost cult-like status in Britain. Britten did not devote himself so wholeheartedly to these things, but a sizeable proportion of his choral music is easily within the reach of a good ordinary choir, another part is well within the grasp of a reasonable church choir, and there is, of course, all the music he wrote specifically for children. Among the 60 or so non-operatic choral works there are also works which are exceptionally demanding and perhaps best left to professionals and outstanding amateurs. The range of this output and the frequency of performance of the better-known works underline Britten's ubiquity in the world of choral singing, not just in the English-speaking community but far beyond. As with many composers who have devoted themselves to writing a large corpus of music for one particular genre, Britten has suffered from being too well-known for a few familiar pieces. Rejoice in the Lamb, A Ceremony of Carols, Hymn to the Virgin, Hymn to St Cecilia, Jubilate Deo in C and others have tended to obscure the fuller picture of Britten's choral output and, if nothing else, I hope that choral directors will look beyond their favourites and explore the rich variety of music which is still almost undiscovered. Schools, or choirs of upper or lower voices, will find music here of wonderful quality which rarely sees the light of day. Similarly, there is a genuine mix of sacred and secular and some useful blurring of the edges where words can be equally appropriate in either context. I hope that the corresponding online guide will also be of real practical help to those who aim to build programmes which may be structured in specific ways - thematically, by voice type, by religious or non-religious setting, or by the balancing of a well-known piece by a less-familiar or almost unknown work. It is a spirit of discovery and adventure which should fire the imagination, and it is a love of all this music which has inspired the commentary writing. Britten was a practical composer. He knew that the music he wrote was performable because he himself was an accomplished professional musician. This is, again, where the Vaughan Williams analogy holds true. To be there, in among those doing the singing, directing the performance, advising other conductors and acquiring great expertise and experience over a creative lifetime, gave him an unusual insight into what choirs enjoy singing. He discovered what levels were attainable by different types of group, and did much to encourage that sense of ambition which has led to a genuine rise in the quality of amateur choral music-making. Britten was also a practical composer because he gave his performers all the information they need to deliver a convincing and 'authentic' performance - his scores have clear and unambiguous performance directions throughout. He is known to have remarked that, if musicians follow his instructions to the letter (and can play or sing the notes in an accurate and musical fashion), they will give a performance of which the composer would approve. So the principal instruction to choral directors is to prepare the score thoroughly prior to embarking on rehearsals. Read the words in order to understand Britten's setting of them, and mark, learn and inwardly digest Britten's clear instructions about speed, dynamics, phrasing, and, often most importantly, articulation. The mood of a piece so often comes from the composer's approach to the text. Britten tended to choose texts which were not widely set by other composers. But to compare, for instance, his two connected settings of Gerard Manley Hopkins' "God's Grandeur" in A.M.D.G. and "The World of the Spirit" with Kenneth Leighton's version is to clearly demonstrate the point. No two responses could be more different and yet each excitingly shows the composer's individual reaction to the poem. To examine Britten's popular Jubilate Deo in C alongside Howells' Collegium Regale setting of the same words written some fifteen years earlier is, again, to emphasize how their idiomatic interpretations of the text helped shape each piece. Britten's style grew out of the English choral tradition he knew so well. He had not been a cathedral chorister but had boarded at Gresham's School from the age of 14. There he was exposed to the standard repertoire of the Anglican Church and his earliest well-known piece, "A Hymn to the Virgin," was written when he was only 16 and still a schoolboy. It unequivocally shows his feeling for the beauty and potential of choral sound, so it is no wonder that such precocious talent should develop to the extent it did. While there are pieces from his output which are more stylistically searching, this early gem sets the scene for a choral output that is essentially approachable, tonal, lyrical, and pleasing to both performer and listener. It is a remarkable legacy.

Bugsy Malone Jr. - Broadway Junior | Hal Leonard Menu LEARN MORE About Broadway Junior What Comes With the Showkit®? How to License a Broadway Junior Musical Order an Audio Sampler Frequently Asked Questions 60-Min.ute Musicals [JR.] 60-Minute Musicals 13 Jr. Alice In Wonderland Jr. (Disney) Aladdin Jr. (Disney) Annie Jr. Beauty and the Beast Jr. (Disney) The Big One-Oh! Jr. Bugsy Malone Jr. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. Dear Edwina Jr. Doctor Dolittle Jr. Dot & The Kangaroo Jr. The Drowsy Chaperone Jr. Elephant & Piggie's "We Are In A Play" Jr. Elf The Musical Jr. Fame Jr. Fiddler on the Roof Jr. Finding Nemo Jr. (Disney) Finian's Rainbow Jr. Flat Stanley Jr. Frozen Jr. (Disney) A Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens Jr. (Magic Tree House) Godspell Jr. Guys and Dolls Jr. Hairspray Jr. High School Musical Jr. (Disney) Honk! Jr. Into the Woods Jr. James and the Giant Peach Jr. (Roald Dahl) Junie B. Jones Jr. Legally Blonde Jr. The Lion King Jr. (Disney) The Little Mermaid Jr. (Disney) Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr. Mary Poppins Jr. (Disney/Cameron Mackintosh) Matilda Jr. (Roald Dahl) Mean Girls Jr. Moana Jr. (Disney) The Music Man Jr. My Son Pinocchio Jr. (Disney) Newsies Jr. (Disney) Oliver! Jr. Once on This Island Jr. Peter Pan Jr. (Broadway) The Phantom Tollbooth Jr. The Pirates of Penzance Jr. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. Seussical Jr. Shrek Jr. Singin' In The Rain Jr. Sister Act Jr. Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. Willy Wonka Jr. (Roald Dahl) Xanadu Jr. 30-Min.ute Musicals [KIDS] 30-Minute Musicals 101 Dalmatians KIDS (Disney) Aladdin KIDS (Disney) Annie KIDS Aristocats KIDS (Disney) Dinosaurs Before Dark KIDS (Magic Tree House) Finding Nemo KIDS (Disney) Frozen KIDS (Disney) The Jungle Book KIDS (Disney) The Knight at Dawn KIDS (Magic Tree House) The Lion King KIDS (Disney) The Music Man KIDS Pirates Past Noon KIDS (Magic Tree House) Seussical KIDS Willy Wonka KIDS (Roald Dahl) Winnie the Pooh KIDS (Disney) A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS Product Information Musical Numbers Cast of Characters Credits Book by Alan Parker Music and Lyrics by Paul Williams Overview / Synopsis Based on the hit 1976 film starring a preteen Scott Baio and Jodi Foster and featuring a catchy, swinging score by the composer of The Muppet Movie, Bugsy Malone JR. is good, clean, comedic fun! Two gangs comprised completely of children, square off in a 1920's rivalry of Capone-ian standards. Dandy Dan's gang has gotten the upper hand since obtaining the "splurge" gun (a weapon that shoots whip cream). Now Fat Sam and his bumbling buffoons are in real trouble! Bugsy Malone, a one-time boxer, is thrust not-so-willingly into the gangster limelight, when he becomes the last chance Fat Sam's gang has of surviving. All Bugsy really wants to do is spend time with his new love Blousey; but that just isn't in the cards for our hero. Bugsy Malone JR. includes a chorus, which may be expanded by adding as many members to Dandy Dan's and Fat Sam's gangs as your stage can accommodate. The Grand Slam Girls can also be expanded to incorporate more singing and dancing girls! Audio Sampler - HL00114404 $10.00 ShowKit - HL00114394 $695.00 This ShowKit includes: 30 Actor's Scripts Piano/Vocal Score Director's Guide 2 Rehearsal CDs 2 Accompaniment CDs 1 Choreography DVD 1 Media Disc 30 Family Matters Booklets 60-Minute JR. Request Individual Components 00114394 - ShowKit $645.00 00114395 - Director's Guide $100.00 00114396 - Piano/Vocal Score $40.00 00114397 - Actor's Script $10.00 00114398 - Actor's Script 10-pak $75.00 00114399 - Rehearsal / Accompaniment CD $75.00 00114400 - Student Rehearsal CD $10.00 00114401 - Student Rehearsal CD 20-pak $100.00 00114402 - Choreography DVD $50.00 00114403 - Media Disc $10.00 00114404 - Audio Sampler $10.00 Hear A Sample SCENE 1 Bugsy Malone [Chorus Girls] Fat Sam's Grand Slam [Chorus, Maitre D's, Candy Cigarette Girls, Male Gamblers, Tallulah's Girls] SCENE 3 That's Why They Call Him Dandy [Dandy Dan, Hoods] Tomorrow [Fizzy] SCENE 4 Show Business [Lena, Chorus] SCENE 5 Bad Guys [Fat Sam's Gang] Ordinary Fool [Blousey] My Name is Tallulah [Tallulah, Tallulah's Girls] SCENE 6 Down and Out [Down and Outs] SCENE 7 Fat Sam's Grand Slam (Reprise) [Chorus Girls] You Give a Little Love [Bugsy, Fat Sam, Dandy Dan, Tallulah, Blousey] Bugsy Malone Bugsy Malone is the hero of the story. Cast a handsome young man who can sing and act. This role is equal parts Jimmy Stewart, James Bond and Gene Kelly. Bugsy alternates as the narrator and the star of the show. A young performer comfortable in front of an audience, who radiates a sense of charm and sincerity as well as a street-wise sensibility, will take your show a long way towards success. Blousey Brown Blousey Brown is at first a typical young, wide-eyed, would-be star, just off the bus from a small town. However, we find out that Blousey is a force to be reckoned with and is certainly nobody's fool. This is a large role that requires good singing and acting, but the key to casting Blousey is finding a young actor who is at home with comedy. A young Carol Burnett type is recommended. Tallulah Tallulah is the classic gangster's moll. Cast a young woman who is self-confident and can deliver the role with deadpan sincerity and droll appeal. Tallulah is a Mae West type with a talent for performing. She needs to be a strong singer for her self-titled number. Fizzy Fizzy is an employee of Fat Sam's at the Grand Slam, whose duties mostly involve cleaning up the place. To cast Fizzy, find an actor who can really delivery the song "Tomorrow." It is a difficult song that requires emotional singing and a significant range. Hopefully, you'll find a singer who can delivery Fizzy's sad-eyed hopes and dreams as he sweeps up. Fat Sam Stacetto Fat Sam Stacetto is the baddest of the bad guys, whose biggest rival is Dandy Dan. Fat Sam should be an adept physical comedian with a commanding stage presence. He sings, so make sure you've got an actor who can carry a tune, but moreover, finding an experienced actor with good projection and diction skills is important. Fat Sam carries much of the dialogue of the show. Note that Fat Sam does not need to be fat. You can dress him in a fat suit or cast a realty small kid with a booming voice for comedic effect. Dandy Dan Dandy Dan is the unflappably stylish, debonair, underworld businessman who outwits Fat Sam every step of the way. Your Dan should be comfortable singing his song, "That's Why They Call Him Dandy." Find an actor with just the right sense of style and grace. Lena Marelli Lena Marelli is the star of the "Lena Marelli Show!," and she lets everyone know it. Cast a young performer who can TAKE OVER THE STAGE with a strong singing voice. An affected character voice is practically a requirement to delivery this role. Lena is not very bright, but she is very loud. Think Lina Lamont from Singin' in the Rain. Fat Sam's Gang Fat Sam's Gang includes Roxy Robinson, Angelo, Snake Eyes, Ritzy, Shake Down Louis and Sam's right hand man, Knuckles. You may add as many ensemble members to the gangs as your stage can accommodate. These fellows are bumbling, funny, non-threatening hoodlums. They should be able to sing with gusto (if not in tune) and be willing to work on the rigors of physical comedy. Many productions have successfully cast girls in these roles. Dandy Dan's Gang Dandy Dan's Gang members are really bad guys. Also known as The Hoods, they sing a little, but they splurge a lot! Cast suave-looking types who can pull off slicked-back hair and double-breasted suits. Many productions have successfully cast girls in these roles. The Hoods include Bronx Charlie, Shoulders, Benny Lee, Yonkers, Laughing Boy and Doodle. Tallulah's Girls The Tallulah's Girls perform at the speakeasy, and they include Tillie, Loretta, Dotty and Bangles. These girls should be very at home singing and dancing and should work well as ensemble singers. They are basically Tallulah's gang! Bangles has the most dialogue of these girls, so you might want to put your best actor in that role. Oscar De Velt Oscar De Velt is the stage equivalent of Cecil B. DeMille. A strong, confident actor will fit the bill here. Kiki the Colorist, Cashier and Stylist Kiki the Colorist, Cashier and Stylist Part of Paulette's entourage at the salon who are very adept at the "Bend and Snap." Range: C4-A4 Marbini the Magician Marbini the Magician and The Ventriloquist are two wonderfully funny smaller roles in the audition scene with Oscar De Velt. Both of them are convinced that they are world famous. Cast performers who can really sell these roles for all they are worth. The Opera Singer and the other bits in this scene are all great cameos. Down and Outs The Down and Outs are representative of out-of-work, Depression era men and women of the soup kitchens, which include the Cooks serving in the kitchens. The Down and Outs are ready for a cause, and helping Bugsy bring peace between Fat Sam and Dandy Dan is just what the doctor ordered. Additional ensemble roles in this scene include the Priest, Clipboard Willy and two Delivery Guys. If you have a smaller cast, you can use the splurged from early scenes (Fat Sam's Gang!). Other Roles Other standout ensemble roles include: the Radio Announcer, Paperboy (or girl), Razmataz, Maiter D's, Elegantly Dressed Lady, Waitress, Louella, The Butler, The Trumpet Player on Roller Skates, the Line of Auditionees at the Bijoux, Pop Becker, the Barber and Flash Frankie. These are all good comic roles for young performers. In a smaller ensemble you can double many of these parts. Additionally, students can be case as Speakeasy staff and customers, including a Waiter, Candy Cigarette Girls, Lena's Bodygaurds, Male Gamblers, additional Chrous Girls, Splurge Attendants, Speakeasy Customers, and Members of Fat Sam and Dandy Dan's Gangs.

20th Century French Art Songs | Hal Leonard Hal Leonard Online - French Art Songs 20th CENTURY FRENCH ART SONGS Mélodies française du XXe siècle Edited by Carol Kimball Published by Éditions Durand DF 16250/HL 50565798 High Voice edition DF 16251/HL 50565799 Medium/Low Voice edition Distributed in Europe and Asia by Hal Leonard MGB Distributed in North and South America by Hal Leonard Distributed in Australia and New Zealand by Hal Leonard Australia Download & Print Introductory Notes Complete Online Introductory Notes, Unabridged copyright © 2015 Editions Durand An abridged version of editor Carol Kimball’s “Introduction” appears in the High Voice and Medium/Low Voice publications. Her complete length “Introduction” appears below. See the publications for the poetry texts in French and translations in English. GEORGES AURIC CLAUDE DEBUSSY HENRI DUTILLEUX GABRIEL FAURÉ REYNALDO HAHN ARTHUR HONEGGER JACQUES LEGUERNEY OLIVIER MESSIAEN DARIUS MILHAUD FRANCIS POULENC MAURICE RAVEL ALBERT ROUSSEL ERIK SATIE DÉODAT DE SÉVERAC GEORGES AURIC (1899-1983) George Auric was something of a child prodigy, performing a piano recital at the Musicale Indépendante at the age of fourteen. The following year, the Société Nationale de Musique performed several songs he had composed. He studied composition at the Paris Conservatoire with Georges Caussade, and later with Vincent d’Indy and Albert Roussel at the Schola Cantorum de Paris. Before he was twenty, Auric had orchestrated and written incidental music for several stage productions and ballets. He composed a significant amount of avant-garde music during the years between 1910-20. Around 1914, he widened his acquaintances to include members of Les Six, a group of composers informally associated with Erik Satie and Jean Cocteau, and became a part of their group. Auric and Francis Poulenc became fast friends and remained so for life. Music criticism was an important part of Auric’s career; his writing focused on promoting the ideals of Les Six and Cocteau. He was also especially known for his film scores, which are consistently imaginative. He forged a major career in the English movies of the 1940s and ’50s. Among his most well-known scores is the music for the film Moulin Rouge. Other popular film titles with scores by Auric include The Lavender Hill Mob, Roman Holiday, Beauty and the Beast, and Bonjour Tristesse. In 1962 he became the director of the Opéra National de Paris and later, chairman of SACEM, the French Performing Rights Society. Auric continued to write classical chamber music until his death. Le Jeune sanguine (1940) from Trois Poèmes de Louise de Vilmorin poem by Louise de Vilmorin (1902-1969) This mélodie is the second song in Auric’s cycle titled Trois poèmes de Louise de Vilmorin. Vilmorin’s poetry reverberates with sensitivity to affairs of the heart. She was one of Poulenc’s preferred poets; he set her poetry when writing specifically for the female voice, such as in Fiançailles pour rire. A sort of veiled humor is at the heart of this text that describes a young hussy whose lover departs early with the dawn’s first light, leaving her weeping disconsolately. Auric provides a prelude and postlude for formal balance as the miserable young woman mourns her loss. He also inserts several unexpected and amusing measures of a tango as the young man arches his back and leaves the sound of her sobbing. For his three Vilmorin songs, Auric used the style of a chansonette, or more popular song. Printemps (1935) Poem by Pierre de Ronsard (1524-1585) Auric composed this lilting waltz song for a play by Edouard Bourdet titled La Reine Margot (1935). The celebrated musical theatre actress-singer Yvonne Printemps created the role of Queen Margot of Navarre at Théâtre de la Michodière. Auric and Francis Poulenc collaborated on the incidental music for this play; Poulenc took the second act, Auric the first. Poulenc composed the Suite française and the song “A sa guitare”; Auric’s contribution was “Printemps.” Yvonne Printemps sang both songs in the play. Both composers used texts