Christmas Musicals for Church
Issue link: https://read.jwpepper.com/i/765660
4 MUCK 2 – see MUCK 1. As with ARTSY and CRAFTSY, MUCK 1 and MUCK 2 feed off one another's energy. DRUMMER – has a great sense of rhythm, probably always tapping a toe under the desk at school. A bit more verbally understated than the others. POET – a total dreamer. Every line feels like a poem. Maybe takes self a bit too seriously. YOU KNOW – the know-it-all of the bunch, and proud of it. DANCER – needs to express using the entire body. Each line is grand and involves physical movement. Everywhere feels center stage to this character. SLEEPY – sleeps through most of the show…and sees no problem with that. WOW – the eternal optimist. Has a heightened sense of wonder. That's thirteen distinct roles. But what if you have more than thirteen children who want speaking roles? Here are some things you can do: ARTSY and CRAFTSY could be divided into four total roles. MUCK 1 and MUCK 2 could be divided into four total roles. Some children may very well want a singing role but not a speaking role. Create additional SOLOIST characters for these children. You can even give them character names to list in the program. There are so many opportunities for soloists, especially in songs with a verse-refrain form. You can assign soloists to different verses and have the entire cast sing the refrain. If you have enough children for two full casts, then double-cast the show and do two performances. One can be at your church and another can be out somewhere in the community, such as a retirement center, nursing home, or VA hospital. On the other hand, if you have a smaller group, you can condense a few roles. ARTSY and CRAFTSY can be combined into one role. In the dialogue, make sure to change all the "we" and "us" language to "I" and "me." ENVIRONMENTALIST and YOU KNOW can be combined into one role. If you go this route, I recommend cutting one of YOU KNOW's lines – "You know, I could use more straws for my double helix." (p. 49) – otherwise it will seem like ENVIRONMENTALIST is negating himself/herself. CGC63 Casting Options For Preview Only