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A CHILD’S GARDEN
a new musical
Music & Lyrics Adaptation by Louis Rosen
Co-Libretto by LR, Arthur Perlman & Charlotte Maier
based on writings by Robert Louis Stevenson
Premiere: Melting Pot Theater, Off-Broadway, December 2000, directed by Lori Steinberg, choreographed by Robert La Fosse
TOP TEN OFF-BROADWAY
for 2000 - NY Post
"A beloved children’s author has had one of his early works adapted to the musical stage — and it proves a magical, powerful, subtle work about nature and dreaming and pain.… The music...is evocative in its expression of Stevenson’s and young Stevenson’s longings. ‘A Child’s Garden’ shows the essentials—imagination, creativity, a wise feel for life." NY Post
“Louis Rosen’s score is charming, tender and homespun… Its bright, old-fashioned melodies serve the verse. … boyhood scenes are brought to life with taste and grace.” Time Out NY
“A Child’s Garden is a delightful musical romp..." The Brooklyn Paper
A CHILD’S GARDEN is a work of fiction inspired by autobiographical writings of Robert Louis Stevenson. Stevenson at age thirty is our main character. All the works for which he is well known, including "Treasure Island," "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," "Kidnapped" and "A Child’s Garden of Verses" are still to be written. The libretto takes its inspiration from various essays and letters written by Stevenson, while the song lyrics are drawn or adapted from his many autobiographical poems.
Characters
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON (RLS)
LOUIS, Stevenson as a boy, age 11
WILLIE, Louis’s cousin, age 12
MARY JANE, Louis’s eldest cousin, age 12
ANNIE, Mary Jane’s sister, age 10
(The roles of Mary Jane, Willie, Louis and Annie are intended to be played by actors ranging in age from late teens to mid-twenties, the main requirement being that the combination of the actors’ talents and looks, along with a simple performance style absent all overt child-like affectation, allow for the audience to suspend its disbelief and enter the world of the piece.)
Songs
Sing Me a Song - The Swing - Good and Bad Children - Foreign Lands/Travel - Home Is Home Here - Pirate Story - My Shadow - The Wind - Keepsake Mill
The House Beautiful - Autumn Fires - Quintet: Land of Counterpane/Land of Story Books/Requiem
Escape At Bedtime - A Stormy Night Approaches - Shadow March - Windy Nights The Sick Child - Marching Song - To My Cousins/To Louis - Block City - To Any Reader
Cut from final version: Where Go the Boats? - My Kingdom - Good Night - In Port - Armies in the Fire
Please contact Louis directly via this website if you're interested in hearing a recording of the songs from "A CHILD'S GARDEN."