In this #ThrowbackThursday series we’re preparing families for our show, SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE!, by taking it back to the 70s when many of the TV shows classic songs premiered.

All the songs featured in SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE! are listed below. Over the season we’ll share the lyrics to a few as well!

“A Noun Is A Person Place Or Thing”

“Three Is A Magic Number”

“Unpack Your Adjectives”

“Just A Bill”

“The Preamble”

“Do The Circulation”

“Conjunction Junction”

“Great American Melting Pot”

“Elbow Room”

“Interplanet Janet”

“Interjections”

 

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SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE!
Originally Conceived and Directed by Scott Ferguson
Book by Scott Ferguson, Kyle Hall, and George Keating
Music and Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, Bob Dorough, Dave Frishberg, Kathy Mandry, George Newall, and Tom Yohe
Directed by Nancy Schaeffer

SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE! JR is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. MTIShows[dot]com

January 25 – February 23, 2020

Recommended for ages 5 and up

If you were a kid from the early 70s to mid 80s when this series was first on TV, or in the mid 90s when it ran again; you owe it to yourself to go back in time to the good old days. Relive how fun learning English, history, science, and math was thanks to Saturday morning television and this pop culture phenomenon! There’s no time like the present to start teaching the rest of the family such megahits as Conjunction Junction, Just A Bill, Three Is A Magic Number, and others so everyone can be a part of the show! Join nervous school teacher Tom, and all of those crazy cartoon characters, for a turn-up-the-volume blast you won’t soon forget!

Learn more about this show and others in our 2019-2020 season at dct.org.

Title Sponsor: Which Wich

 

Dallas Children’s Theater does not own the content in any videos shared in this post. Thanks to those accounts that posted these videos to YouTube, so we can share the iconic songs with our followers and fans, too. 

In this #ThrowbackThursday series we’re preparing families for our show, SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE!, by taking it back to the 70s when many of the TV shows classic songs premiered. Here are the lyrics to the song “A Noun Is A Person Place Or Thing” from Dallas Children’s Theater’s production of SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE!

Well every person you can know,
And every place that you can go,
And anything that you can show,
You know they’re nouns.
A noun’s a special kind of word,
It’s any name you ever heard,
I find it quite interesting,
A noun’s a person, place, or thing.

Oh I took a train, took a train to another state.
The flora and the fauna that I saw were really great.
When I saw some bandits chasin’ the train.
I was wishin’ I was back home again.
I took a train, took a train to another state.

Well, every person you can know (Like a bandit or an engineer)
And every place that you can go (Like a state or a home)
And anything that you can show (Like animals and plants or a train)
You know they’re nouns – you know they’re nouns, oh…

Mrs. Jones is a lady on Hudson Street.
She sent her dog to bark at my brother and me.
We gave her dog a big fat bone,
And now he barks at Mrs. Jones.
She’s a lady who lives on Hudson Street.

Well, every person you can know (Mrs. Jones, a lady, or a brother)
And every place that you can go (Like a street or a corner)
And anything that you can show (Like a dog or a bone)
You know they’re nouns – you know they’re nouns, oh…

I took a ferry to the Statue of Liberty.
My best friend was waitin’ there for me. (He took an early ferry.)
We went for a walk on the island you know,
And in the middle of summer it started to snow,
When I took a ferry to the Statue of Liberty.

Well every person you can know (Like a friend or the captain of a ship)
And every place that you can go (An island or a sea)
And anything that you can show (Like a statue, a ferry, or snow)
You know they’re nouns – you know they’re nouns.

Oh, I put a dime in the drugstore record machine.
Oldie goldies started playing if you know what I mean.
I heard Chubby Checker, he was doin’ the twist
And the Beatles and the Monkees, it goes like this!
I put a dime in the drugstore record machine.

Well every person you can know (The Beatles and the Monkees, Chubby Checker)
And every place that you can go (Like a neighborhood or a store)
And anything that you can show (Like a dime or a record machine)
You know they’re nouns.

A noun’s a special kind of word,
It’s any name you ever heard,
I find it quite interesting,
A noun’s a person, place, or thing.

