Kindness, Honesty, Sincerity, Integrity, Courage, Gratitude, Appreciation -these are but a few of the important Character Values we acknowledge are needed in society. Good parents hope to instill these values in their children. Many schools have incorporated programs such as "Character Counts," advocating and teaching these values. But in many areas, these values are forgotten.
Before I began writing Musicals for Children's Theater, I was in a position to need to choose vehicles for our youngest population in our Theater Camps. I searched and searched to find material we could use that fit our criteria. We needed shows with Flexible Cast options. (Usually we had many more girls than boys who enrolled.) We needed shows with Featured Parts for every cast member. We needed Engaging Stories and Singable Songs. We needed shows that could be mounted successfully with a Limited Budget yet worthy enough be mounted on the main stage with all the bells and whistles.
Before I began writing Musicals for Children's Theater, I was in a position to need to choose vehicles for our youngest population in our Theater Camps. I searched and searched to find material we could use that fit our criteria. We needed shows with Flexible Cast options. (Usually we had many more girls than boys who enrolled.) We needed shows with Featured Parts for every cast member. We needed Engaging Stories and Singable Songs. We needed shows that could be mounted successfully with a Limited Budget yet worthy enough be mounted on the main stage with all the bells and whistles.
I got frustrated that so much of the material out there did not fit our mission and criteria. The shows "talked down" to our youngsters. The songs and lines were quite "baby-ish" and dumb musically. Almost every story featured a boy as the Lead character. Most had only a few featured parts with lesser ensemble parts. Some had Love stories -- a huge no-no when working with this age group! And a lot of these stories were built on way-out fantasies. The costume potential was fun, but in reality, they had no other redeeming features.
As I was searching for Children's Musicals for the very young, I saw mostly shows using Grimm's Fairy Tales, Aesop Fables, and other folk tales, But, the good productions of these stories tended to be for older casts. I also noticed that most of these productions lacked "heart." They were so shallow, just skimming over the greater significance of the tales.
Why do a show for kids, performed by kids, unless it is useful to those kids?
So, I have made it my mission to write Children's Musicals that are entertaining and fun but clearly have "heart," or an overarching moral or value that is never preached but is nonetheless present.
"A Successor to the Throne" - Honesty, Integrity
"Never Cry Wolf" - Sincerity, Work
"The Adventures of Dick Whittington" - Kindness
"Momotaro" - Bravery
"Stone Soup" - Cooperation
"The Country Mouse and the City Mouse" - Appreciation
"Parizade's Quest" - Love, Reuniting of Family
"The Ants and the Grasshopper" - Planning Ahead, Gratitude
"The Three Billy Goats Gruff" - Patience
"The Musicians of Bremen" - Optimism, Dealing with age and Change
"The Tale of Chicken Licken" - Overcoming Fear
Enjoy "Worthy to Admire" from "A Successor to the Throne" sung by Mitchell Bailey age 10.
As I was searching for Children's Musicals for the very young, I saw mostly shows using Grimm's Fairy Tales, Aesop Fables, and other folk tales, But, the good productions of these stories tended to be for older casts. I also noticed that most of these productions lacked "heart." They were so shallow, just skimming over the greater significance of the tales.
Why do a show for kids, performed by kids, unless it is useful to those kids?
So, I have made it my mission to write Children's Musicals that are entertaining and fun but clearly have "heart," or an overarching moral or value that is never preached but is nonetheless present.
"A Successor to the Throne" - Honesty, Integrity
"Never Cry Wolf" - Sincerity, Work
"The Adventures of Dick Whittington" - Kindness
"Momotaro" - Bravery
"Stone Soup" - Cooperation
"The Country Mouse and the City Mouse" - Appreciation
"Parizade's Quest" - Love, Reuniting of Family
"The Ants and the Grasshopper" - Planning Ahead, Gratitude
"The Three Billy Goats Gruff" - Patience
"The Musicians of Bremen" - Optimism, Dealing with age and Change
"The Tale of Chicken Licken" - Overcoming Fear
Enjoy "Worthy to Admire" from "A Successor to the Throne" sung by Mitchell Bailey age 10.
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