Penny (Rankin/Bass musical)
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| File:Penny (musical).jpg | |
| Music | Maury Laws Jules Bass |
| Lyrics | Maury Laws Jules Bass Out Sally Scott |
| Basis | Mad Monster Party? by Jules Bass |
| Premiere | March 8, 1997: The Muny, St. Louis |
| Productions | 2000 The Muny 2004 US National Tour 2007 UK Tour 2008 Broadway 2009 US National Tour 2009 Broadway 2014 West End revival 2016–2018 US National Tour 2019 West End revival |
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Penny is a musical based on the Rankin/Bass 1967 film Mad Monster Party?. The music and lyrics by Maury Laws and Jules Bass and additional lyrics by Dennis Scott’s sister Sally
Plot[edit]
Real world in September 27, 1951[edit]
Penny is playing with rocks that skip in the water and sings Mad Monster Party. Her sisters Jen and Lilly are playing Go Fish
Penny’s dream in September 27, 1951[edit]
Scientist Baron Boris von Frankenstein achieves his ultimate ambition, the secret of total destruction. Having perfected and tested the formula, he sends out messenger bats carrying invitations to summon all monsters to the Isle of Evil in the Caribbean Sea. The Baron intends to inform them of his discovery and also to reveal his imminent retirement as head of the Worldwide Organization of Monsters. Besides his Monster (sometimes referred to as "Fang") and the Monster's more intelligent mate who reside on the Isle of Evil with Boris as Fang’s Mate sings You're Different to Fang, the invitees include Count Dracula, the Mummy, Quasimodo (referred to as "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame"), the Werewolf, The Invisible Man, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon (referred to as simply "The Creature"). Frankenstein's beautiful and cutest assistant Francesca confirms that all invitations have been delivered and inquires about one of the addressees, a Felix Flanken. Frankenstein explains that Felix is his nephew and successor in the monster business. This displeases Francesca, who covets the role for herself. She asks why there was no invitation for "It". Boris replies that "It" was not invited since "It" can be a crushing bore, explaining that "It" even crushed the island's wild boars in his bare hands the last time "It" was invited. Felix Flanken is a drug store pharmacist somewhere in the United States in 1951. Incompetent and asthmatic but good-natured, he is a constant burden on the drug store's greedy order Mr. Kronkite. A mailman arrives with Felix's invitation and he joyously accepts.
Real world in October 1, 1951[edit]
In the meantime in October 1, 1951, Penny gets ready for her appendix out on October 9, 1951 in the hospital but she moans and wails until her dream transforms Penny into a ghost.
Penny’s dream in October 1, 1951[edit]
The ship's crew are wary of the unusual passengers and the ghost girl Penny. Frankenstein has his zombie butler Yetch, Chef Mafia Machiavelli, and the zombie bellhops and servants make preparations for the upcoming party while patrolling the Isle to ensure that "It" does not arrive uninvited. Penny and the monsters begin to arrive on the freighter that Felix an also traveling on. As Penny and the monsters arrive, Francesca have to do to calls Penny, Sweetie.
Penny’s dream in October 2, 1951[edit]
During dinner, Frankenstein shows them the formula which he will demonstrate the next day while naming his successor and introduces Penny sings The Mummy with her backing up singers Little Tibia and the Fibias. Francesca secretly meets with Dracula to inform him about Felix and Penny, promising to share Frankenstein's secrets when she becomes the successor if Dracula were to get rid of Felix and Penny as Dracula tap dances with Francesca sings jazzy Our Time to Shine in the song’s instrumental breaks as Dracula tap dances and Penny vocalizes in ghostly voice. When they catch the Monster's Mate ease-dropping, she and Francesca begin to cat-fight while the other monsters have an all out food fight make Penny laughing.
