Jack and the Beanstalk

This 20 minute musical play can be done as a complete play, skits, read-aloud, or you can just sing songs. The familiar tale comes alive as the students become the characters. No music or drama experience needed. Grades 1-5.

Jack and the Beanstalk is one of our most popular and versatile plays. Developed specifically for "first time" musical producers and performers, Jack has been performed successfully by all kinds of students---big kids, little kids, gifted, ESL. Teachers from kindergarten through fifth grade have told us how much fun they've had putting on this musicalized version of the familiar story of Jack, a beanstalk, a nasty Giant, and a very special goose. Students can compare different versions of this classic tale. What are the similarities and differences in plot? Character? Theme? Was Jack foolish to sell the cow for three supposedly "magic" beans? Would you? Student interest and participation surge when your kids actually get to play the characters and sing their thoughts.

Jack and the Beanstalk is a great complement to your curriculum resources in elementary school language arts.

"Wow! My class just performed 'Jack and the Beanstalk' last night for an audience of the school body and many parents. I have never had a class do such an astounding performance. This was an experience these third graders will never forget. When were were done, the 5th grade teacher came up to me and asked, 'How did you get them to learn their parts so well?' Well, it was the music, of course, and having it on the CD worked wonders."

---Ruth Brockman, Teacher (3rd grade) North Freedom Elementary, North Freedom, WI

"The CD with both words and music was invaluable. The children picked up the singer's pauses with ease. Every child had an important part. Stage directions for scenery was great. It turned out very well. The audience gave them a standing ovation. All the parents were very pleased. My principal said it was the best show ever given at our school."

---Gayle Jackson, Teacher, (1st grade), La Porte Elementary, La Porte, TX

"I think that the music is sensational. I began playing the tape during art time and the students loved it! Pretty soon, I heard them singing the songs at recess, lunch, and even during math. (That I had to curb!) We read Jack and the Beanstalk as core literature, so it was great to compare and contrast it with the play. I find that performing plays greatly increases self-esteem and instills a sense of responsibility. They allow full-class participation and have brought my class closer together!"

---Judy Tubachnick, Teacher, (2nd grade) Pomelo Elementary, Los Angeles, CA

"I love the inspirational lyrics...I love that the play integrates so well into a literature based, whole language classroom. Most importantly, I love how performing the play makes my students feel about themselves: FANTASTIC!"

---Chris Elliott, Teacher, (1st grade) La Mariposa School, Camarillo, CA

"Every child had an important part. The stage directions for the scenery were great... The audience gave the class a standing ovation. All the parents were very pleased, and my principal said it was the best show ever given at our school."

---Gayle Jackson, Teacher (1st grade) La Porte Elementary, La Porte, TX

"The music and lyrics were easy to sing because the lyrics told the story as well as rhyming. My kindergartners did a beautiful job of learning."

---Marlene Smith, Teacher (kindergarten) Jefferson Kindergarten Center, St. Joseph, MI

"The music is well-liked by children and there are lessons in the play that children can learn from. I didn't know it could be so easy to put on a show!"

---Irene Estrella, Teacher (2nd-4th grades) Rosewood Park Elementary, Montebello, CAS

"Very easy to do as a first play."

---Betsey Wilson, Teacher (Kindergarten), Edgeworth Elementary, Sewickley, PA

"My first graders performed to a standing room only crowd. We had parents, relatives, neighbors, friends, and friends of the parents, relatives, neighbors and friends! The audience was so appreciative with their clapping and whistling, the children flourished on stage. I'm not sure the children had envisioned how excited the audience would get, and the more excited the audience, the better the children performed!"

---Cathy Olmstead, Teacher (1st grade), Ludington Area Catholic School, Ludington, MI

Casting

Flexible casting from 8-40 students.
Use as many Farmers, Shepherds, etc. as desired.
Students can also play more than one role.

Script

This is the first one-third of the script:

CHARACTERS:

Jack's Mother
Farmers
Jack
Shepherds
Servant
Giant
Cook
Goose
A Chorus of many children is required, individual members of which will also
take turns as narrators.

Song 1

ENTIRE CAST (sings): :
This is the story of a boy named Jack
It also has a giant and a goose.
This is the story of a boy named Jack
Who puts a beanstalk to extraordinary use.

Now Jack and his Mom are so poor
That Jack must go out to explore.
He will climb a beanstalk way up high
He will find his fortune in the sky.

This is the story of a boy named Jack
It also has a beanstalk and a goose.
This is the story of a boy named Jack
Who finds out there's a giant on the loose.

A giant with little appeal
Who thinks Jack would make a good meal.
He says Fee and Fi and Fo and Fum,
The giant thinks a juicy meal has come.

