HOME ABOUT US JOIN US CONTACT US SUPPORTERS EVENTS PHOTO ALBUM - Script - 2001 Performance Package "TC Revisits River City" Update: 12/12/2002 BACK TO ALBUM River City -- A Year Later AND HE STILL DOESN'T KNOW THE TERRITORY! (Full Script from August 14 Como Performance) The stage is set with 3 sets of 4-step risers center stage. City Hall is depicted state left. The library stage right. It is the annual River City 4th of July picnic one year after Harold Hill's memorable visit. All are entering geting ready for the picnic - some are gossiping - as stage set/props are being carried on and set. CAST: Voice 1 - Nancy Elias, Voice 2 - JoAnn Flanagan, Voice 3 - Beth Henn, Voice 4 - Cindy Schlicht, Voice 5 - Monica Baker, Voice 6 - Kathleen Martinson, Voice 7 - Wendy Hamilton, Mrs Squires - Jane Servais, Alma - Liza Robson, Maud - Sarah Schandle, Eulali - Judy Olson, Ethel - Donna Westphal, School Board Male Quartet - Special Alliance, Zaneeta - Corrine Schuster, Academy Mbrs - JoAnn Flanagan, Zandra Sosa-McKeag, Delone Loftsgaarden, Yvonne Sjostrand, Marion - Mary Lou Mesarchick, Mrs. Paroo - Arlis Kujawa, Mildred - Barb Harvey, Gladys - Wendy Hamilton, Hester - Rose Berglund, SOLO w/Small Group - Julie Balk (volunteers - note wasn't ready so didn't use), Band Mbrs; Lois Schaaf, Bonnie Sigstad, Jane Servais, Betty Mart + tall mbrs = marchline. CHORUS: SEVENTY SIX TROMBONES[Sing intro and first section of song on "bah", then on "do" vowel, no lyric] Voice 1: [Spoken in rhythm] Look what d'ya talk, what d'ya talk, what d'ya talk, what d'ya talk! Voice 2: You can talk, you can talk, you can bicker, you can talk, You can bicker, bicker, bicker. You can talk bicker talk. Voice 3: But is he in the territory? ALL: WHO? Voice 3: Hill! ALL: Hill! Professor Hill? CHORUS: [softly speaking] PICK-A-LITTLE, TALK-A-LITTLE Voice 4: He just disappeared Voice 5: Does she know? Voice 6: Does she care? CHORUS: [end Pick-A-Little and freeze] Voice 7: But he's somewhere in the territory! Marion [walks by contemplating the letter she has in her hand] CHORUS: GOOD NIGHT MY SOMEONE Mrs Squires: Ah, it was so-o-o romantic when the Profesor and Marion fell in love. Alma: Romantic, my foot -- it was the most blatant case of hornswaggling I ever saw! Maud: Oh hailstones and sasprilla; the trouble that flim flam Professor Hill gave our husbands on the school board! Alma: They brought it on themselves; all that bickering from morning til night. Eulalie The only thing those men can ever agree on is a chords and now they are singing upstreet [chorus matching motion sweep] and down alley [sweep]! Ethel: Oh, but in that, they are always perfectly Sincere ... SCHOOL BD MALE QUARTET: SINCERE Maud: Eulalie, won't you be setting that song to dance? Eulalie: Heavens, no! My Ladies Auxiliary for Classic Dance performs only the classics, such as the extremely popular Grecian Urns from last year's Sociable. This year we are expanding our repertoire to include the Classic Greek Rr-ruins. [poses are struck by Pickalittle ladies as pillars, fallen walls, etc] Zaneeta: Eee gads!! Marion [walks by with her letter, oblivious. All eyes follow, and women slowly regain their regular posture] Alma: I'd sure like to know what's in that letter. I'll bet that Professor Hill is up to no good! Ethel: Oh, I hope it holds wonderful news -- she could certain use some ... Mrs. Squires: She's always been a little bit ... peculiar Maud: What can you expect when she's always in the library surrounded by all those DIRTY BOOKS? -- Alma: Chaucer! Mrs. Squires: Rabelais! Eulalie: Balzac!! CHORUS: PICK-A-LITTLE SCHOOL BOARD MALE QUARTET: [starts talking over chorus singing] SB1: Maud! We really must be going SB2: Alma! Time to get supper on SB3: I say, Mrs. Squires! Come along my dear SB4: Good night, good night, good night ladies!! SB QTET: GOOD NIGHT LADIES CHORUS [begins whispering and gossiping quietly] Eulalie: Ladies! Ladies! Tempous fugit. Your attention please. I have an anouncement for the members of the Classic Dance Auxiliary. Academy Members: [gather around or come forward -- excitement, anticipation, a few query] Well, what is it? Eulalie: We