The Holiday Show

Carolers (either one or two groups)
Wolf
Owl
Goose
Moose
Rabbits
Family #1
Bear
Family #2
Beavers
Skunks
Squirrel
SuperBadgers
Kids

and a Chorus made up of all students who are not playing roles at the time.
(The CLASS is on stage. A handful of them are dressed as CAROLERS, standing in a little half-circle facing the audience with caroling books in hand. The rest of students stand or sit along the edges. They ALL begin singing:)

CLASS:           Song 1
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me
A partridge in a pear tree.

(At this point the WOLF begins creeping, slowly, from the
side of the stage towards the CAROLERS)

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree.

(WOLF is now quite close)

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Three French hens
Two turtle doves
And a par...
(MUSIC and singing stop as CAROLERS see WOLF)

CAROLER (screaming in fright): Ahh, it's a wolf!

CAROLER: Wolf!

CAROLER: Wolf, run for your lives!

(CAROLERS run off, screaming. The WOLF looks puzzled. OWL and GOOSE enter quickly as WOLF shouts:)

WOLF (to departing Carolers): Hey, come back!

(OWL, WOLF, and GOOSE run in)

OWL: Wolf, what happened? We heard screaming.

WOLF: Owl, did you see that? I just wanted to join in the caroling. You know I love caroling.

OWL: They looked terrified.

GOOSE (looking and then pointing at audience): But these people don’t look terrified. They look relieved.

OWL: Of course they’re relieved. They thought they’d have to listen to all
twelve days of Christmas. Wolf spared them eight days.

WOLF: This just isn’t my winter. I’m cold. I think of those warm fires inside
the houses in town—makes me wish my side of the family had been domesticated.

OWL (pointing to GOOSE): You could always make a down comforter out of Goose over here.

GOOSE: That’s not funny. Not funny at all. You know I’m always nervous this time of year. Thanksgiving to New Years is a troubling time for edible fowl. .

WOLF: Hey, isn’t that Moose running up the hill?

OWL: Yes it is! I’ve never seen him move so fast.

MOOSE (entering, out of breath): Run for you life! They’ve gone crazy. Hurry!

OWL: What are you talking about?

MOOSE: The people in the town. They’re doing terrible things!

GOOSE: What is it? Did they try to roast you? I hate that.

MOOSE: No. Worse! I heard this pounding. I looked up on top of a house, and there in full view, a guy was nailing twelve reindeer to a roof! Why didn’t they try to run away?

OWL: Moose, they weren’t real reindeer.

MOOSE: Maybe there were hypnotized.

GOOSE: They weren’t real reindeer, Moose.

MOOSE: What?

WOLF: It’s just part of the holiday celebration.

MOOSE: What’s that mean?

OWL: Oh my gosh! Moose, this is your first winter, isn’t it?

MOOSE: Well, yeah.

GOOSE: Interesting things happen this time of year.

MOOSE: What do you mean?

OWL: (shouting) Forest animals! Come out! Moose needs us!

ENTIRE CLASS (except MOOSE):                                         Song 2

Gotta tell the moose
Gotta introduce
The winter holidays
People down in town
Running all around
Each year the same ol’ craze.

See them up at dawn
Busy on the lawn
Arranging plastic sleighs
Gotta tell the moose
Gotta introduce
The winter holidays.

Gotta tell our mate
How they celebrate
The winter holidays.
Running out to shop
Cooking ’til they drop
They’re in a manic phase

Latkes to prepare
Potatoes everywhere
Grating ’til their eyes glaze
Gotta tell the moose
Gotta introduce
The winter holidays.

Thanksgiving and Hanukkah bring out the cheer
Christmas and Kwanzaa and happy New Year!

See them up at dawn
Busy on the lawn
Arranging plastic sleighs
Gotta tell the moose
Gotta introduce
The winter holidays.
The winter holidays.

(CLASS exits; OWL, WOLF, GOOSE, and MOOSE begin walking)

OWL: Come on, Moose. Let’s go down to town and see what the people are doing.

GOOSE: Are you sure that’s a good idea? What if they’re hungry? Maybe we should take some chocolates for them just in case.

(RABBIT #1 hops in)

WOLF: Oh, hello, Rabbit.

