Book Music and Lyrics by C. Michael Perry
(For production by Professional Groups, College/University Groups, Community Groups, High Schools, Church Groups, Youth Theatres)
This is Dickens’ other Christmas carol. The magic of life is evident in the Peerybingle household with a happy marriage and a newborn son. Two houses are blessed by the lucky Crickets: The Peerybingles, the Plummers with Mr. Tackleton’s awaiting the blessing of life and love.. Everyone’s paths are soon to cross with Tackleton, a disgruntled toymaker, who hates all humanity except May Fielding. He lives to make people miserable — especially children — as his toys are gruesome and scary. His employees, Caleb and Bertha, (who is blind) are simple, poor people who slave to make quality toys that the children will play with. Tackleton berates them, but their toys are purchased over his and that makes him even more bitter. Tackleton’s marriage plans are interrupted by the return of The Strange Gentleman — a man with a secret. After the work of the Crickets and the household Spirits, Tackleton gives up May to The Strange Gentleman, who is really Caleb’s long lost son (Bertha’s brother) and marries May’s mother — a woman more suitable to his age. But not before accusations are made and trust is broken all around and everyone is afraid that nothing will turn out on Christmas Eve morning. SONGS include: Gruff and Tackleton, Peerybingle and Son, Cricket on the Hearth, Just To Be Alive, Lots of Toys, You Are My Eyes, Steel Yourself, Calm Quiet Moon, How Good, I will Remember, Everyday Every Hour, At This Time of Year.
PLAY DETAILS:
- About 2 hours.
- 4M 4W 1TB 1TG 3either gender/any age + ensemble of at least 16
- Order#3002
Available for ALL producing groups. This is a PREMIERE PLAY not having been performed in its current version.
(Leicester Bay Theatricals is acting as AGENT for this musical. It is not considered a PUBLISHED musical, but one that is “in-process”. You will actually be negotiating the rights with the authors themselves, as we at LBT will be referring you to them.)
PERUSAL MATERIALS
- The PERUSAL PAGES file is in PDF format and contains the first act of this musical: CricketPERUSAL
SONG LIST(Demos in BOLD)
- ACT ONE
- 1 — PRELUDE/HOME Orchestra
- 1a — CHRISTMAS IS COMING Crickets
- 2 — GRUFF and TACKLETONS Tackleton and Company
- 3 — PEERYBINGLE and SON John
- 4 — CRICKET ON THE HEARTH John and Dot
- 5 — JUST TO BE ALIVE Jimmy and Tilly
- 6 — PEERYBINGLE AND SON REPRISE John
- ACT TWO
- 7 — MUSIC BOX MEMORIES Company
- 8 — EVERYTHING Tackleton
- 9 — LOTS OF TOYS Caleb, Bertha, Tackleton
- 10 — YOU ARE MY EYES Caleb, Bertha
- 11 — CHRISTMAS IS HERE! Dot and All
- 12 — STEEL YOURSELF! Mrs. Fielding
- 13 — PUNCH AND JUDY Jimmy & Tilly
- 14 — BETRAYED John, Caleb, Tackleton
- ACT THREE
- 15 — ACT THREE PRELUDE / HOME Crickets
- 16 — CALM, QUIET MOON / HOME John / Crickets
- 17 — IT’S IN HIS EYES Dot, John, Crickets
- 18 — BRIGHTEST LITTLE STAR Household Spirits
- 18a BRIGHTEST LITTLE STAR (rep) Household Spirits
- 19 — HOW GOOD Dot
- 20 — YOU ARE MY EYES REPRISE Caleb & Bertha
- 21 — I WILL REMEMBER! Tackleton
- 22 — EVERYDAY, EVERY HOUR Dot/John, Bertha/Caleb, Edward/May
- 23 — AT THIS TIME OF YEAR All
- 24 — CRICKET ON THE HEARTH All
SONG SAMPLES (rough demos by the author)
ORCHESTRATION SAMPLES (no vocals but the melody is played prominently)
PURCHASE REHEARSAL MATERIALS:
(Any PDF purchased will be emailed to your email address — if you need to provide that to us (not the one on your PayPal account?), email us. CDs will be mailed to a snail mail address. Do not purchase rehearsal materials or pay for royalties until you have performance clearance.)
- Script in PDF format — Order #3002a : $25.00 (from which you will be authorized to copy for your production)
- Vocal Book in PDF format — Order #3002b : $15.00 (from which you will be authorized to copy for your production)
- Piano-Vocal Score in PDF format — Order #3002c : $25.00 (from which you will be authorized to copy for your production)
- First Performance Amateur/Educational Royalty — Order #3002d : Royalty terms quoted on application
- Second Performance Amateur/Educational Royalty — Order #3002e : Royalty terms quoted on application
- Professional Royalties will be quoted upon application
PRODUCTIONS
- Well, it could be your group listed here — soon!
BILLING CREDITS
The following is how the credits should read in all programs, posters, fliers, handbills and other promotional advertising for the show:
The Cricket on the Hearth
A Christmas Musical
Book, Music and Lyrics by
C. Michael Perry
(based on the Dickens story)
NOTE: The names of the Playwright(s), Composer, Lyricist, and Bookwriter shall be equal in size, type, coloring, boldness, and prominence. No billing shall appear in type larger or more prominent than the billing to the Authors except for the title of the play. (In a press release all type, will of course, be the same size.)
ALSO:
THIS NOTICE MUST APPEAR IN ALL PROGRAMS, ON ALL POSTERS AND PUBLICITY MATERIALS AND INTERNET ADVERTISING/WEBPAGES FOR THE PLAY:
“The Cricket On the Hearth is presented through special arrangement with Premiére Theatrical Licensing on behalf of Leicester Bay Theatricals. All authorized materials are also supplied by LBT, www.leicesterbaytheatricals.com”
From the catalog of
