A Little Princess (Musical)
Set in an all-female boarding school in Victorian London, young Sara Crewe loses all her money and place in society when her father dies. Forced by the merciless headmistress to work in slave-like conditions in the school she once attended, Sara dreams of a better life. She uses her vivid imagination to deal with her adversity and even bring happiness to those around her. She encounters all sorts of characters, from the school bully and her cronies, to the nervous servant girl, to the mysterious old gentleman who moves in next door... The songs have been written for a variety of characters to allow for a large number of soloists, as well as any number of cast in the wider chorus. “In My Heart” is a loving duet: Sara Crewe and her father say a fond farewell as Sara begins her life at boarding school. Little do they know they will not see one another again. “The Money From the Diamond Mines” is a comedic, showstopper solo. Miss Minchin, the headmistress, dreams of all the ways that she will spend Captain Crewe’s money, once Sara becomes a permanent boarder at her school. All her dreams are about to come true... or so she thinks. In “We Begin Anew,” Sara steps in privately after the school bully is mean to Becky, a young serving girl. During this up-tempo duet Sara and Becky become friends over tea and cake in a gesture of kindness from Sara. Adapted from the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett and set to all original music, this show is ideal for schools, community theatres and youth groups. Approximately an hour and 45 minutes.
Song sample is “The Money From the Diamond Mines.”
Productions
Behind The Scenes
PLAYWRIGHTS CATHERINE MCDONALD
AND ADAM MORRIS TALK ABOUT A LITTLE PRINCESS
Q: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS MUSICAL?
We are both huge fans of the book and were thrilled by the idea of creating a musical adaptation of it. We felt the characters lent themselves beautifully to larger-than-life song and dance moments, as well as some touching and poignant moments. We also were excited at the idea of a largely female cast!
Q: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PART OR LINE IN THE MUSICAL OR WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SONG? WHY?
Our favorite moment in the show is Sara's song “Do You Hear Me.” She becomes the universal voice for women suffering across the world and across time and we really enjoyed writing it. Although Monsieur DuFarge's big showstopper is a close runner up!
Q: WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART IN CREATING THIS MUSICAL ADAPTATION?
It was a challenge to work from a well-loved classic novel that people are likely to be familiar with. However, we think we have really made a faithful adaptation which we are happy with!
Q: WHAT DID YOU TRY TO ACHIEVE WITH THIS SHOW?
A musical which is fun and exciting but also has a tenderness and truth to it.
Q: DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD?
We hope that you absolutely love staging this musical as much as we have loved writing it, and would love to hear from you if you do!