'Twas the Night (musical)
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'Twas the Night is a comedy musical based on the Clement Moore poem A Visit From St. Nicholas (more commonly known as Twas the Night Before Christmas). The adaptation is by Lani Brockman and Susan Bardsley and the music and lyrics are by Susan Bardsley. It was originally commissioned and produced by the Puget Sound Musical Theatre. Since 2001 it has been produced annually as a holiday show at Studio East in Kirkland, Washington.
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[edit] Synopsis
The show begins on Christmas Eve in the Big family house. The three young mice (Sophie, Zach, and Max) refuse to go to sleep. Their Big Bro warns them that it is dangerous outside the mouse hole, but the three of them want to go find milk and cookies (Adventure). Meanwhile, Sandy Claws explains to her daughter Dee Claws how she is planning to catch a mouse to eat for Christmas dinner (Adventure Reprise); Dee wants no part of this and helps the mice hide from Sandy. Johnny and Sally Big run in to examine their presents, but Father and Mother Big send them off to bed. Unexpectedly, grandmother Vera arrives and announces that she is staying for the holidays. Once she is settled in, the children go to sleep and dream of sugar plums (Sugar Plum Ballet). Mother and Father get ready for bed while marvelling at their lovely family (Perfect World). Once the humans are asleep, Sandy Claws delights in how clever she is (The Cat's Meow) and Big Bro laments his inability to prevent the young mice from sneaking off (What is a Brother to Do?). The reindeer arrive (Reindeer Intros) and wait for Santa, but he does not show up. They send Comet off to look for him, and take advantage of the wait to practice their number for the upcoming New Year's Eve party (Reindeer Ballet). Comet returns and announces Santa's imminent arrival, but instead Rudolph shows up. The reindeer refuse to dance with him, much to his distress (Buck Without a Doe). Act 1 finishes with an enormous chase scene where Father gets knocked unconscious by a caroler and Big Bro is knocked unconscious by Santa's boot coming down the fireplace.
As Act 2 begins, Vera bemoans the demise of her performing career (What Am I Doing in Dump Like This?). Mother wakes up and wonders what all the ruckus is about (What Was That?). She finds Father on the floor and meditates on the vicissitudes of the husband-wife dynamic (Isn't That Just Like a Man?). Santa finally shows up, but he is an utter mess from going up and down chimneys all night (Santa's Make Over). The reindeer hustle him off to get tidied up. The young mice find the unconscious Big Bro and wonder what to do with him . A cleaned-up Santa enters for his big intro (Jelly Belly). Santa deposits toys at the foot of the Christmas tree (Presenting the Presents with Presence) and then leaves with Vera to get more cookies. The three young mice spirit a still-unconscious Big Bro into the mousehole, but at that moment Sandy Claws returns and successfully catches them by their tails. Big Bro wakes up and emerges from the mouse hole, appraises the situation, and trades himself to Sandy in exchange for the young mice going free. Dee climbs a tree to distract Sandy, and is rescued by the young mice. Dee explains that the mice are her friends and that Sandy should let their brother go so they could all have Christmas dinner together. The show ends with Santa leading the whole crew in song (Happy Christmas to All).
[edit] Song List
[edit] Act 1
- Opening - Carolers
- Adventure - Mice
- Adventure Reprise - Cats
- 'Lullaby - Carolers
- Sugarplum Ballet - Sugarplums
- Perfect World - Mother and Father
- The Cat's Meow - Sandy Claws and Dee Claws
- What is a Brother to Do? - Big Bro
- Clatter - Carolers
- Reindeer Intros - Carolers and Reindeer
- Reindeer Ballet - Carolers and Reindeer
- Buck Without a Doe - Rudolph
- Act One Finale - Carolers
[edit] Act 2
- What Am I Doing in a Dump Like This? - Vera, Vixen, Reindeer and Carolers
- What Was That? - Mice, Cats, Mother, Johnny and SallY
- Isn't That Just Like a Man? - Mother
- Santa's Make Over - Carolers
- Jelly Belly - Santa, Reindeer and Carolers
- Chubby - Carolers
- Presenting the Presents with Presence - Toys
- 'Nose - Carolers
- Finale - Happy Christmas to All - Santa and All
[edit] History
The show was first performed at Studio East in 2001, for a typical run of three weekends with 4 shows per weekend. Starting in 2002, the show has been double-cast and has run for four weekends with 6 or 7 shows per weekend.
In 2003 Dee Claws was added. In the 2004 show a short scene was added in which Dee Claws sings a brief part of the song Memory (from the musical CATS); she is shooed away by Sandy, who then sings part of the song herself. However this scene was removed the following year.
The character of Vera was added in 2005. Before that, Vixen sang the song What Am I Doing in a Dump Like This?, accompanied by a lit-up sign at the back of the stage that spelled our her name. In homage to this, Vixen now sings a short part of the song that includes the line 'This was my song last year'.
In 2006, the part of Vera's Valet was added for the performances at Studio East. This was a walk-on role that was auctioned off at the Studio East annual auction. Vera's Valet carries Vera's bags in, then does a short dance while Vera urges him to "make it work". In the prior year, Father Big carried Vera's bags in.
In addition to being performed annually at Studio East, in 2004 the show was performed at Whidbey Children's Theater in Langley, Washington. In 2005 the show was performed at the Tyler Civic Theater in Tyler, Texas.