A noun is a person, place, or thing.
(doodle, doodleh; doodle doodleh…)

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SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE!
Originally Conceived and Directed by Scott Ferguson
Book by Scott Ferguson, Kyle Hall, and George Keating
Music and Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, Bob Dorough, Dave Frishberg, Kathy Mandry, George Newall, and Tom Yohe
Directed by Nancy Schaeffer

SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE! JR is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. MTIShows[dot]com

January 25 – February 23, 2020

Recommended for ages 5 and up

If you were a kid from the early 70s to mid 80s when this series was first on TV, or in the mid 90s when it ran again; you owe it to yourself to go back in time to the good old days. Relive how fun learning English, history, science, and math was thanks to Saturday morning television and this pop culture phenomenon! There’s no time like the present to start teaching the rest of the family such megahits as Conjunction Junction, Just A Bill, Three Is A Magic Number, and others so everyone can be a part of the show! Join nervous school teacher Tom, and all of those crazy cartoon characters, for a turn-up-the-volume blast you won’t soon forget!

Learn more about this show and others in our 2019-2020 season at dct.org.

Title Sponsor: Which Wich

 

Dallas Children’s Theater does not own the content in any videos shared in this post. Thanks to those accounts that posted these videos to YouTube, so we can share the iconic songs with our followers and fans, too. 

Alyssa Cavazos will play Belle in our upcoming production of Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, so we sat down with her to talk about her love of the character and why she’s proud to act at DCT.

What did your family say when you told them you were going to play Belle?

They were ecstatic and went on and on about how proud they were of me. One, because they know me and how hard I work when it comes to performing. But also proud that I would be able to show other little Mexican girls that they can be princesses, too. That got me thinking how proud I am to be an example for girls of all races to reach for their dreams and be who they want to be.

How did that make you feel?

Other than my personal dreams coming true about playing my favorite Disney princess, it made me proud and gave me a huge sense of responsibility to represent Belle in the strongest way possible. I can still remember a time when I never assumed I could play Belle because of the way I looked.

Tell us about your experiences playing characters when you were little.

When I was young, my favorite thing to do was play pretend with my friends. No shocker that I became an actor! I remember playing princesses with my friends and wanting to be Aurora (Sleeping Beauty). My friend told me “But you aren’t blonde.” I don’t believe she was trying to be mean, just that it made sense to her that I should be Pocahontas or Jasmine who are still great choices. I remember this making me feel like I was missing out on something for the first time because of the way I looked. Disney does a beautiful job of painting strong characters for young people to admire, but we sometimes tend to lose sight of their purpose; characters that show us how to be brave, kind, truthful, strong, smart, and confident. These qualities can be applied to any young person no matter what they look like. The saying, “If you believe it, you can be it,” comes to mind, and I think everyone needs to believe that they can be what their dreams say they are.

What do you love most about Belle?

I love how confident she is. She is always the first to see the good in others, stick up for what she knows is right, and doesn’t mind being seen as odd for her love of books. She gets her beauty from her mom, but her confidence from the constant love and support of her papa!

What do you love most about this story?

I love the lessons it teaches us of not judging a book by its cover. The Beast seems so horrible at first, but underneath his harshness was someone that was hurting and alone. All he needed was someone to believe in him and take the time to get to know him. I also love all the personalities in this story…such a broad range of them.

What is your favorite song from the play and why?

My favorite song would be between “Be Our Guest,” because of how iconic and magical it is. Or “Something There,” when Belle and the Beast begin to discover their feelings for each other.

Talk about performing at DCT…

I’m thrilled to be coming back to work as an actor at DCT. DCT is like a home for everyone that works here, a family that truly cares about its actors, students, patrons, staff, and providing a professional experience for them. The love for what we do here can be felt the minute you walk into the front doors. Any chance to be a part of DCT is a chance worth taking.

How do you best prepare for such a role?

Well, this one is fun to prepare for! Other than memorizing my lines and songs, I am able to relive the joy of the movies by watching them and studying how Belle makes people feel. Being that Belle is my favorite bookworm, I am making more time for reading to understand how truly magical escaping into a book can be; I’ve really loved that part! Also trying to see the good in people every day. Belle reminds me to be kind. I look forward to starting the rehearsal process and creating this tale as old as time with our phenomenal cast.

