colorized cover are for web display only. most covers ... · foremost expert on the berenstain...

Colorized cover are for web display only. Most covers printed in black and white.Colorized cover are for web display only. Most covers printed in black and white.

© The Dramatic Publishing Company

Colorized cover are for web display only. Most covers printed in black and white.

Cover artwork: Stan and Jan Berenstain (front cover © 1988, back cover © 1983). Cover design: Jeanette Alig-Sergel.

Printed on recycled paper

Dramatic Publishing 311 Washington St. Woodstock, IL 60098ph: 800-448-7469

9 7 8 1 5 8 3 4 2 6 0 3 6

ISBN-13 978-1-58342-603-6ISBN-10 1-58342-603-5

02008

www.dramaticpublishing.com

Musical. Cast: 8m., 4w. (doubling possible, gender flexible). The “world’s foremost expert on the Berenstain Bears,” guitar-strumming Cowboy Joe, is the show’s stage director—introducing and commenting on the play’s five episodes which are based on five classic Berenstain Bears books. The Berenstain Bears’ New Baby: Small Bear is an only cub, and he is a little lonely. But he is about to become a big brother! The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room: In the Berenstain Bears’ tree house, the cubs’ room is the messiest. When Mama Bear decides it’s time for a major cleanup, comic conflict results. The Berenstain Bears and the Double Dare: Neighborhood bullies, Too Tall and his gang, put Brother on the spot by

daring him to swipe one of Farmer Ben’s watermelons. The Berenstain Bears Tell the Truth: An impromptu game of soccer inside the Bears’ tree house results in one very broken lamp. As the truth comes out, Brother and Sister learn that “no matter how you try, you can’t make truth out of a lie.” The Berenstain Bears Get Stage Fright: Sister Bear is selected to be the star of the Bear Country School production of Grizzlystiltskin. She is very nervous about her role and has trouble memorizing her lines. She practices and practices to get them right. Brother has no such problem—he is supremely confident. But on the night of the performance, guess who gets stage fright?

Area staging. Approximate running time: 1 hour. Code: BC6.

© The Dramatic Publishing Company

The Berenstain Bearson Stage

A Bear Coun try Mu si cal

Book and lyr ics bySTAN and JAN BERENSTAIN

Mu sic byELLIOT LAW RENCE and JAMIE BROZA

Dra matic Pub lishingWoodstock, Il li nois • Eng land • Aus tra lia • New Zea land

© The Dramatic Publishing Company, Woodstock, Illinois

*** NO TICE ***

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COPY RIGHT LAW GIVES THE AU THOR OR THE AU THOR’SAGENT THE EX CLU SIVE RIGHT TO MAKE COPIES. This law pro -vides au thors with a fair re turn for their cre ative ef forts. Au thors earntheir liv ing from the roy al ties they re ceive from book sales and from theper for mance of their work. Con sci en tious ob ser vance of copy right law isnot only eth i cal, it en cour ages au thors to con tinue their cre ative work.This work is fully pro tected by copy right. No al ter ations, de le tions orsub sti tu tions may be made in the work with out the prior writ ten con sentof the pub lisher. No part of this work may be re pro duced or trans mit tedin any form or by any means, elec tronic or me chan i cal, in clud ing pho to -copy, re cord ing, vid eo tape, film, or any in for ma tion stor age and re trievalsys tem, with out per mis sion in writ ing from the pub lisher. It may not beper formed ei ther by pro fes sion als or am a teurs with out pay ment of roy -alty. All rights, in clud ing, but not lim ited to, the pro fes sional, mo tion pic -ture, ra dio, tele vi sion, vid eo tape, for eign lan guage, tab loid, rec i ta tion, lec -tur ing, pub li ca tion and read ing, are re served.