by Pierre de Ronsard, and the musical style of each is reminiscent of the Renaissance. Ronsard’s original poem had twenty-three stanzas. Auric set only the first three. BACK TO TOP CLAUDE DEBUSSY (1862-1918) Claude Debussy wrote expertly for the voice and was acutely responsive to transforming poetic nuance into musical expression. Possibly no other French composer was as attuned to blending poetry and music. His literary taste was highly refined and he maintained a visible and active role in the literary and artistic circles of his time. He chose to set poetry of his contemporaries, notably Verlaine and Mallarmé. Verlaine’s verse with its inherent musical qualities, provided Debussy with poetry for numerous works. For Debussy, poetry as poetry was the paramount determinant of the musical texture. His ability to detect the essence of a poem and perfectly transform it into musical expression makes his mélodies unique in the history of French song. Le promenoir des deux amants (1904, 1910) poems by Tristan l’Hermite (c. 1601-1656) “Auprès de cette grotte sombre,” the first song, made its first appearance with the title “La Grotte,” song two of Trois chansons de France of 1904. In 1910, it was retitled and combined with two other poems by Tristan l’Hermite (“Crois mon conseil, chère Climène” and “Je tremble en voyant ton visage”) to form the miniature cycle Le Promenoir de deux amants, which has been called the finest of all Debussy’s works for voice and piano. It is also the least-often performed. Debussy chose the texts from Les Amours de Tristan, a collection by the seventeenth-century poet Tristan l’Hermite. The poems are set close to a grotto, secluded and silent. The transparent, barely stirring waters mingle with the silence of the cloistered spot, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. Debussy establishes an intimate, tender mood immediately and maintains this fragile mix of sound and color throughout the three mélodies. The interplay of resonance and texture in voice and piano results in an exquisite blend of light and shade, perfectly complementing l’Hermite’s poetic images. Subtly inflected vocal phrases are key to recreating the infinite calm and Pelléas-like atmosphere of the poetry, a perfect fusion of stillness and sensuality. Fêtes galantes II (1904) poems by Paul Verlaine (1844-1896) Debussy’s fascination with the work of the French Symbolist poet Paul Verlaine resulted in his setting to music no fewer than seventeen of Verlaine’s texts. He composed two sets of three songs each, both titled Fêtes galantes, the first in 1892, and the second in 1904. Fêtes galantes II, Debussy’s last setting of Verlaine, closely following the composition of his opera Pélleas et Mélisande, is representative of the composer’s mature vocal works. It is marked by sparser textures, freer tonalities and a more concentrated compositional style than the first set; but like the first set, Fêtes galantes II presents three unrelated songs. None of the Watteau-like scenes are found here; rather, these three poems are filled with mystery, and are without sentimentality. The theme of time appears in each of the poems: the first, sentimental youthful remembrances; the second, inexorable fleeting time; and finally in the last song, time never to be reclaimed. “Les Ingénus” recalls the first awakenings of sexual attraction, and deals with the breathless awe with which a group of unsophisticated young men of the mid-nineteenth century view their similarly naïve female companions. The scene unfolds in a highly chromatic texture, skillfully balanced to preserve the delicate, poignant images in Verlaine’s verse. Debussy’s free-floating harmonies are carefully contrived to complement the uncertain emotions and repressed sensations of the youths in the poem. “Le Faune” begins with a prelude; time unravels in an inflexible dance featuring a rhythmic, hypnotic figure in the piano, imaging the traditional reed pipe and “tambourin,” a small drum played with a stick. The old terra-cotta statue in Verlaine’s poem is probably the woodland god Pan, playing a monotonous rhythm that is both sensual and slightly menacing, matching the mood of the two mélancolique pélerins. Mesmerized by the repetitive rhythms of drum and reed flute, the dejected travelers are caught in the whirlpool of passing time, which spins past as they watch helplessly. “Colloque sentimental.” Colloquial (colloque) refers to ordinary speech or conversation. This disturbing poem is the touchstone of one of Debussy’s great mélodies. It is the last poem in Verlaine’s collection titled Fêtes galantes, and provides a chilling climax. It blends themes of despair, death and disillusion. In this extraordinary song, the ghosts of two lovers meet in a wintry park. As they speak of their former love, their words match the setting: glacial and detached from feeling. Throughout the song their wintry words are enhanced by Debussy’s simple and subtle vocal treatment: one voice urgent and persistent, the other stonily indifferent. Debussy’s manipulation of musical texture between voice and piano is masterful. The sparse vocal lines are almost speech-like, and the piano figures mirror the frozen landscape in which this conversation–equally cold–takes place. The song’s kinship to Debussy’s opera Pélleas et Mélisande is unmistakable. The listener becomes one with the poem’s narrator, straining to see and hear the couple’s conversation in the icy cold of the deserted, frozen park. Debussy reaches back to “En sourdine” (the first mélodie of Fêtes galantes I), takes the wistful song of the nightingale, and inserts it into this song at various points. The nightingale’s melody (“voix de nôtre dessespoir, le rossignol chantera”) provides a touching and melancholy association, linking the two sets of Fêtes galantes together symbolically and musically, foreshadowing the disenchantment of love hinted at in “En sourdine” with the lovers’ conversation in “Colloque sentimental,” and unifying the two sets by a subtle musical component. This panel of three mélodies was Debussy’s last setting of the poetry of Paul Verlaine. Noël des enfants qui n’ont plus de maisons (1915) poem by the composer This is Debussy’s last song, written to his own text, a Christmas carol for children made homeless by World War I. Its intensity comes from its simple sincerity. Debussy composed it on the eve of his first operation for the cancer that would end his life two years later. It was his personal protest against the invasion of northern France by the German armies. When asked for permission to orchestrate the song, Debussy refused, saying, “I want this piece to be sung with the most discreet accompaniment. Not a word of the text must be lost, inspired as it is by the rapacity of our enemies. It is the only way I have to fight the war.” Originally composed in 1915 for piano and voice, Debussy also created a version for children’s chorus, and in 1916, a version for piano and two sopranos. BACK TO TOP HENRI DUTILLEUX (1916-2013) Henri Dutilleux studied at the Paris Conservatory with Maurice Emmanuel. He received the Prix de Rome in 1938 at age twenty-two, and went on to work at the Paris Opéra and the French Radio. France’s musical institutions defined his career: in 1961, he joined the faculty at the école Normale de Musique, teaching composition. In 1970, he taught at the Paris Conservatoire. He destroyed many of his early works, considering them derivative of Ravel, the preeminent composer in France during his youth. His music that had been published avoided demolition. After World War II, Dutilleux concentrated almost exclusively on instrumental and orchestral music, much of which has been widely programmed and recorded. His songs are not well known. In the chronological catalogue of his compositions, beginning in 1929, the Quatre mélodies for mezzo soprano or baritone is only the eleventh entry. It also exists in an orchestral version. The collection is dedicated to the French baritone Charles Panzéra and his wife, pianist Magdeleine Panzéra-Baillot, prominent interpreters of French song in the interwar years. Gabriel Fauré dedicated his last cycle, L’horizon chimérique, to Panzéra. Quatre mélodies (1942) uses poems by four different poets and presents a delightful collection of moods, although it must be admitted that the level of the poetry is not uniformly high: “Féérie au clair de lune” (poem by Raymond Genty), a graceful scherzo of dancing fairies that evokes Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream; “Pour une amie perdue” (Edmond Borsent); “Regards sur l’infini” (Anna de Noailles); and “Fantasio” (André Bellessort). The last mélodie is the most successful of the set and is one of two songs from the set (the other being “Pour une amie perdue”) that Dutilleux acknowledged. He wanted to exclude the first and third songs because their poetry was relatively mediocre. Fantasio (1942) from Quatre Mélodies poem by André Bellessort (1866-1942) “Fantasio” (the original title of Bellessort’s poem is “Les funérailles de Fantasio”) is a colorful poem that chronicles the funeral of the titled character, who has expired before the text begins. The poem, set in Venice during Carnival, is full of glittering and compelling imagery that changes quickly, following the pace of the Carnival. Musical textures are skillfully handled and exhibit some of Dutilleux’s developing style. “Pauvre Fantasio,” is heard several times during the text, acting as both a funereal chant that unifies the proceedings and perhaps as well, keeping the mourners’ footsteps marching together. BACK TO TOP GABRIEL FAURÉ (1845-1924) Gabriel Fauré was one of the great composers of French song who, with Duparc and Debussy, perfected the mélodie as a true art song form. He composed about a hundred songs, all original in conception, constantly developing in style, and pointing the way to future works. His songs express a broad range of emotion and a great variety of musical textures, extending the musical parameters of the genre and inspiring new techniques of song compositions. His songs are often divided into three compositional periods for purposes of study and definition. Fauré has been characterized as a skillful watchmaker; with great precision his songs, which overflow with subtle nuances and delicate detail. His approach is in keeping with the French musical aesthetic: elegant and rational, dealing with sentiment rather than literal sensation. He was able to capture the entire poetic mood of each poem he set and to create an aura around it with his musical setting. Dans la fôret de septembre, Op. 85, No. 1 (1902) poem by Catulle Mendès (1841-1909) This touching poem symbolizes the onset of old age. Mendès was among the founders of a literary magazine, La Revue fantaisiste, which published many poems of the Parnassian poets. Fauré’s musical style perfectly suited this style of poetry: elegance of style, richness of rhyme, regularity and symmetry of rhythm. The Parnassians avoided the excessively romantic and aimed for “art-for-art’s sake.” Fauré was nearly sixty years old when he composed this mélodie, and his reaction to this poem is beautifully poignant. The words describe the poet’s reflective walk through a quiet, somber forest, capturing the chill of mortality and the overall mood of the turning point of life. The ancient forest, sensing a kindred spirit, provides the walker with a sign of friendship and understanding. Fauré set this contemplative poem in a rich harmonic musical texture with a vocal line that borders on quasi-recitative-like shapes. The solemn thoughts of old age call forth a melancholy, but it is a subtle melancholy. It is almost hymn-like in the fusion of words, emotions, and musical texture. This mélodie may be considered as marking the threshold to the final period of Fauré’s compositions. Accompagnement, Op. 85, No. 3 (1902) poem by Albert Victor Samain (1858-1900) This mélodie is a beautiful barcarolle–a nighttime scene, silvery and hazy, alluring but unreal. The image of the poet rowing on the lake is reflected in the musical texture. Fauré had a lifelong fascination with water imagery in music; this poem offers a little reel of unfolding pictures of a moonlight journey a dark lake. The words “dans le rêve” tell us that this is all a dream. This is a rarely sung Fauré mélodie that yields great rewards for the performer. Chanson, Op. 94 (1906) poem by Henri di Régnier (1864-1936) This poem has a gentle charm and a calm simplicity. It is the last of Fauré’s madrigals that include delicate love songs such as “Lydia,” and “Clair de lune.” It has a wonderful fluidity that is a perfect foil for the poetic images The text is a simple set of variations on one theme: nothing on earth has any meaning unless the beloved somehow touches it. Fauré’s reaction to the words called forth a musical setting of delicate transparency and limited range. It is not well known; like “Le Don silencieux,” “Chanson” was published as a single song and therefore not widely disseminated. It is an example of exquisitely planned musical economy, and definitely belongs in Fauré’s third period of musical compositions. Le Don silencieux, Op. 92 (1906) poem by Marie Closset (1875-1952), under the pseudonym Jean Dominique Here is another little known Fauré song, a rarity because it was published separately and was never included in any of the Fauré recueils. The poem has a gentle melancholy–the plea of a timid lover, a mixture of hope and imagined disappointment. The words are tender and flowing, but the overall mood is one of unrelieved sadness. This song marks the beginning of Fauré’s third compositional period, which includes the cycles La Chanson d’Eve, Le Jardin clos, Mirages, and L’Horizon chimérique. Writing of this mélodie in a letter to his wife, Fauré said, It does not in the least resemble any of my previous works, nor anything that I am aware of; I am very pleased about this...It translates the words gradually as they unfold themselves; it begins, opens out, and finishes, nothing more, nevertheless it is unified. 1 NOTES: Quoted in Graham Johnson, Gabriel Fauré: The Songs and their Poets (London: Guildhall School of Music and Ashgate Publishing Ltd., 2009), 291. Quotation from Jean-Michel Nectoux, Gabriel Fauré: A Musical Life, trans. Roger Nichols (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991), 304. This is a translation of Fauré’s letter to his wife of 17 August 1906. BACK TO TOP REYNALDO HAHN (1875-1947) Reynaldo Hahn, Venezuelan by birth, came to Paris with his family at age four and made a brilliant career. In addition to his career as a composer and singer, he was director of the Paris Opéra, music critic for the newspaper Figaro, and conductor of the Salzburg Festival. He was enough of a scholar to edit some of the works of Rameau. He maintained close friendships throughout his life with actress Sarah Bernhardt and writer Marcel Proust. During the Belle époque, French mélodie was at the height of its development. Hahn was a habitué of the most fashionable salons, where he was in demand as a performer. On these occasions, he usually sang and played his own accompaniment, often with a cigarette dangling from his lips. The art of singing was one of his major passions, and he wrote three books on singing (Du chant, Thèmes varies, and L’oreille au guet), as well as a memoir of Sarah Bernhardt. Hahn’s songs are models of French restraint–devoid of overt display, with beautiful melodies in a modest vocal range. They reflect the style of his teacher, Jules Massenet. Hahn composed approximately ninety-five works for solo voice: eighty-four mélodies, five English songs to texts of Robert Louis Stevenson, and six Italian songs in the Venetian dialect. After 1912, Hahn composed in larger forms: opera, operetta, and film music. Perhaps his most famous work is his operetta Ciboulette (1923), which is still performed. À Chloris (1916) poem by Théophile de Viau (1590-1626) “À Chloris” is No. 14 in Deuxième volume de vingt mélodies, the last major publication of Hahn’s songs during his lifetime. In many of his later songs, he turned to a deliberately archaic style. “À Chloris” features an elegant vocal line above a piano texture that features Baroque musical characteristics; it is its own piece, with ornamented melody and chaconne-like bass. Vocal line and piano piece are woven into a musical tapestry that is both declarative and intimate. Poet Théophile de Viau was considered one of the most influential libertin poets during Louis XIII’s reign. The libertins’ verses had a unique charm that is instantly appealing, but somewhat artificial. Despite this, de Viau’s love poetry is not bland, but full of suggestive passion and elegant wit. BACK TO TOP ARTHUR HONEGGER (1892-1955) Arthur Honegger composed over forty mélodies for voice and piano. Taken as a whole, they are diverse and imaginative. For his texts, he favored contemporary poets such as Jean Cocteau, Guillaume Apollinaire, Paul Claudel, and Paul Fort. He also chose to set unrelated poems by a single poet, such as his Poesies (Cocteau) and Alcools (Apollinaire). Poetry with strong imagery appealed to the dramatist in his personality. For Honegger, as for most successful mélodie composers, the word provides the starting place. He is quoted as saying: For me, the music a song is always dependent upon the poetic model. It must join so closely with the poetry, that they become inseparable and one can picture the poem in wholly musical terms. This is not to say that the music becomes subservient. It must be so crafted that it can stand on its own merits, playable without the text, logical and complete. 