Labor Day Weekend. Traditionally, the last weekend of summer. School here is already in session, but I recall that in my youth, school started after Labor Day. Many people have their last vacation get-aways on Labor Day Weekend, and some people use this time to recover from their previous vacation get-aways. I myself am taking this time to look back on all of the activities of this summer. Backyard Theater Camp, vacation at a Beach House in North Carolina, travel with kids and grandkids, going out to see shows with friends, trying to get the garden in and growing, choir rehearsals, my daughter's family moving out into their own new house, writing a new children's picture book... The list goes on and on. No summer loafing' for me! In the mini-musical "The Ants and the Grasshopper," the Grasshopper sings a song called "Summer Loafing'" where he actually entices one of the little ants to try the easy, relaxing way of life. However, the Queen Ant knows that PREPARATION is the key to survival for the ants and she convinces the little ant that she needs to finish their work of gathering food before winter sets in. Of course, the grasshopper mocks the ants and continues his loafing ways UNTIL winter comes in earnest. He then begs to be let into the Ant Hill where he can get out of the cold and find food and shelter. The little ants beg the Queen to let him in to play music for them so they can dance throughout the winter. He joins the ants inside the ant hill, but then after a LONG time of playing his "fingers to the bone" while the ants make merry, Spring finally comes and he can GET AWAY. He learns that "You can play now and pay later, or pay now and play later. But either way you'll have to pay." (quote from John Maxwell) In some respects, I have had my share of summer loafin'. I spent some pretty relaxing days at the beach house. But, I can't tolerate doing nothing for very long. I guess "Summer Loafing'" is not for me. Looking forward to Autumn!
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Often I am asked which comes first when writing a new song -- the lyrics or the melody? I usually say that the INSPIRATION comes first. Inspiration can come from an idea, a feeling, a title, a scripture, a picture, a famous quote, a poem, an intriguing rhythm, a melodic "worm," a nugget from other music, ---almost anything can become an inspiration for a song. When I was young, I liked to take long walks around my neighborhood. There were many interesting streets of houses and green spaces as well as a trail along a canal bank. I loved watching the trees as they changed through the seasons. I loved to hear the water rushing by. I enjoyed the views looking up to the mountains as well as looking down towards the valley. As I walked, I sang to myself. I sang lots of songs that I knew, but I also made up all sorts of songs. I guess I didn't need much to entertain myself. (Curiously, even now, I find that going on a walk helps me think. Sometimes, I go out walking and if I am trying to come up with an idea for a song, much of the song can literally write itself by the time I get home.) During college, I got discouraged by all of the talent I saw around me. The many teachers and students seemed so much more talented than I was. The more I learned about musical elements and poetic devices, the more I guessed that my gift was just being able to sing. Then, after graduation, I ventured out into the real world. There I learned that with the right inspiration, I could produce interesting and worthwhile music, too. For me, which comes first? Well, I have to say that the music and the words pretty much come at the same time. If I get an idea of something that needs to be said in the lyric, then the words dictate the melodic line and rhythms. If an interesting melody starts forming in my mind, then I play catch up to try to find the words that should fit the music. Some songwriters say that they start with the title. But giving my song a title is usually the crowning detail of my songwriting efforts. I have a hard time naming my songs. The default title often comes from the song's "hook." If I am writing a song for Musical Theater, I have to immerse myself in the story, the setting, the costumes and set ideas, but mostly I need to get into the "heads" of the characters. The words and the style of the song need to organically develop from the characters and situations they are in. One song that I remember very clearly that wrote itself on one of my walks is "I Love the City Life" from The Country Mouse and the City Mouse. As I recall, it was a rather cold blustery day. I was walking briskly through the neighborhood. Because it was a cold day, I started thinking of snow. That started me thinking of an Irving Berlin song from the movie "White Christmas." A very rhythmic melodic snippet from that song would not leave me alone. I decided that if it was harmonically dressed up differently, given a Latin beat, and different words, people would never know where I borrowed the inspiration. So, by the time I got home, I just needed to write down what had come to me on my walk. Enjoy!
