Children’s Musical/ 4 Characters, 2 Men, 2 Women/ One Act

Synopsis: A musical version of the classic tale about a boy who must travel to the fair to sell his beloved cow. After a run-in with some buyers who think his cow is too scrawny, Jack meets an Old Woman who buys the cow for three beans. The beans, she promises, will allow him to ascend to the sky, where he’ll find a giant’s castle full of riches stolen from his late father.

When Jack angrily throws the beans aside, they grow into a giant beanstalk, which he climbs. At the top, he meets the Giant’s Sister, who hides him just in time: The Giant comes home and demands that his treasure — a goose, a purse filled with gold, and a singing Harp — be brought to him. Listening to the Harp, he falls asleep, and Jack and the Giant’s Sister escape down the beanstalk.

Home again, Jack is overjoyed to discover that his cow has been returned to him and, even better, they all learn a wonderful secret about the Giant’s Sister!

Christmas Musical/ 8 Characters, 4 Men, 4 Women/ One Act

Synopsis: Part Dickens, part Gilbert and Sullivan, part Fractured Fairy Tale, this family operetta evolves through mock-Christmas carols. It centers on Ludlow Ladd, a poor young orphan in Victorian Liverpool. It’s Christmas night and his birthday, as Ludlow wanders the streets, searching for a home. The eccentric Grimbles take him to their house, already crammed with animals, plants, and Prudence, their bratty daughter. After annoying the Grimbles, Ludlow is left alone with their Christmas tree. He dreams of the tree turning into the magical Misssus Pinecones, who whisks him to the Land of Yuletime Cheer. The dream becomes a nightmare. But, once he wakes, a miracle leads Ludlow to become the Grimble’s son.

The first half of Ludlow Ladd may be read by clicking on the “Read It Now” button. For a complete reading copy, please see the Contact Information elsewhere on this page.

“Musical of the week. A jolly romp.”
– Show Business

“A fascinating prize. Plays off all the gooey sentiment that has been built up around the modern Christmas in story and song. Energetic, charming fun.”
– The Rockford Register

“Really wonderful.”
– Bill Thompson, Literary Manager, Actors Theatre of Louisville

About the composer: Gerald Jay Markoe studied at the Manhattan School of Music and the Juilliard School, receiving Master and Bachelor of Music Degrees. His musicals include Charlotte Sweet (Drama Desk nomination), Delphi or Bust, Happy Haunting, and Ludlow Ladd. In addition to his theatre scores, he is the widely acclaimed composer of numerous CD’s which have topped the New Age best-seller charts. These include Music From the Pleiades, Music of the Angels, Zen Meditations and Celestial Mozart Volumes I and II.

Ludlow Ladd was first produced by New American Theatre, Rockford, Illinois in December, 1982.

Musical/ Multiple Characters, doubling and tripling possible/ Full Length, Two Acts

Synopsis:
An out-of-this-world new musical, loosely based on a novel by H.G. Wells. Dr. Cavor, an eccentric Victorian scientist, has invented anti-gravity paint (“Cavorite!”). He intends to use it to travel the universe, but when the sphere he’s built for the purpose unexpectedly malfunctions, he and Miss Dawson, a hard-nosed London businesswoman, must set off prematurely, with Cavor’s untrustworthy assistant Gibbs on-board. Destination: Moon.

There they discover a race of insect-like beings, including Wizlip, a young moon girl, and her grandmother, Shrinklie. Gibbs flees at the first sight of the aliens, but Wizlip and Cavor are excited to make each other’s acquaintance. Cavor and Dawson are jailed, only to be sprung by their new-found moon friends. Pursued by soldiers, the four arrive at the lip of a gigantic cavern leading to the centre of the moon. Dawson wants to turn back, but Cavor convinces her that in the spirit of exploration they must “Carry On.” They jump.

Down There, they discover an even more extraordinary civilization of beings raised from birth to perform just one function, and ruled by The Grand Lunar, who was Shrinklie’s first love. He is, however, a reluctant boss (“I Used to be Me”). Gibbs returns, having discovered that the moon is littered with gold, and proposes a plan to try to get back to Earth and return with an invading army, which Miss Dawson gleefully accepts. She and Gibbs depart, and Cavor realizes how much Dawson has come to mean to him.

When The Grand Lunar learns that the Earth is rife with conflict and that Cavor’s invention might allow more Earthlings to travel to the moon, were the Doctor ever allowed to get home, he orders the visitors’ “evacuation” — essentially, their death. All looks lost, although Cavor insists that he would do it all again (“Somewhere on the Moon”). However, an alarming incident back on the surface convinces Miss Dawson to return to Cavor and the others. But will she get there in time? And can Shrinklie convince The Grand Lunar to spare Cavor’s life?

A combination adventure story, love story, and comic look at imperial folly, Moonbound! brings the fun of both sci-fi and musicals to the stage.

Original production credits

Listen to music from Moonbound! below. The complete original cast recording, as well backing tracks for use in productions, are available from Single Lane Entertainment (see contact info on this page).

“The Earth!” (Antonio Gradanti and Company). Includes dance break.

“Somewhere on the Moon” (Antonio Gradanti)

“Enough” (Cody Scott, Kathy McIntyre)

About the Playwright:

About the Playwright: Frank Moher’s plays have been produced internationally, at theatres including South Coast Repertory (Costa Mesa, Calif.), Detroit Repertory Theatre, Round House Theatre (Silver Spring, Maryland), the Canadian Stage Company (Toronto), the Wellington Repertory Theatre (Wellington, New Zealand), Workshop West Theatre (Edmonton, Alta.), the Asolo Theater (Sarasota, Fla.), Alberta Theatre Projects (Calgary), Dodona Theatre (Prishtina, Kosova), The Mingei Theatre (Tokyo), and OmaDa Theatre (Athens, Greece). He has won a Los Angeles Drama-Logue Award for Writing (for Odd Jobs), the Edmonton Sterling Award for Outstanding New Play (for both The Third Ascent and Prairie Report,), and is published by both ProPlay and the Playwrights Guild of Canada. Frank has taught at the University of British Columbia and the University of Alberta (where he was a Distinguished Visiting Artist), and is currently an instructor in scriptwriting and journalism at Vancouver Island University. He has also worked professionally as a literary manager and dramaturg, and written for publications including The Globe and Mail, The National Post, Saturday Night magazine, The Georgia Straight, backofthebook.ca and salon.com.

Moonbound! was first presented by Over the Moon Theatricals on Gabriola Island and Vancouver Island, BC, Canada in April-May, 2014.

Also by Frank Moher on ProPlay:

• All I Ever Wanted
• Big Baby
• Kidnapping the Bride
• McLuhan: The Musical (with Gerald Reid)
• Odd Jobs
• Run in Fields
• Supreme Dream (with Rhonda Trodd)
• The Third Ascent
• Tolstoy’s Wife
• Weather