©MMVIIIBook and lyr ics by

STAN and JAN BERENSTAINMu sic by

ELLIOT LAW RENCE and JAMIE BROZA

Printed in the United States of Amer icaAll Rights Re served

(THE BERENSTAIN BEARS ON STAGE)

For in qui ries con cern ing all other rights, con tact:Ster ling Lord Literistic, 65 Bleecker St., New York NY 10012

Phone: (212) 780-6050

ISBN: 978-1-58342-603-6


www.dramaticpublishing.com

IM POR TANT BILLING AND CREDIT RE QUIRE MENTS

All pro duc ers of the mu si cal must give credit to Stan and Jan Berenstainas au thors of the books and the mu si cal and Elliot Law rence and JamieBroza as com pos ers of the mu si cal in all pro grams dis trib uted in con nec -tion with per for mances of the mu si cal and in all in stances in which the ti -tle of the mu si cal ap pears for pur poses of ad ver tis ing, pub li ciz ing or oth -er wise ex ploit ing the mu si cal and/or a pro duc tion. The names of the au -thors and composers must also ap pear on a sep a rate line, on which noother name ap pears, im me di ately fol low ing the ti tle, and must ap pear insize of type not less than fifty per cent (50%) the size of the ti tle type.Bio graph i cal in for ma tion on the au thors and composers, if in cluded in the playbook, may be used in all pro grams. In all pro grams this no tice mustap pear:

“Pro duced by spe cial ar range ment withTHE DRA MATIC PUB LISHING COM PANY of Woodstock, Il li nois”


The Berenstain Bears on Stage pre miered April 9, 2005, atOmaha The ater Com pany, Omaha, Ne braska, with the fol -low ing:

Di rec tor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . James LarsonAsst. Di rec tor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rena MossSet De sign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stan and Jan BerenstainLighting De sign. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andy VanceSound De sign. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mi chael Wil helmCos tumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sherri GeerdesLighting Op er a tor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Angela Mor ri sonSound Op er a tor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bur gess Wilkins

Orig i nal Pro duc tion Cast

MA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wendy Eaton

PA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Earl Bates

SIS TER BEAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Samantha But ler

BROTHER BEAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mi chael Harrelson

COW BOY JOE AND OTHER CHAR AC TERS . . . . . . . .Brian Priesman

VINNIE AND OTHER CHAR AC TERS . . Su san GillespieBooton

TOO TALL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kevin Ehrhart

4


The Berenstain Bears on Stage

CHAR AC TERS

COWBOY JOEPAPA BEARMAMA BEARBROTHER BEARSIS TER BEARTOO TALLVINNIESKUZZFARMER BENOF FICER MAR GUE RITECOUSIN FREDTEACHER JANE

5


MU SI CAL SE LEC TIONS

1. Introduction2. Cowboy Joe3. An Only Cub4. Father’s Problem5. A Fine Young Cub6. A Fine Young Cub Playoff7. An Only Cub Reprise8. Cowboy Joe Playoff9. Two to Tango

10. Tango Playoff11. I Think She’s Grand12. Grand Playoff13. Messy Room14. A Glorious Mess15. Cleaning the Room16. Toy Box17. Too Tall Gang18-19. I Could Scream Pt. 1 & 220. Chicken, Chicken21. Transition to Watermelon Patch22. Watermelons23. Transition Back to Sister24. The Whopper25. Transition to Trust26. Trust27. Cowboy Joe Reprise28. Grizzlystiltskin29. Transition to Practice30. Practice31. Transition to Theater32. Grizzlystiltskin Pt. 233. Conclusion - Practice34. Finale/Bows

6


The Berenstain Bears on Stage

SCENE ONE

(#1: IN TRO DUC TION. At stage left there is a largever sion of the Bears’ tree house. Slightly downstage arerep re sen ta tions of two rooms: BROTHER BEAR’s roomis at stage right, MAMA and PAPA’s room at stage left.

There is an over-sized trun dle bed [big enough for theac tor play ing BROTHER BEAR to squeeze into] inBROTHER’s room.

There is a bed big enough for MAMA and PAPA BEARin their room.

