Song Samples
Full Song List
1. "Greatest Americans"
2. "We Are the Wright Brothers"
3. "Rosa Parks"
4. "Fav'rite Roosevelt"
5. "Too Much Fun"
6. "I Paint Flowers"
7. "Assembly Line"
8. "Fav'rite Roosevelt" (reprise)
9. "They Call Me Babe"
10. "Greatest Americans" (reprise)
Casting
Flexible casting from 11-40 students.
Use as many Workers, musicians, etc. as desired. There are a lot of characters
in the show, but many of them have just a few spoken lines. One student
can easily
play several roles, although the following roles are so substantial that
we recommend
the actors playing them do not take on any other parts: Angelica, Wally,
Hemingway,
Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt. Note that all roles can be played by either
boys or girls.
Script
This is the first one-third of the script:
CHARACTERS:
Announcer (offstage voice)
Angelica, the emcee
All-American Dancers
Wally, the roving reporter
Martha Graham
Wilbur Wright
Orville Wright
Ernest Hemingway
Rachel Carson
Walt Disney
Martin Luther King
Rosa Park Singers
Teddy Roosevelt and his Entourage
FDR and his Entourage
3 Spokespersons (for Stars in Your Pantry)
Jackson Pollack
musicians
Louis Armstrong
Andy Warhol
Georgia O’Keeffe
Cesar Chavez
Henry Ford and his Workers
2 Guys in white coats
Eleanor Roosevelt
Albert Einstein
Thomas Edison
Babe Didrikson
Babe Ruth
and a CHORUS composed of all students who are not playing roles on stage
at the time.
(Outside an auditorium—this can be represented simply as the very
left of the stage.
A woman, elegantly dressed, holds a microphone. People, also dressed
up, walk
by on a red carpet towards the right side of the stage. Other people
are standing
behind ropes. Some might shout out things like “There she goes!” and “I
just LOVE
your cars, Mr. Ford!” After a few seconds of this, we hear from
offstage:)
VOICE: Five seconds to air, Angelica.
(Angelica turns to the audience, primps her hair a bit and speaks.)
ANGELICA: Good evening! Thank you for tuning into our fabulous awards
show.
Tonight we celebrate great Americans of the 20th century. And best of
all, it
features…me!
(As the music begins, several “All-American Dancers” could
jump across the stage
in silly “award show” fashion. These dancers can return during
the brief musical interlude
after the first chorus. ANGELICA sings:)
Song 1 -
Listen now!
We’ve got scientists and heroes
We’ve got entertainers too
And there’s even politicians
There was nothing we could do.
We found athletes and artists
And a business man or two
And we’ve brought them all together
Just to celebrate with you.
ANGELICA and CHORUS:
The greatest
The greatest
The greatest Americans.
The greatest
The greatest
The greatest Americans—
of the twentieth century.
DIFFERENT MEMBERS of CHORUS:
#1: There are lots of great musicians
#2: And there’s folks in civil rights
#3: We’ve got some who play with baseballs
#4: Some who play with ’lectric lights.
#5: We’ve got labor movement leaders
#6: And a woman who paints flowers
ANGELICA:
And there’s ME, your host all evening
Hope the show goes on for hours!
ANGELICA and CHORUS:
The greatest
The greatest
The greatest Americans—
The greatest
The greatest
The greatest Americans—
of the twentieth century.
ANGELICA: It’s so exciting. Brilliant and talented people from
all walks of life are
entering the auditorium. Let’s go to our roving reporter, Wally
Walters, who’s standing
just outside the doors.
(We see WALLY now, who also holds a microphone on the other side of
the stage.
An elegant woman walks by him.)
WALLY : Thank you, Angelica. It’s fantastic to be part of such
an evening. Wait,
here comes somebody. I think, yes, it’s, uh, somebody famous. Excuse
me, ma’am.
MARTHA GRAHAM: Yes?
WALLY: Who are you?
MARTHA GRAHAM: I’m Martha Graham.
WALLY: THE Martha Graham? Fantastic.
(WALLY has no idea who she is.)
This is Martha Graham, ladies and gentleman, the famous…er…inventor
of the
graham cracker. I just love graham crackers.
