Billing

Based on the books by Margret and H.A. Rey and the Play, Owned by Universal Stage Productions

Requirements

You must give the authors/creators billing credits, as specified in the Production Contract, in a conspicuous manner on the first page of credits in all programs and on houseboards, displays and in all other advertising announcements of any kind.
Percentages listed indicate required type size in relation to title size.
CURIOUS GEORGE:
THE GOLDEN MEATBALL
(100%)
 
Music by
JOHN KAVANAUGH
(50%)
Book and Lyrics by
JEREMY DESMON
(50%)
Based on the books by Margret and H.A. Rey and the Play Owned by Universal Stage Productions
(50%)
 
No billing shall appear in type larger or more prominent than the billing to Margret and H.A. Rey and Universal Stage Productions ("Universal"), except for the title of the Play. The foregoing credit for the Books shall not apply to award advertising, advertising utilizing "critics quotes," ABC advertisements, advertisements of one-quarter (1/4) page or less in which only the stars above the title, the title of the Play, the name of the theatre, and/or critics quotes appear. In such other advertisements, the following "shortened billing" is permissible.
CURIOUS GEORGE: THE GOLDEN MEATBALL
 
In addition, you shall provide the following credits on the title page of all programs for the Play:
“Original Production of "Curious George Live! The Golden Meatball" was produced by VEE Corporation in association with Universal Stage Productions and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
 
“The character Curious George, including without limitation the character's name and any variations, translations or local versions thereof and the character's likenesses, are registered trademarks of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.”
 
You also agree to include the approved biography of Universal Stage Productions and the authors in all programs, press releases and other printed materials with respect to the Play that include biographies of any other creative team members. You can find approved biographies for Universal and the authors at http://www.mtishows.com/about/author-bios.
CURIOUS GEORGE IMAGE. You (the "Licensee") acknowledge that Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company ("HMH") is the owner of the character "Curious George" including without limitation, the character's name in English and any variations, translations or local ersions thereof and the character's likenesses. Licensee further agrees as follows:
(a) Visual Appearance of the Character "curious George": The visual appearance of the character "Curious George" shall be consistent with his appearance in the "Curious George" book series (the "Property")(he has no tail) and consistent with the guidelines as to his physical size and proportions (approximate head-to-body ratio; approximate height in relation to normal human adults).
(b) Physical and Mental Capabilities of the Character "Curious George": The physical capabilities of chimpanzees shall be consistent with, but not limited by, those depicted in the Property and with the physical capabilities of chimpanzees generally. For example, "Curious George" shall not talk; he can climb and leap but not fly; he can ride a bicycle with no hands but cannot play the violin like a virtuoso. No voice-overs shall articulate the thoughts of "Curious George" (as in, e.g., the motion picture-entitled "Look Who's Talking"); however, a third party narrator's voice-overs may be heard while "Curious George" is on stage. The mental capabilities of "Curious George" shall be similar to those of a precocious clever child.
(c) Behavior of the Character "Curious George": "Curious George’s behavior shall be consistent with, but not limited by, the behavior depicted in the Property.  "Curious George" shall not be depicted as being intentionally cruel or engaged in violence resulting in serious physical injury or pain; he shall not knowingly engage in any serious illegal activity; he may sometimes cause trouble but not maliciously; he does not always do what he is told to do because he is, for example, curious and forgetful, not malicious or mean; he frequently mimics the behavior of others.
(d) Behavior of the Character "The Man In The Yellow Hat": "The Man In The Yellow Hat" shall not be depicted in sexual situations or engaged in violence resulting in serious physical injury or pain.
(e) Parodies and Satires: No Play produced under this Agreement shall constitute parodies or satires of the characters in the Property or otherwise depict the Property in a derogatory manner.
(f) Rating: Your production shall not contain any profanity, nudity or sexual situations or violence resulting in serious physical injury or pain.
TRADEMARKS. MTI grants to you. the Licensee, the non-exclusive right to use the "Curious George" trademark for the term of this Production Contract only insofar as it is nevessary to excercise your rights to the Play as granted herein. HMH will retain all rights in and to the Trademark, as well as in any permitted modifications or improvements (any such modifications are subject to HMH's prior written approval in its sole discretion). You shall not, at any time during or after the term of this Agreement, dispute or contest, directly or indirectly, HMH's exclusive rights and title to the Trademark or any element of the Trademark. Except as otherwise specified hereunder, you may not make any use of the Trademark for its own benefit unless HMH has given permission in advance in writing for such use, and you further acknowledge that any use you make of the Trademark insures to the benefit of the HMH and that you shall not thereby acquire any rights in the Trademark. You shall include with the Trademark notices identifying HMH as the owner of the Trademark, as set forth in Paragraph 4 below. HMH shall have the exclusive right to seek, in its own name and at its own expense, appropriate trademark registrations for the protection of the Trademark or any element of the Trademark. You agree to excecute any documents reasonably requested by HMH to affect any of these provisions. You specifically understand and agree that no rights are granted herein with respect to Universal's name, logo or trademark, or any other trademarks, logos or copyrights owned by HMH and Universal other than those specifically set forth in this Agreement, it being understood that all rights in and to said properties are reserved exclusively to HMH and/or Universal for use and/or licensing as they deem appropriate to the third party(s) of their choice.
COPYRIGHT AND TRADEMARK NOTICES. The following copyright and trademark notices shall be included on all of Licensee's Promotional Materials (e.g., programs, study guides, websites, advertising)
Copyright©2014 by Universal Studios. Curious George and related characters, created by Margret and H.A. Rey, are copyrighted and trademarked by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company and used under license. "Curious George: The Golden Meatball" created by special arrangement with Universal Stage Productions and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publising Company. All rights reserved.
 