ENTER COW BOY JOE from stage right. He is wear ingwest ern clothes [cow boy hat, etc.] and is car ry ing a gui -tar on which he fre quently strums a chord to punc tu atehis com men tary.)

COW BOY JOE. Hi. Cow boy Joe here. I’m the world’sfore most ex pert on the Berenstain Bears. (Strum.) Youknow the Berenstain Bears. (Strum. Singing. #2: COW -BOY JOE.)

THE BERENSTAIN BEARS

7


MAY LIVE IN A TREE,BUT THEY’RE QUITE A LOTLIKE YOU AND ME.THEIR NOSES ARE SOMEWHATLONGER THAN OURS.THEIR HUGS ARE CONSIDERABLYSTRONGER THAN OURS.THEY’RE QUITE A LOT FURRIER’BOUT THE TORSO,THEY’RE JUST LIKE PEOPLE—ONLY MORE SO.

That’s right. I know everything there is to know aboutthe Berenstain Bears. You might say I know ’em inside,outside, upside down. (Strum!) Now let’s go down thatsunny dirt road deep, deep into Bear Country for ourfirst story, The Berenstain Bears’ New Baby.

(Dur ing the above, BROTHER BEAR [wear ing pa ja masover his reg u lar clothes for the pur pose of quick cos -tume change] en ters on tip toe from stage right andsqueezes un com fort ably into his trun dle bed.

MAMA and PAPA BEAR [also wear ing night clothesover their reg u lar clothes—pa ja mas in PAPA’s case and night gown in MAMA’s] en ter un ob tru sively from stageleft and climb onto the big bed.

The dis tant cry of a rooster is heard as COW BOY JOEtip toes off stage right.

Hear ing the rooster, BROTHER BEAR be gins to comeawake. As he does, he be gins to groan as if in pain

8 THE BERENSTAIN BEARS ON STAGE


[which he is, be cause the bed is too small]. His groanssyn chro nize with PAPA’s snor ing across the stage in akind of Anvil Chorus of wak ing-up noises: Snore…groan…snore…groan…etc.

BROTHER wrenches him self awake and sits on the sideof his bed as PAPA con tin ues snor ing across the stage.)

BROTHER (stretch ing and yawn ing, get ting up, walk ingaround stretch ing his legs. Singing. #3: AN ONLYCUB.)

AS ANYONECAN PLAINLY SEE,THIS BED OF MINE’STOO SMALL FOR ME.EV’RY MORNINGI’M A WRECK.IT CRAMPS MY KNEES.IT CRICKS MY NECK.WHEN ALL IS DONEAND ALL IS SAID,WHAT I NEEDIS A BRAND NEW BED.A NEW BED WORTHYOF A GROWING CUBWHO’S DOING OKAY—BUT HERE’S THE RUB— RUB-A-DUB-A-DEERUB-A-DUB-A-DUBIT’S LONELY BEINGAN ONLY CUB.RUB-A-DUB-A-DEERUB-A-DUB-A-DUB,

THE BERENSTAIN BEARS ON STAGE 9


IT’S LONELY BEINGAN ONLY CUB.

(MAMA has been ly ing awake lis ten ing to BROTHER’ssong and PAPA’s snores.)

MAMA (pok ing PAPA). Dear…dear!…dear!PAPA (ex plo sive, in ter rupted snores). Huh?… Wha?…

(Wakes up, sits on bed, hears the end of BROTHER’ssong.) The boy’s right—gotta make that boy a new bed.

(#4: FATHER’S PROB LEM. MAMA, ob vi ously verypreg nant, gets up, walks around bed and con frontsPAPA.)

MAMA. That’s not all you have to do, dear. You’ve got totell him about the baby (points to tummy) and you’vegot to do it soon.

PAPA (gets up from bed and looks at MAMA’s tummy,con sid ers sit u a tion. Singing).

