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Snow White, Rose Red (and Fred)

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Musical in One Act, Book and Lyrics by  Marcy Heisler, Music by  Zina Goldrich

Synopsis

Originally commissioned by The Kennedy Center, SNOW WHITE, ROSE RED (AND FRED) is written by the incomparable duo who brought you the charming DEAR EDWINA. This family-friendly musical comedy re-imagines the Brothers’ Grimm tale about what happens when a love triangle unravels a high-school drama team desperate to win the local thespian competition.

When the overeager, yet well-meaning, captain of the drama team picks the lesser known Brothers Grimm tale of Snow White, Rose Red, the rest of the club fears the worst. But with the two leads played by popular cheerleader best friends Melinda and Melissa, what could go wrong? Enter Fred, a last-minute understudy so charming he sparks a rivalry both onstage and off. Teamwork and collaboration ultimately prevail in this hilarious and fresh musical comedy.

Story

As our story begins, we meet the members of the Viking Drama Team and are launched into the world of high school drama competition. Having made it through the sections of Shakespeare, Pantomime, and Musical Theatre Sectionals, the team is getting ready to rehearse for their part in the Fairy Tale Finals.  A chance to advance to the International High School Theatre Olympics is on the line and the competition is fierce, but the team members’ confidence is even fiercer.

The next day on their way to rehearsal at school, best friends and Viking Drama Team members, Melissa and Melinda meet in the hallway.  Between guessing and hoping who is going to get cast in the new fairytale play and which boy each of them is going to take to the Sadie Hawkins dance on Friday, the girls have plenty to discuss. Once they arrive at rehearsal, team leader and 2-year drama camp veteran, Juan Carlos announces that the team will be performing his self-written fairytale, “Snow White, Rose Red” for the final sectional competition.  Met with less enthusiasm than he’d hoped for, he quickly announces that Melissa and Melinda will play the title characters, respectively, Sammy will play Bear, the romantic lead, Claudia will serve as narrator, scenery, incidental music, and sound board operator, and he himself will take on the role of evil villain Flugenwumpel. The members are somewhat appeased by this, but express their doubts about competing against schools doing lavish productions of classic fairytales. Juan Carlos tells them not to worry and throws himself into an elaborate telling of the plot of his new fairytale.  However, when he stops halfway through to reveal that he hasn’t finished writing it, the other team members' doubts deepen.

A few days later as the cast return to rehearsal, a radio announcement is heard, giving the quick lowdown on the current state of each of the Fairy Tale finalist.

A week has passed and the team members are exhausted. Juan Carlos has had them rehearsing around the clock, constantly giving them new dialogue as he finishes and finesses the fairytale. Back from a short rehearsal break, Melissa and Melinda as their characters Snow White and Rose Red, sing and then carry-on into the next rehearsal scene in which Sammy enters as his character Bear and befriends the fictional sisters. Sammy’s allergies continue to plague him throughout the scene, but finally they all make it through and Juan Carlos makes his grand entrance, dancing around madly as the evil Flugenwumpel. Just then the bell rings, and the team gather their things for their next class.  As they leave Melinda, Melissa and Claudia begin to talk about their date prospects for the upcoming Sadie Hawkins dance. When Claudia says she isn’t going Melissa and Melinda inform her that just because she isn’t popular like they are doesn’t mean she should miss out on the potential fun. Offended, Claudia runs out, leaving the girls obliviously lost in their own song and dance.  

As Juan Carlos and Sammy sit in their next class they begin to discuss the competition from the other schools. Sammy tells Juan Carlos all the buzz he’s heard, but unsatisfied with this information Juan Carlos convinces Sammy to go spy on one of the other teams. The bell rings and it’s back to rehearsal for the Fighting Viking Drama Team.  

Picking back up where they left off, the team rehearses the rest of the fairytale, finally arriving at its climax where Sammy’s character Bear swoops in to save the sisters from the evil Flugenwumpel. Sammy’s allergies are out of control though and he can barely make it through the scene between all of his sniffing and sneezing. Eventually they do, however, and the team shares a round of congratulations before rehearsal comes to an end. Everyone leaves except Juan Carlos who sticks around to express his excitement and confidence about the looming competition.

The next day as the team members each talk separately on their cellphone about the competition and Sadie Hawkins dance, disastrous news is revealed.While spying on an opposing school doing “Hansel and Gretel”, Sammy ate some of their real gingerbread set, not knowing that he is allergic to gingerbread.  Everyone panics, but by the next day Juan Carlos has come up with a solution. As the team gather for rehearsal, Juan Carlos announces that he has recruited Fred to take Sammy’s place. When Fred enters Melissa and Melinda fall head over heels for his dreamy looks. Not wanting to waste time, the team jump into rehearsals, beginning with the song Juan Carlos has just completed for Fred’s character, Bear. Everyone is stunned by how good Fred is in the role and all except Melissa and Melinda exit to prepare costumes. Now completely smitten by Fred, the girls get into an argument over who is going to ask him to the Sadie Hawkins dance. As the girls fight  another radio sports-like announcement is heard in voice over, giving us an update on the Fairy Tale Finals. 

Finally the day of the competition has arrived and it opens like a high school football game, complete with the sounds of the cheering crowd, the team running through a paper sign, and a hold for the national anthem. Then a whistle is blown and the Fighting Vikings take the stage.  The girls start as rehearsed, but things quickly spiral out of control as their anger towards one another over Fred escalates. Claudia and Juan Carlos try to maintain the show, but eventually they are forced to give up. Melissa and Melinda, tired of fighting, drag Fred on stage and ask him which of them he’d like to go to the Sadie Hawkins dance with. His answer surprises them. Mystified that he would not choose them, Melissa and Melinda criticize Fred and makeup just in time to end the fairytale on a happy note. The crowd goes wild and the Fighting Vikings win the Fairy Tale Finals.  

As though things could not get much better for the winning gang, just as they are about to depart, Fred reveals that he has two identical twin brothers. Melissa and Melinda are ecstatic.

Musical Numbers

  1. The Might Fighting Vikings
  2. TTYL, XO
  3. More To The Story
  4. ESPN Moment #1
  5. Is There Anything That’s Better Than A Sister?
  6. The Flugenwumpel Song
  7. So What?
  8. What Could Really Go Wrong?
  9. TTYL, XO Reprise
  10. Charming Again
  11. So What? Reprise 
  12. ESPN Moment #2.
  13. Is There Anything Better Than A Sister?” Reprise
  14. Claudia
  15. There’s Enough To Go Around