How does that Irving Berlin/Ira Gershwin ballad go? "The song is ended, but the melody lingers on..." Sometimes the success of a show is measured by how long the melodies linger on. Many of my Camp Participant's parents approach me even now saying that they still hear their kids singing the tunes from the show around the house. (It has been several weeks now since our performance.) That is such a compliment. Of course, I hope that my songs and their messages linger in the minds of the children. That is the entire point of doing the show. I hope that they will remember to Be Sincere and that Everybody Works AND that these things are GOOD! But I am floored that the most memorable song from Never Cry Wolf this summer has been the Little Lamb's dance. My daughter's little 22 month old daughter Avery goes around singing "Baa, Baa, Baa" and doing the little dance moves almost nonstop daily. Notice the very nice first position turnout in the feet, the preparatory plie', and the lovely arm position on the turn. This girl is destined to be a ballerina! She will surely become a triple threat -- she can sing (of course, right now she specializes in one word songs as long as that word is "Baa"); she certainly can dance; and here in the household we have witnessed her tendencies towards being a drama queen! To me, that definitely spells T-R-I-P-L-E T-H-R-E-A-T! When I wrote the first iteration of this show about 20 years ago now, I just needed a little song simple enough for three five-year-old girls to perform. They had had no previous performing experience and were scared of their own shadows. Until the moment of the performance, I could not be certain these three little girls would do anything that they had been taught. But, they surprised us all and had the the audience giggling so much they nearly fell off their chairs. There simply is no arguing with CUTE FACTOR.
So, while I would prefer that "Set for Posterity" or "A View from the Highest Mountain" or "Tapestry of Life" would be the hit songs from the show, I am still pleased that "Baa Baa Baa" enjoys such longevity. The Camp might have ended, but the Song lingers on... The Summer Theater Camp Production of "Never Cry Wolf" was performed very well by our intrepid young cast members! We had an audience of near 200 spectators including family, friends, and interested neighbors. And, the only noise competition was the drone of EFY kids playing games at the field a few blocks away. (NO power tools in the neighbors yards, thankfully!) The sound system wasn't great, but helped some. The high clouds gave some relief to the audience. The performances were solid and the kids looked great in their costumes and fancy hairstyles. They all looked sharp! Comments from audience: "I loved how you took this very short story and gave it so much body! Songs, dances, a great message! The show was so enjoyable! I can even sing the songs....Everybody works, everybody's got a job to do." "My favorite number was the "Military March." Loved watching the boys march in formation with their cool shields." "You must have ruled over the performers with an iron hand! They looked so professional!" "I don't know what I was expecting, but I was delightfully surprised by what I saw! This was so entertaining and fun. We usually don't expect to be entertained by going to see the grandkids' productions. But this was really great!" "The Little Lambs stole the show! They were adorable! My little 12 month old daughter thought she was one of the Lambs. They were singing a word she could say! Baa Baa Baa!" "The songs were great! So fun to have so many styles of music represented in one show! Loved the variety --- especially the "Set It for Posterity" number. Great fun seeing the kids erupt into 1960's dances." "That was a great show Betsy! Thanks for sharing your talents with us! I'm so glad we get to be involved with such a great activity every year." "Thank you from our entire family for another wonderful drama camp. My kids came home glowing every day from the confidence you helped them find." "This is the 6th show my kids have been in. And it is the favorite!" The past two weeks have been a blur of activity at our Summer Theater Camp. The first four days were spent getting to know and teach the older children (9-13). Then on Saturday and Monday we added the younger children (5-8 year olds). The younger children come this week to try to learn their parts without the older kids. This is not really the optimum use of time seeing that these groups often interact with each other on stage, but it was the only solution we could come up with given all of the families' busy schedules. Thank goodness some of the older boys (who play lead characters) are willing to come extra days to work with the younger kids. We are missing the older girls though. They are off to girl's camp for four days this week. Each day I have tried to plan a schedule to check off the list of things to accomplish. But, I am afraid that we have not actually