Louie's family has recently moved to a new neighborhood. Lonely and feeling friendless ("New Kid in the Neighborhood"), Louie goes back to his room to play with his favorite toy, Red, his little red plane. When Red "suggests" they take a trip back to his old neighborhood, Louie makes a diorama out of an old shoebox covered with purple cellophane. He looks into it and, in his imagination, they are off ("Big Red Plane")!
As they fly towards the old neighborhood, strange doings are afoot. A gang of odd-shaped creatures — a mouse, a monster, a sack, a broom and a flower — are plotting to trick Louie when he arrives ("A Welcome for Louie").
Louie lands in his old neighborhood, but something is amiss. It's dark and empty. Louie calls out for his old friends, but the only answer is the echo of his voice. Suddenly, a whistle shrieks. Dark shapes jump out and chase Louie through the streets and alleys ("Shadows"). Louie is trapped! The gang of creatures drag him to their hideout, where they give him the third degree. Just when it looks really bad for our hero, he notices, peeking out from the bottom of the "Sack," the tail of the neighborhood cat. These aren't frightening creatures at all. These are Louie's old friends, dressed up for Halloween! After the trick is revealed, they all set out to celebrate Captain Louie's return ("Trick or Treat").
Louie and the gang are approached by Julio, a new kid in the neighborhood. They are all about to set off for some trick-or-treating when one of the gang, Ziggy, mentions that someone has moved into Louie's old place. Indignant that anyone would dare to try to take Louie's place, they declare this new kid a Looza and, led by Julio, they head off to "trick his house up good" ("Looza on the Block"). They are just about to launch their attack when they are surprised by Julio's mother exclaiming, "What is going on out there?" The gang stops dead in their tracks. Julio is the new kid, but he didn't want to admit it to his new friends!
Next, the gang decides to go to Ziggy's house. They have never been there before because he lives in a scary neighborhood. Ziggy seems oddly resistant to the idea, but the gang insists. Ziggy is forced to admit that he didn't want his friends to go to his place because his family can't afford Halloween decorations and candy. Louie gets an idea, and the gang heads off ("Spiffin' up Ziggy's").
It's getting late, and Julio says he has to get home. Louie suggests that they could hurry things up if they finish their trick-or-treating by plane. He and Red could take them all ("Captain Louie")!
When they land, it is time for Louie to go. He bids his friends a warm farewell ("Home Again") and finds himself transported out of his diorama world and back into his new home. Louie hears his mother telling him to put on his costume and join the other kids, but he's just not sure. Then he remembers his old gang and how Julio fit right in... and how he helped out Ziggy. Louie gathers up his courage and heads outside where, dressed as "Captain Louie" in his red plane, he makes new friends as the Halloween hit of his new neighborhood ("Finale").
Louie/Captain Louie
Louie is bright, imaginative, generous, and a somewhat shy kid. He has just moved to a new neighborhood and feels lonely without his old friends. You will want to cast an excellent singer as Louie, but you need a solid actor too. While Louie has the most solos in the show, he also shows the greatest range of emotion.
Gender: male
Vocal range top: B4
Vocal range bottom: A3
Amy/Broom
Amy is the perfect friend who is always there to help and can take on leadership responsibilities whenever necessary. You are looking for a good singer and actress for this role. If possible, she should be taller than Archie.
Gender: female
Archie/Flower
Archie is the youngest and smallest member of Louie's old gang and seems to be scared of everything. He won't chicken out of doing things, but it often takes a lot of prodding from his friends. Archie can easily be cast as a girl by changing the name to Angie. When casting this role, look for acting skills and believability first, and singing skills second.
Gender: male
Vocal range top: B4
Vocal range bottom: B3
Roberta/Mouse
Roberta is the leader of the gang. She is not overly bossy, but she definitely is in control. She cares a lot about her friends and has a clear idea of how things should happen. She and Louie have innocent crushes on each other. Look for a good singer and actor who is not afraid to be loud and in charge of the other characters.
Gender: female
Vocal range top: B4
Vocal range bottom: B3
Ziggy/Monster
Ziggy is all around a big guy; physically and emotionally. Ziggy has got a big heart and is always ready to play a trick or two, and have some fun. The only thing that causes Ziggy any concern is embarrassment about his poor apartment that comes out when the kids start to talk about their homes. When casting Ziggy, look for a good actor and singer who can also sound good doing a rap.
Gender: male
Vocal range top: F#4
Vocal range bottom: B4
Julio/Baseball Bat
Julio is the new kid in the group and is extremely outgoing and self-confident. He likes to tell jokes and really enjoys having a good time with people, whether they are new or old friends. Julio has a few short lines in Spanish that can be easily learned if you don't have a student who knows Spanish. Cast one of your students with a big personality who likes to show off as Julio.
Gender: male
Vocal range top: G4
Vocal range bottom: E4
Cat/Sack
Amy's cat is a member of the gang and is always around. You can cast a person as Cat or you could easily use a puppet manipulated by Amy. Remember Cat can't speak words, but still communicates fully to the gang with "meows" and actions. Also, feel free to have Cat sing and dance in each number. If you cast a person, look for a student with an expressive face and a good mover.
Gender: any
Louie's Mom
Louie's Mom should be portrayed as an offstage voice. She is kind to her son, but still pushes and encourages him to go outside and meet new people. This is the perfect solo role for one of your ensemble members.
Gender: female
Julio's Mom
Julio's Mom should be played as a puppet or an offstage actor on mic. At first she seems bewildered by all the commotion she hears outside her door, but she is soon pleased to learn that her son is making new friends. This is another good additional role for one of your ensemble members.
Gender: female
Ensemble
The ensemble in this show play kids from both Louie's old and new neighborhoods. Cast students who are good actors and singers, as well as students who are able to display their personality onstage.
Gender: any
- Aviation
- Shadow Imagery
- Dioramas
- Holidays
- Cultural Differences
- Friendship
Billing
Requirements
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Book by
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Music & Lyrics by
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ANTHONY STEIN
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STEPHEN SCHWARTZ
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Video Warning
The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibitedIncluded Materials
| Resource | Quantity |
|---|---|
| DIRECTOR'S GUIDE | 1 |
| DOWNLOADABLE RESOURCES AND MEDIA | 1 |
| FAMILY MATTERS | 30 |
| GUIDE VOCAL AND PERF TRACKS DIGITAL | 1 |
| PIANO VOCAL SCORE | 1 |
| STUDENT BOOK | 30 |