The Nutrition Show: Hansel and Gretel Eat Right is a great complement
to your
curriculum resources in the vitally important subject of nutrition. And, like all of our plays, this show can be used to improve reading, vocabulary, reading comprehension, performance and music skills, class camaraderie and teamwork, and numerous social skills (read about it!) -- all while enabling students to be part of a truly fun and creative experience they will never forget!
Publication Information
Author: Ron Fink (Composer) and John Heath (Book and Lyrics)
ISBN: 978-1-886588-29-5
© 2003 Bad Wolf Press, LLC
Song Samples
Full Song List
1. "Hansel and Gretel Eat Right"
2. "Food Is Fuel"
3. "I Love Exercise"
4. "Gonna Eat Some Fruit"
5. "I Am a Compost Pile"
6. "So Many Flavors to Taste"
7. "Wash Your Hands"
8. "Is It Fresh?"
9. "The Walls Are Peanut Brittle"
10."Hansel and Gretel Eat Right"
Casting
Flexible casting from 11-40 students.
Use as many Rabbits, Elves, etc. as desired. One student can easily play
more
than one role. Note that all roles can be played by either boys or girls;
see our
comments on page 26 of the Teacher's Guide. The Storyteller will be played
by
many students (who may also play the role of a character as well.).
Script
This is the first one-third of the script:
CHARACTERS:
Storytellers (many students share the role)
Hansel
Gretel
Parents of Hansel and Gretel
Rabbits
Elves
Compost Pile
Birds
Raccoons
Squirrels
Witches
and a CHORUS comprised of all students who are not playing roles on stage
at the time.
(CLASS gathers in front of audience and sings. HANSEL and GRETEL stand
a
bit apart from the rest of the CLASS. We see a sign or banner that reads
"Hansel and Gretel")
Song 1 -
Listen now!
ONE-HALF CLASS:
Hansel and Gretel
You know the tale
Witches and ovens
It’s growing stale.
Hansel and Gretel
Out on a limb
It’s a bit scary
And very grim.
OTHER-HALF CLASS:
So we’ve gone and changed things
Slightly re-arranged things
Given the story some bite
Wrote a new edition
All about nutrition
Hansel and Gretel—Eat Right!
(The sign is unfolded so we can see the entire title: "Hansel and
Gretel Eat Right!)
ENTIRE CLASS:
Hansel and Gretel eat right
Hansel and Gretel eat right
Learning to be shrewd
When it comes to food
Hansel
And Gretel
Hansel and Gretel eat right.
Hansel and Gretel eat right
Hansel and Gretel eat right
Learning what we chew
Makes us healthy too
Hansel
And Gretel
Hansel and Gretel eat right.
HANSEL and GRETEL:
We like sweets
Lots of treats
CLASS: That’s not good for you.
HANSEL and GRETEL:
We like junk
Lots of gunk
CLASS: You’ll change before we’re through.
Hansel and Gretel eat right
Hansel and Gretel eat right
Learning to be shrewd
When it comes to food
Hansel
And Gretel
Hansel and Gretel eat right right right right
Hansel and Gretel eat right.
(CLASS exits/sits. HANSEL and GRETEL remain on stage. Their PARENTS
step forward.)
STORYTELLER: Hansel and Gretel live in the woods with their mother and
father. They only eat junk food, no matter what their parents try to
feed them.
Song 2 -
Listen now!
PARENTS:
Have some rice
Have some meat
Have some beans
Come and eat.
A couple bites of salad wouldn’t hurt
HANSEL and GRETEL: I wonder what we’re having for dessert.
PARENTS:
Have some nuts
Have some cheese
Have some milk
Drink some please.
It’s fresh right from the cow and good for you
HANSEL and GRETEL: But ice-cream is a dairy product too.
PARENTS:
You need good food for fuel
You need good food for fuel
You need good food for fuel all day, hey!
PARENTS and CHORUS:
Have some rice
Have some meat
Have some beans
Come and eat.
A couple bites of salad wouldn’t hurt
HANSEL and GRETEL: I wonder what we’re having for dessert.
PARENTS and CHORUS:
You need good food for fuel
You need good food for fuel
You need good food for fuel all day, hey!
(During instrumental, PARENTS try to get HANSEL and GRETEL to eat some
good food, but they refuse.)
Food is fuel so eat what’s good for you.
Food is fuel so eat what’s good for you.
(PARENTS exit.)
STORYTELLER: Hansel and Gretel decide to run away from home so they
can
eat only junk food. They soon run into some rabbits.
RABBIT #1(munching carrots): Hello. What are you doing in the woods?
HANSEL: We’re running away from home.
RABBIT #2: Running? That’s good.
GRETEL: It is?
RABBIT #1: Sure. It’s exercise!
Song 3 -
Listen now!
RABBITS:
Run
Kick
Hop
Skip
I love exercise.
Jump
Slide
Roll
Glide
I love exercise.
Swim
Leap
Dance
Creep
I love exercise.
Swing
Throw
Stop
Go!
I love exercise.
Here is a little secret
Here is a big surprise
What all you kids call fun
Grown-ups call exercise, woh-oh-oh.
RABBITS and CHORUS:
Run
Kick
Hop
Skip
I love exercise.
