Libretti Writ Large

Scene 2  

On the road to market, Patty sings of what she’s "Gonna Buy" with the money she makes.  Her predictions are cut off when she bumps into a tortoise and spills some milk.  The tortoise explains that he is racing a hare. When Patty doubts him, he tells her that anyone can be as "Good As the Rest" if he tries hard enough.  A little wiser for the encounter, Patty resumes her journey and her predictions ("Gonna Buy II") until she bumps into an arguing country mouse and city mouse.  She spills more milk, but she manages to help them decide if the city or the country is a better place to live ("It’s Better").  Back on the road, she fantasizes a third time ("Gonna Buy III"); but then she bumps into a group of monkeys and spills the last of her milk.  She blames them for her loss, but then she realizes the only person truly at fault is herself.  The monkeys celebrate her epiphany with a rousing bout of "Monkey Bop" shenanigans.  Patty invites them to her house for a snack and more fun.  On the way to Patty’s house, the group picks up the mice, the tortoise, and the people from the marketplace.  Patty’s mother is overwhelmed ("Beautiful Day [Finale]").

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LYRICS SAMPLES

"FLY AWAY"

NOT LONG AGO
YOU WERE STILL IN MY ARMS
WITH EYES AS BRIGHT AS THE SUN.
I ALWAYS THOUGHT . . .
NO, I ALWAYS KNEW
THAT SOMEONE UNIQUE HAD BEGUN.

YOU SPOUTED QUESTIONS
AS BIG AS THE SKY.
SOMETIMES I JUST
WASN'T SURE I COULD ANSWER.
YOU ALWAYS WONDERED
WHERE, WHAT, AND WHY.
THAT'S HOW I KNEW
YOU WERE DESTINED TO FLY.

FLY.  FLY AWAY.
SOMEDAY YOU'LL JUST FLY AWAY.
IT'S ONLY RIGHT
YOU SHOULD TAKE FLIGHT
AND FLY.  FLY AWAY SOMEDAY.                                     

YOUR FATHER PASSED ON
WHEN YOU WERE A BABE,
AND I HAD TO RAISE YOU ALONE.
THOUGH TIMES HAVE BEEN TOUGH,
WE'VE HAD JUST ENOUGH.
WE'VE MANAGED FINE ON OUR OWN.

FLY.  FLY AWAY.
SOMEDAY YOU'LL JUST FLY AWAY.
IT'S ONLY RIGHT
YOU SHOULD TAKE FLIGHT
AND FLY.  FLY AWAY SOMEDAY.

THOUGH YOU HAVE TO GROW,
TRY TO TAKE IT SLOW.
KEEP THAT DAY
FAR AND AWAY
WHEN YOU HAVE TO GO.

STILL I KNOW YOU'LL
FLY.  FLY AWAY.
SOMEDAY YOU'LL JUST FLY AWAY.
IT'S ONLY RIGHT
YOU SHOULD TAKE FLIGHT
AND FLY.  FLY AWAY SOMEDAY.

"GONNA BUY"

I'M GONNA BUY.
I'M GONNA BUY.
GONNA BUY THINGS I LACK:
BAGS FULL OF TIE;
CHEDDAR AND BRIE;
ORNAMENTAL BRIC-A-BRAC.

GONNA BUY MORE,
MORE THAN BEFORE.
GONNA MAKE SALESMEN SIGH.
GONNA SELL MILK.
GONNA DRAIN THE PAIL.
THEN I'M GONNA BUY, BUY, BUY!

I'LL BUY YARDS OF SILK,
AND I'LL SEW A DRESS.
THEN IT WILL BE PURCHASED
BY A NOBLE DUCHESS.
SHE'LL BE SO IMPRESSED
THAT SHE WILL INSTRUCT,
"PATTY, BE MY SEAMSTRESS."
WHAT A STROKE OF LUCK.
THAT'S ONE DREAM I'LL BUY!

I'M GONNA BUY.
I'M GONNA BUY.
GONNA BUY THINGS I WANT:
BALLS MADE OF RICE;
BLUEBERRY ICE;
FINERY TO WEAR AND FLAUNT.