Penny’s dream in October 3, 1951[edit]
Felix arrives to the island and is greeted by his uncle and Francessca, who takes Felix on a tour of the island where the Mummy, Werewolf, and Dracula plan to attack expect Penny. While the human Felix and Penny the ghost proves to be unsuitably kindhearted, the monsters nonetheless plot to eliminate him and gain control of the secret formula, but Felix and Penny continually accidentally foils their attempts together. Later, Frankenstein tells Felix and Penny about his retirement, making his nephew leader of all the monsters in the world Frankenstein sings One Step Ahead to Felix and Penny. Felix naturally feels reluctant to take the job. Over time, Francesca develops feelings for Felix and Penny after he obliviously saves her on multiple occasions. As Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, and the Monster's Mate descend upon Francesca, she sends out a letter (via messenger bat) to an unknown recipient. When the monsters corner Felix and Penny upon capturing Francesca, they are frightened at the arrival of "It" (a giant gorilla and knock-off of King Kong) who proceeds to rampage since he was not invited. "It" snatches up the monsters and Francesca (on whom "It" develops a crush). Felix and Penny rushes to tell his uncle what happened and is instructed to head to the boat. Frankenstein leads the zombies in rescuing Francesca from "It" using biplanes. Boris convinces "It" to let Francesca go and to take him instead. "It" complies. Felix and Francesca manage to escape the island in the boat as Frankenstein and the remainder of the monsters remain in "It"'s clutches to save Penny from drowning. Displeased that the monsters tried to steal the secret for themselves and attempted to kill Felix as well as having to put up with "It", Frankenstein sacrifices himself by dropping the vial of the formula, destroying the Isle of Evil and everything on it. The destruction is witnessed by Felix and Francesca offshore to save Penny as Francesca sings Never Was a Love Like Mine to Felix and Penny. Felix and Penny expresses a desire to begin a family with Francesca, who tearfully admits that she is not human, but in fact a robot creation of Frankenstein's. Felix and Penny responds that "none of us are perfect", indicating that he is his uncle's robot creation too. All Felix and Francesca have do to wake Penny up. After her dream transforms Penny into back from ghost in her dream into a human in real life.
Real world in October 3, 1951[edit]
Penny‘s mother wakes Penny up from Penny‘s dream and tells Penny about the news is appendix are all out and Penny’s dad gives Penny her new toys figurines of Felix, Francesca and all of the monsters.
Cast[edit]
- Penny Sillery - Petunia and Paul’s daughter who dreams of being a ghost
- Petunia Sillery - rich and sweet mother of Polly and Penny Sillery
- Paul Sillery - handy and sweet father of Polly and Penny Sillery
- Polly Sillery - rich sister of Penny Sillery
- Penny’s Doctors
- Baron Boris von Frankenstein
- Francesca
- Felix Flanken
- Count Dracula
- Frankenstein's Monster "Fang"
- The Monster's Mate
- The Werewolf
- The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
- The Invisible Man
- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
- "It"
- Yetch
- Little Tibia and the Fibias
- Chef Mafia Machiavelli
- Mr. Kronkite
- The Freighter Captain
- The First Mate
- The Mailman
Productions[edit]
Musical numbers[edit]
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Principal roles and Broadway original cast[edit]
- Bob Wallace – Stephen Bogardus (role originated in world premiere by Lara Teeter)
- Phil Davis – Jeffry Denman (role originated in world premiere by Lee Roy Reams)
- Betty Haynes – Kerry O'Malley (role originated in world premiere by Karen Mason)
- Judy Haynes – Meredith Patterson (role originated in world premiere by Lauren Kennedy)
- Ezekiel Foster/Mr. Snoring Man/Quintet Member – Cliff Bemis
- Mike Nulty/Ed Sullivan Announcer/Regency Room Announcer – Sheffield Chastain
- General Henry Waverly – Charles Dean (role originated in world premiere by Howard Keel)
- Susan Waverly – Melody Hollis
- Martha Watson – Susan Mansur (role originated in world premiere by Karen Morrow)
- Ralph Sheldrake – Peter Reardon
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