(TO GRAHAM)
There’s something we’re all dying to know.
GRAHAM: Yes?
WALLY: How do you get all those little perforations in the crackers?
ANGELICA (cutting in): Wally, you idiot!
(catching herself, turning to audience, trying to forget what she just
said) I mean,
Wally, what a kidder! Everyone knows Martha Graham, the great dancer
and choreographer.
(GRAHAM exits)
WALLY (sees WRIGHT BROTHERS walking up carpet): Wait a minute! Here
come a couple of guys who must be brothers. Just look at them! Hey, are
you two
the Brothers Karamozov?
WILBUR: No. They’re fictional characters out of Russian novel.
WALLY: Wait, don’t tell me. The Luden Brothers? I knew it. Ladies
and gentlemen,
these guys discovered cough drops.
ORVILLE: No, you’ve got the wrong brothers.
WALLY: Okay, I give up. Who are you?
WILBUR: We’re the Wright brothers.
WALLY: Well of course you’re the right brothers if you’re
not the wrong brothers.
But what’s your name?
ORVILLE: Really, we’re the Wright Brothers.
WALLY (a bit frantic): Don’t play games with me! I’ve got
an infected hangnail
and my shoes caught on fire this morning. I’m not feeling well.
ORVILLE and WILBUR: But it’s true: we ARE the Wright Brothers!
Song 2
BROTHERS:
We are the Wright, Wright Brothers
We are the Wright, Wright Brothers
If you want to fly
Give the clouds a try
If you want to fly we’re the Wright Brothers.
ORVILLE:
I remember well that daring flight
I was cool as I flew out of sight
The things below looked just like ants to me.
WILBUR:
Well they WERE ants you saw below
You were only up ten feet or so
But that was news in nineteen hundred three.
BROTHERS:
We are the Wright, Wright Brothers
We are the Wright, Wright Brothers
If you want to fly
Give the clouds a try
If you want to fly we’re the Wright Brothers.
We Americans got off the ground
Hundred years and we are not back down
Yeah flying drew new maps and changed the clock.
You can fly to Rome, you fly in space
This whole world’s become a tiny place
It started way back there at Kitty Hawk.
BROTHERS and CHORUS:
We are the Wright, Wright Brothers
We are the Wright, Wright Brothers
If you want to fly
Give the clouds a try
If you want to fly we’re the Wright Brothers.
If you want to fly
Give the clouds a try
If you want to fly we’re the Wright Brothers.
(THEY exit. ANGELICA enters the stage of the auditorium and stands
at a podium
or a microphone stand.)
ANGELICA: Welcome, honored guests and nominees. Let’s get straight
to our
first award.
(ERNEST HEMINGWAY enters suddenly, much to the surprise of ANGELICA.)
HEMINGWAY: Thank you, thank you.
ANGELICA: Ernest Hemingway!
HEMINGWAY: I’m honored, of course. Where’s that award?
ANGELICA: Mr. Hemingway, I’m sorry, but this is not your category.
HEMINGWAY: It isn’t? Are you sure?
ANGELICA: You’re not supposed to be out here.
HEMINGWAY: Well, since I’m already here, we could talk about me
for a
few minutes.
ANGELICA: Not now.
HEMINGWAY: What if we just mention a few of my novels? It won’t
take long.
ANGELICA: No. I’m sorry.
HEMINGWAY: I could mime the titles.
ANGELICA: Ernest, please.
HEMINGWAY (exiting): Farewell, then. Farewell…To Arms! (laughing
because
he snuck in the title of one of his novels) Ha ha ha ha! (exits)
ANGELICA (collecting herself, speaks to audience). I’m sorry about
that. Now,
back to the awards. To present our Humanitarian award, I am proud to
introduce
two great Americans in their own right, Rachel Carson and Walt Disney.
(THEY enter, CARSON holds an envelope)
DISNEY: Rachel, it’s an honor to be here with you. Your book,
Silent Spring,
about pesticide poisoning, pretty much started the whole environmental
movement.
CARSON: Thank you, Walt. And who would have thought that at the same
time I
was fighting with chemical companies, trying to make the United States
a safer place,
you would be changing the world with an animated rodent?