must review the steps of our presentation this afternoon. Remember, ladies, to step lightly. We must mooove with grace and ... and agility. [she demonstrates] We must carefully watch our mooooooovements. [chorus watches with admiration] And I have the most wonderful surprise. Zaneeta: Eeeee gads! Everyone Surprise?? Eulalie: Yes, I have ordered ... [pause to create suspense] ... I have ordered two Bee-uutiful Gr-r-r eecian Urns to enhance our performce! Everyone [excitement, reaction] Grecian Urns! Eulalie: And they will be arriving any moment on the Wells Fargo Wagon! Everyone [excited] The Wells Fargo Wagon! CHORUS WELLS FARGO WAGON [after song - action FREEZES - Mrs Paroo and Marion move to mikes] Mrs Paroo: [to Marion] When are you gonna stop arguin' with yourself? You keep tellin' yourself that those precious library books are the most important thing in your life. Don't you ever think of being in love, darlin'? Marion: Mamma! I do have my standards where men are concerned. Mrs Paroo: Well, all I know is if you keep the flint in one draw4er and the steel in another, you will never start much of a fire! Marion: Oh, mamma. Mrs Paroo: I had hoped you would fall in love with that nice Professor Harol Hill .. him being a graduate of the Gary Conservatory of Music and all. Marion: Mamma, Harold Hill cannot read a single not of music. Mrs Paroo: [smiles as tho' she has a secret] Ah yes. The THINK system. [Male Quartet moves in behind] Marion: [softening] The THINK System is very new. Experimental, in fact. One must remember, one can do anything if one puts one's mind to it ... [Marion & Mrs Paroo freeze until action starts across stage] SB1: It's a perfect day for our 4th of July picnic today. The sun is shining, not a cloud in sight. SB2: Not so fast there. You're forgetting this is Iowa. I see some clouds gathering there far off in the west. Likely to have a shower or two by mid-afternoon. SB3: It'll be more than a shower. The Gazette predicts hail. Probably wipe out the whole crop before 4 o'clock. Sure enough. SB4: None of ya know what is going to be. Let's just sing. Remember LIDA ROSE QUACKENBUSH??? SB QUARTET: CHORUS: LIDA ROSE DREAM OF NOW Marion: [walks by with her letter ... women are still curious] Mildred: I wonder what Professor Hill wrote to Marion. Maybe it's a passion love letter ... Gladys: Maybe it's the music for Minuet in G. [sarcastic] Hester: According to Professor Hill, all a person needed to do was to think about the Minuet in G over and over again and soon the music just came right out. Like the [placing her forefingers against both right and left temples] ... La de da de da de da . La de da ... La de da... Chorus: [joins and supports Hester in presenting the melody of Minuet in G] Mildred: And he got little Winthrop [extend hand indicate height of child] to talk by teaching him that song with hardly any s's in it? Gladys: Oh yeah. Gary, Indiana. CHORUS: GARY INDIANA Eulalie: Tempus fugit, ladies. Places. Places ... GRECIAN RUINS [5 ladies of classic dance auxiliary do their thing - chorus reacts some favorably, some in horror] Zaneeta: Eee gads! THEY should use the THINK SYSTEM! CHORUS [freezes - Mrs Paroo and Marion to mikes] Mrs Paroo: It's working. Marion: What's working? Mrs Paroo The THINK SYSTEM. I been sayin' to meself. "Think [she places forefingers against both temples] Think, Think about Marion being in love. Think about Marion being in love with that nice Professor Hill." Marion: Oh Mamma SOLO & SMALL GROUP: TIL THERE WAS YOU Marion: [vacilates and then finally opens the letter] Oh, Harold [affectionate disgust] You'll never change! Mrs Squires: Ladies, you can't change a spellbinder like Harold Hill Maud: He came into River City and the people were taken in by his charm. Then he left. Alma: By now he will have found several more towns and repeated his scheme again and again. Hester: Bue he did give us something too. He gave us something to be proud of and he gave us hope that we could build a band. Band Mbrs: [move to frontrow with istruments -- others move back -- band and chorus march to song] CHORUS: 76 TROMBONES [with double intro -- "bah"] TOP