Beauty, the Beast & Some Clowns: A Musical Fantasy

By Norman Stokle

A new approach to the traditional fairy tale with the accent placed firmly on comical situations, colorful characters, lively dialogue and singable songs.Beauty's strong sense of decency and social justice makes her an inspiring role model for all people who yearn for a better life. She emerges as the ultimate heroine, saving not only her own family and the Beast from a future of hopeless mediocrity, but an entire principality! Henceforth, even agricultural laborers will enjoy full health care benefits, liveable wages and democratic rights! This musical is tailored to high-school music and drama students in search of an interesting challenge.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 17, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483642550

Norman Stokle

Born and raised in County Durham, England, Norman Stokle has spent most of his working life teaching French language, civilization and literature at universities across the United States, as well as in Rennes and Paris, France, and Zaria, Nigeria. He received his Ph.D from Syracuse University, studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and musical composition at the Schola Cantorum in Paris. He has appeared in many stage and television plays and feature films and was a long-time member of Dear Conjunction, the English theater group, based in Paris. He has written several books and numerous articles on French and francophone literature. His most recent publications include co-authorship of a satirical novel, Cheeseburgers in the Rose Room (Trafford, 2009), Plays for the Sinful (Authorhouse, 2009), a TV mini-series: The Florentines (Xlibris, 2010), Three French Comedies (Xlibris, 2011), a musical fantasy: Beauty, the Beast & Some Clowns (Xlibris, 2013). Currently, he spends most of his time in California, playing Pétanque and giving occasional lectures to friends at Fresno’s Alliance Française. He can be reached by email at: [e-mail]

Book preview

Copyright © 2013 by Norman Stokle.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2013909000

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4836-4254-3

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4836-4253-6

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4836-4255-0

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Cover design and layout by David Jonathan Stokle

Rev. date: 06/12/2013

For permission to perform this musical play, please address all enquiries to [e-mail] or [e-mail]

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

128706

Contents

Characters In The Play

Synopsis Of Scenes

Act I

Scene 1

Scene 2

Scene 3

Scene 4

Scene 5

Act II

Scene 1

Scene 2

Scene 3

Scene 4

Scene 5

Scene 6

To my grandchildren

CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY

(in order of appearance)

THE CHORUS—4 SINGERS (2 males, 2 females)

PRINCESS GWENDOLYN—an attractive but naïve young woman

THE PRINCE OF BELAIR—a handsome, arrogant, immensely rich young man

THE GENERAL—a friend and confidant of the Prince

THE DUCHESS CHARLOTTE—a hauty, middle-aged lady, mother of the Princess, ex-wife of the General

OLD WOMAN—a sorceress with magical powers

LOUISE—a young servant at the castle, kind, sincere

THE BEAST—the transformed Prince, suffering, desperate, penitent

ELIZABETH—Beauty’s elder sister, wife of Porky, selfish and calculating

PORKY—Elizabeth’s husband, opportunist, limited intelligence

BEAUTY—a beautiful young girl, the youngest daughter of the Beaumont family, intelligent, sensitive, kind, open and sincere

GERTRUDE—Beauty’s elder sister, wife of Titus, ambitious, heartless

TITUS—Gertrude’s husband, gamekeeper, wicked impulses

BEAUMONT—father of Beauty, Gertrude and Elizabeth, an unsuccessful businessman, kind, honest, simple

AGATHA—the Beaumont’s horse

THE CLOCK—a speaking clock, male character

THE PICTURE—a speaking Cezanne, female character

TWO GUARDS—employees at the castle

A GROUP OF DANCERS—both male and female who also sing

SYNOPSIS OF SCENES

ACT I

SCENE 1—The Castle of Belair: the Main Reception Hall

SCENE 2—The Cottage of the Beaumont Family; several years later

SCENE 3—The Castle of Belair: near the main entrance, then in the Main Reception Hall; the same day

