Red Riding Hood
A One-act Operetta
PRODUCTION LENGTH: 60 minutes
CAST: Flexible cast of 12+; Red Riding Hood, Wolf, Woodcutter(s), Mother, Grandma, flowers and forest animals
An absolutely delightful and funny adaptation of the classic story, which is almost entirely sung-thru, this is an excellent choice if you are looking for a show that is compact and simple to stage, includes mostly young female characters, and your group includes one particularly accomplished young female singer you'd like to spotlight. First performed professionally by CBStage in Doylestown, Pa., this is a brand new adaptation of an operetta which was written c. 1920 but never staged, updated with modern musical settings -- The wolf's introduction song has a heavy-metal sound, and the final "victory" song by the Woodcutter and Grandma is done to a rockabilly beat. Also includes a rousing march for the Woodcutter, a fun duet between Red and the Wolf, a lovely ballad, and a ragtime number for the forest animals. Lots of opportunities for parts for young female dancers in this show in cute costumes as flowers and forest animals and backup dancers for the Wolf -- there's even a ballet solo for a girl portraying a violet. Sets are very simple -- a 3-panel house exterior which flips to become a bedroom, and a forest.
Scenes and Musical Numbers
Everybody knows this story! The opening scene shows Red Riding Hood at play with her friends ("Come and Play"). Her mother calls to her and tells her to take a basket of goodies to Grandma. Red is happy to oblige and tells her dog Rover to stay home and her friends bid her goodbye as she goes off on her adventure.
In the forest little Red has some lovely conversation with singing flowers, namely blue bells and a "merry buttercup" who tickles her chin. A bobolink, however, warns her not to stray from her path. Just then a handsome Woodcutter and friends are seen and heard marching through the woods, singing their rousing song. The Woodcutter promises to protect little Red if she ever needs any assistance on her way through the woods, singing her the lovely song "Little Lady of the Wood." Of course, things can't be all happy all the time so who should Red encounter next but the long-haired, leather-jacketed Wolf, who's very polite to her, but also very hungry. He tries to capture little Red's sympathy and says he'd like to meet her Grandma too. They decide to take different paths to see which of the two will arrive first.
Of course, when Red arrives, she meets a very different-looking Grandma than she remembered, and ends up being chased all around the auditorium until the Woodcutter hears her screams and runs in with his axe to rescue her. After a thrilling and comical battle, the Woodcutter defeats the Wolf, Grandma, who had been hiding under a blanket, is uncovered, and everyone gets down to the 50's style tune "I've Killed That Bad Bad Bad Bad Wolf," led by the Woodcutter, in dark sunglasses.
The operetta ends with a reminder of why we all should be good, spoken by the Woodcutter, and a little prayer before bedtime by Red, as her Mother and Grandmother tuck her (and her stuffed wolf) in.
Songs
(Click on highlighted titles to play)
The Beary Springer Show Topic: Little girls talking to strangers in the woods!
Scene 1
Red Riding Hood's House
1 Introduction
2 Come and Play
3 A Merry Housewife
4 Mother's Warning
5 Rover
6 I'm Little Red Riding Hood
7 Gaily Homeward Bound
Scene 2
A Grove in the Woods
8 Melody of Springtime
9 Dancing Lightly
10 Dear Little Flowers
11 A Pretty Bouquet
12 Buttercup's Song
13 Bluebells
14 Bye Bye Sweet Flowers
15 Bobolink's Warning
16 Woodcutters' March
17 Woodcutter and Red Riding Hood
18 Little Lady of the Wood
19 Dance of the Bunnies
20 I'm a Wolf
22 Wolf and Red Riding Hood
23 For Three Days I Have Had No Food
24 Where Pretty Flowers Grow
25 I’m a Wolf Reprise
26 Little Flower
Scene 3
Grandma's House
27 Grandma
28 What Big Eyes You Have
29 Chase & Fight Music
30 I’ve Killed That Bad Bad Bad Bad Wolf
31 Sing a Little Tune
Scene 4
Red Riding Hood's House
32 A Safe Return
33 The Day's Work is Done
34 Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep
Curtain Call
36 Melody of Springtime
Woodcutter's Song
Little Red Riding Hood
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"Merry Buttercup"
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