Babes in Toyland
Operetta in Two Acts
(90 min.)
Music by Victor Herbert
Lyrics by Glen McDonough
New book/additional lyrics by Eric Stedman
5 men, 5 women & large ensemble of singers/dancers
Originally created rather quickly in 1903, Babes In Toyland was designed to cash in on the box office success of the previous year's immensely successful The Wizard of Oz. The production was four hours long, with a cast of over 200, and a plot lifted from a play that was old even then (entitled The Merry Christmas of the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe), and an abundance of special effects scenes, from spectacular parades of toys to glittering fairies and a fight between a giant spider and a bear. It was originally designed with spectacle in mind, and as such, its loosely-connected comic songs and dances didn't have to make any sense. In this new adaptation, the cast has been trimmed substantially, the original four leads replaced with two, and the bear and other extraneous nonsense have been cut in an attempt to simplify the story while retaining most of the original music, and the charming spirit of the original production. The production also incorporates additional numbers by Herbert from other sources, such as "On the Promenade" (included as a pas de deux between Simple Simon and the Toy Ballerina), and "Punchinello." Though the characters are many, the plot is simple: Can Tom-Tom the Piper's son help Bo Peep find her lost sheep and defeat wicked Barnaby's schemes to blackmail her into marriage? It takes a trip through a spooky forest to Toyland to do so. The grand finale includes the spectacular March of the Toys (toy soldiers) and a unique surprise audience participation element.
CHARACTERS
PRINCIPALS
(Boldface indicates adult character)
Tom-Tom the Piper's Son
Little Bo Peep
Widow Peep (the Old Lady who Lived in the Shoe)
Silas Barnaby, a crooked man
Mary, quite contrary
Mother Goose, the mayor of the town
Grumio, the Toymaker
Gonzorgo, an ex-pirate in Barnaby's service
Roderigo, Gonzorgo's sidekick
WIDOW PEEP'S CHILDREN
(including approximate ages)
Jack (13)
Jill (13)
Simple Simon (dancer) (12)
Miss Muffett (11)
Boy Blue (10)
Jumping Joan (9)
Sulky Sue (8)
Wee Willie Winkie (7)
John (with one shoe on) (6)
Curly Locks (5)
MOTHER GOOSE CHORUS
(Doubles as Toyland Chorus, dressed in red/green)
Queen of Hearts
Red Riding Hood
Jack Sprat (Baker)
Baker's Wife
Tommy Tucker
Georgie Porgie
Sallie Waters
Bobby Shafto
Peter Pumpkineater
Humpty Dumpty
Cat with Fiddle
Mouse
Jack Horner
Polly Flinders
Lucy Locket
3 White Sheep
1 Black Sheep
FOREST CHARACTERS
Moth Queen
Spider (dancer)
Butterflies
TOYS
Ballerina (dancer)
Duck
Mama Doll
Rooster
Cow
Dog
Cuckoo
Policeman
TOY SOLDIERS (10 or more)
GYPSY DANCERS
CASTING NOTES: Though it may seem gigantic, this adaptation was designed with easy casting in mind-you will need a few good adult leads but the various other characters easily fall into the following groups, according to age:
Actor/Singers Singers Dancers Non-singers
High School/Adult Leads Mother Goose Toy Soldiers
Junior High Peep Children & Toyland Toys
Younger Children Little Peep Children Choruses Butterflies Sheep
SCENES
ACT 1 SCENE 1
MOTHER GOOSE LAND
Bo Peep loses her sheep, and refuses a proposal of marriage from Barnaby, the crooked man, who vows revenge. Barnaby's nephew, Tom-Tom the Piper's son, offers to help Bo Peep look for her sheep in the forest, and they go, accompanied by Jack, Jill, Boy Blue, Miss Muffett, Jumping Joan and Simple Simon.
"Mother Goose Land" - Company
"I Can't Do the Sum" - Mary and Peep Children
"Don't Cry, Bo Peep" - Tom-Tom and Company
"He Won't Be Happy Till He Gets It" - Widow Peep and Little Children
ACT1 SCENE 2
THE SPIDER'S GROVE IN THE FOREST
Bo Peep, Tom-Tom and the children are saved from the web of a giant spider by the beautiful Moth Queen, who points the way to Toyland
"Go to Sleep, Slumber Deep" - Bo Peep, Tom-Tom and Children
"Butterfly Dance" - Moth Queen and Butterflies
ACT 2
TOYLAND/TOYMAKER'S SHOP
Our heroes take time out from their quest to help the Toymaker and his fantastic Toy Machine, and sing a few musical numbers, while they visit Toyland. But when Barnaby finds them, he enslaves the toymaker, and transforms the children into puppets, finally extracting an acceptance of his marriage proposal from Bo Peep
"Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" - Toy Soldiers and Company
"Work Shop Song" - Toys
"On the Promenade" (Dance) - Simon and Ballerina
"Song of the Poet" - Toymaker and Peep Children
"Castle in Spain" - Tom-Tom and Bo Peep
"Before and After" - Barnaby
ACT 3
MOTHER GOOSE LAND
The wedding of Barnaby and Bo Peep is interrupted by the appearance of a caravan of mysterious gypsies. Their leader, Floretta, turns out to be Tom-Tom in disguise, who accuses wicked Barnaby of crimes present and past. Barnaby uses the toy machine to create giant toy balls, which he flings at the children on stage and in the audience, but is foiled in his attempt to escape with Bo Peep by the Toymaker and his army of Toy Soldiers, who arrive just in time and march up the aisle to save the day. Barnaby falls into the toy machine and is transformed into a helpless doll, and Bo Peep and Tom-Tom (and Bo Peep's sheep) are safe at last
"Toyland" - Widow Peep and Company
"Floretta the Gypsy" - Floretta (Tom-Tom) and Company
"Punchinello" Mary and Peep Children (as puppets)
"March of the Toys" - Toy Soldiers
"Merry Christmas" - Company
SETTINGS
MOTHER GOOSE LAND: Fantasy rustic backdrop, Giant Shoe-house with opening at roof, Pumpkin house, maypole, well, little white fence with gate (sheep pen), grandfather clock, low brick wall for Humpty Dumpty, working stocks with openings for hands and feet.
SPIDER'S GROVE IN FOREST: Spooky forest drop or scrim (lifts to reveal Toyland behind), spooky trees, giant spider web, flash pots rigged behind stumps
TOYLAND: Christmas-town backdrop with snow-covered houses and evergreens, Toy Shop exterior that opens up to reveal Toy Shop interior, workshop table with tools, Toys on walls and shelves and ceiling, Evergreen trees on sides of stage, fantastic Toy-making Machine with working lever