Details 

Pied Piper 

 

Pied Piper

Musical Adaptation by Kevin M Reese]

Available in Musical & Non-Musical Versions

Video Promo Available Soon

Detailed Plot:
The play opens with the Pied Piper reciting the opening section of the famous poem (POEM UNDERSCORING), setting the mood for the play the audience is about to see. A power-hungry mayor runs the town of Hamelin (THE MAYOR IS A FINK) with the help of his creepy advisor, "X". During his reign, the arts have been virtually cancelled (saying they’re impractical and a waste of time) and children have been forced to grow up sooner, leaving their childhood and imaginations behind in favor of more “realistic” behavior– like voting for him (WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH KIDS). Meanwhile, the town has become infested with pests (rats, bugs, etc – think: Moses’ plagues) and the mayor can’t figure out a way to get rid of them before his next re-election. A decree is issued and The Pied Piper answers the call. He rids the town of all the pests (THE PIPERS SONG), but when we tries to collect his reward, the mayor declines, saying if he had known it would have been so easy he wouldn’t have agreed to such a high price. This prompts the Piper to teach the mayor a lesson. He brings back all the pests and vows to bring all the unwanted pests from the other towns to Hamelin. In desperation (election day is looming!), the mayor tries to use the children of the town as bait to get rid of the pests. Piper hears of this and returns, giving the mayor one last chance to make his word good and pay the agreed fee. The mayor refuses, so the Piper lures the children away to protect them (LAND OF IMAGINATION). Under pressure from the citizens, the mayor sends for the Piper and agrees to “make good” his original agreement if the Piper will bring back the kids. Piper agrees and says “They are returning as we speak.” Thinking the children are safely home, the Mayor again cheats the Piper of his fee. The Piper leaves and all the pests return (the “they” he was referring to). Finally, the Mayor’s Assistant tricks the Mayor into honoring his original agreement (LIAR, LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE). The Piper brings back the children and removes the pests the day of the election. Thinking he has saved the day, the Mayor is shocked to find that his Assistant has won the election for Mayor. He is even more shocked to discover that he is now in charge of the town’s Pest Control (LAND OF IMAGINATION FINALE).

Sets:
Mayor’s Office Interior
Streets of Hamelin
Countryside.

Original Cast: 4:  & 2 Men, 2 Women played 8 characters
You may use more actors by NOT doubling.

Theme:
Responsibility, Lying, Imagination.

Running Time:  40 Min.  

Target Audience: Ages 4 and up, Families.

Characters: 8
Pied Piper
Flynn (Mayor’s Asst)
Mayor of Hamelin
Artist
Townsperson
Advisor X
Boy
Official
Rat Wrangler (Optional, non-speaking)

Short Description:
The evil Mayor has decreed that childhood imagination is a waste of time. When the town is over-run by rats, a mysterious Piper appears. When he sees how the children are being treated, he rids the town of the biggest rat of all– the Mayor!

MUSIC:
1: Poem Underscoring - Instrumental
2: The Mayor is a Fink - Flynn & Mayor
3: What’s the Matter with Kids? - Mayor
4: The Piper’s Song - Instrumental
5: Land of Imagination - Pied Piper
6: The Piper’s Song (Reprise) - Instrumental (opt track)
7: Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire - Pied Piper
8: The Piper’s Song (Reprise) - Instrumental
9: Land of Imagination (Finale) - All

Original Production
THE PIED PIPER was first presented by The Market House Theatre (Paducah, KY). It originally opened October 26, 2004, and toured Kentucky, Illinois and Tennessee for two months, playing 24 performances. A subsequent re-mounting was presented in their theatre, opening July 25, 2005, and playing thirteen performances. It was directed by April Cochran. Costumes were by Janice Peterson. The cast was:

Pied Piper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April Cochran
Flynn (Mayor’s Asst). . . . . . . . . . . Jenifer Elder
Mayor of Hamelin . . . . . . . . . . . . Kellie Wilferd Artist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Travis Hensel Townsperson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Travis Hensel
Advisor X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Travis Hensel
Boy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Travis Hensel Official . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Travis Hensel
A “Rat Wrangler, ” an OPTIONAL ensemble member, guided the volunteer kid rats on- and offstage and was played by Mary Kathryn Dorr.