CHILDREN'S OPERAS: InKragable Tale

a children’s musical play adapted from the fairy tale

by Michèle Miller Sigg

music and lyrics by Susan Hulsman Bingham

VOICING:

Treble soloists, ages 9-12; treble chorus

CAST:

• 1. KRAG, a dragon
• 2. BATTSKY, a Bat Minion
• 3. MITTSKY, a Bat Minion
• 4. BALLSKY, a Bat Minion
• 5. WHAMMO, a Bat Minion (all in sunglasses)
• 6. RUDY, a boy clothed in rags and hunched over with shame and self-hatred, disfigured by scars resulting from Krag’s fiery breath
• 7. RUDY’S BAD CONSCIENCE, wearing red
• 8. RUDY’S GOOD CONSCIENCE, wearing white
• 9. MOTHER
• 10. FATHER
• 11-12. BROTHERS (2)
• 13. CARALIE, the youngest child, who is blind
• 14. OAK TREE NYMPH
• 15. MAPLE TREE NYMPH
• 16. PINE TREE NYMPH
• 17. APPLE TREE NYMPH
• 18. BIRCH TREE NYMPH
• 19. AYOLA, Wise Woman of the Mountain
• 20. RIVER GODDESS
• 21-22. RIVER NAIADS (2)
• 23. AZUL, a bright red and black striped lizard
• 24-26. VILLAGERS (3)
• 27. VILLAGER CHIEF
• 28. VILLAGE CHIEF’S WIFE
• 29-31. INVADERS (3)
• 32. INVADER CHIEF
• 33. INVADER CHIEF’S WIFE
• 34-35. BLUES (2)
• 36. YELLOW
• 37. GREEN
• 38. RED
• 39. PINK
• 40. PURPLE
• 41. ORANGE
• 42-45. WHITES

ACCOMPANIMENT:

piano, synthesizer, flute, cello, and percussion. Other instruments can be substituted for cello and flute if necessary.

CHORUS:

DANCE:

at discretion of director

PROPS:

minimal and homespun are fine

SOURCE OF TEXTS:

original tale by Michèle Miller Sigg

LANGUAGE:

English

MUSICAL STYLE:

tonal, melodic, eclectic

SCENES:

five

In process

DURATION:

45 minutes

PREMIER:

To take place at Worthington Hooker Elementary School, New Haven, CT, May 26, 2005.

                                 SYNOPSIS
In a forest in Denmark, Rudy and Caralie battle against evil Dragon Krag and his Bat Minions, whose dark energy and cruel ways have caused all the colors of nature to disappear. Rudy and Caralie are children, and both have serious handicaps which make their mission very difficult: Rudy has spent time as Krag’s disciple and is depressed and physically weakened, and Caralie is blind. The children succeed with the help of many friends, including a River Goddess, the Wise Woman of the Mountain, Tree Nymphs, River Naiads, a feisty salamander named Azul, and inhabitants of two war-torn villages, one of whom makes the ultimate sacrifice in order to win peace and restore the lost colors which, when all assembled, allow light to shine once again in the world.