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Scene 2  

Karen Pleasance goes to a nearby well to fetch water for her guardian, Mrs. Moody. She meets Nels Shumacher, a cobbler’s apprentice, and he shows her a new dance he has developed ("The Cobbler’s Kick"). He gives her a dancing lesson ("Karen’s Lesson") and asks her to go to the Midsummer Festival; but she declines. He is left pining for her . . . as always ("Waiting for You").

Scene 3  

Karen returns to Mrs. Moody with her water.  Mrs. Moody tells her to visit the festival and have some fun.  The older woman notes that she herself was quite the free spirit when she was Karen’s age.  When Karen balks, Mrs. Moody laments that the girl is just like her selfless mother ("Mother and Daughter").  Karen relents and promises to spend some time at the fair just for herself.

Scene 4  

Madam Snogg and her mute assistant, Jemma, arrive near Devonshire in time to hear the start of the Midsummer celebration ("Solstice Celebration").  The elder Gypsy exposes her plan to swindle collectors using the magical Red Shoes ("Applaud for Madam Snogg").  Karen, practicing her dancing, enters to fetch more water from the well ("Karen’s Practice"). Madam Snogg scraps her old plan and resolves to trick Karen into wearing the Red Shoes so the Gypsy can use the girl as a traveling dancer to draw crowds.  She lures Karen ("A Proper Dancer") and even manages to put the Red Shoes on the girl ("The Red Shoes Waltz"), but Karen manages to escape.  Nels arrives with a gift of shoes for Karen, and Madam Snogg switches the present with her magical footwear ("Applaud for Madam Snogg [Reprise]").

Scene 5  

Tenderhearted Jemma enters the cobbler’s shop to steal the Red Shoes away from Nels before disaster befalls Karen.  Nels spots her, and a chase ensues ("Grab That Basket!").

Scene 6  

Karen hesitates before entering the festival.  She muses about what might happen between Nels and her that night ("When We Go Dancing").  Nels and Jemma show up, and Nels manages to wrest the shoes from the Gypsy. Madam Snogg arrives, and she counsels Karen to wear Nels’s gift.  Once the Red Shoes are on Karen’s feet, Madam Snogg seizes control of the girl and forces her to dismiss Nels ("Karen Controlled").  Jemma consoles Nels and offers to help him. The two of them dash off to tell Mrs. Moody what has transpired.

Madam Snogg forces Karen to perform for the crowd at the festival ("Fighting the Shoes").  Coins pour in from all comers, but Snogg’s jubilation is cut short by the arrival of Mrs. Moody, who is now dressed in the Gypsy garb she used to sport as Madam Dahlia.  Mrs. Moody challenges Snogg to a duel of curses ("May You Be Cursed!").  Mrs. Moody loses, but the whole ordeal was a ruse.  Nels seizes the magic buttonhook which controls the Red Shoes, and he breaks it.  Nothing happens.  Snogg is exultant until Karen reveals that she has snagged the true buttonhook.  Karen snaps the controlling artifact, and the magical backlash knocks Snogg unconscious. Mrs. Moody invites Jemma to board with her and Karen, Nels secures a date from Karen, and Madam Snogg is sentenced to being alone forever ("Good Times Ahead").

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LYRICS SAMPLES

"THE COBBLER'S KICK"

START WITH A SHUFFLE,
THEN ADD A LITTLE GRAPEVINE.
THEN YOU DIP,
AND GO INTO A BREAK.
And two and three and four!
DO A LITTLE STROLLING,
AND THEN REVEAL THE TRICK;
AND LIFT YOUR KNEES
UP IN A COBBLER'S KICK.
KICK!  KICK!

IT'S ALL ABOUT
THE KNEES, YOU SEE.
THEY HAVE TO WORK
IN HARMONY
AS SURELY AS
A WELL-CONSIDERED CROON.
WHEN ONE GOES UP,
THE OTHER'S DOWN,
AND THEN YOU TURN
THE PLAN AROUND;
AND THERE YOU HAVE
THE FINEST DANCE IN JUNE!                                     