BUT WHAT DO I SAYTO THE LAD, BY JIMINY?THAT THE STORK DROPS THE BABYDOWN THE CHIMINEY?

MAMA (sing ing).NO, YOU MAY NOT!THAT STORY’S A DUD.THAT OLD STORYIS DUMBER THAN MUD!

PAPA (sing ing).I’LL FORGET THAT OLD STORK



AND START FROM SCRATCH.AND WE’LL FIND BABY ’NEATH A LEAFIN THE CABBAGE PATCH.

MAMA (singing).THAT STORY, MY DEAR,IS A BIT OF A BORE.DUMBER, EVEN,THAN THE ONE I HEARD BEFORE.

PAPA (keeps try ing. Singing).THERE’S THE LITTLE BLACK BAGOF THE DOCTOR, MY DEAR.SHOULD I SAY THAT’S HOWTHE BABY GOT HERE?

MAMA (sing ing).THAT DOCTOR BAG STORYIS FALSE TO ITS CORE.DOCTORS DON’T MAKEHOUSE CALLS ANYMORE.

PAPA. Well then, what do you want me to tell him?MAMA (ex as per ated). What do I want you to tell him? I

want you to tell himTHE TRUTH!

PAPA (in cred u lous).THE T-T-T-TRUTH?

(Black out.)



SCENE TWO

(When the lights come up, the “rooms” have been re -moved. The tree house stands alone. There is a clothes -line ex tend ing from the tree house to three -quar ters ofthe way across the stage.

COW BOY JOE is sit ting on a stump at stage right. He’spre oc cu pied with tun ing his gui tar.

COWBOY JOE (looking up). Oh, hi!… All right, let’s see,where are we?… Brother’s bed is too small, Mama’stummy is very big and Papa has to make Brother a newbed. He also has to for get about the stork, the cab bagepatch and the doc tor’s lit tle black bag and tell Brotherthe t-t-t-truth.

(BROTHER and PAPA come out of the front door of thetree house onto front stoop, fol lowed by MAMA. PAPAis car ry ing his ax and his tool chest.

MAMA re mains on front stoop as PAPA and BROTHERde scend steps and move across stage.)

MAMA. Now, don’t for get what we were talk ing about,Papa. (#5: A FINE YOUNG CUB.)

PAPA (stop ping in his tracks). Hmm… What were wetalk ing about?… Oh, yes. (PAPA takes deep breath ashe and BROTHER exit stage left.)

MAMA (big sigh).



(MAMA reaches into front door, brings out big bas ket of laun dry. She car ries it down front steps, moves toclothes line, puts down bas ket and turns to au di ence.)

MAMA (sing ing).YES WE ARETHE PARENTS OFA FINE YOUNG CUBWHOM WE CHERISH AND LOVEAND THOUGH HE ISA LITTLE BIT LONELY,SOON HE WILL BE A BROTHERIN MORE THAN NAME ONLY.

(MAMA be gins tak ing up the laun dry and hang ing it onthe line, con tin u ing to sing as she does so.)

MAMA (cont’d., sing ing).YES, WE ARE THREE,MAMA, PAPA AND SON.BUT WE COULD BE FOURBEFORE THE DAY IS DONE—FOUR BEFORE THE DAY IS DONE.

(The first pieces she hangs on the line are four iden ti calyel low plaid shirts ex actly like the one PAPA is wear ing. She con tin ues sing ing, re peat ing above song, while con -tin u ing to hang the laun dry, add ing a num ber of bluedresses with white polka dots ex actly like the one she iswear ing.



As MAMA con tin ues to sing softly and hang the laun dryCOW BOY JOE co mes up stage and ad dresses the au di -ence.)

COW BOY JOE. Lots of kids write and ask why the Beren -stain Bears al ways wear the same clothes. Well, theydon’t al ways wear the same clothes. They’ve got clos etsfull of clothes that are ex actly alike and they changethem as of ten as you and I.

