WINTER BLESSING
The upcoming world premiere of my children’s musical THE BROTHERS GRIMM: A MUSICAL ADVENTURE predominates my current reality! Today I move backward in time to tell the story of how it all began.
Jerry had a lovely student named Amanda Marks, a theatre major at San Jacinto College outside of Houston, Texas. Amanda, an avid writer, became a close friend to both of us. She wrote a short play based on one of the lesser known Grimms Fairy Tales, ‘The Devil’s Three Golden Hairs’. I thought it would be fun to make a musical out of the story, and asked Amanda for a copy. Although my creation bears little resemblance to Amanda’s, I credit her with bringing my attention to the story so central to this musical. Also, I must pay homage to Jerry, who asked me the questions that I needed to answer in order to write an intriguing and workable script.
Auditions are less than two weeks away and I am so curious to see how it will all unfold. Director Dennis Whipple gave me a printout of what the set will look like. What a different image than what was living in my brain – but even better! It is devised so that scene changes will be totally seamless.
Better get your tickets early! May 6th – 15th at The Paramount Theatre in St. Cloud, MN. www.greattheatre.org
BUDDHA & BUNNY
Here are lyrics to one of my songs about moving backwards and sideways to time. Sort of an ode to evolution.
FELL INTO SPOOL OF THREAD
I fell into fell into spool of thread unwinding
backwards dripping down the well
reel of time unwinding
where drinking I did deeply know
and deeply feel me climbing
and bouncing wouncing daddy’s knees
and me a monkey being
the best of me the best of me remains
the best of me the best of me unchanged, ooh
I feel into fell into spool of thread unwinding
backwards tracking down the wall
steps of time unwinding
where hanging from the branch the tree
of wisdom downside right
did hoist me over upside down
and plant me in the sky
that is where the best of me remains
the wind a blowin’ through my tangled mane, ooh
I fell into fell into spool of thread unwinding
tumbling through a tunneled hall
uncorking vintage time
body spinning like a top
head ringing whooping wobbling
and breathing in a desperate gulp
to stop my head from flying
though Ringley Brothers Barnum Bailey trained
the best of me the best of me unchained
grandmother’s eyes and blueberry pies
and a three leg-ged dog named Tim
manure bucket rides and slick icy slides
sunrise sunsets
end begins
I fell into fell into spool of thread unwinding
while dancing backwards down the cliff
the sea of time untiding
where sucking on from a mussel shell
did recognize my brother
and all my kin about me floated into one another
and vowed one day we’d walk upon the land
backwards looking it was always planned
green murky swims and goosepimply skin
and ferris wheel rides up and down
cows herded in a howling north wind
sunrise sunsets
end begins
we fell into fell into the soup of time uncooking
to watch the ‘maters on the vine
ripen for the picking
and stirred it up and made our lives
ever unsuspecting
the pungent bitter sauciness
and saltiness from crying
and evermore and evermore remain
the changer of the changed still unchanged, ooh (C)
©2000 Living Song, BMI, by Marienne Kreitlow
all rights reserved.
