10-MINUTE MUSICAL COLLECTION
The Charm
Book and lyrics by Christiana Cole, Music by David Shenton
A pair of newlyweds, fresh from a fairy tale wedding, are struck by a very modern fear: how will they know that they will always love each other? With the help of a wizard, an international road trip, and one very special pair of underwear, the couple finds true happiness where they least expect it. “The Charm" is a lyrical and whimsical piece based on the story “The Talisman” by Hans Christian Andersen.
Comedy
Overview
Cast Size
3m, 2f
Duration
12 Mins
Setting
A series of fairytale kingdoms. The Past.
Cautions
Mild Adult Themes, Alcohol Use
Subgenre
Fables/Folktales, Farce, Romantic Comedy, Fantasy, Adaptation, Adventure, Period
Themes
Fairy Tales, Love, Marriage,
Target Audience
Teen (Age 14 - 18), Young Adult (Age 18 - 23), Adult
Style
Classic/standard Musical Theatre
Instrumentation
Piano/Vocal
Additional Resources
Accompaniment Tracks
Synopsis
A pair of fairytale newlyweds, He and She, want to find some way to guarantee that they’ll always love each other “WEDDING SONG”. They hop on a golf cart to seek the advice of the Wizard of the Wood. “GOLF CART TRIP”. The Wizard tells them to find a perfectly happy couple, and then ask for a snip of their underwear as a good-luck charm for their marriage. “SONG OF THE WIZARD”. The couple sets off on a world-wide tour to find the right couple “HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE”. A French couple is mostly happy, but sort of sad that they have no children “ZEE FRENCH PEOPLE”. He and She paddle down to Italy “CANOE SONG” and meet an Italian couple who are mostly happy, but truly, they have too many children “THE ITALIANS”. He and She zip on some scooters “SEXY VESPAS” and finally meet a couple that might just fit the bill: an Egyptian couple has two kids, cocktails at 2pm, and are very happy…but they don’t wear underwear “With He and She in Egyptland”. She is defeated, but He reassures her – their love won’t slip away, even if they don’t find the charm “WEDDING SONG REPRISE”. The Wizard returns and the couple has an epiphany – it is they themselves that are the world’s happiest couple! They snip off pieces of their own underwear and rejoice.
Casting Information
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HE – a newly-married fairy tale prince. A genuine, kind man. Tenor, any age, sings solo to an F, and a high Ab with the ensemble.
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SHE – a newly-married fairy tale princess. An assertive, confident woman. Soprano, any age, sings from middle C to a brief high Bb.
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CHARACTER MAN - Track covers the French, Italian, and Egyptian men. Bari-tenor, any age, sings solo to a C, and a high Ab with the ensemble.
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CHARACTER WOMAN – Track covers the French, Italian, and Egyptian women. Mezzo-soprano, any age, sings solo from low G to Eb, and high Ab with the ensemble.
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THE WIZARD – Stately and wise. Baritone/bass, any age, sings from a low Ab to a D. Also sings the “Italian children” voices (in falsetto) along with pianist and any other actors who can be blocked to be turned upstage at that moment.
NOTE: The Character Man and Character Woman tracks can be divided up to create more roles.
Songs
Media
Production History
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2013
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Premiered at the BMI Workshop on May 29, 2013, New York, NY.
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Performed as part of the very first Theatre Now New York Soundbites Festival, Dec. 9, 2013 at the 47th Street Theatre, New York, NY.
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2014
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Performed in a private presentation for Martin Charnin on September 1, 2014.
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2015
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Performed at The D Lounge on June 22, 2015 at the New York Theatre Barn, as part of “Thank God We Perceive Time as Linear: An Evening with Christiana Cole”
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Author Bios
CHRISTIANA COLE (They/Them) is a writer, composer, performer, and teacher. Credits: Bombshell Baby (book/lyrics/music with Rachel Felstein and Matthew Anchel), a WW2 epic about a drag queen who fights Nazis, produced at Ensemble Studio Theatre; Make the Earth Great (book/lyrics, with composer Rona Siddiqui) at the Prospect Theater Lab; and lyrics for a slew of cute children’s shows: Peanut Butter and Cupcake, Sparkle Spa, The Frog Prince, and many more. Christiana is an experienced book consultant. They served as dramaturg on Christopher Cerrone’s opera Invisible Cities (nominated for the Pulitzer Prize). Member: BMI Workshop, Ring of Keys, Maestra, Dramatists Guild.
DAVID SHENTON is an English-born pianist, violinist, composer, and arranger based in New York City. As pianist/music director David has worked with renowned members of the music profession in all genres, has written music for Broadway, West End, and Hollywood films. David enjoys touring with his groups, Empire Trio and Uptown Girls, as well as teaching and educating children both in the United States and in Africa where he and his wife, soprano Erin Shield, frequently volunteer.
