Children’s Musical / 34 characters, 3 male, 3 female, remainder any gender. Some doubling possible/ One Act
Synopsis: Noah’s Ark is a humorous retelling of the famous biblical story, featuring five memorable songs. Harry and Lucille, two ducks who need a vacation, get wind of a free “cruise” on Noah’s Ark. They quickly pack and head for the dock (“Gotta Fly”). Sneaking onto the ship (“We Made It”), they find the voyage difficult (“Are We There Yet?”), though they do meet some travelers who are grateful to be on board (“Along Came Noah”).
Due to shortages of food and shelter, Noah sends Harry and Lucille out on a “look-see” for land. But they don’t return, and spirits drop. Noah sends out another two birds (“A Song for the Doves”), who have better luck, and the voyagers finally reach land. There they encounter — guess who? Delighted to be safe and dry, everyone reprises the song “We Made it!”
Listen to music from Noah’s Ark below.
“Gotta Fly”
“We Made It!”
“Are We There Yet?”
“Along Came Noah”
“Song for the Doves”
Amateur and professional rights:
Jay C. Rehak
2225 W. Berwyn Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625
jaycrehak@gmail.com
Ph: 312-343-6273
Twitter @jaycr1
About the Playwrights/ Composer: Jay Rehak’s essays and articles have appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, New York Habitat Magazine, City Sports Los Angeles, Tables Magazine, and Lerner Newspapers. A member of the Writers Guild, Dramatists Guild and ASCAP, Jay is also a published songwriter whose songs have been recorded and produced by a variety of artists, including award-winning children’s singer Susan Salidor.
A teacher for 34 years, including 28 years at Whitney Young High School in Chicago, Mr. Rehak has spoken at numerous educational conferences around the country. In 2013, he created and co-authored the award-winning 30 Days to Empathy, the world’s first high school class sourced novel. His TedX Northwestern talk, “Creating a Class-Sourced Novel: An Exercise in Collaboration and Empathy,” is available on YouTube.
He is the author of 27 produced short plays, three novels, and has co-written 13 novels with his students and friends.
Mr. Rehak is host of the podcast Tell Me What Happened, where he interviews people from all walks of life about early childhood experiences and the impact of such events on their respective lives.
Jay is married to award-winning children’s singer Susan Salidor and has three children, Hope, Hannah and Ali.
Susan Salidor is an award-winning children’s music composer and performer known for her heartfelt, teacherly approach. With eight albums of original and traditional music, she has also co-authored two picture books with Ukrainian illustrator Natalka Soiko, I’ve Got Peace In My Fingers and One Little Act of Kindness, based on her popular songs.
Drawing from musical theater, cabaret, folk, and her preschool music expertise, Susan has penned over 150 children’s songs. Her Circle album series has garnered multiple Parents’ Choice awards and remains a favorite among her recordings.
Recognized as a songwriter with ASCAP Popular Awards, her song “Color Me Singing” appears in the Making Music textbook. Her work is recommended in The Best of Everything for Your Baby, and her song “Ruby B.” is featured in Ruby Bridges’ autobiography. Her songs have been featured on various platforms, including UNITED Airlines and SiriusXM.
Susan performs at diverse venues nationwide and leads acclaimed music workshops for educators. A frequent presenter at the NAEYC conference, she has also served as an artist-in-residence for several school districts. Her music is widely available online, and fan-created videos of her songs abound. Her song “I’ve Got Peace in My Fingers” is included in the Rise Again! songbook and is sung in schools internationally for peace and remembrance. Susan is currently composing new music and working on her third picture book.
Noah’s Ark was first produced at Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, Chicago, Illinois, in May, 1998.