kept to the schedule. The children are young and sometimes it takes longer than expected for them to learn the things they need to. But thankfully, I have some great helpers to teach the music and dances and help with acting and shepherding our little "Lambs." Also, some interested parents have just appeared willing to be volunteer helpers. Today my sister is coming to do costume fittings with the younger kids. Last night, my daughter helped me paint some set pieces. Yet, I still have a lot to do! "Why do I do this?" I wonder. So many theater groups do the same popular shows over and over such as Disney's "Little Mermaid Jr." or "Aladdin Jr." or "Seussical the Musical Jr." Those shows are great for what they are and the music is wonderful, of course. And it is true that people like what they know. The popular title draws the crowd. But are these shows always the best choice for young children? I prefer mounting shows for the youngest children that help teach good character traits and moral values (and NEVER have romantic LOVE scenes). I also prefer doing shows where each participant is busy for the whole production. Many of the popular shows feature just a few actors and everybody else gets lost in the few crowd scenes. Last night I overheard my 7-year-old grandson explain to the the neighbor boy about our play. He was surprised that the little boy didn't know about Aesop or his fables, or what the word "contrary" meant. The kids were playing in the backyard and Ethan didn't know his mother and I were overhearing their conversation as we were painting. Ethan told his friend about the contrary Boy Who Cried Wolf and how he lied so much that the people wouldn't believe him anymore. "You really shouldn't lie to people." He also explained that he got to be the Wolf and carry off his sister as the last little Sheep. He even had his sister Iris demonstrate her little Lamb dance. She sang as she danced, and Ethan came up and carried her off just as they are to perform it in the show. Katelyn and I looked at each other. "That's why you keep doing this," she said. Yes, indeed. Fifty kids have signed up for Summer Theater Camp. My enrollment cap was 45, but in order to get enough older kids, I made allowances to take some of their younger siblings as well. It will all work out. Never Cry Wolf is a show that I have done many times with many more cast members than 50. And I already have enough costumes and props. The only worry is that I hope they will all fit on my limited stage. Fortunately, until the Bows they do not all need to be on the stage at the same time. The two main ideas of this show are the Character Values of SINCERITY and WORK. Everyone knows the Aesop Fable "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" and how the contrary boy finds out that "no one will believe you unless you always tell the truth." That is the meaning of Sincerity. But as I was thinking how to expand the telling of this tale, I wondered just how the contrary boy got the job of tending the sheep. Then I wondered about the other kinds of jobs and work people did in Ancient Greece. Seemed entirely reasonable to fill out the story to show the many types of WORK people did back then, because, of course, EVERYBODY WORKS! In my research, I found that men were fathers, and farmers, and artisans, and politicians and many other occupations. And women did many kinds of work, too. They were mothers, and cooks, and housewives, but many learned to SPIN WOOL INTO CLOTH, they also embroidered it and sold their wares in the market place. That was a perfect tie in to the boy who looked after the sheep. Of course, no children's musical Fable would be complete without message songs. These songs are "Everybody Works" and "Being Sincere." Those two songs are reprised during the Bows with everyone on the stage. Sometimes we even encourage the audience to sing along. It's important to go home with the most important messages stuck in your brain! Last year, I had to cancel my usual backyard Summer Theater Camp because my husband was so sick. After his passing last week, I decided that he would want me to continue to do summer camps. After all, he built me a beautiful shed to house all of my props and scenery and helped me create all sorts of set pieces for the shows. He would want me to get busy doing the things I love. Besides, our grandchildren who have been living with us just may want to be in the show. The Musical I intend to do is "Never Cry Wolf" a retelling of the Aesop fable "The Boy Who Cried Wolf." This show can accommodate many children of differing heights to depict various populations, but my patio "stage" is limited. I know 30-35 children fill the space to capacity, and having more can get crowded. But then again, with this show, not everyone needs to be on the stage at the same time, so I might be able to expand the cast to 40-45. I have done this show with 40 kids and 50 kids and even 75 kids. But those times, I had more space and more helpers.