1 Born of Swiss parents in Le Havre, France, Arthur Honegger initially studied for two years at the Zurich Conservatory, but enrolled in the Paris Conservatoire from 1911 to 1918, studying with Charles-Marie Widor and Vincent d’Indy. Some of his more familiar large vocal works include the dramatic psalm Le roi David (King David), composed in 1921 and still in the choral repertoire; and his dramatic oratorio of 1935, Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher (Joan of Arc at the stake), with text by Paul Claudel, considered to be one of his finest works. Between the world wars, he composed nine ballets and three vocal stage works, among works in other genres. His total compositional catalog is an impressive list of music: orchestral works, chamber music, concertos, ballets, operas, operettas, and oratorios. Widely known as a train enthusiast, he was passionately interested in locomotives, to which he attributed almost human characteristics. His “mouvement symphonique,” Pacific 231, gained him early acclaim in 1923. Honegger’s musical style is a fascinating mixture of impressionistic effects peppered with penetrating dissonances. He had a fondness for mixing tonalities and using modality. His compositions for the voice display an eclectic focus of coloristic harmonies and architectural clarity. He was a member of Les Six, but unlike most of that group, did not share their overwhelming reaction against German romanticism. Honegger’s musical style is fuller and more serious than his colleagues. He and Darius Milhaud were close friends. Honegger’s generous body of song has proved of enduring interest to contemporary performers. His was a distinctive voice in the vocal music of the twentieth-century French mélodie. Trois Psaumes (1940-41) from the Huguenot Psalter Psaumes XXXIV and CXL translated by Théodore de Bèze (1519-1605) Psaume CXXXVIII translated by Clément Marot (1496-1544) The spirit of Bach shines in the first psaume, “Psalm 34,” in which a chant-like vocal line alternates with a gently moving episodic keyboard part. This call and response continues until the last three vocal phrases, when the vocal line merges with the instrumental texture in a psalm of praise. The second song is “Psalm 140,” “ô Dieu donne-moi la déliverance de cet homme pernicieux” (O God, deliver me from this evil man). Honegger’s biographer, Harry Halbreich, suggests that the “evil man” who was oppressing Europe in those last days of 1940 might be the reason for Honegger’s text choice. This piece was composed before the first and third songs. Its emotional mood peaks with the chorale tune “I know that my Redeemer liveth.” 2 The last song in the set, “Psalm 138,” has the Latin title “Confiteor tibi, Domine” (I thank thee, O Lord) and is a paraphrase by Clément Marot, one of the greatest of the French Renaissance poets. It contains a familiar chorale tune, which is used in canon between voice and piano. NOTES: Arthur Canter and Rachel Joselson, Liner notes, The Songs of Arthur Honegger and Jacques Leguerney. Rachel Joselson, Réne Lecuona , piano. Albany Records, TROY691, 2004. Harry Halbreich, trans. Roger Nichols, Arthur Honegger (Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1999), 165. BACK TO TOP JACQUES LEGUERNEY (1906-1997) Most of Jacques Leguerney’s sixty-eight mélodies were composed and published from 1940 to 1964. Many were commissioned and premiered by French baritone Gérard Souzay, his sister, soprano Geneviève Touraine, and pianist Jacqueline Bonneau. Early songs are comparable in mood and style with Ravel or Roussel (who encouraged Leguerney’s composition); later songs have been compared to those of his contemporary, Poulenc. Leguerney writes virtuoso piano parts–often dramatic, and with such an individual sense of harmonic style and color that Pierre Bernac reportedly described them as “mélodies de pianist.” 1 When asked about Leguerney’s songs, Gérard Souzay wrote, “How does one describe this music which is, at the same time, classic and modern? It is pure, but colorfully nuanced; it speaks to the heart as well as the mind–at times calm at times witty–wise, yet sensual...” 2 Many of Leguerney’s songs deal with themes of love and nature, expressing a huge range of emotions from deeply felt meditation to wild, ribald humor. Leguerney stopped composing in 1964, and his songs became neglected. The quality of Leguerney’s text setting, lyrical beauty, and harmonic innovations all call for his songs to be better known and more widely performed. Jacques Leguerney was drawn to the work of Renaissance poets, notably Ronsard. There are eight collections titled Poèmes de la Pléaide, representing settings of sixteenth and seventeenth-century French poetry and totaling thirty-two songs. Additionally, there are cycles and other collections [for a complete listing of Leguerney’s songs, see Dibbern, Kimball, and Choukroun, Interpreting the Songs of Jacques Leguerney]. 3 They may be thought of as the last in the great mainstream of twentieth-century French song. La Caverne d’écho (1954) from Poèmes de la Pléiade, Volume 7 poem by Antoine Girard de Saint-Amant (1594-1661) Dedication: Josiane and Jean Cier. First performance: Bernard Kruysen, baritone; Jean-Charles Richard, pianist. 29 May 1965, Radio France Culture. Marc-Antoine Girard, sieur de Saint-Amant, wrote poetry of great descriptive power, and his use of language set him apart from the other seventeenth-century poets. He was also an adept musician and skillful lute player, writing verses that often describe musical sounds linked to visual images. The poem takes place in a dark cave, home of the nymph, Echo; it is a charmed place, absolutely still and peaceful. The poet’s lute resounds inside the cavern as he tries to soothe the inconsolable Echo, who mourns for her lover Narcissus. Leguerney creates the grotto’s mysterious resonance with bitonality. Piano figures illustrate the strumming of the lute. The text contains many sounds with the consonant “r.” The rolling quality of this speech sonority re-creates the cavern’s resonance. The closing measures of the mélodie produce a striking effect as the singer’s voice echoes eerily in the cavern, blending with the piano’s resonance and creating a remarkably realistic echo. À son page (1944) from Poèmes de la Pléiade, Volume 2 poem by Pierre de Ronsard (1524-1585) Dedicated to Gérard Souzay. First performance: Gérard Souzay, baritone; Jacqueline Robin (Bonneau). 3 May 1945, Salle Gaveau, Paris. This is a lusty scene with four characters: a nobleman tipsy from drink, his page, and two women, Jeanne and Barbe. Carpe diem is the theme here. The singer philosophizes on this idea while enjoying his wine and the tender companionship of the two beautiful women. Leguerney evokes the crackling staccato of a stylized harpsichord with rhythmic accents in the piano. The text is brilliantly set with jagged vocal lines and driving rhythms that illustrate the singer’s intoxication. It ends with Leguerney’s repetition of the last poetic line and the addition of nonsense syllables which fit beautifully into the imagery and mood of Ronsard’s colorful characters. Je me lamente (1943) from Poèmes de la Pléiade, Volume 1 poem by Pierre de Ronsard (1524-1585) Dedicated to Geneviève Touraine. First performance: Paul Derenne, tenor; Jeanne Blancard, pianist. 29 March 1944, Salle de l’Ecole Normale de Musique, Paris. This is one of Leguerney’s most beautiful songs, setting Pierre de Ronsard’s text from his collection of love poems for Marie Dupin, a country girl from a small village in southern France. She was half his age and probably represented the youth he constantly pursued. It has been suggested that the Marie in question was probably Marie de Clèves, passionately adored by Henri III. 4 Leguerney called this mélodie a constant crescendo from beginning to end. 5 Ronsard’s anguish is captured with a texture of stark chords, crowned by a regal and sustained vocal line. As the song progresses, the poet’s anguish is embodied in a more expansive texture, bidding Marie a happy resting place near God or in the Elysian fields. NOTES: Liner notes by Mary Dibbern. Mélodies sur poèmes de la Renaissance (Jacques Leguerney).Harmonia Mundi France. LP recording HMC 1171. Letter to the author. Quoted in Mary Dibbern, Carol Kimball, and Patrick Choukroun. Interpreting the Songs of Jacques Leguerney (Hillsdale, NY: Pendragon Press, 2001), 3. Ibid., 289-295. Ibid., 69. See note 20. Ibid., 70. BACK TO TOP OLIVIER MESSIAEN (1908-1992) Olivier Messiaen was born in 1908 in Avignon, France, into a literary family. He grew up around words and absorbed their shapes, colors and sounds naturally. His father, Pierre Messiaen, was a well-known translator of Shakespeare, and his mother, Cécile Sauvage, was a poet. As a youngster, before beginning to compose music, he had an especially perceptive ear attuned to the unique prosody of the French language. Early in his compositional career, he published a book titled Technique de mon langage musical (1944). About his musical setting of words, Jane Manning observes: ...the syllables themselves create a glittering mosaic of sonorities and subtle resonances, in addition to their actual meaning (many of the poems do not translate at all satisfactorily). The composer’s awareness of the minutiae of verbal enunciations and articulations is miraculous. Each vocal sound can be precisely placed as intended, all dynamics are scrupulously plotted, and the performer’s involvement and intimate connection to the music is enhanced by the sensual nature of words projection... 1 He often used stained glass to explain his music. When viewed from a distance, the myriad details blend into a single entity, whose purpose is to dazzle the listener. Understanding is not necessary, feeling is the prime requisite. The music of Olivier Messiaen is a skillfully designed and unique language, with meaning and form kept separate. Its meaning is unchangeable, harkening back to Gregorian chant, culminating in instruments that are able to prolong sound (organ, strings, or the ondes Martenot). Messiaen’s musical language is defined by its rhythms and tone colors. His uncanny instinct for associating sound with color produced works unique in their concept of the combination of sounds. He said that when he heard or read music, his mind’s eye saw colors that move with the music; he sensed these colors, and at times he precisely indicated their arrangements in his scores. His fascination with birdsong was lifelong; he referred to himself as an ornithologist and tracked birds and their songs all over the world. He considered their resonances as songs and not merely sounds. He notated these on manuscript paper and they found their way into his music. Trois mélodies (1930) poems by Olivier Messiaen, Cécile Sauvage (1883-1927) This little cycle of songs is Messiaen’s first recognized work for voice and piano. The songs are modest in length and not typical of Messiaen’s later style, but show influences of late Fauré and Duparc in the overall musical texture. There is only one song in his vocal compositions in which Messiaen set the poetry of another poet. It is found in this cycle, which uses the text of his mother, the poet Cécile Sauvage, who died three years before the composition of this work. The three movements form a warm and delicate little triptych. Two of Messiaen’s own poems stand on either side of the poem by Cécile Sauvage, throwing that charming little poem into high relief. “Pourquoi?” introduces a litany of the pleasures of nature: birdsong, the unfolding seasons, and water images. The poet becomes emotional, asking why all these bring him no joy. “La Sourire,” the shortest song of the set, is a beautiful microcosm of intimate and spiritual understanding between two people. It is a delicate example of musical economy and word setting in a quasi-recitative style. The last song, “La fiancée perdue,” offers fleeting hints of Messiaen’s cycle to come, Poèmes pour Mi–most specifically, the final song. Here, the poet prays for divine blessing on the soul of the “fiancée” in the title. The fervent incantation illuminates and affirms man’s connection to a higher authority. Examining the poetic content of the three texts, we are struck by the images that underlie the words: the emotional outburst “pourquoi,” (why?), perhaps questioning the death of Cécile, followed by Cécile’s tender affirmation of love, and finally, the prayer asking for Divine grace and the blessing of the soul of the departed. NOTES: Jane Manning, “The Songs and Song Cycles,” in The Messiaen Companion, ed. Peter Hill (Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1995), 107. BACK TO TOP DARIUS MILHAUD (1892-1974) Darius Milhaud was probably the most prolific composer of the group known as Les Six (Francis Poulenc, Louis Durey, Arthur Honegger, Germaine Tailleferre, Georges Auric, and Milhaud). The group was unified by friendship rather than a single musical style. Championed by influential writer Jean Cocteau and composer Erik Satie, Les Six often presented their works at the same concerts and met with great regularity–often at Milhaud’s house–to make music and exchange ideas. Louis Durey observed that it was the wide diversity in their personalities and musical styles that gave the group its rich depth and permitted its development. Embodied in the credo of their musical thought was relative sparseness of texture and clarity. Turn-of-the-century France offered popular entertainments that drew the French to an environment of merry-go-rounds, shooting galleries, outdoor concerts, circuses, and a jumble of excitement. Milhaud was fascinated by Parisian street life, and could hear the sounds of the Montmartre fair from his apartment. Often on their group outings, Les Six went together to the Cirque de Médrano to see the Fratellinis, a famous family of clowns of that day. Milhaud observed that their acts were worthy of the Commedia dell’arte. 1 Trois Poèmes de Jean Cocteau, Op. 59 (1920) poems by Jean Cocteau (1889-1963) Trois poèmes de Jean Cocteau is like lyric fragments. The small-range vocal lines have a sparse lyricism–one of emotional mood rather than overt melody. The little mélodies are skillful studies in brevity. These match Cocteau’s rather enigmatic poems that exemplify the style termed dépouillé (stripped to the essentials), his aesthetic creed. Milhaud dedicated the songs to Satie. The three miniatures are a colorful kaleidoscope of the circus and the outdoor fairs that entranced the French during this period. “Fumée” describes the equestrienne of the Cirque Médrano atop a horse, jumping through hoops, captured in Toulouse-Lautrec’s familiar painting titled “L’écuyère au Cirque Fernando (1888); “Fête de Bordeaux” is a description of the merry-go-round at the Bordeaux fair; and “Fête de Montmartre” evokes the nighttime boats and sailors, possibly having to do with a game involving camouflaged ships found at the Montmartre fair. Milhaud infuses stylistic and melodic elements of folk songs and children’s tunes into the tiny pieces, tying the innate excitement of these popular destinations to simple, childlike reactions. NOTES: Laurence Davies, The Gallic Muse (New York: A.S. Barnes and Co., 1967), 164. BACK TO TOP FRANCIS POULENC (1899-1963) Francis Poulenc’s 150 mélodies form the largest body of songs to be added to French vocal literature in the twentieth century. Poulenc’s flair for the dramatic, combined with his superb skill in mixing poetry and music, produced songs that singers find immensely gratifying, not only for their musical value, but for their heightened sense of drama. Poulenc’s mélodies reflect concern and feeling for declamation, inflection, breathing, and above all, show extraordinary warmth of feeling for the human voice. He was fond of saying, “J’aime la voix humaine!” The sophistication of Poulenc’s songs spring from their poetic inspirations. Poulenc was quite knowledgeable about poetry, and chose his texts carefully. His gift of divining the inner life of the texts he set produced songs that do more than merely illustrate the poems. His gift for melody is at the very heart of all his songs and seems to assert itself naturally in shaping the color, weight, and meaning of the texts he set. Ce doux petit visage (1938) poem by Paul éluard (1895-1952) Paul Eluard was one of Poulenc’s three main poets. This is a beautiful introduction to Eluard’s poetry, lyrical and passionately intense. The simplicity of Poulenc’s setting allows the poem to shine. It is one of Poulenc’s tiny gems, and he admitted his partiality to the short song. Eluard’s skill at evoking nostalgia and melancholy are seen here, linked to lost youth. The mélodie is dedicated to the memory of Raymonde Linossier, Poulenc’s most intimate childhood friend, who influenced his literary taste and musical tendencies. He said: “I have a great liking for this short song. Raymonde Linossier was my best advisor for the music of my youth. How many times, during the years since her death, I would have liked to have had her opinion on this or the other of my works.” 1 La Grenouillère (1938) poem by Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918) “La Grenouillère” is an outstanding example of Poulenc’s romantic lyricism. This is a text by Guillaume Apollinaire describing the Ile de Croissy, an island in the Seine on the outskirts of Paris, frequented by artists and their models, and celebrated in paintings by Monet, Manet, and Renoir. “The Froggery” was a restaurant on the island. The overall images of happy days that cannot be relived can be seen in Pierre Auguste Renoir’s paintings Les Déjeuner des canotiers (The Boatman’s Luncheon), or La Grenouillère. In this lament for boating parties on the Seine, vocal phrases are sustained and languid, floating over a slowly rocking piano accompaniment. The lazy piano figures mirror the empty tethered boats rocking on the water, bumping against each other, and give expression to the sweet melancholy of the poet’s words. Montparnasse (1945) poem by Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918) Apollinaire’s poem is dated 1912. Poulenc writes in his journal of songs that it took him four years to complete “Montparnasse,” almost phrase by phrase, and that he had no regrets about the length of time it took because “it is one of my best songs.” 2 It is a sentimental and heartfelt tribute to Paris. Both Apollinaire and Poulenc loved the city and it played a continuing role in their work. “Montparnasse” is about the idyllic artistic existence lived at the edge of Paris. Poulenc wrote in his diary: “Let us imagine this Montparnasse all at once discovered by Picasso, Braque, Modigliani, Apollinaire.” 