(#6: A FINE YOUNG CUB PLAY OFF. Lights fade toblack.)

SCENE THREE

(We are in an other place—a woodsy place. There is alarge sawn-off stump at cen ter stage. There is a pile ofrough-hewn boards that have al ready been cut from it.Con cealed in the wel ter of boards are the pre formedcom po nents of BROTHER’s new bed.

En ter PAPA and BROTHER.)

BROTHER. Is this the right place, Papa?PAPA.Yes, son. And this is the right tree. The Gi ant

Bedwood tree. Ideal for mak ing beds. And as you see,I’ve al ready sawn it into boards. Now let’s get to work.

(There fol lows a duet with PAPA and BROTHER sing ing al ter nate verses. As they sing, PAPA works on the bed.He ham mers, he saws, he joins. Un der cover of the



song, and the stage busi ness, PAPA as sem bles the pre- formed com po nents into a new bed. #7: AN ONLY CUB RE PRISE.)

BROTHER.Yes, Papa, Yes!Be cause… (Singing.)WHEN ALL IS DONEAND ALL IS SAID,WHAT I NEEDIS A BRAND NEW BED.

PAPA.WITH MY TRUSTY TOOLSIN MY OLD TOOLKIT:THE HAMMER, THE SAW,THE BRACE AND BIT.

BROTHER.WITH MY OLD BED,I’M A WRECK.IT CRAMPS MY KNEES,IT CRICKS MY NECK.

PAPA.AWL AND CHISEL,AX AND LEVEL,A PLANE WITH WHICHTO SHAVE AND BEVEL.

BROTHER.A NEW BED WORTHYOF AN ONLY CUB,WHO’S DOING OK— BUT HERE’S THE RUB—RUB-A-DUB-A-DEERUB-A-DUB-A-DUB



IT’S LONELY BEINGAN ONLY CUB.

PAPA.HERE ARE THE SIDES,THE FOOT AND HEAD,HERE IT IS, SON,I’M SO EX CITEDPAPA BEAR IS FASTTHIS BED’S BUILT TO LASTYOUR BRAND NEWBEAU TI FUL BED!I’M SO EX CITEDPAPA BEAR IS FASTTHIS BED’S BUILT TO LASTYOUR BRAND NEWBEAU TI FUL BED!

BROTHER.RUB-A-DUB-A-DEE!RUB-A-DUB-A-DUB!IT’S LONELY BEINGAN ONLY CUB.

(On hear ing BROTHER’s plain tive line about be ing anonly cub, PAPA snaps his fin gers and re mem bers some -thing—some thing im por tant.

He leaves BROTHER to ad mire his new bed and co mesdownstage. #8: COW BOY JOE PLAY OFF.)

PAPA (ad dress ing au di ence in loud stage whis per). I for -got to tell Brother the Facts of Life! (PAPA re turns toBROTHER.) Er…son…

BROTHER. Yes, Papa?



PAPA. Er, there’s some thing I want to talk to you about.Some thing important— something your mama wantedme to talk to you about. (Clears throat.) It’s called theFacts of Life.

BROTHER. Can it wait, Papa?PAPA (hes i tant). Well, you see, son, it’s like this. (#9:

TWO TO TANGO.) When a papa and mama love eachother…

BROTHER (im pa tiently). Papa?…PAPA. Well, you see… (Singing—does a brief tango.)

IT TAKES TWOTO TANGO,IT TAKES TWO TO FANDANGO,DO THE DANCEOF LOVE.TWO TO TANGO…

(#10: TANGO PLAY OFF.)

BROTHER. Please, Papa, I learned all about that in Sex Ed at school. But more to the point, I don’t know if you’veno ticed, but Mama is preg nant—very preg nant. Andfrom the looks of things, she’s go ing to have the babyany min ute. So I think, all things con sid ered, we shouldtake my won der ful new bed and hurry home.

PAPA (af ter a beat). …Good think ing son,GOOD THINKING!

(Black out.)



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