Cuckoo Cool Cool excerpt

 
Cuckoo wants to be a star so she abandons her daughter Melody in the homely crow’s nest who, in turn, wants her brood of four, Do-ray, Me-Fa, So-La and Ti-Do, to be stars. She hires Mr. Bull Frog to train her children but Mr. Bull Frog thinks Melody cannot sing. Melody wants to sing too and she seeks the help of Senor Julio, the blind thrush. A contest is announced!

 

CUCKOO COOL COOL EXCERPT

PLACE : ANOTHER CORNER OF THE JUNGLE /TIME : DAY
CHARACTERS: MELODY/SENOR JULIO/BAT VAN FRIDAY.

Melody is singing as she walks in the jungle.

SONG

HIS IS THE LIFE!
Music,music,music,Music is my life.

SENOR JULIO

Do, ray, Me, fa, so, la, ti do,
Melody is my life.
The seven notes of music
Are the wings that make me fly.
Fly, fly, till I touch the sky,
Touch the rainbow which spans my dreams
Violet, indigo,blue and yellow
orange,red and green serene.

As she hops and twirls she crashes into
a brown thrush who is wearing dark
glasses and has a blind man’s cane in
his hand. Walking with him is a bat,
wearing a cape, he also has fangs.

MELODY
Oh, can’t you see?

SENOR JULIO
No.

MELODY
Oh! I am sorry.

SENOR JULIO
You are so beautiful, child. What are you doing alone in the jungle?

MELODY
Oh, but…. How do you know I am beautiful, you are blind.

SENOR JULIO
To see you don’t need eyes, a good heart is all you need,like
my friend here. He, too can’t see but he takes me everywhere.

BAT VAN FRIDAY
(bowing low)
Bat Van Friday at your service.
He smiles showing his fangs.

MELODY
(taking a step back, little scared)
Oh!

SENOR JULIO
(smiles)

Don’t be scared child. He is a fruit bat,he only eats fruit and vegetables

BAT VAN FRIDAY
No meat for me.

SENOR JULIO

Yes, yes, I couldn’t have hired you otherwise.

(to Melody)
I heard you sing, you are a wonderful singer.

MELODY
But Mr. Bull-Frog doesn’t think so.

SENOR JULIO

And who is this Mr. Bull-Frog?                            

MELODY
He teaches my brothers to sing but he thinks I don’t have a
good voice.

SENOR JULIO
Come close, my child, let me feel your throat.
(Melody goes close to him. He touches
her throat with his hands/wings)
Beautiful but it lacks strength.

MELODY
Oh! How do I get strength.

SENOR JULIO
For strength you need training and practice.

MELODY
Will you train me?

SENOR JULIO
Yes, but on two conditions?

MELODY
What?

SENOR JULIO
You won’t tell anyone about me.

MELODY
All right. And the second?

SENOR JULIO
You can tell only one person about me, the person who is
going to bring you here to learn. I don’t like to see little
girls without a grown up with them.

MELODY
(clapping her hand happily)
Of course, I know just who will bring me here. He’s into
music too.

SENOR JULIO
All right then, Bat Van Friday here will drop you to the edge
of the jungle and pick you and your friend early in the
morning tomorrow.

MELODY
Thank you……

SENOR JULIO
(bowing)
Senor Julio, at your service, chiquita.

MELODY
Muchas gracias, Senor Julio.

She holds on to Bat Van Friday’s cape
who makes a revving sound and they both
zoom off the stage. Senor Julio waves
his cane.

SEÑOR JULIO
Adios, my child. See you tomorrow.

Melody