NOTE: For audio-visual uses (such as television) and print advertisements where space is limited, the following abbreviated copyright and trademark notice may be used instead:
CG: ® & © 2014 Universal Studios and/or HMH. All rights reserved.
 
USE OF CURIOUS GEORGE LOGOS. Licensee acknowledges that any uses of the "Curious George" logo must be consistent with the guidelines provided with the logo art files (e.g. colors used, fonts, placement, legal notices, etc.)

Video Warning

In accordance with the Performance License, you MUST include the following warning in all programs and in a pre-show announcement:
ANY VIDEO AND/OR AUDIO RECORDING OF THIS PRODUCTION IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.

If you purchase a video license to allow non-commercial video recording of this production, then you MUST include the following warning in all programs and in a pre-show announcement:
ANY VIDEO RECORDING MADE OF THIS PERFORMANCE IS AUTHORIZED FOR PERSONAL, AT-HOME, NON-COMMERCIAL USE ONLY. THE SALE OR DISTRIBUTION OF SUCH RECORDING IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED UNDER FEDERAL COPYRIGHT LAW.
Curious George: The Golden Meatball TYA

Included Materials

ItemQuantity Included
LIBRETTO/VOCAL BOOK10
PIANO VOCAL SCORE2
TYA PERFORMANCE TRACKS1

Production Resources

Resource
HOW DOES THE SHOW GO ON-10/CS
HOW DOES THE SHOW GO ON?
LOGO PACK DIGITAL
PRODUCTIONPRO-DIGITAL SCRIPT/SCORE
STAGE WRITE APPLICATION
VIDEO LICENSE
Everyone's favorite mischievous monkey and his friend in the yellow hat sing and dance up a storm in this adventure-filled musical.
Show Essentials
6
Roles
G
Rated
1
Act

Full Synopsis

On a windy, busy street in a bustling city, carpenters and painters are hard at work. Two painters discuss which color to paint a sign, blue or yellow, finally deciding on green after bumping into each other and accidentally mixing the colors. The doorman for #7 N Avenue works on a crossword puzzle as the Man with the Yellow Hat enters optimistically. As the wind continues to blow, the Man with the Yellow Hat realizes that he is without his companion, George. George, a curious little monkey, enters, enthusiastically waving a red kerchief that he has found. An attempt to tie the red kerchief for George by the Man with the Yellow Hat is foiled by another gust of wind, sending the kerchief and the monkey running back down the busy street, meeting all his friends along the way ("Curious George Theme Song").

Having regained his red kerchief, George is excited to show off his well-practiced serving skills in preparation for the ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT-MEATBALL-DAY-AT-CHEF-PISGHETTI'S. Using tennis balls in place of meatballs, George carefully demonstrates to the Doorman and the Man with the Yellow Hat how he will serve Chef Pisghetti's customers with intense focus until a delivery truck horn blares and immediately snatches George's attention ("Special Delivery"). Accepting the delivery, George inquires about the sticker on the package. The Doorman and the Man with the Yellow Hat explain that the sticker shows the recipient where the package came from and its destination. In this case it, came from Rome, Italy, and arrived at #7 N Avenue for George! George is thrilled with the bubble wrap but even more enthralled with his very own Chef's hat and an invitation from Chef Pisghetti to help him cook the meatballs. George decides that there is no time to waste and rushes over to Chef Pisghetti's Ristorante with the Man with the Yellow Hat.

George and the Man with the Yellow Hat arrive at the kitchen of Chef Pisghetti as he finishes a pep talk to his assistant cooks. Delighted at George's arrival, Chef Pisghetti requests a picture by Netti with his little look-a-like in the matching hat and red kerchief. Seeing George in his hat from Rome, Chef Pisghetti reminisces about the beauty of his home country ("Ah, Roma") and all of its wonderful things, especially the Golden Meatball Contest. George is intrigued by this contest, where a trophy is given to the chef who makes the most delicious meatballs. Although Chef Pisghetti would love to enter the contest, he never has, preferring instead to focus his cooking skills on his own customers and the All-You-Can-Eat Meatball Day. Chef Pisghetti, George and the Cooks work together to make the famous meatballs ("Dash of Joy"). Finally, it is time to deliver the delicious meatballs to the hungry customers... only the dining room is empty! The kitchen staff and George notice a crowd gathering across the street and race out to see what is keeping people away from Meatball Day.