THEN YOU CAN GET FANCY,
AND THROW IN ALL THE FRILLS.
KICK, BALLCHANGE,
AND DOUBLE UP THE SPEED.
And two and three and four,
And five, six, seven, eight!
DO SOME SLINKY WEAVING,
AND GIVE YOUR HEELS A CLICK;
THEN FINISH WITH
A MIGHTY COBBLER'S KICK!
KICK!  KICK!

WHO BETTER THAN THE COBBLER
TO START A BRAND-NEW STEP?
HE'S CERTAINLY WELL-QUALIFIED,
IF YOU'LL JUST CHECK HIS REP.
HE HAS TO STUDY WALKING
TO CRAFT A STURDY SHOE,
AND WALKING'S JUST LIKE DANCING
IF YOU POUR IN BALLYHOO.
SWEET OLD BALLYHOO!

IT SHOULD FEEL FAMILIAR
THE MINUTE THAT YOU TRY
PARADING THROUGH THIS NUMBER
LIKE YOU'RE GEARING UP TO FLY.
ONE INSTANT AND YOU'RE BLAZING
LIKE THE FLAME UP ON A WICK.
YOU'RE DOING THE COBBLER'S KICK!
KICK!  KICK!
YOU'RE DOING THE COBBLER'S KICK!
KICK!  KICK!

"WHEN WE GO DANCING"

WE'LL SEE THE SQUARE
DONE UP IN LIGHTS.
MAYBE WE'LL GO DANCING.
HE'LL SAY, "WOULD YOU . . . ?"
I'LL SAY, "OF COURSE!"
THAT'S WHEN WE'LL GO DANCING.

SOFTLY, THE BAND
WILL START
PLAYING  A WALTZ.
WE'LL SWEEP OUT
ONTO THE FLOOR.
HE'LL KISS MY HAND.
HE'LL TAKE HOLD OF MY WAIST.
THEN WE'LL BE LOST IN THE SCORE!

FACES WILL BLUR;
COLORS WILL RUN
WHILE WE'RE BUSY DANCING.
FLOATING ON WAVES
OF MUSICAL SWELLS,
WE'LL BE GAILY DANCING.

LOOKING IN HIS EYES,
AND SEEING HIM SMILE,
I'LL FORGET ALL OF
MY CARES FOR AWHILE.
WE'LL LAUGH TOGETHER
WHEN WE TAKE A TURN,
ACTING AS PARTNERS
OUR ONLY CONCERN.

ONE FINAL STEP.
ONE CRASHING CHORD.
THEN WE'LL FINISH DANCING.
HE'LL MAKE A BOW.
I'LL CURTSY LOW.
THAT'S THE END OF DANCING.

MAYBE I WON'T WANT
THE WALTZING TO END.
MAYBE I'LL TELL HIM,
"LET'S GO DANCE AGAIN!"
MAYBE I'LL FIND
I CAN FINALLY CONFESS
AND SAY, "YOU'RE THE ONE
WHOM I'VE ALWAYS LIKED BEST."
MAYBE I'LL CONQUER THAT TEST
WHEN WE GO DANCING.

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MUSIC SAMPLES

Instrumentals

"Fighting the Shoes"
"Overture"

Piano-Vocals (Digitals Only)

"Dance, Red Shoes!"
"Good Times Ahead"
"Waiting for You"

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SCENE SAMPLE

Act I, Scene 3  

(Inside MRS. MOODY's parlor.  Midmorning.  The room is a veritable palace of all things plush, but the feeling is one of coziness rather than tastelessness.  This is the sanctum of the super-grandmother.  Cooking sounds -- enticing pops and sizzles -- are heard offstage.  KAREN enters with her pail.)

KAREN  

Mrs. Moody!  I'm home!

MRS. MOODY  

Karen?

(SHE enters.)

I didn't expect you so soon.

KAREN

Yes, ma'am.  I brought your water.

MRS. MOODY

Thank you, dear.  Put it in the kitchen, please.

(KAREN tramps into the kitchen with the water.  MRS. MOODY keeps talking until KAREN reappears.)

MRS. MOODY

It's like an oven in there.  I guess that's because there is an oven there.  I never thought of that.  Funny stuff.

(SHE laughs then stops.)

Maybe not.  Did you stop by the shop and see Nels?

