Musicals

51 pages

flexible cast (minimum 11 with doubling)

The adventures of the resourceful Rat, trusty Mole, gruff Badger, and the ever frivolous Toad are intermingled with the actual story of how "The Wind in the Willows" came to be written in this beautiful full-length musical. To entertain his son, Kenneth Grahame wrote stories about the rich Mr. Toad, who steals a car and ends up in jail. The story's villains, the Weasels and Foxes, take over Toad's estate in his absence. Badger, Rat, and Mole come to the rescue, conquer the Weasels, and save Toad Hall from ruin. Interspersed with the animals' adventures we see...

55 pages

Flexible cast, approx. 10 m, 4 w (or 7 actors with doubling)

A musical version of Charles Perrault's story, done in the style of the English Pantomime, and featuring the various pantomime traditions including a "Pantomime Dame" (played by a male), "Principal Boy" (played by a girl), "Principal Girl," fairies who talk in rhyme, and significant audience interaction. This script, with six delightful songs, was commissioned by Seattle Children's Theatre and later televised. A wonderfully antic version of the popular story with enough action for any member of the family. Recipient of the "Ohio State Award Best Children's Pr...

52 pages

4 m, 2 w

An inventive and hilarious retelling of the famed fairy tale that features the bickering Grimm Brothers, who narrate the story of a talking cat who helps her downtrodden master become a noble lord by using his wits and resources. With its lively music, witty lyrics and quick-paced script, this play is both entertaining and educational, as the audience helps the Grimms decide upon the morals and merit of an unusual tale. Some songs include “Once Upon a Time,” “Alas, Alack,” ”Keep Your Wits About You,” “What You Do To My Eyes,” “Okra, The Ogre,” and “The Great ...

36 pages

3 m, 3 w

Amy Westmond and her husband Floyd, along with his brother and father who comprise a country music group, return to Amy’s home church. They reminisce and catch up on the gossip with Marie, the church’s housekeeper, and Betty, the choir director, who inspired Amy earlier but now seems to have somewhat of an attitude. The Westmonds are told that a search committee will be there for the evening hymn-sing to try to lure the church’s beloved pastor away. With the unseen organist who communicates through charades, they form a plan—a fake pastor and fake service! Ll...

90 pages

Minimum cast of 5 with doubling (3 m, 2 f) Maximum cast of 24 (12 m, 12 f and as big a chorus as you like!)

Are we there yet? The Stathem family is on a loooong car trip, giving everyone lots of extra time to reminisce about the past 12 months. Here is a collection of hilarious (and often too close to the truth) scenes and songs that all families are going to be able to relate to. This easy-to-stage comedy is a lighthearted look at a "greatest hit list" of classic family moments. Remember when Dad tried to teach you to drive? Or Mom decided that she would help pick out your wardrobe? The kids sing the “Back to High School Blues” only to have Mom and Dad sing “They ...

59 pages

5 m, 5 w, 12 or more flexible. (With doubling, 7 actors)

"The Velveteen Rabbit" is Margery Williams' endearing tale of love between a boy and his favorite toy. At first the Rabbit is new and lonely in the toy chest, where the other toys deride his inability to "do" anything ... until the Skin Horse teaches him "It isn't what you do, it's who you are," and sings to him about becoming REAL. Sure enough, in time, the Boy begins to love the Rabbit, and when he says to Nana, "He's not a toy!" the dream comes true. When the Boy gets scarlet fever, the Rabbit's constant vigil helps save him. But later the Doctor orders th...

72 pages

Large, flexible cast (21 m, 16 w, extras. Doubling possible.)

In this fun retelling of the Robin Hood story the greedy Prince John is joined by his evil sister, Lady Kate. They plan to catch Robin Hood, defender of the poor, by forcing Maid Marian to marry the Prince. Not only will John and Kate gain Marian’s riches, but trap Robin Hood when he tries to rescue her. Marian and her friend Lady Beatrice disguise themselves in men's clothing to find Robin to warn him of the scheme. But when Robin and his friend Will Scarlet encounter these two “men,” a swordfight ensues! Meanwhile, the Sheriff’s men, Gilbert and Goose, are ...