DISNEY: Life’s a mystery, eh, Rachel? But enough about us. We’ve
got an important
award to hand out. There were so many inspiring humanitarian leaders
in twentieth-century
America. Our panel of judges had a very difficult time selecting just
one winner. But they
did, and let’s find out who it is.
CARSON (opens envelope, reads): For his work in civil rights, for leading
the non-violent
march towards equality for black Americans in the most difficult of times,
the winner is
Dr. Martin Luther King.
KING (entering with ROSA PARK SINGERS. HE speaks at podium): I am honored,
but I can’t accept this award alone. I want to acknowledge the
bravery of one woman.
On December fifth, 1955, Rosa Parks was riding on a bus in Montgomery,
Alabama.
She was sitting in the fifth row of the bus—in what was called
the “colored section.”
Blacks were not allowed in the front, and we were required by law to
give up our seats
to any white person who wanted it. But on that day Rosa did not give
up her seat. Rosa
did not move to the back of the bus. Rosa did not accept second-class
citizenship. By
that one simple and brave gesture, the civil rights movement was galvanized.
Thank you,
Rosa Parks.
Song 3
ROSA PARK SINGERS:
Rosa Parks
You stay in your seat
Rosa Parks
Not just tired feet
You know, you know
There’s gonna be a fuss
But you’re not movin’ to the back of the bus.
No, you’re not movin’ to the back of the bus.
Rosa Parks
You’re under arrest
Rosa Parks
Now here comes the test
Is it legal or just ludicrous?
To make you move on to the back of the bus?
To make you move on to the back of the bus.
M.L. KING (spoken as music continues): So we organized a bus boycott.
It lasted
382 days. Rosa refused to pay the fine, and her case made it all the
way to the Supreme
Court. In December of 1956, the Supreme Court declared that the segregation
in the
south was unconstitutional. And through it all Rosa never wavered.
ROSA PARK SINGERS, KING, CHORUS:
Rosa Parks
Equality stalled
Rosa Parks
And you took the call.
An example still to all of us
By not movin’ to the back of the bus.
By not movin’ to the back of the bus.
(THEY exit. ANGELICA steps up to microphone.)
ANGELICA: To present out next award for outstanding American statesman
of the
twentieth century, please welcome the famous aviator and adventurer,
Amelia Earhart.
(SHE looks offstage—no one comes. After a pause:)
ANGELICA: Apparently Amelia is missing. Well, I’m sure she’ll
show up soon—
she can’t be lost forever. I guess we’ll just move on…
HEMINGWAY (shouting from offstage): Bring back Hemingway!
ANGELICA (speaking in his direction): Ernest, be quiet!
(to audience)
I guess I’ll do the honors.
(Picks up envelope)
And the winner of greatest statesman is…Roosevelt.
(FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT enters, with ENTOURAGE behind)
ANGELICA: Congratulations, President Roosevelt.
(TEDDY ROOSEVELT comes racing in, his ENTOURAGE behind)
TEDDY: Now hold on a minute there. You’ve got the wrong Roosevelt.
That there
is Franklin Delano Roosevelt. FDR is a fine man, no doubt, but I’m
sure that award
was meant for me, Teddy Roosevelt.
FDR: Oh, Teddy, you were a good president, all right. Panama canal.
American
internationalism. Nobel Peace Prize and all that. But that was way back
in the first
decade of the century. And you weren’t elected president four times.
FDR’s ENTOURAGE (like cheerleaders chanting):
FDR
I’m his fan
Four elections
He’s the man!
TEDDY: Franklin, That New Deal of yours—the government programs
to get us
out of the Great Depression in the 1930s—it didn’t exactly
work, did it?
FDR: It gave millions of Americans a job and enough money to survive.
I gave
them hope.
TEDDY: And I gave them a new political party—the Bull Moose Party!
ENTOURAGE (swinging hands over head): Moose, Moose, Moose, Moose!
TEDDY: No, sirree, you can’t beat a moose.
FDR: I led our country through World War II.
TEDDY: I’m talking a MOOSE, Franklin. A BIG moose.
FDR: I have a Presidential Memorial in Washington D.C.!
TEDDY: My face is on a mountain in South Dakota!
TEDDY’S ENTOURAGE: Rushmore, Rushmore, Rushmore!