KAREN

I ran into him at the well.  He'll have your shoe ready by the end of the day.

(SHE begins tidying up the room, but it hardly needs it.  MRS. MOODY follows her around.)

MRS. MOODY

That Nels is such a nice young man.  He's going to be a great cobbler.

KAREN

Yes, ma'am.

MRS. MOODY

I hope you two had a chance to talk.

KAREN

A little.  He showed me a new dance he's been working on.

MRS. MOODY

I hear he's quite a dancer.

KAREN

Yes, ma'am.  He is.

MRS. MOODY

I used to be an exceptional dancer in my day, you know. Dancing Dahlia, they called me. There was nothing at all in the world more important to me than dancing . . . until I met Mister Moody, of course. You know, Nels reminds me a good deal of Mister Moody.

(KAREN stops cleaning.)                                                        

KAREN

Really?

MRS. MOODY

Oh, my yes. Thoughtful, giving . . . extremely patient.

(KAREN, knowing exactly at what MRS. MOODY is hinting, pointedly resumes her work.)

MRS. MOODY

Karen!

KAREN

Ma’am?

MRS. MOODY

What do you think you’re doing?

KAREN

Cleaning.

MRS. MOODY

This house is absolutely spotless. Now sit down before you make me dizzy.

(KAREN sits on a sofa. MRS. MOODY follows suit. THEY look at each other.)

MRS. MOODY

Well?

KAREN

Yes?

MRS. MOODY

Have you made up your mind about the festival?

KAREN

I have.

MRS. MOODY

And?

KAREN

I’m not going.

MRS. MOODY

But there’s no reason for that!

KAREN

I can’t leave you here by yourself.

MRS. MOODY

I think I’ll keep for an evening. I’ve been to more festivals than I care to remember, and it’s time you went to a few of your own.

KAREN

I don’t want to go.

MRS. MOODY

Like fun you don’t.

(KAREN crosses her arms.)

There go the defenses. Your mother was the same way. Stubborn from head to heel. She always put herself last, and there wasn’t a thing anyone could do about it.

KAREN

I hope I got more from her than stubbornness.

SONG: MOTHER AND DAUGHTER

MRS. MOODY

I wouldn’t worry. You two share more graces than flaws.

KAREN

TENDING TO THE SICK
THROUGH THE SNOW AND RAIN, . . .

MRS. MOODY

COMFORTING THIS LADY
THROUGH HER
CHRONIC ACHES AND PAINS.
SELDOM REALLY CROSS OR MOODY.

KAREN

PROVING IT'S ALL RIGHT
TO BE A GOODY-GOODY.
 
KAREN AND MRS. MOODY

MOTHER AND DAUGHTER,
NEVER FAR APART
EVEN THOUGH THE ONE IS GONE.
MOTHER AND DAUGHTER,
THEY'RE A WORK OF ART
PRAISED BY THEIR
ASTONISHED LOOKERS-ON.

MRS. MOODY

THE TWO DESERVE RESPECT,
AND GOODNESS KNOWS IT'S TRUE.
PERHAPS IT'S TIME
THE DAUGHTER TAKES
WHAT BOTH ARE RICHLY DUE.

KAREN

I DON'T THINK
IT'S WORTH THE BOTHER.

MRS. MOODY

YOU'RE DUE A REWARD,
AND YOU SHOULD REST ASSURED
THAT NO ONE'S MORE DESERVING
THAN YOUR MOTHER'S ONLY DAUGHTER!

KAREN

Thank you, Mrs. Moody.
 
MRS. MOODY

No, dear.  Thank you.

(SHE kisses KAREN on the forehead.)

I'd better get back to work.  Those Moody Melon Crunch Cakes aren't going to make themselves.  I'll probably need some more water later, if you don't mind. 

(SHE rises and walks toward the kitchen.)

KAREN

Mrs. Moody?
 
MRS. MOODY

Go on, dear.  I'm listening.
 
KAREN

Maybe I'll stay at the festival awhile after I drop off the cakes.  Just for an hour or so.

MRS. MOODY

I think that's a scrumptious idea.  I'm sure Nels will be very happy.
 
(MRS. MOODY exits.  Blackout.)

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ART SAMPLES

Artwork is pending.
  

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