Pirates!
“A Swashbuckling Musical for Children of All Ages!”
Music and lyrics – Victor Davies and Janis Dunning.
Libretto – Janis Dunning & Victor Davies.
A lively show intended to inspire children to read.
Features singable songs for children of all ages. Suitable for an audience of children 4 and up and families.
Premiere: The Charlottetown Festival Young Company. Also, Canadian School For The Performing Arts, Victoria BC.
Suitable for an audience of children 4 and up and families.
Pictured (right): Patrick Burwell (Black Bart), Arnold Tongel (Calico Jack), Julia Moore
(Princess), Sebastian Belzile (Rattlesnake Dick), Darcy Evans (Barnacle Bill)
Charlottetown Festival Young Company Original Cast Sept 1994
CAST (Note doubling)
School: Three friends: Peter, Spike, Paddy. Children: Willomeana, Weezy, Sneezy, Bubblegum, Sockeye, Caroline, Bonney, Georgina, A Parrot, Miss Grumble (school teacher), Mr. Roberts (Librarian).
Storybook Land: Girl (one of Children), Black Bart the pirate (Mr Roberts), French Chef (one of Children), Poet (one of Children), Pirates: (Sockeye, Willomeana, Bonney), Princess (Miss Grumble).SYNOPSIS
The children are disenchanted with having to go to school and especially with reading. They would rather play outside pretending to be pirates. Their teacher Miss Grumble, tries to interest them in reading by reading them a pirate story. She asks them to use their imagination as Imagination (like a book) can take you anywhere. As she reads to them they are transported to Storybook Land, where they find that Black Bart, (based on an actual Nova Scotia pirate!) has stolen all the books. A girl who needs medical books to cure her sick mother, a chef who has no more cook books, and a poet, who laments that all the poems have been stolen, meet along the way to Black Bart’s castle going to try to get back their books. They band together to surmount the obstacles in their path, and attack the castle to retrieve all the books. They succeed in subduing Black Bart who admits, that although he knew books were a source of great power, he could not read, so they were of no use to him. He is overjoyed when the trio promise to teach him to read and all ends happily. Miss Grumble (now the Princess) again magically transports the children back to school, but with a renewed interest in reading.
Numbers:
Overture
I Don’t Want To Go To School Today
Peter’s Poem
Stories Of Gold
It’s All In A Book
I Can’t Get It Open
Imagination
Yo Ho Matey!
Somebody’s After My Treasure
The Windy Forest
Yum Yum Yummy!
Blub Blub Blub!
The Poet’s Lament
Incantation To The Birds
The Great Battle
What Ever Happened To Being A Pirate
Script, piano/vocal score and/or tape accompaniment available for performance on rental.
CD of the score – Pirates
“This musical is an exciting treasure trove, filled with lively dancing and wonderful music that stays in your head long after the show ends. …..a vivid and colourful story that will delight children and parents alike.” Kirstie McCallum – Confederation Herald