Song 4 -
Listen now!
In nineteen hundred one
This country’s time had come
And Teddy knew just how the people felt
TEDDY:
Speak softly, that’s the trick
And carry one big stick.
TEDDY’S ENTOURAGE:
We love this guy—
Our fav’rite fav’rite fav’rite Roosevelt.
FDR’S ENTOURAGE:
In 1932
The country was so blue
The depression had us tight around the belt.
FDR:
Your government is here
You’ve nothing now to fear.
FDR’S ENTOURAGE:
He gave us hope—
Our fav’rite fav’rite fav’rite Roosevelt.
BOTH GROUPS:
Let’s all cheer
Now you’re here
We are gonna stand tall
TEDDY’S ENTOURAGE:
Yeah it’s Teddy
FDR’S ENTOURAGE:
Yeah it’s Franklin
BOTH GROUPS:
He’s our fav’rite fav’rite fav’rite fav’rite
Roosevelt of all.
FDR’S ENTOURAGE:
When hope was wearing thin
Our FDR stepped in
And he made sure his grand New Deal got dealt
TEDDY’S ENTOURAGE:
Our Teddy’s strong and tough
Goes swimming in the buff
TEDDY:
Australian crawl—
BOTH GROUPS:
Our fav’rite fav’rite fav’rite Roosevelt.
BOTH GROUPS and CHORUS:
Let’s all cheer
Now you’re here
We are gonna stand tall
TEDDY’S ENTOURAGE:
Yeah it’s Teddy
FDR’S ENTOURAGE:
Yeah it’s Franklin
BOTH GROUPS and CHORUS:
He’s our fav’rite fav’rite fav’rite fav’rite
Roosevelt of all.
TEDDY’S ENTOURAGE:
Yeah it’s Teddy
FDR’S ENTOURAGE:
Yeah it’s Franklin
BOTH GROUPS and CHORUS:
He’s our fav’rite fav’rite fav’rite fav’rite
Roosevelt of all.
(THEY ALL exit, still arguing. ANGELICA steps up to microphone.)
(This concludes the first one-third of the script.)
Teacher Mollie Trewartha shared this text message and Facebook message from two students who are using what they learned in
Great Americans of the 20th
Century to score big on high school history exams!
 |
"Wow! When I introduced the play, my students were so excited I
could hardly believe it. They even painted pictures like Jackson Pollack
and Georgia O'Keefe. They really enjoyed every minute of it, and now when
one of the 'Great Americans' is mentioned somewhere, they relate to our
play."
---Kristen Braunreiter, Teacher (3rd grade), Dibble Elementary, Jackson,
MI
"This was my first year of doing a musical play. Great Americans
was perfect
because it fit so wonderfully well into the unit that I do after Christmas
vacation.
My students learned so much, even about Americans who aren't so well-known
by sixth graders. Kids are still mentioning the names of people from
the show as
they hear or head about them. And the parents loved it!"
---Lisa Atchison, Teacher (6th grade), Bertrand Community School, Bertrand,
NE
"It's hilarious and the music is TERRIFIC. The melodies are beautiful
and for the
most part, very easy for the kids to sing. Thank you so much! You're
my first
place too look for creative, engaging, funny musicals!"
---Blake Leister, Music Teacher (1st-5th grades), Dawson Elementary, Holden, MA
"The students are really enjoying it. As a teacher, I love that
it is educational and
fun! This is a great way to teach the cast, and school, about some great
Americans."
---Megan Bennett, Teacher (3rd-6th grades), River Bluff Elementary, Fresno,
CA
"This play is fabulous for exposing students to lesser-known Americans
whom they
can research while they learn the show. It's so much fun you won't be
able to stand it!"
---Betty Carlson, Teacher (5th grade), Westview Elementary, Champaign,
IL
"My class performs this play as part of a biography unit, and not
only do my students
learn so much about the people in the play, but they also become so much
more
confident in their speaking ability!"