3 The mélodie has a carefree nonchalance about it; it is not sad, but thoughtful– a beautiful blend of poetic and musical lyricism. Poulenc’s vocal and harmonic textures are full of surprising harmonic details that bind this song–which he composed in fragments–together into a touching and expressive picture of Paris in the early years of the twentieth century. Bleuet (1939) poem by Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918) Guillaume Apollinaire was one of Poulenc’s preferred poets. This is a wartime poem that Apollinaire penned in 1917 in Paris in convalescence after a head injury; both Apollinaire and Poulenc served in World War II. There are several word plays at work here. “Bleuet” was the nickname for French soldiers in World War I, because their uniforms were blue, like the color of a little cornflower, which is a “bleuet.” Also, “Un bleu” was the term used for a raw recruit. “Bleuet” is one of Poulenc’s most moving songs– agonizing in its emotional content yet noble in its message. It is a quiet and private moment in which a twenty-year-old boy who does not yet know all that life can be, is characterized–and addressed–by the poet in a sweetly serious speech. Poulenc wrote that for him, the key to the poem were the words, “It is five o’clock and you would know how to die.” 4 This song is simple, intimate, and poignant. Les Chemins de l’amour (1940) poem by Jean Anouilh (1910-1987) Poulenc composed this valse chantée as incidental music for Léocadia, a play by Jean Anouilh. Within the play, the song was described as a pseudo Viennese waltz, and functioned as a leitmotiv in the plot. Sung by Yvonne Printemps, one of France’s most celebrated musical theatre stars, “Les Chemins de l’amour” became a popular success. It embodies the relaxed elegance of a self-styled Viennese waltz style, encased in one of Poulenc’s haunting melodies. Banalités (1940) poems by Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918) Banalités is not a cycle, but a group of five songs. The poems have no connection with each other; however, their order provides a well-constructed recital group. They may be performed separately. The work is one of Poulenc’s most popular vocal works, and deservedly so. Poulenc chose contrasting poems, placing them so that the collection begins briskly and ends with lyrical gravity. “Chanson d’Orkenise” is Poulenc’s title for the poem contained in the strange mixture of prose and poetry that Apollinaire called Onirocritique. Orkenise is a road in Autun leading to the Roman gate of the same name. The musical setting has the feeling of a popular folk song. The narrator sings of a tramp leaving the city and a carter who is entering it - one leaving his heart there, one bringing his heart to be married. There is a word in the poem with a double meaning: “grise” can be translated as “gray” or “tipsy.” The merry quality of the song opens the set with gaiety, but both Apollinaire and Poulenc offer a little food for thought. “Hôtel” is a poem that immediately represented for Poulenc a hotel room in Montparnassse, where the idle poet wants only to bask in the sun’s warmth and smoke. Pierre Bernac referred to it as “the laziest song ever written.” 5 The piano figures are fashioned of Poulenc’s luxuriant chromatic harmonies, stacked as if to cushion the lethargy of the singer. “Fagnes de Wallonie” is set in the gloomy, desolate uplands of the Ardennes with a terrain of vast heaths, twisted trees, and peat bogs, swept by winds of considerable force. Its gloomy setting complements the melancholy mood of the poet. Poulenc’s spiky musical setting is a whirlwind that sweeps from beginning to end in a turbulent texture that demands precise articulation from singer and pianist. Sandwiched between Songs 3 and 5 is a tiny bonbon, “Voyage à Paris.” It resembles a little commercial jingle about Paris–“which one day love must have created”–an invitation to the pleasures of that beautiful city, away from “the dreary countryside.” Poulenc sprinkles his quicksilver setting–a valse-musette–with indications of “amiable” and “avec charme.” The composer referred to it as having “deliciously stupid lines...Anything that concerns Paris I approach with tears in my eyes and my head full of music.” 6 The cycle concludes with “Sanglots”, one of Apollinaire’s finest poems about the universality of lost love, a theme that Poulenc matches with exquisite modulations in a setting that embodies the essence of the words. The vocal lines are eloquently lyrical. The poem is difficult to understand because of the juxtaposition of the main narrative and the interior “asides,” that in effect form a poem within a poem. 7 The song has an elegant serenity that culminates in a stunning climactic point at the words: “Est mort d’amour ou c’est tout comme/ Est mort d’amour et le voici.” The ending lines of the song sustain the profoundly calm mood, bringing Banalités to its close. La Courte Paille (1960) poems by Maurice Carême (1899-1978) The last song cycle Poulenc composed was La Courte paille, on seven poems of Belgian poet Maurice Carême. Poulenc composed the songs for soprano Denise Duval, creator of leading roles in his three operas, hoping that she would sing them to her young son. Poulenc considered the mélodies very poetic and whimsical; unfortunately, Duval disliked the music and never did sing the cycle. Poulenc asked Carême to provide an overall title for the work and requested permission to change the titles of several selected poems: the original title of “Quelle aventure!” is “Une puce et l’éléphant”; “Le Reine de cœur” is “Vitres de lune”; “Le carafon” is “La carafe et le carafon.” For the cycle’s title, Carême chose La Courte Paille (The Short Straw), referring to drawing lots by the method of a short straw. Poulenc was delighted, saying the title symbolized his little musical game exactly. He also wrote in his diary, “They must be sung tenderly; that is the surest way to touch the heart of a child.” 8 The cycle is full of child-like innocence, whimsy and imagination, with a few shadowy undertones. The first song, “Le Sommeil,” is a beautiful lullaby to a restless child who cannot go to sleep, tossing and turning in his small bed. He seems ill, crying and perspiring, but hopefully will finally surrender to slumber. In “Quelle aventure!” the child describes an absurd happening: he saw a flea driving a carriage with a small elephant in it. The story grows more bizarre but the rhythmic pace never wavers, careening to the end of the song when the child wonders how on earth he’ll ever be able to persuade “Mama” that it really happened. The verses are witty, yet the shrieks of “Mon Dieu!” are laced with a feeling of childish terror. “La Reine du cœur” is a beautiful, languid melody that paints a picture of the mysterious Queen of Hearts, beckoning to visitors from her frosty castle, where she reigns over a court of lovers, including the young dead. In “Ba, Be, Bi, Bo, Bu...,” the child is chided “on all sides” about studying. The title of the song presents the French vowels, and the text contains words that make their plural with an “x” (“pou, chou, genou, hibou”). The formidable cat of the poem’s opening lines is none other than that tricky feline Puss-in-Boots! The entire song is a little tongue-twister, an exercise in diction and accuracy. “Les anges musiciens” are none other than the school children staying home on Thursday, the half-day school holiday in France in Poulenc’s time, practicing Mozart on their harps, just like good little angel musicians should do. “Le carafon” is a crazy little story of a carafe that longs for a baby carafe (carafon) just like the giraffe at the zoo, who has a girafon. This is a ridiculous rhyming game like those that children love to play. The text is full of whimsical characters: the carafe, a giraffe, a sorcerer astride a phonograph, Merlin, and finally, a carafon. “Lune d’Avril” is another lullaby, very slow and otherworldly, which serves as an epilogue. Bound together in a musical texture that features a syncopated pedal point, it is filled with enchanted images the child wishes to dream about: a land of joy, light, and flowers where all guns are silent. The ending leaves the listener suspended in a mood of unfinished magic. La Courte Paille is the last vocal music Poulenc composed. NOTES: Quoted in Pierre Bernac, Francis Poulenc: The Man and his Songs (New York: W.W. Norton Co., 1977), 125. Francis Poulenc, Journal de mes mélodies, trans. Winifred Radford (London: Victor Gollancz, 1985), 75. Ibid., 75. Ibid., 57. Bernac, 72. Poulenc, 67. The English translation of “Sanglots” has parentheses that delineate the “asides” so that both “poems” may be seen. These may be found in Pierre Bernac’s books Francis Poulenc: The Man and his Songs, page 75, or The Interpretation of French Song, pages 284-85 Poulenc, 109. BACK TO TOP MAURICE RAVEL (1875-1937) The songs of Maurice Ravel represent a transition between the mature mélodies of Debussy and the vocal literature that followed, notably the songs of Les Six. Debussy dominated the French musical scene from the turn of the century until his death in 1918. It was Ravel who was regarded as the leading musical spokesman for France following World War I. He was a skillful craftsman and his songs have a sense of evenness of rhythmic structure and flow that call for scrupulous execution. The fusion of music and text into a logical whole was of utmost importance to him. He composed elegant and subtle mélodies, using classical phrase structure. His melodic phrases often tend toward modality. His songs range from those with a folk-like style to more to those that are more speech-like, and those that encompass a melodic romanticism. He was precise in his thought and his scoring, and scrupulous in his musical execution. His music encompassed some of the fascinating influences of the post-Wagnerian era. Ravel’s musical contributions were of utmost importance to this exciting and new era in French cultural history. He made notable contributions to musical literature for the piano, the French art song, opera, chamber music, orchestral literature, and the ballet. Sur l’herbe (1907) poem by Paul Verlaine (1833-1896) This mélodie is Ravel’s only setting of Verlaine. It has often been suggested that this poem was probably inspired by Watteau’s painting L’île enchantée. There is also a reference to a famous eighteenth-century dancer, Marie-Anne Cuppi, known as (La) Camargo, who was immortalized on canvas by the painter Nicolas Lancret. The scene is an outside gathering, elegant and artificial. A number of people are there, chief among them, a licentious abbé, slightly tipsy from a bit too much Cyprian wine. He exchanges a few disconnected gallantries with the ladies–innocent conversations on the surface, but sensuous in undertone. The conversation is disconnected; we do not know exactly who is speaking. Ravel shapes very flexible vocal phrases, in keeping with the abbé’s intoxicated state, underscored with graceful piano figures that evoke an eighteenth-century dance. In a letter to Jean-Aubrey, Ravel commented on “Sur l’herbe”: “In this piece, as in the Histoires naturelles, the impression must be given that one is almost not singing. A bit of preciosity is found there which is indicated moreover by the text and the music.” 1 Noël des jouets (1905) poem by the composer This is the only solo song for which Ravel wrote the text. It describes a Christmas manger scene, replete with the Virgin and Christ-child, animals, and angels. It embodies Ravel’s delight with tiny mechanical toys and figures, and his fascination with the unspoiled world of child-like experience. His genius for text painting is displayed in the delightful mélodie. The mechanical toys come to life in the piano figures. Ravel’s charming text creates the images around and over the crèche, with not a word wasted. Ravel commented that the music is “clear and plain, like the mechanical toys of the poem.” 2 This little song foreshadows other Ravel settings of make-believe, beginning with the song cycle Histoires naturelles and culminating with his opera L’Enfant et les sortilèges. The music of menacing dog Belzébuth foreshadows the music of the Beast in the Mother Goose Suite (Ma Mère lOye). Rêves (1927) poem by Léon-Paul Fargue (1876-1947) The poetry of Léon-Paul Fargue has been described as reflecting the union of dream and memory. This mélodie has a tender lyricism within a sparse musical texture. The text is fashioned of a series of miniature images that pass by rather quickly, unrelated, like the images found in dreams. For all their differences, they have a simplicity about them that seems timeless, existing together, as the poet says, “in a vague countryside.” When the dreamer finally awakens, the little fleeting pictures “die quietly.” The piano postlude perpetuates the dream state, creating an ethereal little microcosm that continues to draw the dreamer to it. Ronsard à son âme (1924) poem by Pierre de Ronsard (1524-1585) In his Abrégé de l’art poétique français (1565) Pierre de Ronsard advocated the union of poetry and music, and Renaissance composers frequently set his poems. 3 In this strikingly simple mélodie, Ronsard speaks to his soul, calling it by a series of diminutives: little soul, dainty little one, sweet little one. Ravel uses a series of parallel fifths in the piano figures to invoke a Renaissance mood. This is Ronsard’s last poem, and Ravel’s last adaptation of Renaissance poetry. Ravel’s setting recalls the elegance of his early mélodie, “D’Anne qui me jecta de la neige,” to a poem of Clément Marot. Manteau de fleurs (1903) poem by Paul Barthélemy Jeulin (1863-1936) The poem notes everything in the garden that is pink–all the flowers that will become a beautiful cloak to complement the beauty of the lady of the poem. Ravel usually had very sophisticated taste in choosing texts; this particular poem is an unusual choice. It is a simple text, somewhat banal, but Ravel’s shimmering musical texture imparts a dramatic character for each flower in the poem. The overall piano texture suggests orchestral colors. The last section of the mélodie changes course slightly, with the piano harmonies creating a slightly wistful mood. Clearly, Ravel lavished a beautiful musical setting on a rather ordinary set of words. Don Quichotte à Dulcinée (1932-33) [Medium/Low Voice edition only] poems by Paul Morand (1888-1976) This miniature cycle was Ravel’s last vocal work. His musical portrait of the noble Spanish knight, Don Quixote, is embodied in three mélodies, all based on characteristic Spanish or Basque dance rhythms: (1) the guajira, alternating 6/8 and 3/4 meter; (2) the zorzica, a Basque dance in quintuple meter; and (3) the jota, a lively triple-metered Spanish dance. “Chanson Romanesque” presents the chivalrous idealist Don Quixote, confidently promising to rearrange everything in nature to his lady Dulcinea’s liking in order to win her favor. Dulcinea is in reality a poor farm girl, but the Don’s illusion will not be shaken. He remains authoritative and focused in his quest for her love. “Chanson épique” is Quixote’s reverent prayer to Saint Michael and Saint George, beseeching them to bless his sword and his Lady. Ravel creates a beautifully sustained and prayerful vocal line over a simple accompaniment. “Chanson à boire” is a exuberant drinking song. Although the Don’s tippling has made him overly boisterous, he never oversteps the bounds of his noble bearing. His robust laughter is heard in the piano figures and even a hiccup intrudes between “lorsque j’ai” and “lorsque j’ai bu.” NOTES: Maurice Ravel, in a letter to Jean-Aubrey written in September, 1907. Quoted in Arbie Orenstein, Ravel: Man and Musician (New York: Dover Publications, 1991), 165-66. Quoted in Orenstein, 161. Orenstein, 192. BACK TO TOP ALBERT ROUSSEL (1869-1937) In 1894 Albert Roussel left a highly successful career as a naval officer to pursue music. After completing his studies, he became professor of counterpoint at the Schola Cantorum in Paris. Satie and Varèse were among his students. Roussel was one of the most prominent French composers of the interwar period. He composed almost forty mélodies as well as chamber music, ballets, and operas. His style is eclectic but highly individual. Early works show the influence of Vincent d’Indy, works dating from 1910 to 1920 exhibit influences of Debussy and Ravel, but he turned to neoclassicism in his later compositions. His love for the sea was almost a spiritual attraction and continued to influence his music throughout his career. He had a fascination for distant places; his extended tour of Southeast Asia in 1909 had a tremendous influence on his composition. “Sarabande” and “Cœur en peril” are mélodies to texts of René Chalupt, a close friend. They are found in op. 20 and 50, respectively. Roussel’s overall musical catalogue is not extensive, but its quality is of an extremely high level, and his vocal writing in particular contains some mélodies of great delicacy and style, squarely in the French tradition. For Roussel, the word held primacy in his mélodies, being both transformed by its musical setting and merging with it to create a perfect union. Commenting on the quality of Roussel’s songs, composer Charles Koechlin is quoted as saying: “The sense of austerity pervading them, stemming simply from the composer’s natural reserve, heightens their expressiveness and further embellishes them; in language and content they are absolutely personal. This collection of songs is one which will last because its essence is undying sensitivity.” 