GONNA BUY MORE.
EMPTY THE STORES!
GONNA MAKE PEDDLERS PLY.
GONNA SELL MILK.
GONNA DRAIN THE PAIL.
THEN I'M GONNA BUY, BUY, BUY!

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MUSIC SAMPLES

Instrumentals

"Overture"

Piano-Vocals (Digitals Only)

"Beautiful Day"
"Good As the Rest"
"Monkey Bop"

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SCENE SAMPLE

Act I, Scene 1  

(Lights up on a quaint cottage surrounded by flowers and a picket fence. Birds are chirping in the background. Faint singing can be heard from inside the cottage. PATTY exits the house carrying a milk pail. SHE is dressed in peasant-like clothes, but they are not shabby-looking or of poor quality. SHE sets down the pail and looks around.)

SONG:  BEAUTIFUL DAY  

PATTY

What a beautiful day!  

A DAY LIKE TODAY
IS THE BEST CAN BE,
FOR IT'S COOL
AND BRIGHT AND SUNNY.
FRESH BREEZES ABOUND
IN THE CROWNS OF TREES,
AND THE BEES
BUZZ AROUND MAKING HONEY.
THE SKY'S AS BLUE
AS A SAPPHIRE GEM,
AND THE LAUREL
SMELLS ARE SWEET.
I KNOW DEEP WITHIN
LIKE A HAW KNOWS HEM
THAT TODAY'S A SPECIAL TREAT.

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY,
A BEAUTIFUL DAY.
THERE'S NOTHING TO FEAR
WHEN THE WEATHER IS CLEAR
ON A BEAUTIFUL DAY.

THE BOY NEXT DOOR'S
ON A LOCUST HUNT
WITH A PACK OF TRUSTY DOGS,
AND THE DONKEY'S OUT
IN A THISTLE FIELD
BLOATING UP
LIKE AN OLD BULLFROG.
THE NORTH WIND QUAILS
IN THE SUN'S EMBRACE
WHILE THE EAGLE CIRCLES HIGH,
AND ONE BALD MAN
ON THE EASTBOUND ROAD
SWATS AROUND AT A PESKY FLY.

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY,
A BEAUTIFUL DAY.
THERE'S NOTHING TO FEAR
WHEN THE WEATHER IS CLEAR
ON A BEAUTIFUL DAY.

ONE DAY ON A PAGE
OF THE DISTANT PAST,
I WAS PROVED TO BE A FOOL.
MY MOTHER TOLD ME
TO HURRY FAST
AND TAKE MYSELF TO SCHOOL,
BUT I THOUGHT
I WAS A BRILLIANT GIRL,
SO I DIDN'T PAY HER HEED.
I RAN FROM SCHOOL
LIKE A DERVISH WHIRLS --
WITH A TRULY AWESOME SPEED.

THEN I MET A STRANGER
TALL AND GRIM
WITH A LITTLE ORPHAN SHEEP.
I BEGGED THE LAMB
AWAY FROM HIM
SO I'D HAVE A PET TO KEEP.
WHEN MOTHER MET
ME AT THE DOOR,
MY LAMBLING LEAPED AT ONCE.
WITH JAWS THAT SNAPPED
LIKE AN ANGRY BOAR'S,
HE TRIED TO MAKE HER LUNCH.

I SHOULD HAVE SEEN
HIS POINTY EARS
AND FLARING BULBOUS NOSE;
A WOLF IS NOT AS HE APPEARS
WHEN DRESSED
IN SHEEPSKIN CLOTHES.
WITH A CARVING KNIFE,
SHE STABBED THE CUR,
BUT HIS LIFE WAS DEARLY SOLD.
HE BIT HER LEG
AND CRIPPLED HER,
SO NOW I DO AS I'M TOLD.
But . . .

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY,
A BEAUTIFUL DAY.
THERE'S NOTHING TO FEAR
WHEN THE WEATHER IS CLEAR
ON A BEAUTIFUL DAY.