A slick salesman, Phineas T. Lightspeed, has the crowd whipped into a frenzy with his one-of-a-kind Meatball-o-Matic 9000, which produces instant meatballs ("Who's Got Time"). Chef Pisghetti is devastated and defeated when an invitation to attend the Golden Meatball Contest arrives in the mail ("Special Delivery Reprise"). George, Netti and the Man with the Yellow Hat try to convince the Chef to participate ("Golden Meatball"). However, Chef Pisghetti refuses to enter the contest, believing that no one will ever want his meatballs again.

Returning to #7 N Avenue, George and the Man with the Yellow Hat meet the doorman just as another delivery arrives ("Special Delivery – Reprise #2"). The package is addressed to a Georgette Johnson, who does not live at #7 N Avenue. The Delivery Man allows George to stamp the package with the Return to Sender stamp and heads along his route, forgetting his stamper with George. George discovers how to cheer up Chef Pisghetti and get his meatballs to the contest by stamping the delivery box from Rome that contained his Chef's Hat with Return to Sender... and jumping inside with the meatballs and the invitation ("George Goes to Rome / Curious George Theme Song – Reprise #1")! The Man with the Yellow Hat and the Doorman enter and quickly deduce George's plan before heading off to Rome themselves.

George peeks out of his box and onto a busy piazza in Rome. Italian painters welcome him to the city ("That's How You Know You're in Rome"), paint his portrait and bring him to the Golden Meatball Contest at The Coliseum. The Man with the Yellow Yet, Chef Pisghetti and Netti enter the piazza and notice the painting of George. They quickly head to the Coliseum, narrowly missing George along the way ("Go, Monkey, Go"). Also on his way to the Coliseum is Phineas T. Lightspeed, set on winning that contest.

As the chaos settles, George and the Man with the Yellow Hat bump into each other. Reunited at last in front of the Coliseum, they inform a lost Chef Pisghetti on the phone that George has entered his meatballs into the contest. Chef Pisghetti is touched to have such a friend in George ("A Buddy Like You"). Only, unbeknownst to George, you cannot just bring meatballs to enter; you have to cook them fresh at the contest. With no time to make it to the Coliseum, Chef Pisghetti asks George to cook the meatballs for him. George agrees, but hangs up the phone without learning what the secret ingredient is ("The Contest / Keep Your Eye on the Ball").

Once the contestants complete their meatballs, it is time for judging to begin ("Judging: That's a Meatball"). Chef Pisghetti runs in, but it is too late to add the secret ingredient. Frankie, the judge, tastes each meatball and names George and Chef Pisghetti the winners! Chef Pisghetti informs George that he had the secret ingredient all along: Love. ("Finale: Curious George Theme Song – Reprise #2").

Casting
← Back to Curious George: The Golden Meatball TYA
Cast Size: Small (Up to 10 performers)
Cast Type: Ensemble Cast
Dance Requirements: Standard

Character Breakdown

Female #1
Painter #5 / Delivery #5 / Nettie (Italian Accent) / Italian Painter #5 / GM Stage Manager - Offstage / Chef O' Malley
Gender: female
Female #2
Doorman / Cook / Phinneas' Crowd / Delivery #6 / American Tourist / Frankie Sidecar
Gender: female
Male #1
George
Gender: male
Male #2
Man with the Yellow Hat (No regional accent)/Cook/Phinneas' Crowd.
Gender: male
Male #3
Carpenter / Delivery #3 / Chef Pisghetti (Italian Accent) / Italian Painter #3 / Dramatic Announcer - Offstage
Gender: male
Male #4
Painter #4 / Delivery #4 / Cook / Phinneas / Italian Painter #4
Gender: male

Show History

Inspiration

Curious George: The Golden Meatball follows the adventures of Curious George, an inquisitive little monkey who first appeared in a series of children’s books created by the team of H.A. and Margaret Rey. Curious George made his first appearance in 1939 in Cecily G. and the Nine Monkeys before graduating to the lead character of his own children’s books.  Over the decades, Curious George has spawned dozens of books, popular television programs and successful films.

Productions

Curious George: The Golden Meatball launched a National Tour in 2014 through Theatreworks USA. The tour continues to play various cities across the United States. 

Cultural Influence

  • The “Original Adventures” of Curious George were published between 1941 and 1966. A second series of books that were adapted from the telefilm series were published between 1984 and 1993. Finally, a third series of books, the “New Adventures” debuted in 1998 and continue to this day. These latest adventures are “illustrated in the style of H.A. Rey."
  • Curious George has been adapted for television three times. Most recently, on PBS Kids in 2006, with new episodes still airing.
  • The 2006 animated feature, Curious George, starred Will Ferrell as the Man With the Yellow Hat. Two direct-to-video sequels, Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey! and Curious George 3: Back to the Jungle were released in 2010 and 2015, respectively, with Jeff Bennett replacing Ferrell as the Man With the Yellow Hat.

Trivia

  • Throughout the children’s books, the Man With the Yellow Hat is never referred to by his actual name. He is referred to as Ted in the 2006 animated feature.

Critical Reaction

 “…This show packages valuable lessons in such a way as to be relatable to a younger demographic.”
– Broadway World

 

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