Jump
Slide
Roll
Glide
I love exercise.
Swim
Leap
Dance
Creep
I love exercise.
Swing
Throw
Stop
Go!
I love exercise.
(RABBITS exit.)
NARRATOR: Hansel and Gretel continue on their way, looking for junk
food.
Soon they run into some forest elves.
(ELVES enter)
GRETEL: Hello. Do you have any snacks? We’re starving.
ELF #1: Sure we do. Here, have a pineapple.
HANSEL: A pineapple?
ELF #2: You’d prefer a kumquat?
GRETEL: Don’t you have anything but fruit?
ELF #3: Why would you want anything else! Apples, bananas, oranges—and
so much more!
Song 4 -
Listen now!
ELVES:
Gonna eat some fruit
Gonna eat some fruit –oot –oot.
I know it’ll make us strong
Gonna make us cute.
Gonna eat a fig
Isn’t it a beaut –oot –oot?
Yeah I’m gonna munch a bunch
Gonna eat some fruit.
Peaches are peachy, grapes are great
Plums are my chums, and I’ve got a date.
Cherries are cheery and a raisin will hope
I’d marry a berry but I cantaloupe.
Have a nectarine
Isn’t it a hoot –oot –oot?
Yeah I’ll have a pair of pears
Gonna eat some fruit.
ELVES and CHORUS:
Peaches are peachy, grapes are great
Plums are my chums, and I’ve got a date.
Cherries are cheery and a raisin will hope
I’d marry a berry but I cantaloupe.
Gonna eat some fruit
Gonna eat some fruit –oot –oot.
I know it’ll make us strong
Gonna make us cute.
(ELVES exit.)
STORYTELLER: Hansel and Gretel do not want to eat fruit, so they
continue on their way. Before long they run into a compost pile.
(COMPOST PILE enters)
COMPOST PILE: Who are you? You’re not from the witches, are you?
GRETEL: Witches? Oh no. Are there really witches in this forest?
COMPOST PILE: Of course. Mean, nasty witches. They live in a house made
completely out of junk food.
HANSEL: That sounds great!
COMPOST PILE: It ISN’T great. They invite kids in to eat their
house,
but the kids grow so weak they can never leave.
GRETEL: I’ll risk it.
COMPOST PILE: And the witches throw all their plastic wrappers and
juice boxes into the forest. That junk will last hundreds of years. It’s
as if
I didn’t exist.
(This concludes the first one-third of the script.)
Additional Comments and Reviews:
"For the past four years I have been doing one of your plays for
my spring musical. The Nutrition Show has been a lot of fun to do! The songs
were fantastic, some of your best work. We learned quite a bit too. This
play had so many speaking roles that all of my students were able to shine.
Keep writing! I can't wait to do the next one!"
---Justine Hoffman, Teacher (2nd grade), Wagon Wheel Elementary, Trabuco
Canyon, CA
"I like how well the play fits into and adds to the curriculum. In the past I never talked in such detail about the topics but with this play I find myself creating extension lessons for the curriculum because the students are so excited. It also adds to the parent connection. It provides conversations for parents and students as well as provides an opportunity for them to come to the school. I have used other plays, but since finding Bad Wolf I would not use any others. The way problems and topics are tackled are perfect. The music is original and highly motivating."
---Andrea Croft, Teacher (Kindergarten), Quaker Valley School District, PA
"I ordered The Nutrition Show for my second grade PTA
program and it
was a hit! The songs were witty and easy to learn."
---Abby Jinienez, Teacher (2nd grade), Henderson School, Midland, TX.
"It was the highlight of the students' year. The music was engaging
and easy to learn.
The theme fit right into our curriculum. We saw some some students just
come alive
and shine on stage."
---Dana Sodergren, Teacher (2nd grade), Pioneer School, Davis, CA
"The play was extremely fun! Our school has a healthy lifestyle week, so the students enjoyed learning more about nutrition. This was a nice relaxing way to end the year. I especially liked that the lead roles had simple enough dialogue that I could choose students with less English or ability to memorize for the starring roles."
---Krista VanderLugt, Teacher (1st grade), The American International School of Vilnius, Lithuania
Common Core and Other National Standards
Health/Science
Language Arts
- Common Core Reading Standards for Literature: K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
- Common Core Reading Standards: Foundational Skills:
- K and 1st: Phonological Awareness, Phonics and Word Recognition
- 2nd: Phonics and Word Recognition
- 3rd, 4th, 5th: Phonics and Word Recognition, Fluency
- Common Core Speaking and Listening Standards: Comprehension and Collaboration - K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
- Common Core Language Standards: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use - K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
- Common Core Standard 10: Range, Quality & Complexity: Range of Text Types for K-5th
National Core Arts Standards
Vocabulary
a beaut
bio-degrading
compost pile
crêpe suzette
dairy product
date (the fruit)
decompose
edition
elves
enchilada
grim
gunk
hoot
hygiene
Irish stew
junk food
kumquat
nutrition
raccoons
recyclable
sauerkraut
shrewd
stale
sushi
"Swedish meatballs"
tandouri
vitamins
wantons
“out on a limb”
“give the story some bite”
“give the soap a spin”
“eat us out of house and home”
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.