1 Sarabande (1919) from Deux mélodies, Op. 20, No. 2 poem by René Chalupt This is surely one of Roussel’s most delicate and magical creations. His writing for the piano is particularly outstanding, placing Chalupt’s poem in an overall texture of elegance and veiled sensuality. There is an Oriental delicacy in Roussel’s musical evocation of the fluttering doves, feathers drifting into a pool, and the gentle drift of chestnut blossoms onto bare flesh. Cœur en péril (1933-34) from Deux mélodies, Op. 50, No. 1 poem by René Chalupt This mélodie is much different in mood–witty and flirtatious. It is the narrative of a young man eager to convince his ladylove of his fidelity. Vocal phrases are tuneful, with a spirited piano texture of Iberian flavor. NOTES: Liner notes, Dom Angelico Surchamp, trans. Elisabeth Carroll, Roussel Mélodies, Colette Alliot-Lugaz, Mady Mesplé, Kurt Ollmann, José Van Dam; Dalton Baldwin, Patrick Gallois. EMI Digital. CDS 7492712, 1987 BACK TO TOP ERIK SATIE (1866-1925) Erik Satie wrote very few songs and most of them date from late in his life. The eccentric father figure of the French avant-garde of the twentieth century had a wildly independent spirit that found its way into his musical compositions. Throughout his life, he kept a great deal of childlike inquisitiveness and innocence. He was a curious personality of unconventional habits whose sense of the absurd and whimsy permeated both his life and his music. Quintessential Satie compositions are laconic and witty. It was Satie who named Les Nouveaux Jeunes, soon known as Les Six, and influenced the early development of the group. La Statue de bronze (1916) from Trois Mélodies poem by Léon-Paul Fargue (1876-1947) This is Satie’s first setting of the poetry of Léon-Paul Fargue, the “Bohemian poet of Paris.” Satie used Fargue’s witty verses again for Ludions. The scene is a garden game–the jeu de tonneau. A bronze frog, perched atop a cabinet with numbered chambers, grows impatient of being the target of the game where metal disks are tossed into her mouth. She dreams of being freed from her pedestal and being able to use her wide-open mouth to utter “LE MOT.” 1 She wants to be free to join the other frogs gathered near the rust-colored washhouse “blowing musical bubbles from the soapy moonlight.” But the game continues, the disks rattle through her mouth into numbered compartments and at night, insects sleep in her mouth. This mélodie can be linked musically to “La Grenouille américaine,” found in Ludions. Both songs share piano figures derived from the café-concert chanson. Ludions (1923) poems by Léon-Paul Fargue (1876-1947) Ludions is the last of Satie’s purely vocal works, composed two years before his death, and is perhaps his finest set of songs. It epitomizes his lifelong quest for musical simplicity and his irreverence for the intricate compositional techniques and overactive emotions of the Impressionists. Ludions is translated as “bottle imps” (a ludion is a little figure suspended in a hollow ball, which descends or rises in a vase filled with water when one presses down on the elastic membrane covering the mouth of the vase). The cycle is a kaleidoscopic set of musical miniatures, riddled with puns and illogical phrases. Fargue’s nonsensical verse complements Satie’s musical aesthetic, and the two friends’ personalities closely matched one another. All the mélodies in Ludions are short, like tiny cameos. They are colorful, saucy, fantastic, and defy translation. “Air du rat,” “La Grenouille américaine,” and “Chanson du chat” are right out of the music hall, and Satie uses with a mock-serious “tongue-in-cheek” treatment for “Spleen” and “Air du poète.” Je te veux (1902) poem by Henry Pacory (1873-?) The valse chantée, or sung waltz was a favorite of the café concerts, for which Satie composed a number of works. Café concerts were a form of Parisian popular entertainment in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The all-musical programs were held outside; French popular singers presented repertoire that catered to lower and middle-class audiences who came to talk, eat, drink, and observe the long informal programs, for which there was no admission charge. “Je te veux” was composed for Paulette Darty, dubbed “the Queen of the slow waltz.” It was one of her signature musical presentations for the caf’conc (café concerts), and one that Darty remained associated with throughout her career. A statuesque blonde with an ample figure, Darty was a commanding performer who kept the most boisterous of the Saturday night audiences enthralled. Lyricist Henry Pacory’s rather explicit poem was watered down at Satie’s request before the song was published. La Diva de l’Empire (1904) poem by Charles Bessat, named Numa Blès (1871-1917) The “Diva de l’Empire,” 2 one of Satie’s café-concert songs, was another work written for and performed by Paulette Darty. It was composed for a Bonnaud-Blès music-hall revue called Dévidons la Bobine (Let’s Unwind the Bobbin) that toured several seaside resort towns. The British “diva” is a femme fatale performer who enchants all who see her. The song is a syncopated cakewalk describing her seductive beauty as she struts her stuff “showing the wiggling of her legs and some pretty frilly underwear.” Interspersed at points along the way with English words: Greenaway, baby, little girl, etc. The piano provides a jaunty ragtime rhythm throughout that melds perfectly with the suggestive text. NOTES: ”Le mot” has a double meaning. It was the title of a broadsheet published by Jean Cocteau between 1914-15 and is short for “le mot de Cambronne,” a polite way of saying “merde.” Cambronne was a famous French general who replied “Merde!” when asked to surrender. In Steven Moore Whiting, Satie the Bohemian: From Cabaret to Concert Hall. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999), 43. Empire refers to the Empire Theatre of Varieties, Leicester Square, London. BACK TO TOP DÉODAT DE SÉVERAC (1872-1921) Déodat de Séverac, of aristocratic lineage, was born in the Languedoc region of southwest France in Saint-Félix-Caraman (now Saint-Félix Lauragais), near Toulouse. After studies in Paris with Vincent d’Indy at the Schola Cantorum, he returned home and remained there. He was a contemporary of Fauré, Debussy and Ravel, but was considered a petit maître in their company, possibly because of his return to Languedoc at the completion of his musical studies. Séverac composed piano and orchestral music, operas and songs. The culture of his native Languedoc figured prominently in his music, which is highly descriptive. He often wrote parts for regional folk music in his scores. Many considered him provincial and unsophisticated, but his music displays his skill in integrating folk elements–and often, regional folk instruments–of his native Languedoc into his works. He often referred to himself as “the peasant musician.” Influences of Debussy, Mussorgsky, and Bizet may be found in his mélodies. Although his music is rather conservative in style, Séverac fused folk elements with the musical styles of the day in a unique and individual manner. Ma poupée chérie (1914) poem by the composer Composed in 1914 (and published in 1916) for his daughter Magali and dedicated to her, this little cradlesong is probably de Séverac’s best loved and most performed mélodie. Séverac’s fresh musical setting contains just the right combination of simplicity and delightful childlike honesty. Despite the subject matter, the composer’s heartfelt poem avoids an overly cloying atmosphere. BACK TO TOP OTHER SOURCES CONSULTED: Jane Bathori, On the Interpretation of the Mélodies of Claude Debussy, transl. and with an introduction by Linda Laurent (Stuyvesant, NY: Pendragon Press, 1998). Pierre Bernac, Francis Poulenc: The Man and his Songs, transl. by Winifred Radford (New York: W.W. Norton, 1977). Pierre Bernac, The Interpretation of French Song, transl. by Winifred Radford(New York: W.W. Norton, 1978). Elaine Brody, Paris: The Musical Kaleidoscope 1870-1925 (New York: George Braziller, 1987). Mary Dibbern, Carol Kimball, and Patrick Choukroun, Interpreting the Songs of Jacques Leguerney (Hillsdale, NY: Pendragon Press, 2001) Alan M. Gillmor, Erik Satie (New York: W.W. Norton Co., 1992). James Harding, The Ox on the Roof: Scenes from musical life in Paris in the Twenties (New York: Da Capo Press, 1986). Peter Hill, ed., The Messiaen Companion (Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1995). Graham Johnson, Gabriel Fauré: The Songs and their Poets (London: Ashgate Publishing Ltd. and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, 2009) Graham Johnson and Richard Stokes, A French Song Companion (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000). Carol Kimball, Song: A Guide to Art Song Style and Literature (Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corp., 2005). Carol Kimball and Richard Walters, eds., The French Song Anthology (Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corp., 2001). Timothy LeVan, Masters of the French Art Song (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1991). Barbara Meister, Nineteenth-Century French Song (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1980). Wilfrid Mellers, Francis Poulenc (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993). Arbie Orenstein, Ravel: Man and Musician (New York: Columbia University Press, 1975). Nancy Perloff, Art and the Everyday: Popular Entertainment in the Circle of Erik Satie(Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1991) Caroline Potter, Henri Dutilleux: His Life and Works (Brookfield, VT: Ashgate Publishing Co., 1997). Francis Poulenc, Moi et mes amis: Confidences recueilles par Stéphane Audel (Paris: La Palatine, 1963). Francis Poulenc, Diary of my Songs [Journal de mes mélodies] transl. by Winifred Radford (London: Victor Gollancz, Ltd., 1985) Marie-Claire Rohinsky, ed., The Singer’s Debussy (New York: Pelion Press, 1987) Roger Shattuck, The Banquet Years (New York: Vintage Books, 1968). 20TH CENTURY FRENCH ART SONGS Mélodies française du XXe siècle Edited by Carol Kimball Published by Éditions Durand DF 16250/HL 50565798 High Voice edition DF 16251/HL 50565799 Medium/Low Voice edition Distributed in Europe and Asia by Hal Leonard MGB Distributed in North and South America by Hal Leonard Distributed in Australia and New Zealand by Hal Leonard Australia Download & Print Introductory Notes Complete Online Introductory Notes, Unabridged copyright © 2015 Editions Durand An abridged version of editor Carol Kimball’s “Introduction” appears in the High Voice and Medium/Low Voice publications. Her complete length “Introduction” appears below. See the publications for the poetry texts in French and translations in English. GEORGES AURIC CLAUDE DEBUSSY HENRI DUTILLEUX GABRIEL FAURÉ REYNALDO HAHN ARTHUR HONEGGER JACQUES LEGUERNEY OLIVIER MESSIAEN DARIUS MILHAUD FRANCIS POULENC MAURICE RAVEL ALBERT ROUSSEL ERIK SATIE DÉODAT DE SÉVERAC GEORGES AURIC (1899-1983) George Auric was something of a child prodigy, performing a piano recital at the Musicale Indépendante at the age of fourteen. The following year, the Société Nationale de Musique performed several songs he had composed. He studied composition at the Paris Conservatoire with Georges Caussade, and later with Vincent d’Indy and Albert Roussel at the Schola Cantorum de Paris. Before he was twenty, Auric had orchestrated and written incidental music for several stage productions and ballets. He composed a significant amount of avant-garde music during the years between 1910-20. Around 1914, he widened his acquaintances to include members of Les Six, a group of composers informally associated with Erik Satie and Jean Cocteau, and became a part of their group. Auric and Francis Poulenc became fast friends and remained so for life. Music criticism was an important part of Auric’s career; his writing focused on promoting the ideals of Les Six and Cocteau. He was also especially known for his film scores, which are consistently imaginative. He forged a major career in the English movies of the 1940s and ’50s. Among his most well-known scores is the music for the film Moulin Rouge. Other popular film titles with scores by Auric include The Lavender Hill Mob, Roman Holiday, Beauty and the Beast, and Bonjour Tristesse. In 1962 he became the director of the Opéra National de Paris and later, chairman of SACEM, the French Performing Rights Society. Auric continued to write classical chamber music until his death. Le Jeune sanguine (1940) from Trois Poèmes de Louise de Vilmorin poem by Louise de Vilmorin (1902-1969) This mélodie is the second song in Auric’s cycle titled Trois poèmes de Louise de Vilmorin. Vilmorin’s poetry reverberates with sensitivity to affairs of the heart. She was one of Poulenc’s preferred poets; he set her poetry when writing specifically for the female voice, such as in Fiançailles pour rire. A sort of veiled humor is at the heart of this text that describes a young hussy whose lover departs early with the dawn’s first light, leaving her weeping disconsolately. Auric provides a prelude and postlude for formal balance as the miserable young woman mourns her loss. He also inserts several unexpected and amusing measures of a tango as the young man arches his back and leaves the sound of her sobbing. For his three Vilmorin songs, Auric used the style of a chansonette, or more popular song. Printemps (1935) Poem by Pierre de Ronsard (1524-1585) Auric composed this lilting waltz song for a play by Edouard Bourdet titled La Reine Margot (1935). The celebrated musical theatre actress-singer Yvonne Printemps created the role of Queen Margot of Navarre at Théâtre de la Michodière. Auric and Francis Poulenc collaborated on the incidental music for this play; Poulenc took the second act, Auric the first. Poulenc composed the Suite française and the song “A sa guitare”; Auric’s contribution was “Printemps.” Yvonne Printemps sang both songs in the play. Both composers used texts by Pierre de Ronsard, and the musical style of each is reminiscent of the Renaissance. Ronsard’s original poem had twenty-three stanzas. Auric set only the first three. BACK TO TOP CLAUDE DEBUSSY (1862-1918) Claude Debussy wrote expertly for the voice and was acutely responsive to transforming poetic nuance into musical expression. Possibly no other French composer was as attuned to blending poetry and music. His literary taste was highly refined and he maintained a visible and active role in the literary and artistic circles of his time. He chose to set poetry of his contemporaries, notably Verlaine and Mallarmé. Verlaine’s verse with its inherent musical qualities, provided Debussy with poetry for numerous works. For Debussy, poetry as poetry was the paramount determinant of the musical texture. His ability to detect the essence of a poem and perfectly transform it into musical expression makes his mélodies unique in the history of French song. Le promenoir des deux amants (1904, 1910) poems by Tristan l’Hermite (c. 1601-1656) “Auprès de cette grotte sombre,” the first song, made its first appearance with the title “La Grotte,” song two of Trois chansons de France of 1904. In 1910, it was retitled and combined with two other poems by Tristan l’Hermite (“Crois mon conseil, chère Climène” and “Je tremble en voyant ton visage”) to form the miniature cycle Le Promenoir de deux amants, which has been called the finest of all Debussy’s works for voice and piano. It is also the least-often performed. Debussy chose the texts from Les Amours de Tristan, a collection by the seventeenth-century poet Tristan l’Hermite. The poems are set close to a grotto, secluded and silent. The transparent, barely stirring waters mingle with the silence of the cloistered spot, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. Debussy establishes an intimate, tender mood immediately and maintains this fragile mix of sound and color throughout the three mélodies. The interplay of resonance and texture in voice and piano results in an exquisite blend of light and shade, perfectly complementing l’Hermite’s poetic images. Subtly inflected vocal phrases are key to recreating the infinite calm and Pelléas-like atmosphere of the poetry, a perfect fusion of stillness and sensuality. Fêtes galantes II (1904) poems by Paul Verlaine (1844-1896) Debussy’s fascination with the work of the French Symbolist poet Paul Verlaine resulted in his setting to music no fewer than seventeen of Verlaine’s texts. He composed two sets of three songs each, both titled Fêtes galantes, the first in 1892, and the second in 1904. Fêtes galantes II, Debussy’s last setting of Verlaine, closely following the composition of his opera Pélleas et Mélisande, is representative of the composer’s mature vocal works. It is marked by sparser textures, freer tonalities and a more concentrated compositional style than the first set; but like the first set, Fêtes galantes II presents three unrelated songs. None of the Watteau-like scenes are found here; rather, these three poems are filled with mystery, and are without sentimentality. The theme of time appears in each of the poems: the first, sentimental youthful remembrances; the second, inexorable fleeting time; and finally in the last song, time never to be reclaimed. “Les Ingénus” recalls the first awakenings of sexual attraction, and deals with the breathless awe with which a group of unsophisticated young men of the mid-nineteenth century view their similarly naïve female companions. The scene unfolds in a highly chromatic texture, skillfully balanced to preserve the delicate, poignant images in Verlaine’s verse. Debussy’s free-floating harmonies are carefully contrived to complement the uncertain emotions and repressed sensations of the youths in the poem. “Le Faune” begins with a prelude; time unravels in an inflexible dance featuring a rhythmic, hypnotic figure in the piano, imaging the traditional reed pipe and “tambourin,” a small drum played with a stick. The old terra-cotta statue in Verlaine’s poem is probably the woodland god Pan, playing a monotonous rhythm that is both sensual and slightly menacing, matching the mood of the two mélancolique pélerins. Mesmerized by the repetitive rhythms of drum and reed flute, the dejected travelers are caught in the whirlpool of passing time, which spins past as they watch helplessly. “Colloque sentimental.” Colloquial (colloque) refers to ordinary speech or conversation. This disturbing poem is the touchstone of one of Debussy’s great mélodies. It is the last poem in Verlaine’s collection titled Fêtes galantes, and provides a chilling climax. It blends themes of despair, death and disillusion. In this extraordinary song, the ghosts of two lovers meet in a wintry park. As they speak of their former love, their words match the setting: glacial and detached from feeling. Throughout the song their wintry words are enhanced by Debussy’s simple and subtle vocal treatment: one voice urgent and persistent, the other stonily indifferent. Debussy’s manipulation of musical texture between voice and piano is masterful. The sparse vocal lines are almost speech-like, and the piano figures mirror the frozen landscape in which this conversation–equally cold–takes place. The song’s kinship to Debussy’s opera Pélleas et Mélisande is unmistakable. The listener becomes one with the poem’s narrator, straining to see and hear the couple’s conversation in the icy cold of the deserted, frozen park. Debussy reaches back to “En sourdine” (the first mélodie of Fêtes galantes I), takes the wistful song of the nightingale, and inserts it into this song at various points. The nightingale’s melody (“voix de nôtre dessespoir, le rossignol chantera”) provides a touching and melancholy association, linking the two sets of Fêtes galantes together symbolically and musically, foreshadowing the disenchantment of love hinted at in “En sourdine” with the lovers’ conversation in “Colloque sentimental,” and unifying the two sets by a subtle musical component. This panel of three mélodies was Debussy’s last setting of the poetry of Paul Verlaine. Noël des enfants qui n’ont plus de maisons (1915) poem by the composer This is Debussy’s last song, written to his own text, a Christmas carol for children made homeless by World War I. Its intensity comes from its simple sincerity. Debussy composed it on the eve of his first operation for the cancer that would end his life two years later. It was his personal protest against the invasion of northern France by the German armies. When asked for permission to orchestrate the song, Debussy refused, saying, “I want this piece to be sung with the most discreet accompaniment. Not a word of the text must be lost, inspired as it is by the rapacity of our enemies. It is the only way I have to fight the war.” Originally composed in 1915 for piano and voice, Debussy also created a version for children’s chorus, and in 1916, a version for piano and two sopranos. BACK TO TOP HENRI DUTILLEUX (1916-2013) Henri Dutilleux studied at the Paris Conservatory with Maurice Emmanuel. He received the Prix de Rome in 1938 at age twenty-two, and went on to work at the Paris Opéra and the French Radio. France’s musical institutions defined his career: in 1961, he joined the faculty at the école Normale de Musique, teaching composition. In 1970, he taught at the Paris Conservatoire. He destroyed many of his early works, considering