RABBIT #1: Hello.

OWL: We’re off to teach Moose about holidays.

WOLF (to RABBIT #2, entering with huge carrot): Hello, Rabbit.

RABBIT #2: I’m trying to defrost this carrot. You don’t have a microwave, do you?

OWL: Do I look like I have a microwave?

MOOSE: There are so many people in town these days. Where do they all come from?

OWL: It’s the holidays. Friends and family gather together.

WOLF (to RABBIT #3, entering): Hello, Rabbit.

RABBIT #3: You’re telling me about family gatherings. You wouldn’t believe our place this time of year.

MOOSE: There sure are a lot of you Rabbits around today.

RABBIT #4 (hopping in): There sure are. Big family reunion!

RABBITS:                                  Song 3

Thirty five uncles
Forty two aunts
All want to kiss me
All want to dance.

Seventeen siblings
Nephews galore
Usually by New Years
There’s two dozen more.

Woh woh woh woh woh woh
Woh woh woh woh woh woh
Family time
Family time
I love that family time.

Fifty four cousins
At each other’s throat
All watching TV
With just one remote.

Time for some soccer
There’s more than we need
Got enough family
To form a whole league.

RABBIT #1 (shouts): Hey, let’s do our Family Dance!

(RABBITS do lovely hopping dance during instrumental)

RABBITS and CHORUS:

Woh woh woh woh woh woh
Woh woh woh woh woh woh
Family time
Family time
I love that family time.

(RABBITS exit)

OWL: Come on, Moose. Let’s go peak inside a house—I want you to see the Christmas decorations.

MOOSE: Decorations?

GOOSE: You know. Trees and stuff.

MOOSE: They put trees inside their houses?

WOLF: I think it’s so the dogs don’t have to go out in the cold.

OWL: Here, just look through this window—the people are fixing things up.

(FAMILY #1 with Christmas decorations appears and sings:)

FAMILY #1:                                  Song 4

Deck the halls with boughs of holly
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
’Tis the season to be jolly
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Don we now our gay apparel.
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la
Troll the ancient Yuletide carol.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

FAMILY and CHORUS:

See the blazing Yule before us.

ONE MEMBER OF FAMILY:

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

FAMILY and CHORUS:

Strike the harp and join the chorus.

ONE MEMBER OF FAMILY:

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

FAMILY and CHORUS:

Follow me in merry measure.
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la
While I tell of Yuletide treasure.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la.

(FAMILY exits)

MOOSE: That looks like great fun. I’ve never decked a hall with anything. I didn’t even know you could deck a hall.

GOOSE: Me either.

WOLF: I decked an obnoxious hedgehog once.

(BEAR enters)

OWL: That’s not the same.
(Seeing BEAR)
Bear! What are YOU doing up? Aren’t you supposed to be hibernating?

BEAR: Not yet—not until I get some latkes.

MOOSE: Latkes?

GOOSE: Potato pancakes--folks eat them for the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. And they’re meat free!

BEAR (getting excited): Lovely shredded potatoes. Savory onions. A dash of salt and pepper. A little flour to compose a masterpiece.

OWL: Calm down, Bear. You always overdo it with the latkes.

BEAR (lost in salivation): Fried up golden brown, crispy yet tender, in hot oil. Wait! Did you hear that?

WOLF: What?

BEAR: Listen.
(THEY listen. Nothing.)
They’re calling me.

MOOSE: Who?

BEAR: The latkes. “Bear,” they’re saying, “we’re waiting. Bear, come get us while we’re still really hot.” I’ve gotta go.
(BEAR exits)

MOOSE: Bear said something about Hanukkah. Who’ s that?

WOLF: It’s another holiday. Here, look in that window.

MOOSE (HE sees a menorah without candles): Ooh! They’ve got a really tiny tree with eight curving branches.

OWL: That’s not a tree. That’s a menorah. It’s for Hanukkah. Take a look.

MOOSE (looking more closely): It must be hard to drink out of all those little cups.

GOOSE: Those aren’t for water, silly. They’re for candles.

WOLF: They light one candle the first night of Hanukkah, then two on the second, until on the eighth night all of them are lit.

OWL: Listen, they’re singing the Hanukkah Song.