Whenever I choose a show, I need to have an idea of just who might sign up to be in the cast. Sure, I know that I'll get a bunch of little 5-7 year olds, and I have parts for them, but they can't carry a show. Even the 8-9 year olds are not mature enough to carry an entire show like this. I need to plan our camp schedule around the older kids who I know have the talent and capacity to learn the lines, songs and dances quickly and CAN carry the show. So, I end up doing a little investigating. I find out when school ends, when Scout trips are scheduled, and who might be on the swim teams, etc. Not that I will pre-cast the lead parts before I see the children, but it is good to have choices. I will be accepting children ages 5 - 14 years old. I am still working out the exact dates. The Summer Theater Camp will likely be May 27th - June 7th (9am - Noon Mon-Fri) with a performance on Saturday June 8th at 10:00 am. I love this show because the moral values taught are so important -- Sincerity and Work. Contact me if you live in the Provo Utah area and have kids that would be interested. FORGOT about Memorial Day on May 27th. So we will probably have to work around that day. Possibly add an extra 1/2 hour onto our days or add a Saturday. I will post soon what we decide.
Children's Theater has one troublesome and peculiar stigma --- it usually appeals to more young girls than boys. It is such a shame because the greater majority of stories have male leads. That means that the more important characters that move the stories along are written for boys! So what does the director do with the 14 little girls (ages 7-11) and the 3 little boys (under age 9)? Another problem in Children's Theater is that it is best to avoid doing a play that has an obvious Love Story or situations that even hint of romance. Finding stories that suit a large contingent of girls, a few boys and have no love story is quite a challenge! And finding a show that has significant roles for girls is harder yet! Unfortunately, the girls end up being a corps de ballet who dance and sing and act as a unit or have to individually (and awkwardly) fill male roles. Fortunately, as a composer/director, I have been able to find some great stories to turn into Musicals that fit those particular parameters. They have important lead roles for girls and have no love stories! One particular favorite is the Aesop fable about the Country Mouse and the City Mouse. This was written for two equally strong female Leads, and there are strong secondary supporting roles for girls, too. (Also some great parts for boys!) Many Children's Theater groups attract some boys and they are usually quite talented. There are just usually fewer of them. So, I have particularly written shows for ages 5-8 or 9-14 (and some for 5-14) that feature strong female leads along with the regular male leads. Enjoy this song from "The Country Mouse and the City Mouse" where the Country Mouse dreams of visiting the big city and her Country Siblings and Cousins try to dissuade her. During June, my daughter Cami directed two of my Children's Theater productions at Red Butte Gardens in Salt Lake City. The camps are each just one week long, so the material had to be short and manageable. She did "Stone Soup" with a group of 7-10 year olds and "The Ants and the Grasshopper" with 4-6 year olds. As you can see, the living wall in the "Orangerie" was a beautiful backdrop for the show. The children provided their own costumes and helped create their own props and scenery. Here the Ants march in carrying their enormous corn kernels. Each show needed to tie in with nature because the camps are associated with the Gardens. So of course, the instructors wove learning about "nature" as the children learned their songs, dances, and lines. It was a lot to master in just 5 days! They also colored giant autumn leaves and glittered huge snowflakes! I actually got to watch the second show. The little children were delightful. They sang and danced and delivered their lines amazingly well for having so few actual hours of practice time. The message of the story is to plan ahead like the Ants do in gathering food all summer so that they have enough stored for the winter. The Ant Queen tells the shivering Grasshopper (who desperately wants a place to stay during the winter) that "You can either play now and pay later, or pay now and play later. Either way you'll have to pay!" (John Maxwell quote) The Ants invite the Grasshopper to entertain them while they dance and play all winter. He learns that the Ants drive a hard bargain! After playing the ukulele for them all winter, he decides that he will make sure he always plans for the future! Kudos to the kids! They did a great job! So proud of my niece Rachel and her cast! They all worked so hard and successfully performed four shows in the last three days! The audiences were blown away by how well the kids sang and delivered their lines and how good they looked in their ancient Greek costumes. That school had never had a School Musical before (at least, not in recent memory). Maybe this will set a precedent and they will demand more School Musicals in the future!
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AuthorMy name is Betsy Bailey. I have sung, written and taught music all of my life. I enjoy writing and directing Children's Theater shows. This blog will be directed to topics on creating the magic of Children's Theater. I would love to hear your comments! Archives
March 2024
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