them derivative of Ravel, the preeminent composer in France during his youth. His music that had been published avoided demolition. After World War II, Dutilleux concentrated almost exclusively on instrumental and orchestral music, much of which has been widely programmed and recorded. His songs are not well known. In the chronological catalogue of his compositions, beginning in 1929, the Quatre mélodies for mezzo soprano or baritone is only the eleventh entry. It also exists in an orchestral version. The collection is dedicated to the French baritone Charles Panzéra and his wife, pianist Magdeleine Panzéra-Baillot, prominent interpreters of French song in the interwar years. Gabriel Fauré dedicated his last cycle, L’horizon chimérique, to Panzéra. Quatre mélodies (1942) uses poems by four different poets and presents a delightful collection of moods, although it must be admitted that the level of the poetry is not uniformly high: “Féérie au clair de lune” (poem by Raymond Genty), a graceful scherzo of dancing fairies that evokes Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream; “Pour une amie perdue” (Edmond Borsent); “Regards sur l’infini” (Anna de Noailles); and “Fantasio” (André Bellessort). The last mélodie is the most successful of the set and is one of two songs from the set (the other being “Pour une amie perdue”) that Dutilleux acknowledged. He wanted to exclude the first and third songs because their poetry was relatively mediocre. Fantasio (1942) from Quatre Mélodies poem by André Bellessort (1866-1942) “Fantasio” (the original title of Bellessort’s poem is “Les funérailles de Fantasio”) is a colorful poem that chronicles the funeral of the titled character, who has expired before the text begins. The poem, set in Venice during Carnival, is full of glittering and compelling imagery that changes quickly, following the pace of the Carnival. Musical textures are skillfully handled and exhibit some of Dutilleux’s developing style. “Pauvre Fantasio,” is heard several times during the text, acting as both a funereal chant that unifies the proceedings and perhaps as well, keeping the mourners’ footsteps marching together. BACK TO TOP GABRIEL FAURÉ (1845-1924) Gabriel Fauré was one of the great composers of French song who, with Duparc and Debussy, perfected the mélodie as a true art song form. He composed about a hundred songs, all original in conception, constantly developing in style, and pointing the way to future works. His songs express a broad range of emotion and a great variety of musical textures, extending the musical parameters of the genre and inspiring new techniques of song compositions. His songs are often divided into three compositional periods for purposes of study and definition. Fauré has been characterized as a skillful watchmaker; with great precision his songs, which overflow with subtle nuances and delicate detail. His approach is in keeping with the French musical aesthetic: elegant and rational, dealing with sentiment rather than literal sensation. He was able to capture the entire poetic mood of each poem he set and to create an aura around it with his musical setting. Dans la fôret de septembre, Op. 85, No. 1 (1902) poem by Catulle Mendès (1841-1909) This touching poem symbolizes the onset of old age. Mendès was among the founders of a literary magazine, La Revue fantaisiste, which published many poems of the Parnassian poets. Fauré’s musical style perfectly suited this style of poetry: elegance of style, richness of rhyme, regularity and symmetry of rhythm. The Parnassians avoided the excessively romantic and aimed for “art-for-art’s sake.” Fauré was nearly sixty years old when he composed this mélodie, and his reaction to this poem is beautifully poignant. The words describe the poet’s reflective walk through a quiet, somber forest, capturing the chill of mortality and the overall mood of the turning point of life. The ancient forest, sensing a kindred spirit, provides the walker with a sign of friendship and understanding. Fauré set this contemplative poem in a rich harmonic musical texture with a vocal line that borders on quasi-recitative-like shapes. The solemn thoughts of old age call forth a melancholy, but it is a subtle melancholy. It is almost hymn-like in the fusion of words, emotions, and musical texture. This mélodie may be considered as marking the threshold to the final period of Fauré’s compositions. Accompagnement, Op. 85, No. 3 (1902) poem by Albert Victor Samain (1858-1900) This mélodie is a beautiful barcarolle–a nighttime scene, silvery and hazy, alluring but unreal. The image of the poet rowing on the lake is reflected in the musical texture. Fauré had a lifelong fascination with water imagery in music; this poem offers a little reel of unfolding pictures of a moonlight journey a dark lake. The words “dans le rêve” tell us that this is all a dream. This is a rarely sung Fauré mélodie that yields great rewards for the performer. Chanson, Op. 94 (1906) poem by Henri di Régnier (1864-1936) This poem has a gentle charm and a calm simplicity. It is the last of Fauré’s madrigals that include delicate love songs such as “Lydia,” and “Clair de lune.” It has a wonderful fluidity that is a perfect foil for the poetic images The text is a simple set of variations on one theme: nothing on earth has any meaning unless the beloved somehow touches it. Fauré’s reaction to the words called forth a musical setting of delicate transparency and limited range. It is not well known; like “Le Don silencieux,” “Chanson” was published as a single song and therefore not widely disseminated. It is an example of exquisitely planned musical economy, and definitely belongs in Fauré’s third period of musical compositions. Le Don silencieux, Op. 92 (1906) poem by Marie Closset (1875-1952), under the pseudonym Jean Dominique Here is another little known Fauré song, a rarity because it was published separately and was never included in any of the Fauré recueils. The poem has a gentle melancholy–the plea of a timid lover, a mixture of hope and imagined disappointment. The words are tender and flowing, but the overall mood is one of unrelieved sadness. This song marks the beginning of Fauré’s third compositional period, which includes the cycles La Chanson d’Eve, Le Jardin clos, Mirages, and L’Horizon chimérique. Writing of this mélodie in a letter to his wife, Fauré said, It does not in the least resemble any of my previous works, nor anything that I am aware of; I am very pleased about this...It translates the words gradually as they unfold themselves; it begins, opens out, and finishes, nothing more, nevertheless it is unified. 1 NOTES: Quoted in Graham Johnson, Gabriel Fauré: The Songs and their Poets (London: Guildhall School of Music and Ashgate Publishing Ltd., 2009), 291. Quotation from Jean-Michel Nectoux, Gabriel Fauré: A Musical Life, trans. Roger Nichols (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991), 304. This is a translation of Fauré’s letter to his wife of 17 August 1906. BACK TO TOP REYNALDO HAHN (1875-1947) Reynaldo Hahn, Venezuelan by birth, came to Paris with his family at age four and made a brilliant career. In addition to his career as a composer and singer, he was director of the Paris Opéra, music critic for the newspaper Figaro, and conductor of the Salzburg Festival. He was enough of a scholar to edit some of the works of Rameau. He maintained close friendships throughout his life with actress Sarah Bernhardt and writer Marcel Proust. During the Belle époque, French mélodie was at the height of its development. Hahn was a habitué of the most fashionable salons, where he was in demand as a performer. On these occasions, he usually sang and played his own accompaniment, often with a cigarette dangling from his lips. The art of singing was one of his major passions, and he wrote three books on singing (Du chant, Thèmes varies, and L’oreille au guet), as well as a memoir of Sarah Bernhardt. Hahn’s songs are models of French restraint–devoid of overt display, with beautiful melodies in a modest vocal range. They reflect the style of his teacher, Jules Massenet. Hahn composed approximately ninety-five works for solo voice: eighty-four mélodies, five English songs to texts of Robert Louis Stevenson, and six Italian songs in the Venetian dialect. After 1912, Hahn composed in larger forms: opera, operetta, and film music. Perhaps his most famous work is his operetta Ciboulette (1923), which is still performed. À Chloris (1916) poem by Théophile de Viau (1590-1626) “À Chloris” is No. 14 in Deuxième volume de vingt mélodies, the last major publication of Hahn’s songs during his lifetime. In many of his later songs, he turned to a deliberately archaic style. “À Chloris” features an elegant vocal line above a piano texture that features Baroque musical characteristics; it is its own piece, with ornamented melody and chaconne-like bass. Vocal line and piano piece are woven into a musical tapestry that is both declarative and intimate. Poet Théophile de Viau was considered one of the most influential libertin poets during Louis XIII’s reign. The libertins’ verses had a unique charm that is instantly appealing, but somewhat artificial. Despite this, de Viau’s love poetry is not bland, but full of suggestive passion and elegant wit. BACK TO TOP ARTHUR HONEGGER (1892-1955) Arthur Honegger composed over forty mélodies for voice and piano. Taken as a whole, they are diverse and imaginative. For his texts, he favored contemporary poets such as Jean Cocteau, Guillaume Apollinaire, Paul Claudel, and Paul Fort. He also chose to set unrelated poems by a single poet, such as his Poesies (Cocteau) and Alcools (Apollinaire). Poetry with strong imagery appealed to the dramatist in his personality. For Honegger, as for most successful mélodie composers, the word provides the starting place. He is quoted as saying: For me, the music a song is always dependent upon the poetic model. It must join so closely with the poetry, that they become inseparable and one can picture the poem in wholly musical terms. This is not to say that the music becomes subservient. It must be so crafted that it can stand on its own merits, playable without the text, logical and complete. 1 Born of Swiss parents in Le Havre, France, Arthur Honegger initially studied for two years at the Zurich Conservatory, but enrolled in the Paris Conservatoire from 1911 to 1918, studying with Charles-Marie Widor and Vincent d’Indy. Some of his more familiar large vocal works include the dramatic psalm Le roi David (King David), composed in 1921 and still in the choral repertoire; and his dramatic oratorio of 1935, Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher (Joan of Arc at the stake), with text by Paul Claudel, considered to be one of his finest works. Between the world wars, he composed nine ballets and three vocal stage works, among works in other genres. His total compositional catalog is an impressive list of music: orchestral works, chamber music, concertos, ballets, operas, operettas, and oratorios. Widely known as a train enthusiast, he was passionately interested in locomotives, to which he attributed almost human characteristics. His “mouvement symphonique,” Pacific 231, gained him early acclaim in 1923. Honegger’s musical style is a fascinating mixture of impressionistic effects peppered with penetrating dissonances. He had a fondness for mixing tonalities and using modality. His compositions for the voice display an eclectic focus of coloristic harmonies and architectural clarity. He was a member of Les Six, but unlike most of that group, did not share their overwhelming reaction against German romanticism. Honegger’s musical style is fuller and more serious than his colleagues. He and Darius Milhaud were close friends. Honegger’s generous body of song has proved of enduring interest to contemporary performers. His was a distinctive voice in the vocal music of the twentieth-century French mélodie. Trois Psaumes (1940-41) from the Huguenot Psalter Psaumes XXXIV and CXL translated by Théodore de Bèze (1519-1605) Psaume CXXXVIII translated by Clément Marot (1496-1544) The spirit of Bach shines in the first psaume, “Psalm 34,” in which a chant-like vocal line alternates with a gently moving episodic keyboard part. This call and response continues until the last three vocal phrases, when the vocal line merges with the instrumental texture in a psalm of praise. The second song is “Psalm 140,” “ô Dieu donne-moi la déliverance de cet homme pernicieux” (O God, deliver me from this evil man). Honegger’s biographer, Harry Halbreich, suggests that the “evil man” who was oppressing Europe in those last days of 1940 might be the reason for Honegger’s text choice. This piece was composed before the first and third songs. Its emotional mood peaks with the chorale tune “I know that my Redeemer liveth.” 2 The last song in the set, “Psalm 138,” has the Latin title “Confiteor tibi, Domine” (I thank thee, O Lord) and is a paraphrase by Clément Marot, one of the greatest of the French Renaissance poets. It contains a familiar chorale tune, which is used in canon between voice and piano. NOTES: Arthur Canter and Rachel Joselson, Liner notes, The Songs of Arthur Honegger and Jacques Leguerney. Rachel Joselson, Réne Lecuona , piano. Albany Records, TROY691, 2004. Harry Halbreich, trans. Roger Nichols, Arthur Honegger (Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1999), 165. BACK TO TOP JACQUES LEGUERNEY (1906-1997) Most of Jacques Leguerney’s sixty-eight mélodies were composed and published from 1940 to 1964. Many were commissioned and premiered by French baritone Gérard Souzay, his sister, soprano Geneviève Touraine, and pianist Jacqueline Bonneau. Early songs are comparable in mood and style with Ravel or Roussel (who encouraged Leguerney’s composition); later songs have been compared to those of his contemporary, Poulenc. Leguerney writes virtuoso piano parts–often dramatic, and with such an individual sense of harmonic style and color that Pierre Bernac reportedly described them as “mélodies de pianist.” 1 When asked about Leguerney’s songs, Gérard Souzay wrote, “How does one describe this music which is, at the same time, classic and modern? It is pure, but colorfully nuanced; it speaks to the heart as well as the mind–at times calm at times witty–wise, yet sensual...” 2 Many of Leguerney’s songs deal with themes of love and nature, expressing a huge range of emotions from deeply felt meditation to wild, ribald humor. Leguerney stopped composing in 1964, and his songs became neglected. The quality of Leguerney’s text setting, lyrical beauty, and harmonic innovations all call for his songs to be better known and more widely performed. Jacques Leguerney was drawn to the work of Renaissance poets, notably Ronsard. There are eight collections titled Poèmes de la Pléaide, representing settings of sixteenth and seventeenth-century French poetry and totaling thirty-two songs. Additionally, there are cycles and other collections [for a complete listing of Leguerney’s songs, see Dibbern, Kimball, and Choukroun, Interpreting the Songs of Jacques Leguerney]. 3 They may be thought of as the last in the great mainstream of twentieth-century French song. La Caverne d’écho (1954) from Poèmes de la Pléiade, Volume 7 poem by Antoine Girard de Saint-Amant (1594-1661) Dedication: Josiane and Jean Cier. First performance: Bernard Kruysen, baritone; Jean-Charles Richard, pianist. 29 May 1965, Radio France Culture. Marc-Antoine Girard, sieur de Saint-Amant, wrote poetry of great descriptive power, and his use of language set him apart from the other seventeenth-century poets. He was also an adept musician and skillful lute player, writing verses that often describe musical sounds linked to visual images. The poem takes place in a dark cave, home of the nymph, Echo; it is a charmed place, absolutely still and peaceful. The poet’s lute resounds inside the cavern as he tries to soothe the inconsolable Echo, who mourns for her lover Narcissus. Leguerney creates the grotto’s mysterious resonance with bitonality. Piano figures illustrate the strumming of the lute. The text contains many sounds with the consonant “r.” The rolling quality of this speech sonority re-creates the cavern’s resonance. The closing measures of the mélodie produce a striking effect as the singer’s voice echoes eerily in the cavern, blending with the piano’s resonance and creating a remarkably realistic echo. À son page (1944) from Poèmes de la Pléiade, Volume 2 poem by Pierre de Ronsard (1524-1585) Dedicated to Gérard Souzay. First performance: Gérard Souzay, baritone; Jacqueline Robin (Bonneau). 3 May 1945, Salle Gaveau, Paris. This is a lusty scene with four characters: a nobleman tipsy from drink, his page, and two women, Jeanne and Barbe. Carpe diem is the theme here. The singer philosophizes on this idea while enjoying his wine and the tender companionship of the two beautiful women. Leguerney evokes the crackling staccato of a stylized harpsichord with rhythmic accents in the piano. The text is brilliantly set with jagged vocal lines and driving rhythms that illustrate the singer’s intoxication. It ends with Leguerney’s repetition of the last poetic line and the addition of nonsense syllables which fit beautifully into the imagery and mood of Ronsard’s colorful characters. Je me lamente (1943) from Poèmes de la Pléiade, Volume 1 poem by Pierre de Ronsard (1524-1585) Dedicated to Geneviève Touraine. First performance: Paul Derenne, tenor; Jeanne Blancard, pianist. 29 March 1944, Salle de l’Ecole Normale de Musique, Paris. This is one of Leguerney’s most beautiful songs, setting Pierre de Ronsard’s text from his collection of love poems for Marie Dupin, a country girl from a small village in southern France. She was half his age and probably represented the youth he constantly pursued. It has been suggested that the Marie in question was probably Marie de Clèves, passionately adored by Henri III. 4 Leguerney called this mélodie a constant crescendo from beginning to end. 5 Ronsard’s anguish is captured with a texture of stark chords, crowned by a regal and sustained vocal line. As the song progresses, the poet’s anguish is embodied in a more expansive texture, bidding Marie a happy resting place near God or in the Elysian fields. NOTES: Liner notes by Mary Dibbern. Mélodies sur poèmes de la Renaissance (Jacques Leguerney).Harmonia Mundi France. LP recording HMC 1171. Letter to the author. Quoted in Mary Dibbern, Carol Kimball, and Patrick Choukroun. Interpreting the Songs of Jacques Leguerney (Hillsdale, NY: Pendragon Press, 2001), 3. Ibid., 289-295. Ibid., 69. See note 20. Ibid., 70. BACK TO TOP OLIVIER MESSIAEN (1908-1992) Olivier Messiaen was born in 1908 in Avignon, France, into a literary family. He grew up around words and absorbed their shapes, colors and sounds naturally. His father, Pierre Messiaen, was a well-known translator of Shakespeare, and his mother, Cécile Sauvage, was a poet. As a youngster, before beginning to compose music, he had an especially perceptive ear attuned to the unique prosody of the French language. Early in his compositional career, he published a book titled Technique de mon langage musical (1944). About his musical setting of words, Jane Manning observes: ...the syllables themselves create a glittering mosaic of sonorities and subtle resonances, in addition to their actual meaning (many of the poems do not translate at all satisfactorily). The composer’s awareness of the minutiae of verbal enunciations and articulations is miraculous. Each vocal sound can be precisely placed as intended, all dynamics are scrupulously plotted, and the performer’s involvement and intimate connection to the music is enhanced by the sensual nature of words projection... 