The Magic Basket
The Magic Basket is a musical play written in 1940 for children by Australian composer Alfred Wheeler.[1] The score includes dialogue and fourteen tunes. Action occurs on a single magical moon-scape set. There are twelve speaking parts and additional chorus.
Synopsis[edit]
The plot involves a group of children whisked to a magical land in the moon, where they help the Sandman to recover his bag of sleep-dust from the Goblin. The children are transported in a basket, hence the title.
Musical Numbers[edit]
- Oh isn't it fun to live in the moon?
- Whatever can we do
- I sweep the sky
- My basket brave and I
- Derry derry down Oh!
- Galloping, galloping up in the sky
- The sandman
- Tippetty tippetty toe
- Goblins bold are we
- If you will be a meddlesome Matty
- The deed is done
- Bong! goes the gong
- One song before we part
- Lullaby
Performances[edit]
- 1940 Lauriston Girls' School, Melbourne (premiere)[2]
- 1940 Wyalong, New South Wales[3]
- 1940 Mount Barker, South Australia[4]
- 1943 Cloncurry, Queensland[5]
- 1943 Adelaide, South Australia[6]
- 1944 Benalla, Victoria[7]
- 1945 Port Pirie, South Australia[8]
- 1945 Newcastle, New South Wales[9]
- 1946 Adelaide[10]
- 1946 Newcastle, New South Wales[11]
- 1946 North Lismore, New South Wales[12]
- 1946 Newcastle, New South Wales[13]
- 1947 Broken Hill[14]
- 1947 Wagga Wagga, New South Wales[15]
- 1947 Lismore, New South Wales[16]
- 1947 Shepparton, Victoria[17]
- 1947 Grafton, New South Wales[18]
- 1948 Mackay[19]
- 1949 Wyalong, New South Wales[20]
- 1949 Southport, Queensland[21]
- 1949 Scone, New South Wales[22]
- 1950 Nanson, Western Australia[23]
- 1950 Hay, New South Wales[24]
- 1950 Maddington, Western Australia[25]
- 1951 Launceston, Tasmania[26]
- 1951 Sunshine, Victoria[27]
- 1951 Burnie, Tasmania[28]
- 1952 Maryborough, Queensland[29]
- 1952 Braidwood, New South Wales[30]
- 1952 Adelaide, South Australia[31]
- 1952 Grafton, New South Wales[32]
- 1953 Southbrook, Queensland[33]
- 1954 Kygole, New South Wales[34]
- 1954 Broken Hill, South Australia[35]
- 1954 Townsville, Queensland[36]
- 1954 Lithgow, New South Wales[37]
- 1955 Parramatta District Primary Schools, starring Bob Winley as Mr Moonshine and Elaine Marriott as The Queen
- 1957 Penrith, New South Wales[38]
References[edit]
- ^ "AusStage".
- ^ "Untitled". 24 July 1940. p. 12 – via Trove.
- ^ "DISTRICT SCHOOL CONCERT". 5 December 1940. p. 1 – via Trove.
- ^ "SUMMERTOWN". 12 December 1940. p. 3 – via Trove.
- ^ "Grand Concert". Cloncurry Advocate. 26 November 1943.
- ^ "Rosary School Annual Concert". Southern Cross. 3 September 1943.
- ^ "Benalla". Advocate. 22 November 1944.
- ^ "Warnertown Children Present ThreeAct Play". Recorder. 17 December 1945.
- ^ "Concert at N. Lambton for Children's Homes". Newcastle Sun. 15 December 1945.
- ^ "St. Aloysius College Annual Concert". Advertiser. 5 October 1946.
- ^ "Brevities". Newcastle Sun. 25 March 1946.
- ^ "Operetta Night at North Lismore School". Northern Star. 15 November 1946.
- ^ "Brevities". Newcastle Sun. 25 March 1946.
- ^ ""The Magic Basket"". 6 October 1947. p. 6 – via Trove.
- ^ "Bright Concert at St. Andrew's". Daily Advertiser. 11 October 1947.
- ^ "NTH. Lismore School Operetta". Northern Star. 11 November 1946.
- ^ "Lemnos Ss Concert". Shepparton Advertiser. 23 December 1947.
- ^ "School Concert at Tucabia". Daily Examiner. 29 December 1947.
- ^ "District News". Daily Mercury. 4 December 1948.
- ^ "Successful Concert Held at Ungarie". West Wyalong Advocate. 22 December 1949.
- ^ "St. Hilda's Concert". South Coast Bulletin. 7 December 1949.
- ^ "Personal". Scone Advocate. 27 April 1949.
- ^ "Nanson Convent School". Geraldton Guardian. 9 November 1950.
- ^ "St. Andrew's Sunday School Concert". Riverine Grazier. 10 October 1950.
- ^ "Maddington News". South Western Advertiser. 24 August 1950.
- ^ "Happy Party at St. Giles". Examiner. 17 December 1951.
- ^ "The Magic Basket". Sunshine Advocate. 19 October 1951.
- ^ "St. Giles' Home Christmas Party". Advocate. 17 December 1951.
- ^ "Crowd Liked the Children's Efforts". Maryborough Chronicle. 15 October 1952.
- ^ "School News". Braidwood Dispatch and Mining Journal. 5 December 1952.
- ^ "News in Brief". Advertiser. 20 May 1952.
- ^ "Maclean Convent Concert Well Attended". Daily Examiner. 8 December 1952.
- ^ "Southbrook News". Pittsworth Sentinel. 8 December 1953.
- ^ "Infants School Staff Are Very Busy". 25 September 1951. p. 7 – via Trove.
- ^ "Church News". Barrier Daily Truth. 2 October 1954.
- ^ "St. ANne's SCHOOL SPEECH NIGHT". Townsville Daily Bulletin. 30 November 1954.
- ^ "Happy Contest by Juveniles". Lithgow Mercury. 4 October 1954.
- ^ "The Idea of Education Week is Being Well Received by Adults". Nepean Times. 8 August 1957.