---Gina Rafael, Teacher (6th grade), Leal Elementary, Cerritos, CA
"It got rave reviews! We did it on a very small budget too. "
---Jane Bader, Teacher (5th grade), East Woods School, Oyster Bay Cove,
NY
"It was SPECTACULAR. Every single student was pumped, whether they
were
in the chorus, or on the stage. We all had to work on literacy and learn
how to
pronounce substantive vocabulary. The students lit up like light bulbs
as they sang,
acted, danced, chased, and otherwise dazzled us. So, thanks. You really
do create
the best material."
---Betty Carlson, Teacher (5th grade), Westview Elementary, Champaign,
IL
Frequently Asked Questions About Bad Wolf Products and Licensing
How does your pricing and licensing work?
A: In short: each teacher/director using the play should have a copy of it. That's it! Your purchase gives you the right to use the play with as many classes as you wish, to photocopy the script for your actors, and to put on as many performances as you wish. This one-time purchase gives you a lifetime license. See below for more information on site licenses (for 3+ teachers or whole schools).
Q: What comes in the package?
A: Every musical play comes with the script and a 12-page Teacher's Guide that provides lots of tips and advice for using the play from start to finish. It also includes the audio recording for the play, which has all the songs both WITH and WITHOUT vocals. Sheet music is NOT included with the basic package, but it is available for $12. Extra/replacement CDs are also available for $12.
Every non-musical play comes with the script and the 12-page Teacher's Guide.
Q: I'm just one teacher putting on a play. If I use the play with multiple classes, do I have to purchase multiple licenses?
A: No! Your purchase gives you a lifetime license to be used with as many actors and classes as you wish. If other teachers/directors wish to use the play as well, they will need to purchase their own licenses.
Q: Do I need to purchase scripts for students?
A: No! Your purchase includes permission to photocopy the script for your actors.
Q: What is a "site license"? How do I know if I need one?
A site license is the economical choice when a whole school or grade level wants to put on the same play. Instead of each teacher/director having to purchase a script, the school/site can purchase
a site license. This comes with three copies of the play (or one digital download) and permission to make copies for any additional participating teachers, as well as all the actors. You do NOT need to purchase both a site license and individual copies of the play; just buy one or the other.
Q: I understand that I can get two or more scripts for $35 each. Do they have to be the same play?
Nope! The discount applies whether you are purchasing multiple copies of the same show or single copies of multiple shows.
Q: What is the difference between the printed and digital versions? Which one should I get?
There is no difference in terms of content. The printed version of a musical play comes with an audio CD in a plastic sleeve in the back of the book. The digital version comes with two downloadable files: the script (PDF format) and the songs (individual MP3 files compressed in ZIP format). The advantage of the digital version is that you will not pay shipping and you can start using it instantly. Please read the question following this one about the technical requirements for digital files.
Non-musical plays are available in the form of a printed book or a PDF file.
Q: What are the technical requirements for the digital version?
- You will need to have Adobe Reader (free) or another software application that can open PDF files.
- You will need to be able to open ZIP files. The vast majority of computers should be able to do this without difficulty. If you wish to download the music directly to your phone or tablet, you will need to download an app that will open ZIP files. Many free ones are available.
- You will need to have some kind of audio player (such as iTunes or Windows Media Player) that will play MP3 files.
Advanced technical knowledge is not required; but please note that we do not have the ability to offer technical support for issues related to digital files. If you are unsure, it is probably best to stick with the printed version.
Q: What is your return/exchange policy?
A: Bad Wolf proudly offers a 100% guarantee. You can always exchange a product for another or get a full refund. No time limits, no questions.
Q: Is it OK if I edit the script?
A: Yes! Consider the play to be a jumping-off point. You are always welcome to change or omit anything that doesn't work for your class, administration, or parents. You are welcome to rewrite
lyrics, lines, or jokes -- or add your own! (The kids love doing this, by the way.)
Q: How long does shipping take?
A: We say that you should allow for one week within the U.S., but most orders are shipped the same day and arrive 1-3 days later. International orders usually take around two weeks to arrive.
Q: Do I need to pay any performance royalties?
A: As long as your admission price is less than $5 per ticket, you never need to pay performance royalties with a Bad Wolf show. If you decide to charge more than $5 a ticket, or if you are using one of our plays for a PAID workshop, camp, assembly, etc., pay only a low 1-2% royalty on gross revenues. See our royalty page to view the rates and pay.