1 He often used stained glass to explain his music. When viewed from a distance, the myriad details blend into a single entity, whose purpose is to dazzle the listener. Understanding is not necessary, feeling is the prime requisite. The music of Olivier Messiaen is a skillfully designed and unique language, with meaning and form kept separate. Its meaning is unchangeable, harkening back to Gregorian chant, culminating in instruments that are able to prolong sound (organ, strings, or the ondes Martenot). Messiaen’s musical language is defined by its rhythms and tone colors. His uncanny instinct for associating sound with color produced works unique in their concept of the combination of sounds. He said that when he heard or read music, his mind’s eye saw colors that move with the music; he sensed these colors, and at times he precisely indicated their arrangements in his scores. His fascination with birdsong was lifelong; he referred to himself as an ornithologist and tracked birds and their songs all over the world. He considered their resonances as songs and not merely sounds. He notated these on manuscript paper and they found their way into his music. Trois mélodies (1930) poems by Olivier Messiaen, Cécile Sauvage (1883-1927) This little cycle of songs is Messiaen’s first recognized work for voice and piano. The songs are modest in length and not typical of Messiaen’s later style, but show influences of late Fauré and Duparc in the overall musical texture. There is only one song in his vocal compositions in which Messiaen set the poetry of another poet. It is found in this cycle, which uses the text of his mother, the poet Cécile Sauvage, who died three years before the composition of this work. The three movements form a warm and delicate little triptych. Two of Messiaen’s own poems stand on either side of the poem by Cécile Sauvage, throwing that charming little poem into high relief. “Pourquoi?” introduces a litany of the pleasures of nature: birdsong, the unfolding seasons, and water images. The poet becomes emotional, asking why all these bring him no joy. “La Sourire,” the shortest song of the set, is a beautiful microcosm of intimate and spiritual understanding between two people. It is a delicate example of musical economy and word setting in a quasi-recitative style. The last song, “La fiancée perdue,” offers fleeting hints of Messiaen’s cycle to come, Poèmes pour Mi–most specifically, the final song. Here, the poet prays for divine blessing on the soul of the “fiancée” in the title. The fervent incantation illuminates and affirms man’s connection to a higher authority. Examining the poetic content of the three texts, we are struck by the images that underlie the words: the emotional outburst “pourquoi,” (why?), perhaps questioning the death of Cécile, followed by Cécile’s tender affirmation of love, and finally, the prayer asking for Divine grace and the blessing of the soul of the departed. NOTES: Jane Manning, “The Songs and Song Cycles,” in The Messiaen Companion, ed. Peter Hill (Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1995), 107. BACK TO TOP DARIUS MILHAUD (1892-1974) Darius Milhaud was probably the most prolific composer of the group known as Les Six (Francis Poulenc, Louis Durey, Arthur Honegger, Germaine Tailleferre, Georges Auric, and Milhaud). The group was unified by friendship rather than a single musical style. Championed by influential writer Jean Cocteau and composer Erik Satie, Les Six often presented their works at the same concerts and met with great regularity–often at Milhaud’s house–to make music and exchange ideas. Louis Durey observed that it was the wide diversity in their personalities and musical styles that gave the group its rich depth and permitted its development. Embodied in the credo of their musical thought was relative sparseness of texture and clarity. Turn-of-the-century France offered popular entertainments that drew the French to an environment of merry-go-rounds, shooting galleries, outdoor concerts, circuses, and a jumble of excitement. Milhaud was fascinated by Parisian street life, and could hear the sounds of the Montmartre fair from his apartment. Often on their group outings, Les Six went together to the Cirque de Médrano to see the Fratellinis, a famous family of clowns of that day. Milhaud observed that their acts were worthy of the Commedia dell’arte. 1 Trois Poèmes de Jean Cocteau, Op. 59 (1920) poems by Jean Cocteau (1889-1963) Trois poèmes de Jean Cocteau is like lyric fragments. The small-range vocal lines have a sparse lyricism–one of emotional mood rather than overt melody. The little mélodies are skillful studies in brevity. These match Cocteau’s rather enigmatic poems that exemplify the style termed dépouillé (stripped to the essentials), his aesthetic creed. Milhaud dedicated the songs to Satie. The three miniatures are a colorful kaleidoscope of the circus and the outdoor fairs that entranced the French during this period. “Fumée” describes the equestrienne of the Cirque Médrano atop a horse, jumping through hoops, captured in Toulouse-Lautrec’s familiar painting titled “L’écuyère au Cirque Fernando (1888); “Fête de Bordeaux” is a description of the merry-go-round at the Bordeaux fair; and “Fête de Montmartre” evokes the nighttime boats and sailors, possibly having to do with a game involving camouflaged ships found at the Montmartre fair. Milhaud infuses stylistic and melodic elements of folk songs and children’s tunes into the tiny pieces, tying the innate excitement of these popular destinations to simple, childlike reactions. NOTES: Laurence Davies, The Gallic Muse (New York: A.S. Barnes and Co., 1967), 164. BACK TO TOP FRANCIS POULENC (1899-1963) Francis Poulenc’s 150 mélodies form the largest body of songs to be added to French vocal literature in the twentieth century. Poulenc’s flair for the dramatic, combined with his superb skill in mixing poetry and music, produced songs that singers find immensely gratifying, not only for their musical value, but for their heightened sense of drama. Poulenc’s mélodies reflect concern and feeling for declamation, inflection, breathing, and above all, show extraordinary warmth of feeling for the human voice. He was fond of saying, “J’aime la voix humaine!” The sophistication of Poulenc’s songs spring from their poetic inspirations. Poulenc was quite knowledgeable about poetry, and chose his texts carefully. His gift of divining the inner life of the texts he set produced songs that do more than merely illustrate the poems. His gift for melody is at the very heart of all his songs and seems to assert itself naturally in shaping the color, weight, and meaning of the texts he set. Ce doux petit visage (1938) poem by Paul éluard (1895-1952) Paul Eluard was one of Poulenc’s three main poets. This is a beautiful introduction to Eluard’s poetry, lyrical and passionately intense. The simplicity of Poulenc’s setting allows the poem to shine. It is one of Poulenc’s tiny gems, and he admitted his partiality to the short song. Eluard’s skill at evoking nostalgia and melancholy are seen here, linked to lost youth. The mélodie is dedicated to the memory of Raymonde Linossier, Poulenc’s most intimate childhood friend, who influenced his literary taste and musical tendencies. He said: “I have a great liking for this short song. Raymonde Linossier was my best advisor for the music of my youth. How many times, during the years since her death, I would have liked to have had her opinion on this or the other of my works.” 1 La Grenouillère (1938) poem by Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918) “La Grenouillère” is an outstanding example of Poulenc’s romantic lyricism. This is a text by Guillaume Apollinaire describing the Ile de Croissy, an island in the Seine on the outskirts of Paris, frequented by artists and their models, and celebrated in paintings by Monet, Manet, and Renoir. “The Froggery” was a restaurant on the island. The overall images of happy days that cannot be relived can be seen in Pierre Auguste Renoir’s paintings Les Déjeuner des canotiers (The Boatman’s Luncheon), or La Grenouillère. In this lament for boating parties on the Seine, vocal phrases are sustained and languid, floating over a slowly rocking piano accompaniment. The lazy piano figures mirror the empty tethered boats rocking on the water, bumping against each other, and give expression to the sweet melancholy of the poet’s words. Montparnasse (1945) poem by Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918) Apollinaire’s poem is dated 1912. Poulenc writes in his journal of songs that it took him four years to complete “Montparnasse,” almost phrase by phrase, and that he had no regrets about the length of time it took because “it is one of my best songs.” 2 It is a sentimental and heartfelt tribute to Paris. Both Apollinaire and Poulenc loved the city and it played a continuing role in their work. “Montparnasse” is about the idyllic artistic existence lived at the edge of Paris. Poulenc wrote in his diary: “Let us imagine this Montparnasse all at once discovered by Picasso, Braque, Modigliani, Apollinaire.” 3 The mélodie has a carefree nonchalance about it; it is not sad, but thoughtful– a beautiful blend of poetic and musical lyricism. Poulenc’s vocal and harmonic textures are full of surprising harmonic details that bind this song–which he composed in fragments–together into a touching and expressive picture of Paris in the early years of the twentieth century. Bleuet (1939) poem by Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918) Guillaume Apollinaire was one of Poulenc’s preferred poets. This is a wartime poem that Apollinaire penned in 1917 in Paris in convalescence after a head injury; both Apollinaire and Poulenc served in World War II. There are several word plays at work here. “Bleuet” was the nickname for French soldiers in World War I, because their uniforms were blue, like the color of a little cornflower, which is a “bleuet.” Also, “Un bleu” was the term used for a raw recruit. “Bleuet” is one of Poulenc’s most moving songs– agonizing in its emotional content yet noble in its message. It is a quiet and private moment in which a twenty-year-old boy who does not yet know all that life can be, is characterized–and addressed–by the poet in a sweetly serious speech. Poulenc wrote that for him, the key to the poem were the words, “It is five o’clock and you would know how to die.” 4 This song is simple, intimate, and poignant. Les Chemins de l’amour (1940) poem by Jean Anouilh (1910-1987) Poulenc composed this valse chantée as incidental music for Léocadia, a play by Jean Anouilh. Within the play, the song was described as a pseudo Viennese waltz, and functioned as a leitmotiv in the plot. Sung by Yvonne Printemps, one of France’s most celebrated musical theatre stars, “Les Chemins de l’amour” became a popular success. It embodies the relaxed elegance of a self-styled Viennese waltz style, encased in one of Poulenc’s haunting melodies. Banalités (1940) poems by Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918) Banalités is not a cycle, but a group of five songs. The poems have no connection with each other; however, their order provides a well-constructed recital group. They may be performed separately. The work is one of Poulenc’s most popular vocal works, and deservedly so. Poulenc chose contrasting poems, placing them so that the collection begins briskly and ends with lyrical gravity. “Chanson d’Orkenise” is Poulenc’s title for the poem contained in the strange mixture of prose and poetry that Apollinaire called Onirocritique. Orkenise is a road in Autun leading to the Roman gate of the same name. The musical setting has the feeling of a popular folk song. The narrator sings of a tramp leaving the city and a carter who is entering it - one leaving his heart there, one bringing his heart to be married. There is a word in the poem with a double meaning: “grise” can be translated as “gray” or “tipsy.” The merry quality of the song opens the set with gaiety, but both Apollinaire and Poulenc offer a little food for thought. “Hôtel” is a poem that immediately represented for Poulenc a hotel room in Montparnassse, where the idle poet wants only to bask in the sun’s warmth and smoke. Pierre Bernac referred to it as “the laziest song ever written.” 5 The piano figures are fashioned of Poulenc’s luxuriant chromatic harmonies, stacked as if to cushion the lethargy of the singer. “Fagnes de Wallonie” is set in the gloomy, desolate uplands of the Ardennes with a terrain of vast heaths, twisted trees, and peat bogs, swept by winds of considerable force. Its gloomy setting complements the melancholy mood of the poet. Poulenc’s spiky musical setting is a whirlwind that sweeps from beginning to end in a turbulent texture that demands precise articulation from singer and pianist. Sandwiched between Songs 3 and 5 is a tiny bonbon, “Voyage à Paris.” It resembles a little commercial jingle about Paris–“which one day love must have created”–an invitation to the pleasures of that beautiful city, away from “the dreary countryside.” Poulenc sprinkles his quicksilver setting–a valse-musette–with indications of “amiable” and “avec charme.” The composer referred to it as having “deliciously stupid lines...Anything that concerns Paris I approach with tears in my eyes and my head full of music.” 6 The cycle concludes with “Sanglots”, one of Apollinaire’s finest poems about the universality of lost love, a theme that Poulenc matches with exquisite modulations in a setting that embodies the essence of the words. The vocal lines are eloquently lyrical. The poem is difficult to understand because of the juxtaposition of the main narrative and the interior “asides,” that in effect form a poem within a poem. 7 The song has an elegant serenity that culminates in a stunning climactic point at the words: “Est mort d’amour ou c’est tout comme/ Est mort d’amour et le voici.” The ending lines of the song sustain the profoundly calm mood, bringing Banalités to its close. La Courte Paille (1960) poems by Maurice Carême (1899-1978) The last song cycle Poulenc composed was La Courte paille, on seven poems of Belgian poet Maurice Carême. Poulenc composed the songs for soprano Denise Duval, creator of leading roles in his three operas, hoping that she would sing them to her young son. Poulenc considered the mélodies very poetic and whimsical; unfortunately, Duval disliked the music and never did sing the cycle. Poulenc asked Carême to provide an overall title for the work and requested permission to change the titles of several selected poems: the original title of “Quelle aventure!” is “Une puce et l’éléphant”; “Le Reine de cœur” is “Vitres de lune”; “Le carafon” is “La carafe et le carafon.” For the cycle’s title, Carême chose La Courte Paille (The Short Straw), referring to drawing lots by the method of a short straw. Poulenc was delighted, saying the title symbolized his little musical game exactly. He also wrote in his diary, “They must be sung tenderly; that is the surest way to touch the heart of a child.” 8 The cycle is full of child-like innocence, whimsy and imagination, with a few shadowy undertones. The first song, “Le Sommeil,” is a beautiful lullaby to a restless child who cannot go to sleep, tossing and turning in his small bed. He seems ill, crying and perspiring, but hopefully will finally surrender to slumber. In “Quelle aventure!” the child describes an absurd happening: he saw a flea driving a carriage with a small elephant in it. The story grows more bizarre but the rhythmic pace never wavers, careening to the end of the song when the child wonders how on earth he’ll ever be able to persuade “Mama” that it really happened. The verses are witty, yet the shrieks of “Mon Dieu!” are laced with a feeling of childish terror. “La Reine du cœur” is a beautiful, languid melody that paints a picture of the mysterious Queen of Hearts, beckoning to visitors from her frosty castle, where she reigns over a court of lovers, including the young dead. In “Ba, Be, Bi, Bo, Bu...,” the child is chided “on all sides” about studying. The title of the song presents the French vowels, and the text contains words that make their plural with an “x” (“pou, chou, genou, hibou”). The formidable cat of the poem’s opening lines is none other than that tricky feline Puss-in-Boots! The entire song is a little tongue-twister, an exercise in diction and accuracy. “Les anges musiciens” are none other than the school children staying home on Thursday, the half-day school holiday in France in Poulenc’s time, practicing Mozart on their harps, just like good little angel musicians should do. “Le carafon” is a crazy little story of a carafe that longs for a baby carafe (carafon) just like the giraffe at the zoo, who has a girafon. This is a ridiculous rhyming game like those that children love to play. The text is full of whimsical characters: the carafe, a giraffe, a sorcerer astride a phonograph, Merlin, and finally, a carafon. “Lune d’Avril” is another lullaby, very slow and otherworldly, which serves as an epilogue. Bound together in a musical texture that features a syncopated pedal point, it is filled with enchanted images the child wishes to dream about: a land of joy, light, and flowers where all guns are silent. The ending leaves the listener suspended in a mood of unfinished magic. La Courte Paille is the last vocal music Poulenc composed. NOTES: Quoted in Pierre Bernac, Francis Poulenc: The Man and his Songs (New York: W.W. Norton Co., 1977), 125. Francis Poulenc, Journal de mes mélodies, trans. Winifred Radford (London: Victor Gollancz, 1985), 75. Ibid., 75. Ibid., 57. Bernac, 72. Poulenc, 67. The English translation of “Sanglots” has parentheses that delineate the “asides” so that both “poems” may be seen. These may be found in Pierre Bernac’s books Francis Poulenc: The Man and his Songs, page 75, or The Interpretation of French Song, pages 284-85 Poulenc, 109. BACK TO TOP MAURICE RAVEL (1875-1937) The songs of Maurice Ravel represent a transition between the mature mélodies of Debussy and the vocal literature that followed, notably the songs of Les Six. Debussy dominated the French musical scene from the turn of the century until his death in 1918. It was Ravel who was regarded as the leading musical spokesman for France following World War I. He was a skillful craftsman and his songs have a sense of evenness of rhythmic structure and flow that call for scrupulous execution. The fusion of music and text into a logical whole was of utmost importance to him. He composed elegant and subtle mélodies, using classical phrase structure. His melodic phrases often tend toward modality. His songs range from those with a folk-like style to more to those that are more speech-like, and those that encompass a melodic romanticism. He was precise in his thought and his scoring, and scrupulous in his musical execution. His music encompassed some of the fascinating influences of the post-Wagnerian era. Ravel’s musical contributions were of utmost importance to this exciting and new era in French cultural history. He made notable contributions to musical literature for the piano, the French art song, opera, chamber music, orchestral literature, and the ballet. Sur l’herbe (1907) poem by Paul Verlaine (1833-1896) This mélodie is Ravel’s only setting of Verlaine. It has often been suggested that this poem was probably inspired by Watteau’s painting L’île enchantée. There is also a reference to a famous eighteenth-century dancer, Marie-Anne Cuppi, known as (La) Camargo, who was immortalized on canvas by the painter Nicolas Lancret. The scene is an outside gathering, elegant and artificial. A number of people are there, chief among them, a licentious abbé, slightly tipsy from a bit too much Cyprian wine. He exchanges a few disconnected gallantries with the ladies–innocent conversations on the surface, but sensuous in undertone. The conversation is disconnected; we do not know exactly who is speaking. Ravel shapes very flexible vocal phrases, in keeping with the abbé’s intoxicated state, underscored with graceful piano figures that evoke an eighteenth-century dance. In a letter to Jean-Aubrey, Ravel commented on “Sur l’herbe”: “In this piece, as in the Histoires naturelles, the impression must be given that one is almost not singing. A bit of preciosity is found there which is indicated moreover by the text and the music.” 