NO WOLF IN A SKIN
WILL FOOL ME AGAIN
ON A BEAUTIFUL,
PERFECTLY SUITABLE,
FAIRY-TALE-DUTIFUL,
LOOK-AT-THAT-VIEW-TIFUL DAY.

(MOTHER, leaning on a crutch, enters slowly.  Her left foot is heavily bandaged.  SHE carries a bunch of bananas in a small basket.)

MOTHER

Patty!  Patty!

PATTY

Over here, Mother!

MOTHER

Good.  You haven't gone yet.  Here's a little snack for you to have on your trip.

(SHE hands the bananas to PATTY, who ties the basket to her apron strings.)

Oh, Patty.  I wish I were well enough to go with you.

PATTY

Don't worry, Mother.  I'll be fine.

MOTHER

I know.  It's just that you've never been to the market by yourself.

PATTY

I've gone with you plenty of times.  I know exactly what to do.

MOTHER

Are you sure?

PATTY

(SHE kisses MOTHER.)

You worry too much.

(PATTY begins to exit . . . without the pail.  MOTHER clears her throat.)

MOTHER

Forget something?                                                        

PATTY

Oops.

MOTHER

Patty, you have to stay focused.  I want you to go straight to market, sell your milk, and come straight home.  You understand?

PATTY

Yes, Mother.

MOTHER

I mean it, Patty.  You remember what happened last time I sent you on a simple errand, don't you?

PATTY

I remember.  Your hair has grown back quite nicely. 

(MOTHER makes a face.)

Okay.  Okay.  I'll go straight to market, sell the milk, and come straight home.

MOTHER

Promise?

PATTY

I promise.

MOTHER

I'll hold you to that.

(PATTY picks up the pail.)

Oh, Patty.  You're growing up so fast.

PATTY

It's just a trip to the market.

MOTHER

I know.

(SHE kisses PATTY.)

Run along, and hurry back.

PATTY

'Bye, Mother.

MOTHER

Goodbye, Patty.

(PATTY exits.  MOTHER looks after her fondly but wistfully.)

SONG:  FLY AWAY

NOT LONG AGO
YOU WERE STILL IN MY ARMS
WITH EYES AS BRIGHT AS THE SUN.
I ALWAYS THOUGHT . . .
NO, I ALWAYS KNEW
THAT SOMEONE UNIQUE HAD BEGUN.

YOU SPOUTED QUESTIONS
AS BIG AS THE SKY.
SOMETIMES I JUST
WASN'T SURE I COULD ANSWER.
YOU ALWAYS WONDERED
WHERE, WHAT, AND WHY.
THAT'S HOW I KNEW
YOU WERE DESTINED TO FLY.

FLY.  FLY AWAY.
SOMEDAY YOU'LL JUST FLY AWAY.
IT'S ONLY RIGHT
YOU SHOULD TAKE FLIGHT
AND FLY.  FLY AWAY SOMEDAY.                                     

YOUR FATHER PASSED ON
WHEN YOU WERE A BABE,
AND I HAD TO RAISE YOU ALONE.
THOUGH TIMES HAVE BEEN TOUGH,
WE'VE HAD JUST ENOUGH.
WE'VE MANAGED FINE ON OUR OWN.

FLY.  FLY AWAY.
SOMEDAY YOU'LL JUST FLY AWAY.
IT'S ONLY RIGHT
YOU SHOULD TAKE FLIGHT
AND FLY.  FLY AWAY SOMEDAY.

THOUGH YOU HAVE TO GROW,
TRY TO TAKE IT SLOW.
KEEP THAT DAY
FAR AND AWAY
WHEN YOU HAVE TO GO.

STILL I KNOW YOU'LL
FLY.  FLY AWAY.
SOMEDAY YOU'LL JUST FLY AWAY.
IT'S ONLY RIGHT
YOU SHOULD TAKE FLIGHT
AND FLY.  FLY AWAY SOMEDAY.

(MOTHER hobbles into the cottage.  Blackout.)