63 pages

2 men, optional extras

Vibrant and rich with song and dance, this musical tells the life story of the master American showman, George M. Cohan. The framework for the story is an interview between an older Cohan and a persistent young college man named Walter Kerr who wants to write a play about Cohan. In 1937-38, Cohan enjoyed a tremendous success on Broadway, capping a spectacular 50-year career as an entertainer, songwriter, and playwright. Cohan had a good hunch about the admiring young man who would grow up to become a Pulitzer Prize-winning theater critic. Cohan regales Kerr, ...

41 pages

3 m, 3 w, 1 g, 2 b, 13 flex, extras

After losing her parents to a cholera epidemic in India, young Mary Lennox is sent to the English Misselthwaite Manor to stay with her uncle, Archibald Craven. Archibald, who has never recovered from the death of his wife, has had most of the mansion locked up, including his wife's beloved garden, and even his son, Colin, a sickly boy, to obliterate her memory. Mary, an unhappy girl herself, finds Colin, unlocks the secret garden and brings it to life. In her process of healing and self-discovery, she brings life back to Colin and Archibald Craven. This encha...

74 pages

11 m, 14 w, extras

Get out the "laugh" preservers for this rollicking musical that takes place on a wacky cruise ship. The ship is a converted gunboat manned by a crew of rejects from Maritime High School, a seasick engineer, an ambitious but very young captain, a gung-ho nurse, and a trio of girl singers who are passing themselves off as a famous show biz act. Everybody gets a chance to sing with the 10 rollicking, lyrical songs. The nervous crew sings, "There's a Hurricane Headed This Way" while the trio performs, "We Sing Loud, We Sing Clear." Among the loopy passengers, Hon...

73 pages

8 m, 9 w, extras

Bring the mysterious Phantom to your stage in this Broadway-quality musical with eight original songs. A Phantom, who inhabits the depths of a TV studio, creates murder and mayhem when he seizes a beautiful soap opera heroine, for whom he has an obsessive love. The cast and crew, including a haughty, aging actress, a scatterbrained secretary, an uptight director, a long-suffering writer, a leading man who is a star on a rival soap, and others are thrown into chaos. A laid-back police detective decides he'll trap the Phantom at a masquerade ball! Lighthearted ...

71 pages

9 m, 11 w

Set in the 1920s, this semi-musical play (contains five piano songs) starts out with two vaudeville troupers who are fleeing New York following their robbery of a theatre box office. They become stranded in the village of Pleasant Corners, Ohio. Broke and hungry, they devise a plan to swindle the local populace by convincing them they have enough talent to produce their own vaudeville show to raise money for a new school. The play tryouts are hilarious: Eloise Findley, the rich spinster, recites "The Bells"; the hillbilly McDowell clan gives their own deadpan...

73 pages

9 m, 7 w, 1 flexible, extras

It's the '50s, so come join the kids as they hang out at the local diner in this heavenly hit of a musical comedy! But for Betsy Harding, it's all work and no play. Since her mom passed away, Betsy has her hands full running the family diner, minding her little sister, competing with her all-star athletic brother, and taking care of her toy-inventing father. She doesn't have time to be "a typical teen." Enter Angela, a tough-talkin' angel-in-training, sent down to earth to earn her halo. But she seems to create more problems than solving them. Between Angela ...

70 pages

Minimum cast of 13 with doubling: 6 m, 6 w, 1 flex

Dusty Junction is in big trouble! The roaming outlaw Ugly Monroe is terrorizing the citizens. First he shoots stable owner Joe and steals his boots; next he shoots the sheriff and steals his badge; and then he shoots the doc and steals his stethoscope. As the loyal community struggles to hold itself together, timid Deputy Shawn needs to step up and prove he is not Deputy Nancy-boy! He is bolstered by Marlene, the kindly saloon owner; Mindy Sue, his fiery sweetheart; and even Bobby Joe, the cute little boy…er, girl…well, child. The final straw breaks when Ugly...

79 pages

14 m, 10 w, plus ensemble; much doubling possible

Here is the story of Orville and Wilbur Wright’s quest to do what no one had ever done before: build and fly a heavier-than-air machine. We follow them as they grow up, open a bike shop, design and build gliders, and finally reach their goal in their historic powered flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. They argue and reconcile, alternately ignoring and bothering each other, and ultimately share in the triumph of their flight. For easier casting, four actors fill the roles of Wilbur and Orville, two as youngsters, and two as young adults. The Wright Brothers...