Artist:
Jack and the Beanstalk
Genre: Musical Play
Background:
Jack and the Beanstalk is a very old English fairy tale. Over the ages it has been told in many different versions. This fairy tale was a part of English Fairy tales, a book by Joseph Jacobs. His version is one that is most commonly read today. The story was developed into a play later on by Charles Ludlam.
The fairy tale is a story about Jack, a poor boy who lives with his widowed mother. One day his mother sends him to the market to sell their only possession, their cow. On the way to the market, Jack meets a stranger who offers to exchange his cow for five "magic beans". Jack gets excited by this offer and is obviously thrilled at the thought of owning magic beans. Jack agrees and makes the trade. When he tells his mother, she doesn't turn out to be as enthusiastic as Jack. In total disgust she throws the beans out of the window and sends Jack straight to bed without dinner. The nest day when Jack looks out of his window he sees that the seeds have grown into a gigantic beanstalk. The beanstalk is so high that it seems that it is stretched into heaven. Jack decides to climb the beanstalk and arrives in a land high up in the clouds. He later discovers that it is the home of the giant who killed his father. As he breaks into his castle, the giant smells him and senses that a human is nearby. He says..
Fee! Fie! Foe! Fum!
I smell the blood of an Englishman.
Be he 'live, or be he dead,
I'll grind his bones to make my bread.
Luckily, Jack is saved by the giant's wife. He escapes the palace and takes along some gold coins with him. When Jack climbs back down, his mother is delighted and they celebrate their newfound fortune. But after sometime their gold coins get spent, so Jack climbs the beanstalk once again. This time he uses his head and steals the giant's hen that lays golden eggs. Once again he is saved by the giant's kind wife. He climbs down and shows the chicken to his mother, and the two are content on with the earnings from the hen's eggs.
Jack gets bored after a while and to seek adventure he decides to climb the beanstalk a third time. This time, he steals the giant's magical harp that sings to itself. The instrument did not like the fact that it is being stolen, and cries out to the giant for help. The giant sees Jack and chases him down the beanstalk. But Jack gets to the ground before the Giant and quickly chops down the beanstalk with his axe, the giant falls to earth so hard that he splits. Jack and his mother then live happily ever after.
This is a exciting tale for children as well as adults. A fantastic story and a thrilling final segment makes this a must watch. Come and watch this great family entertainer. Contact your on-line ticket vendor and buy the tickets, don't miss out!
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