Caddie Woodlawn a Musical Drama is a musical based on the novel Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink. The book, music and lyrics are by Tom Shelton and Susan C. Hunter.
In 1935 Carol Ryrie Brink wrote the Newbery Medal —winning novel,Caddie Woodlawn, based on the childhood of her grandmother, Caroline Woodhouse. She had collected the stories that her grandmother had often recounted of her adventures as a pioneer child settling the wilderness of western Wisconsin in the mid-1800s. It won the Newbery Medal in 1936.[1]
In the musical, as in the original novel, Caddie, a high-spirited Wisconsin pioneer girl beloved by generations of readers, leads her willing siblings in a series of adventures, not always with the approval of her traditional Bostonian mother. Her father, however, encourages her antics, that she might thrive in the new, tougher ways of the west. In a climax, Caddie single-handedly diffuses a potentially deadly clash between the terrified settlers and the local Dakota tribe through a daring and dangerous act. But her action only deepens her conflict with her mother. Ultimately, Caddie learns invaluable lessons about reconciling the head-strong child she's been, and the responsible adult she is soon to be. Through it all, the sacredness of tradition—passed from one generation to the next—is powerfully dramatized. As one wise friend tells Caddie: "families -- they're our link to forever, lass."
Background
Tom and Susan wrote the book, music and lyrics to Caddie Woodlawn, which won the Landers Theatre national playwriting award.[2] Susan is the granddaughter of Carol Ryrie Brink, who in turn was granddaughter of the real-life Caddie. The authors use authentic Dakota language for the Native Americans in the story.[3]
Performances
An article in the Los Angeles Times indicates a workshop production was performed at the Whittier, California Junior Theater in August 1986.[4]
According to Playwrights Database, the musical as it exists today was first performed March 22, 1992 at the Landers Theater, in Springfield, Missouri after winning a Springfield Little Theatre's national playwriting competition for new musicals, with support by the Missouri Arts council.[5] It was directed by Mick Denniston and starred Danna Weddle as Caddie.
The musical was produced in 2009 by the Red Cedar Youth Stage in Menomonie, Wisconsin. RCYS is part of the Menomonie Theater Guild (MTG), which performs in the Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts (Mabel Tainter Memorial Building). Menomonie is located just 12 miles from the real life location of the novel.
The musical has been performed by a number of other community theaters around the country. (For information on various productions, see the musical's Facebook page )
Cast
Caddie Woodlawn – Redheaded scamp, reckless and brave, refuses to be "a lady," 13 years old, high-belt alto
Robert Ireton – A cheery Irishman, taken to singing, dancing, and handing out good advice, bari-tenor
Annabelle Gray– Cousin to the Woodlawns, a graduate of finishing school, finds Wisconsin "quaint and rustic," soprano
John Woodlawn – Caddie's father, handsome and gentle, with quiet strength, baritone
Harriet Woodlawn – Caddie's mother, refined, wants the same for her children, alto
Tom Woodlawn – Caddie's mischievous older brother, full of fun and pranks, about 14 years old, boy tenor
Warren Woodlawn – Caddie's younger brother, about 10, always trying to keep up with the other two, full of energy, strong child singer
Reverend Tanner – The Circuit Rider, hails from Boston, high baritone
Musical numbers
Act One
Wisconsin Welcome - Company
Wisconsin Anthem - Reverend and Company
Graveside Hymn - Reverend, Mr. Woodlawn, Mrs Woodlawn and Company
We Are We - Caddie, Tom, Warren
Toms Tall Tale - Tom, Warren
The Oath - Caddie, Tom, Warren
Quaint and Rustic - Annabelle, Caddie, Tom, Warren
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1936.
Menomonie is a city in and the county seat of Dunn County in the western part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The city's population was 16,843 as of the 2020 census.
Carol Ryrie Brink was an American writer of over thirty juvenile and adult books. Her novel Caddie Woodlawn won the 1936 Newbery Medal and a Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1958.
Caddie Woodlawn is a children's historical fiction novel by Carol Ryrie Brink that received the Newbery Medal in 1936 and a Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1958. The original 1935 edition was illustrated by Newbery-award-winning author and illustrator Kate Seredy. Macmillan released a later edition in 1973, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman.
Kate Seredy was an American writer and illustrator of children's books. She won the Newbery Medal once, the Newbery Honor twice, the Caldecott Honor once, and the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award. Most of her books were written in English, which was not her first language. Seredy seems to be unknown in her native Hungary, despite the fact that her story of the Good Master, and the sequel set in World War I are intensely about Hungary.
Trina Schart Hyman was an American illustrator of children's books. She illustrated over 150 books, including fairy tales and Arthurian legends. She won the 1985 Caldecott Medal for U.S. picture book illustration, recognizing Saint George and the Dragon, retold by Margaret Hodges.
Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a musical with music and lyrics by Roger Miller, and a book by William Hauptman.
Romulus Zachariah Linney IV was an American playwright and novelist.
Gamma Phi Beta is an international college sorority. It was founded in Syracuse University in 1874 and was the first of the Greek organizations to call itself a sorority. The term "sorority" was coined for Gamma Phi Beta by Dr. Frank Smalley, a professor at Syracuse University.
Circuit riders, also known as horse preachers, were clergy assigned to travel around specific geographic territories to minister to settlers and organize congregations. Circuit riders were clergy in the Methodist Episcopal Church and related denominations, although similar itinerant preachers could be found in other faiths as well, particularly among minority faith groups. They were most prominent during the early years of the United States, from 1784–1830, and were part of the Second Great Awakening revival movement.
Aron Eisenberg was an American actor and podcaster known for his role as Nog on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Lynn Nottage is an American playwright whose work often focuses on the experience of working-class people, particularly working-class people who are Black. She has received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama twice: in 2009 for her play Ruined, and in 2017 for her play Sweat. She was the first woman to have won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama two times.
Adam Rapp is an American novelist, playwright, screenwriter, musician and film director. His play Red Light Winter was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2006.
Magical Melons is a children's historical novel by Carol Ryrie Brink, first published in 1939. It is the sequel to the Newbery-Award-winning novel Caddie Woodlawn.
The McCann brothers were three Irishmen who migrated from Ohio to Wisconsin in the mid-nineteenth century. They played an important role in the early phases of Wisconsin's lumber industry, and in the political and social organization of Chippewa County.
The HB Studio is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization offering professional training in the performing arts through classes, workshops, free lectures, theater productions, theater rentals, a theater artist residency program, as well as full-time study through their International Student Program and Uta Hagen Institute.
Kristine Thatcher is a playwright, director and actress.
Marie House Kohler is an American writer and playwright. She is a member of the Kohler family of Wisconsin.
Virginia Stage Company (VSC) is a professional theater company located in Hampton Roads, Virginia. VSC presents locally produced plays for over 70,000 patrons a year both at the Wells Theatre in Norfolk, Virginia and throughout the community. A nonprofit theater, VSC has developed their "American Soil Series," a program that commissions plays of special regional interest, usually receiving their world premieres.
Timothy Peter Mason was an American playwright. He wrote a number of plays, including Levitation, Only You, Babylon Gardens, The Fiery Furnace and Bearclaw. He also wrote the novels The Last Synapsid,The Darwin Affair,The Nightingale Affair, and the book and lyrics for the Broadway musical, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