SCENE 4—The Cottage of the Beaumont Family; one hour later

SCENE 5—The Castle of Belair; several moments later

ACT II

SCENE 1—The Castle of Belair: the Main Reception Hall; 3 months later

SCENE 2—The Cottage of the Beaumont Family; a week later

SCENE 3—In the forest near the Castle of Belair; night

SCENE 4—The Castle of Belair: the Main Reception Hall; several moments later

SCENE 5—The Cottage of the Beaumont Family; a week later

SCENE 6—The Castle of Belair: the Main Reception Hall; several moments later

ACT I

PROLOGUE

THE SET has three distinct areas of action:

a)   at center stage, the Main Reception Hall of Belair Castle with a long table, benches, several armchairs and a throne;

b)   at left front-stage, the Beaumont cottage with a table and stools;

c)   in front of the curtain, a forest path near the castle

Before the curtain rises, OVERTURE: THE PRINCE’S SAMBA (see Music Cue # 27) followed by MUSIC CUE#1: Prologue - Act I. The CHORUS, consisting of two male and two female singers, advances to front of curtain with a guitarist. They sing We’ll tell you a tale.

ALL:   WE’LL TELL YOU A TALE

   OF A TIME LONG AGO

   WHEN LIFE WAS SO SIMPLE

   TO LIVE AND TO KNOW

TWO MALES:    WE’LL TELL OF A PRINCE

   AND A PEASANT GIRL, TOO

ALL:   WHAT BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER

   WILL SHOCK EVEN YOU.

TWO FEMALES:   THIS PRINCE WAS SO HAUGHTY

   SO FULL OF HIMSELF

   HE COULDN’T SEE FURTHER

   THAN THE WINE ON HIS SHELF

TWO MALES:   CHANGED INTO A LION

   TO PAY FOR HIS SIN

ALL:   HE SUFFERED AND SEARCHED IN VAIN

   HIS REDEMPTION TO WIN.

TWO FEMALES:   SO MANY YEARS PASSED

   UNTIL ONE LUCKY DAY

   OUR GRIEF-STRICKEN PRINCE

   MET A GIRL WITH CACHET

ALL:   HER GOODNESS AND BEAUTY

   WERE SO CLEAR TO SEE

   SHE MANAGED TO SAVE HIM

   FOR POSTERITY

   SHE MANAGED TO SAVE HIM

   FOR POSTERITY

   FOR POSTERITY.

   (Blackout. The CHORUS exits.)

SCENE 1

MUSIC CUE#2: The Ceremonial Ball.

At the rise, we are in the main reception hall of Belair Castle at a full-dress gala evening. To one side, on a large table covered with a richly-embroidered cloth are candlesticks, baskets of fruit, flowers, crystalware, and a sumptuous display of exotic food.

(The PRINCE, a handsome young man, is walzing with a ravishing PRINCESS. The GENERAL, a portly middle-aged man in ceremonial military uniform studded with medals, is dancing clumsily with the DUCHESS, the middle-aged mother of the Princess. All the women are dressed in flowing gowns, diadems, jewelry, etc. The men are in formal evening dress or military uniform. The scene is one of elegant luxury.)

(The music comes to an end, the dancers applaud and bow/curtsy to their partners.)

PRINCESS   (oozingly): My dear prince, I don’t know how to thank you for this splendid evening.

PRINCE   (fatuous): Splendid, indeed!

DUCHESS:   More than splendid. Princely!

GENERAL:   Of course. What else can a prince organize if not princely evenings?!

DUCHESS:   And so many beautiful young ladies. I could hardly help noticing…

PRINCE:   When I have a choice, I prefer them beautiful to ugly.

PRINCESS:   Would you, by chance, be looking for a wife?

GENERAL:   Not at all. Our noble prince doesn’t even think of it.

DUCHESS:   You should, your highness.

PRINCE:   You think so?

DUCHESS:   A wife would add a touch of sweetness to your life.

PRINCE:   It’s sweet enough as it is.