1 Noël des jouets (1905) poem by the composer This is the only solo song for which Ravel wrote the text. It describes a Christmas manger scene, replete with the Virgin and Christ-child, animals, and angels. It embodies Ravel’s delight with tiny mechanical toys and figures, and his fascination with the unspoiled world of child-like experience. His genius for text painting is displayed in the delightful mélodie. The mechanical toys come to life in the piano figures. Ravel’s charming text creates the images around and over the crèche, with not a word wasted. Ravel commented that the music is “clear and plain, like the mechanical toys of the poem.” 2 This little song foreshadows other Ravel settings of make-believe, beginning with the song cycle Histoires naturelles and culminating with his opera L’Enfant et les sortilèges. The music of menacing dog Belzébuth foreshadows the music of the Beast in the Mother Goose Suite (Ma Mère lOye). Rêves (1927) poem by Léon-Paul Fargue (1876-1947) The poetry of Léon-Paul Fargue has been described as reflecting the union of dream and memory. This mélodie has a tender lyricism within a sparse musical texture. The text is fashioned of a series of miniature images that pass by rather quickly, unrelated, like the images found in dreams. For all their differences, they have a simplicity about them that seems timeless, existing together, as the poet says, “in a vague countryside.” When the dreamer finally awakens, the little fleeting pictures “die quietly.” The piano postlude perpetuates the dream state, creating an ethereal little microcosm that continues to draw the dreamer to it. Ronsard à son âme (1924) poem by Pierre de Ronsard (1524-1585) In his Abrégé de l’art poétique français (1565) Pierre de Ronsard advocated the union of poetry and music, and Renaissance composers frequently set his poems. 3 In this strikingly simple mélodie, Ronsard speaks to his soul, calling it by a series of diminutives: little soul, dainty little one, sweet little one. Ravel uses a series of parallel fifths in the piano figures to invoke a Renaissance mood. This is Ronsard’s last poem, and Ravel’s last adaptation of Renaissance poetry. Ravel’s setting recalls the elegance of his early mélodie, “D’Anne qui me jecta de la neige,” to a poem of Clément Marot. Manteau de fleurs (1903) poem by Paul Barthélemy Jeulin (1863-1936) The poem notes everything in the garden that is pink–all the flowers that will become a beautiful cloak to complement the beauty of the lady of the poem. Ravel usually had very sophisticated taste in choosing texts; this particular poem is an unusual choice. It is a simple text, somewhat banal, but Ravel’s shimmering musical texture imparts a dramatic character for each flower in the poem. The overall piano texture suggests orchestral colors. The last section of the mélodie changes course slightly, with the piano harmonies creating a slightly wistful mood. Clearly, Ravel lavished a beautiful musical setting on a rather ordinary set of words. Don Quichotte à Dulcinée (1932-33) [Medium/Low Voice edition only] poems by Paul Morand (1888-1976) This miniature cycle was Ravel’s last vocal work. His musical portrait of the noble Spanish knight, Don Quixote, is embodied in three mélodies, all based on characteristic Spanish or Basque dance rhythms: (1) the guajira, alternating 6/8 and 3/4 meter; (2) the zorzica, a Basque dance in quintuple meter; and (3) the jota, a lively triple-metered Spanish dance. “Chanson Romanesque” presents the chivalrous idealist Don Quixote, confidently promising to rearrange everything in nature to his lady Dulcinea’s liking in order to win her favor. Dulcinea is in reality a poor farm girl, but the Don’s illusion will not be shaken. He remains authoritative and focused in his quest for her love. “Chanson épique” is Quixote’s reverent prayer to Saint Michael and Saint George, beseeching them to bless his sword and his Lady. Ravel creates a beautifully sustained and prayerful vocal line over a simple accompaniment. “Chanson à boire” is a exuberant drinking song. Although the Don’s tippling has made him overly boisterous, he never oversteps the bounds of his noble bearing. His robust laughter is heard in the piano figures and even a hiccup intrudes between “lorsque j’ai” and “lorsque j’ai bu.” NOTES: Maurice Ravel, in a letter to Jean-Aubrey written in September, 1907. Quoted in Arbie Orenstein, Ravel: Man and Musician (New York: Dover Publications, 1991), 165-66. Quoted in Orenstein, 161. Orenstein, 192. BACK TO TOP ALBERT ROUSSEL (1869-1937) In 1894 Albert Roussel left a highly successful career as a naval officer to pursue music. After completing his studies, he became professor of counterpoint at the Schola Cantorum in Paris. Satie and Varèse were among his students. Roussel was one of the most prominent French composers of the interwar period. He composed almost forty mélodies as well as chamber music, ballets, and operas. His style is eclectic but highly individual. Early works show the influence of Vincent d’Indy, works dating from 1910 to 1920 exhibit influences of Debussy and Ravel, but he turned to neoclassicism in his later compositions. His love for the sea was almost a spiritual attraction and continued to influence his music throughout his career. He had a fascination for distant places; his extended tour of Southeast Asia in 1909 had a tremendous influence on his composition. “Sarabande” and “Cœur en peril” are mélodies to texts of René Chalupt, a close friend. They are found in op. 20 and 50, respectively. Roussel’s overall musical catalogue is not extensive, but its quality is of an extremely high level, and his vocal writing in particular contains some mélodies of great delicacy and style, squarely in the French tradition. For Roussel, the word held primacy in his mélodies, being both transformed by its musical setting and merging with it to create a perfect union. Commenting on the quality of Roussel’s songs, composer Charles Koechlin is quoted as saying: “The sense of austerity pervading them, stemming simply from the composer’s natural reserve, heightens their expressiveness and further embellishes them; in language and content they are absolutely personal. This collection of songs is one which will last because its essence is undying sensitivity.” 1 Sarabande (1919) from Deux mélodies, Op. 20, No. 2 poem by René Chalupt This is surely one of Roussel’s most delicate and magical creations. His writing for the piano is particularly outstanding, placing Chalupt’s poem in an overall texture of elegance and veiled sensuality. There is an Oriental delicacy in Roussel’s musical evocation of the fluttering doves, feathers drifting into a pool, and the gentle drift of chestnut blossoms onto bare flesh. Cœur en péril (1933-34) from Deux mélodies, Op. 50, No. 1 poem by René Chalupt This mélodie is much different in mood–witty and flirtatious. It is the narrative of a young man eager to convince his ladylove of his fidelity. Vocal phrases are tuneful, with a spirited piano texture of Iberian flavor. NOTES: Liner notes, Dom Angelico Surchamp, trans. Elisabeth Carroll, Roussel Mélodies, Colette Alliot-Lugaz, Mady Mesplé, Kurt Ollmann, José Van Dam; Dalton Baldwin, Patrick Gallois. EMI Digital. CDS 7492712, 1987 BACK TO TOP ERIK SATIE (1866-1925) Erik Satie wrote very few songs and most of them date from late in his life. The eccentric father figure of the French avant-garde of the twentieth century had a wildly independent spirit that found its way into his musical compositions. Throughout his life, he kept a great deal of childlike inquisitiveness and innocence. He was a curious personality of unconventional habits whose sense of the absurd and whimsy permeated both his life and his music. Quintessential Satie compositions are laconic and witty. It was Satie who named Les Nouveaux Jeunes, soon known as Les Six, and influenced the early development of the group. La Statue de bronze (1916) from Trois Mélodies poem by Léon-Paul Fargue (1876-1947) This is Satie’s first setting of the poetry of Léon-Paul Fargue, the “Bohemian poet of Paris.” Satie used Fargue’s witty verses again for Ludions. The scene is a garden game–the jeu de tonneau. A bronze frog, perched atop a cabinet with numbered chambers, grows impatient of being the target of the game where metal disks are tossed into her mouth. She dreams of being freed from her pedestal and being able to use her wide-open mouth to utter “LE MOT.” 1 She wants to be free to join the other frogs gathered near the rust-colored washhouse “blowing musical bubbles from the soapy moonlight.” But the game continues, the disks rattle through her mouth into numbered compartments and at night, insects sleep in her mouth. This mélodie can be linked musically to “La Grenouille américaine,” found in Ludions. Both songs share piano figures derived from the café-concert chanson. Ludions (1923) poems by Léon-Paul Fargue (1876-1947) Ludions is the last of Satie’s purely vocal works, composed two years before his death, and is perhaps his finest set of songs. It epitomizes his lifelong quest for musical simplicity and his irreverence for the intricate compositional techniques and overactive emotions of the Impressionists. Ludions is translated as “bottle imps” (a ludion is a little figure suspended in a hollow ball, which descends or rises in a vase filled with water when one presses down on the elastic membrane covering the mouth of the vase). The cycle is a kaleidoscopic set of musical miniatures, riddled with puns and illogical phrases. Fargue’s nonsensical verse complements Satie’s musical aesthetic, and the two friends’ personalities closely matched one another. All the mélodies in Ludions are short, like tiny cameos. They are colorful, saucy, fantastic, and defy translation. “Air du rat,” “La Grenouille américaine,” and “Chanson du chat” are right out of the music hall, and Satie uses with a mock-serious “tongue-in-cheek” treatment for “Spleen” and “Air du poète.” Je te veux (1902) poem by Henry Pacory (1873-?) The valse chantée, or sung waltz was a favorite of the café concerts, for which Satie composed a number of works. Café concerts were a form of Parisian popular entertainment in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The all-musical programs were held outside; French popular singers presented repertoire that catered to lower and middle-class audiences who came to talk, eat, drink, and observe the long informal programs, for which there was no admission charge. “Je te veux” was composed for Paulette Darty, dubbed “the Queen of the slow waltz.” It was one of her signature musical presentations for the caf’conc (café concerts), and one that Darty remained associated with throughout her career. A statuesque blonde with an ample figure, Darty was a commanding performer who kept the most boisterous of the Saturday night audiences enthralled. Lyricist Henry Pacory’s rather explicit poem was watered down at Satie’s request before the song was published. La Diva de l’Empire (1904) poem by Charles Bessat, named Numa Blès (1871-1917) The “Diva de l’Empire,” 2 one of Satie’s café-concert songs, was another work written for and performed by Paulette Darty. It was composed for a Bonnaud-Blès music-hall revue called Dévidons la Bobine (Let’s Unwind the Bobbin) that toured several seaside resort towns. The British “diva” is a femme fatale performer who enchants all who see her. The song is a syncopated cakewalk describing her seductive beauty as she struts her stuff “showing the wiggling of her legs and some pretty frilly underwear.” Interspersed at points along the way with English words: Greenaway, baby, little girl, etc. The piano provides a jaunty ragtime rhythm throughout that melds perfectly with the suggestive text. NOTES: ”Le mot” has a double meaning. It was the title of a broadsheet published by Jean Cocteau between 1914-15 and is short for “le mot de Cambronne,” a polite way of saying “merde.” Cambronne was a famous French general who replied “Merde!” when asked to surrender. In Steven Moore Whiting, Satie the Bohemian: From Cabaret to Concert Hall. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999), 43. Empire refers to the Empire Theatre of Varieties, Leicester Square, London. BACK TO TOP DÉODAT DE SÉVERAC (1872-1921) Déodat de Séverac, of aristocratic lineage, was born in the Languedoc region of southwest France in Saint-Félix-Caraman (now Saint-Félix Lauragais), near Toulouse. After studies in Paris with Vincent d’Indy at the Schola Cantorum, he returned home and remained there. He was a contemporary of Fauré, Debussy and Ravel, but was considered a petit maître in their company, possibly because of his return to Languedoc at the completion of his musical studies. Séverac composed piano and orchestral music, operas and songs. The culture of his native Languedoc figured prominently in his music, which is highly descriptive. He often wrote parts for regional folk music in his scores. Many considered him provincial and unsophisticated, but his music displays his skill in integrating folk elements–and often, regional folk instruments–of his native Languedoc into his works. He often referred to himself as “the peasant musician.” Influences of Debussy, Mussorgsky, and Bizet may be found in his mélodies. Although his music is rather conservative in style, Séverac fused folk elements with the musical styles of the day in a unique and individual manner. Ma poupée chérie (1914) poem by the composer Composed in 1914 (and published in 1916) for his daughter Magali and dedicated to her, this little cradlesong is probably de Séverac’s best loved and most performed mélodie. Séverac’s fresh musical setting contains just the right combination of simplicity and delightful childlike honesty. Despite the subject matter, the composer’s heartfelt poem avoids an overly cloying atmosphere. BACK TO TOP OTHER SOURCES CONSULTED: Jane Bathori, On the Interpretation of the Mélodies of Claude Debussy, transl. and with an introduction by Linda Laurent (Stuyvesant, NY: Pendragon Press, 1998). Pierre Bernac, Francis Poulenc: The Man and his Songs, transl. by Winifred Radford (New York: W.W. Norton, 1977). Pierre Bernac, The Interpretation of French Song, transl. by Winifred Radford(New York: W.W. Norton, 1978). Elaine Brody, Paris: The Musical Kaleidoscope 1870-1925 (New York: George Braziller, 1987). Mary Dibbern, Carol Kimball, and Patrick Choukroun, Interpreting the Songs of Jacques Leguerney (Hillsdale, NY: Pendragon Press, 2001) Alan M. Gillmor, Erik Satie (New York: W.W. Norton Co., 1992). James Harding, The Ox on the Roof: Scenes from musical life in Paris in the Twenties (New York: Da Capo Press, 1986). Peter Hill, ed., The Messiaen Companion (Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1995). Graham Johnson, Gabriel Fauré: The Songs and their Poets (London: Ashgate Publishing Ltd. and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, 2009) Graham Johnson and Richard Stokes, A French Song Companion (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000). Carol Kimball, Song: A Guide to Art Song Style and Literature (Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corp., 2005). Carol Kimball and Richard Walters, eds., The French Song Anthology (Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corp., 2001). Timothy LeVan, Masters of the French Art Song (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1991). Barbara Meister, Nineteenth-Century French Song (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1980). Wilfrid Mellers, Francis Poulenc (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993). Arbie Orenstein, Ravel: Man and Musician (New York: Columbia University Press, 1975). Nancy Perloff, Art and the Everyday: Popular Entertainment in the Circle of Erik Satie(Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1991) Caroline Potter, Henri Dutilleux: His Life and Works (Brookfield, VT: Ashgate Publishing Co., 1997). Francis Poulenc, Moi et mes amis: Confidences recueilles par Stéphane Audel (Paris: La Palatine, 1963). Francis Poulenc, Diary of my Songs [Journal de mes mélodies] transl. by Winifred Radford (London: Victor Gollancz, Ltd., 1985) Marie-Claire Rohinsky, ed., The Singer’s Debussy (New York: Pelion Press, 1987) Roger Shattuck, The Banquet Years (New York: Vintage Books, 1968).