(FAMILY #2 appears, singing)

FAMILY #2:                   Song 5

Oh Hanukkah, oh Hanukkah, come light the Menorah,
Let’s have a party, we’ll all dance the hora.
Gather round the table, we’ll give you a treat.
Dreidles to play with, latkes to eat.
Gather round the table, we’ll give you a treat.
Dreidles to play with, latkes to eat.

FAMILY# 2 and CHORUS:
And while we are playing,
The candles are burning low.
One for each night, they shed a sweet light,
To remind us of days long ago;
One for each night, they shed a sweet light,
To remind us of days long ago.

To hear a Real Audio song sample, click on the titles that are underlined. To hear the same samples with Windows Media Player, click on "Windows Media" near the name of the song. Please note that internet song samples have very low fidelity and rest assured that the CDs we sell sound much better. Problems hearing the music? Visit our Audio Help page.

Teacher Reviews:

To submit your own review, just e-mail it to ron@badwolfpress.com Be sure to include your school name and what grade you teach.

"The Holiday Show is my personal favorite. It's very teacher friendly. I love doing plays. It's a form of art. It's good for students to perform and step out a little. Students learn to work together as a team."
---Nina Christie, Teacher (5th/6th grade), Stoneridge School, Roseville, CA

"Had to let you know what a successful Holiday Show my second graders just performed! Every parent attended. Many compliments given for a funny, wonderful program. Parents and students loved the catchy tunes. I transformed baseball caps into characters. This was my first big production after 19 years of teaching. I plan to do more! This was life transforming event in my special needs students. I am so glad to stumble across you on the internet. Again, thank you for writing a teacher and student friendly script."
---Nancy Elder, Teacher (2nd grade) Paloma School, Temecula, CA

"Everyone wanted to learn all the songs---we're still singing the Beavers' song in May! I liked the ease with which we could add songs and characters like Las Posades. It's hard to find something that 10-15 teachers all like---our school has done almost all of your plays."
---Cindy Ursprung, Teacher (K-5th grade), 93rd Street Elementary, Los Angeles, CA

"The show was fantastic! We did it for our whole school (gr. 1-3) and for the paresnts. We had many positive comments and great feedback. I love the music!"
---Michele Cooper, Teacher (3rd grade) Port Colden School, Washington, NJ

Two of You are Planning to
Put the Play on Together??

If you ask us, we always suggest having just one class put on a play. We think each kid is more involved, and we think it's easier for you to deal with a smaller number of students.

But lots of teachers disagree with us. They've been happily doing the plays together for years.

In fact, Amy Anderson, the teacher who does four musicals a year (and she talks about this on our home page) thinks two classes together is the way to go.

Then what do I need to purchase? Think of a musical play like a library book. Only one teacher may "check out" (i.e. put on) the play at a time. If another teacher wants to produce the music play that you purchased in a separate production and at a later date, you may loan out your original plan and student copies.

Your "library" needs two copies of the play for two teachers to put on the play at the same time. If a teacher wants her class to put on the play with your class, she needs to buy her own copy of the play. For three or more teachers to produce a play together, purchase three copies for your "library" and Bad Wolf extends a Site License for all the teachers and classes at your school.

But why can't I just make extra copies of the play? If copies are made for a class other than the purchasing teacher's, it's an infringement of U.S. copyright law. Yikes! Bad Wolf likes to toe the line where Uncle Sam is concerned, so we offer a discount on the purchase of multiple copies of the play.

If you are 2 teachers putting on the play together...................................$60
* Includes 2 copies of the book and CD (save almost $20 off of buying
them separately) so each of you has a CD and book to work with.

* Free bonus: We'll throw in our famed "Earthworms on Parade" CD. Y'know, that's the one with the six goofiest songs about earthworms ever written
($9.95 value.)

* Includes the right to reproduce the script for the students in both of
your individual classes.

Questions? Call or email Ron Fink at (888) 827-8661 or ron@badwolfpress.com
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The Holiday Show

Teacher Reviews: To submit your own review, just e-mail it to ron@badwolfpress.com Be sure to include your school name and what grade you teach.

Teacher Reviews:

To submit your own review, just e-mail it to ron@badwolfpress.com Be sure to include your school name and what grade you teach.