DCT is thrilled to feature Alyssa in the role of Belle. We are sure she’ll bring her own special brand of kindness to the season opener, Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST! Be sure to come see her onstage from September 22 – October 27. Buy your tickets today, at dct.org.

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Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Howard Ashman & Tim Rice
Book by Linda Woolverton
Directed by Nancy Schaeffer

Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST JR is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. MTIShows[dot]com

Sept. 22 – Oct. 27, 2019
Ages 5 and up

Be our guest for this tale as old as time! Spirited Belle longs for adventure beyond her small, country town. But does she get more than she bargained for when the Beast captures her father and she is forced to trade places to save him? Favorite castle figures Lumiere, Cogsworth, Chip, and Mrs. Potts hold out hope that Belle can, at last, be the one to help the misunderstood Beast learn to love and be loved in return. If so, they can all be rescued from the curse they are under. Can she do it before the last rose petal falls? Beloved songs mixed with a touch of compassion and kindness highlight the power of true love in this large-scale, family musical based on the Disney classic.

Title Sponsor: Alamo Drafthouse

Parker Fitzgerald who played Ant in DCT’s DIARY OF A WORM, A SPIDER AND A FLY shares an entry in his own diary where he talks about performing the show all over the country and at Children’s Health.

Dear Diary,

Well, today’s the day we made an appearance at Children’s Health! The last time I was here, I was performing as Linus in A Charlie Brown Christmas. It was such a fun day; so I was thrilled to be returning. Now I get to show off my new role: Ant!

Luckily, we’ve already performed this show over 150 times and have had to adjust the show to fit in all sorts of theaters. After we got our movements and choreography figured out, it was time to get into costume. As I put on the costume that I have worn for a year, I always have the same thought: Our costume designer Lyle Huchton is the absolute best! Whenever I wear my costume, I instantly feel like Ant. Every time my hat with the antenna is on my head, I am in the mood to do the show!

Once we were all dressed, the cast and crew piled into the van to go to the hospital. This is the same van we had been traveling all over the United States in. It felt nostalgic to have everyone back in close quarters once more. We dropped right back into our old routine of making jokes with each other and having a good time. I realized just how much I had come to love each and everyone of them; and how thankful I was to have shared this adventure with such a remarkable group.

At the hospital, we went straight into action mode. We unloaded all our props, sound equipment, and set pieces from the van and carried them to our performance space in the atrium. I’m always struck at how beautifully designed the children’s hospital is: the colorful tiling, the big windows that let lots of sunlight in, and all the Mariposa decorations (which Marla who plays Butterfly was especially excited to see!). Upon setting up our stools and props, it was now time for mic and video check. Cameras were set up so that our show could be broadcast to every single room in the hospital! After the spacing was all established, and we were in our mics, the moment we were all waiting for finally arrived…Showtime!

A number of people sat right in front of us; others were looking down from the balcony above; and eyeballs in rooms all around the hospital were glued to televisions set to our show: No Pressure! Daniel, our stage manager pressed play and the opening song began. As I came out for our first song, I could see the huge smiles forming on the faces of the kids who came. They were into the show just as much as we were! Each joke was met with lots of laughter; which always feels so good. As we arrived to our final song, I couldn’t help but reflect on all the different audiences we had performed for the past year. Now here we are, so close to the end of this incredible journey. When the final note hit, and we took our bow, the place erupted in applause. Afterwards, the cast went out to greet the patients and families who came to watch. Each child would tell us about their favorite moment or which character they liked the best. The highlight was a nurse who told us that she was with a young girl who was just waking up after having had an operation. As her eyes opened, she saw our show on the television in her room. Loving it so much, she then got up on her bed and danced around with us; even while the wires and tubes were still attached to her! It’s stories like this that make me love what I do so much.

After the show, we then packed everything up, like we’ve done so many times before, and headed back to Dallas Children’s Theater. I’m certainly grateful to have had this experience, and proud that I was able to bring so much joy to the kids at the hospital; and all across the country. But mostly, it’s comforting to know that next year, DCT will be doing it all over again: putting more smiles on more faces.

-Parker (Ant)

Dallas Children’s Theater wishes to thank the Ryan Goldblatt Foundation for making it possible for us to make promotional appearances at Children’s Health.