Free Read: The Magician’s Elephant Now Available for Licensing
Free Read: The Magician’s Elephant Now Available for Licensing
MTI is thrilled to announce that The Magician’s Elephant is now available for licensing, with a free read of the script here.
Adapted from the award-winning children’s novel by Kate DiCamillo and featuring music and lyrics from Marc Teitler and book and lyrics from Nancy Harris, The Magician’s Elephant tells the story of a town recovering from war and the people affected by its wake.
In Baltese, people have lost all faith in life and each other. Peter, a young orphan is told by a mysterious stranger that his sister is still alive, and he will find her through ‘the elephant’. There has never been such a creature in Baltese, a town where nothing extraordinary ever happens. Then one day, a magician conjures an elephant from the sky and its appearance sets off a chain of events so remarkable, so impossible, that it changes Baltese forever. Peter is catapulted into the quest of his life, overturning everything he ever thought he knew, and discovering that happiness can come from the most unexpected places.
“We are delighted that The Magician’s Elephant is going to be available to professional theatres, community theatres and schools to perform across the world,” said MTI’s Chief Operations Officer & Director of Education and Development John Prignano. “It is a truly magical show that will excite and inspire audiences of all ages with its touching story and enchanting music.”
The Magician’s Elephant made its world premiere in England as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s winter season in 2021. The production ran from October 18th 2021 to January 1st, 2022. The show would go on to make its United States premiere at Hale Center Theatre in Sandy, Utah during their 2024 season.
Marc Teitler remarked, “When I first read 'The Magician’s Elephant', I was captivated by Peter’s epic quest to find his sister, Baltese’s larger-than-life characters, and a world transformed by the unexpected arrival of an elephant - an extraordinary consequence of a magic trick gone awry. Bringing these characters to life meant tackling the thrilling challenge of creating bold, distinct musical themes for each one, then weaving them into a seamless, scored-through tapestry that reveals how deeply their fates are connected.”
“We are so thrilled that our musical adaptation of Kate DiCamillo's beautiful and humane book is going to be available to wider audiences,” shared Nancy Harris. “It is a powerful story that contains within it a profound love and respect for the animal world, that moved and captured us on a first reading, and that we believe is truly needed at this moment on our planet. We are so excited for new audiences of all ages to discover this new musical version and to meet Peter, Adele, the town of Baltese and of course, the elephant.”
