Pinocchio

Description
An operatic version of the children’s literary classic, Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, based on scenes from operas by W.A. Mozart, G. Donizetti, J. Offenbach, and G.B. Pergolesi.

Stepping into a new and unknown world, Pinocchio is deceived by Wolf and Cat and persuaded to disobey his father by skipping school in order to meet Dr. Dulcamara, a loathsome puppeteer. Realizing the puppet’s value, Dulcamara holds Pinocchio captive, intending to have him perform with his miraculous mechanical doll, Olympia. Puppet and doll become friends, and when Dulcamara breaks Olympia in a fit of rage, Pinocchio runs home to admit his disobedience and ask his father’s forgiveness. Accompanied by a policeman (and an optional chorus of children-police), Pinocchio and his dad lead the authorities to Wolf, Cat and Dulcamara, and the bad guys are run out of town. As Pinocchio resolves to always tell the truth and share his problems with trusted grownups, he and his father head home to repair Olympia and begin life anew as a family of three.

Listen to 4 excerpts from Pinocchio

1. Gepetto’s song Oh star that shines so brightly... from W.A. Mozart’s Die Entfuehrung Aus Dem Serail, "Hier soll ich dich denn sehen"	listen mp3
2. Wolf’s Song Just a teeny weenie lie... from J. Offenbach’s: The Tales of Hoffman, "Joue et nuit je me mets en quatre"	listen mp3
3. Wolf & Cat Duet I’m a wolf. And I’m a cat... from W.A. Mozart’s Die Entfuehrung Aus Dem Serail, "Vivat Bacchus! Bacchus lebe"	listen mp3
4. Quartet Every day my whole life through... from W. A. Mozart’s: Die Entfuehrung Aus Dem Serail, "Ach, Belmonte! Ach mein Leben"	listen mp3

Royalty
$35.00 per performance

Appropriate age
Pre-Kindergarten through 6th grade

Duration
40 minutes

Performers
4 – 7 singers and an accompanist

A note from John
Pinocchio’s colorful characters lend themselves to opera, and the message that truth-telling is always the best choice is certainly worth conveying. That said, having grown up during the age of TV-Disney, the idea of reducing such a broadly conceived story into a 40-minute opera seemed at first glance impractical.

Of course, Disney’s version of Pinocchio is very selective, with elements culled from here and there, and often changed. Carlo Collodi’s original narrative has Pinocchio throwing a hammer at the conscience chirping cricket (Jiminy is Disney’s name) and killing it. Who would have expected that?

In developing a storyline of my own, I selected elements from Collodi’s original stories and interlaced them into a portion of the Olympia scene from Jacques Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann. Offenbach’s Olympia is a mechanical doll that only seems alive. In my adaptation, Olympia’s friendship with Pinocchio gives her the boost she needs to become a real girl.

Reports I’ve received from companies presenting Pinocchio have been very positive. So far, at least, even without chirping insects in my story, no little audience members have asked, "What happened to Jiminy Cricket?" Considering Collodi’s original story, that’s something of a relief.