This is the story of a boy named Jack
It also has a giant and a goose.
This is the story of a boy named Jack
Who puts a beanstalk
Who puts a beanstalk
Who puts a beanstalk to extraordinary use.

Song 2

MOTHER (sings):
My son Jack is a dreamer
He dreams of adventurous stuff,
He dreams of pirates
He dreams of dragons
As if life weren't tough enough.

My son Jack is a dreamer
But please do not take offense,
But if I could change him
Just slightly change him
I'd give him some common sense
Just a little more common sense.

My Jack's been known to do some silly things
He traded our chickens for a pair of wings
A pair of wings with which he said he'd fly,
He jumped from the barn---
And he broke his arm.

My son Jack is a dreamer
But please do not take offense,
But if I could change him
Just slightly change him
I'd give him some common sense
Just a little more common sense
Just a little more common sense
Just a little more common sense.

NARRATOR (spoken): Times are very difficult for Jack and his mother. They are
down to their last bit of food. So Jack's mother tells him to take their old cow---the
only thing they have of value---and sell it so they can buy food. As Jack walks down
the road, leading his cow, he meets some farmers.

Song 3

FARMERS:
We are old farmers
We plant and we plow,
Just some old farmers
Who need a new cow.

We don't have money
But don't go away
Sell us your heifer
And here's what we'll pay:

Three magic beans
How your Mom will prize them
Three magic beans
Plant and fertilize them,
Three magic beans
We're not sure what they do
But give us your cow
And we'll give them to you.

JACK (spoken): My mother says I have to get lots of money for our cow. Boy,
those beans are pretty.

FARMERS:
We are old farmers
We know what you need
You need excitement
To do a great deed.

You need adventure
A chance to explore
This is exactly
What these beans are for.

FARMERS AND CHORUS:
Three magic beans
How your Mom will prize them
Three magic beans
Plant and fertilize them,
Three magic beans
We're not sure what they do
But give us your cow
And we'll give them to you.

NARRATOR (spoken): Jack buys the beans and he happily brings them back
to his mother.

MOTHER (sings):
Three stupid beans
What good will they do us?
Three stupid beans
What have you done to us?
Three lousy beans
They'll never even sprout
Three lousy beans I can only throw out!

(Jack's MOTHER throws the beans out the window.)

NARRATOR (spoken): Jack's mother throws the beans out the window, and she
and Jack go to bed hungry.

(The CHORUS stands and links arms to form a horizontal beanstalk.)

NARRATOR (spoken): Early the next morning Jack wakes up to an amazing sight---
a giant beanstalk in his backyard.

JACK (spoken): Wow.

(JACK moves to the base of the beanstalk)

Song 4

(Sings)
Look at it. It's beautiful!
So fresh, so green
The greenest green I've ever seen
With dew-drops so clear they disappear.

I'm gonna climb that beanstalk way up high
I'm gonna find my fortune in the sky.
I'm gonna climb that beanstalk way up high
I'm gonna find my fortune in the sky.

Look at it. It's wonderful!
So wide, so tall
The tallest tall I think of all
From bottom to top, it doesn't stop.

I'm gonna climb that beanstalk way up high
I'm gonna find my fortune in the sky.
I'm gonna climb that beanstalk way up high
I'm gonna find my fortune in the sky.

(JACK "climbs" the beanstalk, going from child to child in the chain.)

CHORUS: (chants)
And he climbs, and he climbs, and he climbs, and he climbs, and he climbs,
and he...

(JACK faces the audience and sings)

(This concludes the first one- third of the script.)

Sample Songs

Click on the song name to hear samples. Please note that internet song samples have low fidelity and rest assured that the CDs we sell sound much better! (This player requires Flash. If you have any trouble hearing the samples, just contact us for help.)

Full Song List

1. "This is the Story"
2. "A Little More Common Sense"
3. "Three Magic Beans"
4. "Three Stupid Beans"
5. "I’m Gonna Climb that Beanstalk"
6. "He’s Got One Eye, One Tooth"
7. "I’m a Servant"
8. "Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum"
9. "Cook’s Song"
10. "I Lay Golden Eggs"
11. "I’m Gonna Go Back Home"
12. "Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum"
13. "Help Me Mother"
14. "This was the Story"

National Education Standards

Fulfills National Arts Standard 3 for Dance, 1 and 8 for music, and 2, 3, and 5 for Theater.

Vocabulary

extraordinary
fortune
appeal
offense
common sense
plow
heifer
fertilize
deed
sprout
horizontal
dew-drop
shepherd
grind
soufflé
glaze
waddle
unique
grateful