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Plays and Musicals for All Audiences and Theatre Groups, Amateur, Educational, Professional, and Religious

Song-and-Dance Kids: The Musical Story of The Seven Little Foys

Song-and-Dance Kids: The Musical Story of The Seven Little Foys

by Chip Deffaa

If you’re looking for a big, exuberant, full-length musical comedy with roles for lots of actors, look no further! The warm, witty, and nostalgic “SONG-AND-DANCE KIDS: The Story of the Seven Little Foys” includes such colorful, historical characters as Harry Houdini, Marie Dressler, Irving Berlin, President Woodrow Wilson, and Mae West. The real stars of this musical, though, are seven rambunctious “song-and-dance kids” of the Eddie Foy Family.
This is the story of a real-life master song-and-dance man who wound up leading the most successful family act in vaudeville by taking his seven irrepressible children out with him “on the road” after their mother died. Defying the odds, Eddie Foy and the Seven Little Foys became an American institution. He’d never really thought he was cut out to be a father. His kids had certainly never thought they were cut out to be entertainers. But in the tough times, touring together, the kids–and their father–came to fully understand the importance of family. With lots of heart and plenty of humor, its vaudeville era setting does not isolate it as it certainly speaks to us today. For it’s the story of a single parent–a widower–trying to hold his family together, teaching his kids the only trade he knows. His trade just happens to be singing-and-dancing. The kids, at first, don’t want to go along with him. But the father knows it’s the only way to keep the family together. As the family troupes across America–entertaining folks from Waterbury, Connecticut to LaVergne, Tennessee, to Los Angeles, California–they’re also learning what’s really important in life.
Their story inspired a hit motion picture (starring Bob Hope), as well as a later TV special (starring Eddie Foy Jr. and the Osmonds).

ASCAP Award-winning writer Chip Deffaa created the first stage musical about the family, the small cast “The Seven Little Foys.” (Also available from Leicester Bay Theatricals) That show and its cast album received rave reviews. That show was written for 10 actors–and for many theaters, that’s an excellent cast size.

But some theaters and schools want shows with bigger casts. When some community theaters told Deffaa they liked the story about a family of performers, but would prefer a show that more actors could participate in, Deffaa wrote “Song-and-Dance Kids.” It can be performed by anywhere from 20 players (with some “doubling” of roles”) to 40 or more players.
This valentine to vaudeville provides a look into a fabulous era of entertainment. The score of this musical includes such enduringly popular songs as “In the Good Old Summertime,” “Play a Simple Melody,” “So Long, Mary,” “All By Myself,” “Aba Daba Honeymoon,” “Under the Bamboo Tree,” “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” and “Till We Meet Again”–plus some originals by Deffaa, and some very rare Foy-family special material found nowhere else. (“Stories Adam told to Eve”)

PLAY DETAILS

  • Principal Roles include: 6M 6W 2Teenboys 1 Teengirl 3Boys 1Girl + Supporting roles for 8 men 11 Women totaling 38 speaking parts (doubling possible) Additional Chorus also possible or the supporting roles can be the chorus.
  • Several simple settings
  • Piano Accompaniment only  OR Performance Track CD
  • About 2 hours and 30 minutes
  • Order # 3080

Available for all production groups NOW!

PERUSAL MATERIALS

SONG LIST

ACT ONE:
1. “IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMER TIME” (words by Ren Shields, music by George Evans)
2. “YOU CAN’T DENY YOU’RE IRISH” (words and music by George M. Cohan)
3. “ALWAYS LEAVE THEM LAUGHING WHEN YOU SAY GOODBYE” (words and music by George M. Cohan)
4. “IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMER TIME”–First Reprise (words by Ren Shields, music by George Evans)
5. “SWEET POPULARITY” (words and music by George M. Cohan)
6. “MY MUSICAL COMEDY MAIDEN” (words and music by George M. Cohan)
7. “ALL ABOARD FOR BROADWAY” (words and music by George M. Cohan, with lyrical revisions by Chip Deffaa)
8. “YOU CAN HAVE BROADWAY” (words and music by George M. Cohan)
9. “IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMER TIME”–Second Reprise (words by Ren Shields, music by George Evans)
10. “IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMER TIME”–Third Reprise (words by Ren Shields , music by George Evans)
11. “STORIES ADAM TOLD TO EVE” (words by William Jerome, music by Jean Schwartz)
12. “ALL BY MYSELF” (words and music by Irving Berlin)ACT TWO:
13. “WHEN I LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND” (words and music by Irving Berlin)
14. “THE CIRCUS IS COMING TO TOWN” (words and music by Irving Berlin)
15. “DON’T GO IN THE LION’S CAGE TONIGHT” (words by John Gilroy, music by E. Ray Goetz)
16. “THE BARNUM AND BAILEY RAG” (words and music by George M. Cohan)
17. MEDLEY: “THE ABA DABA HONEYMOON” (Arthur Fields and Walter Donovan) / “UNDER THE BAMBOO TREE” (words and music by Bob Cole and J. Rosamond Johnson)
18. “THIS IS THE LIFE” (words and music by Irving Berlin, with revisions by Chip Deffaa)
19. “THE SCHOOLHOUSE BLUES”(words and music by Irving Berlin)
20. “SWEET POPULARITY” (words and music by George M. Cohan) / “I AM A POPULAR MAN” (words and music by George M. Cohan)
21. “THE SMALL TOWN GAL” (words and music by George M. Cohan)
22. “BIG-CITY SWEETIE” (words and music by Chip Deffaa)
23. “AN ODE TO LAVERGNE” (words and music by Chip Deffaa)
24. “MAGNETIC WATERBURY” (words and music by Chip Deffaa)
25. “DOWN BY THE ERIE CANAL” (words and music by George M. Cohan)
26. “ALL ABOARD FOR BROADWAY” (words and music by George M. Cohan, with revisions by Chip Deffaa)
26a. Drumroll and Announcement
27. “MUSICAL MOON–Intro.” (words and music by Chip Deffaa)
27a. “MUSICAL MOON” (words and music by George M. Cohan; additional lyrics by Chip Deffaa)
28. “SO LONG MARY” (words and music by George M. Cohan, with revisions by Chip Deffaa)
29. “I AM A POPULAR MAN”–Reprise (words and music by George M. Cohan)
THE FINALE MEDLEY:
30. “ALEXANDER’S RAGTIME BAND” (words and music by Irving Berlin)
31. “SIMPLE MELODY”/ “MUSICAL DEMON” (words and music by Irving Berlin)
32. “THE AMERICAN RAG TIME” (words and music by George M. Cohan)
33. “YOU’RE A GRAND OLD FLAG” (words and music by George M. Cohan)
34. “TILL WE MEET AGAIN” (words by Raymond B. Egan, music by Richard Whiting)
35. “THIS IS THE LIFE”–Reprise. (words and music by Irving Berlin, with revisions by Chip Deffaa)
36. BOWS: “IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMER TIME” (music by George Evans)
37. EXIT MUSIC: “THE CIRCUS IS COMING TO TOWN” (music by Irving Berlin)

LYRICS FROM DEMO SONGS

DEMO SAMPLES These cuts are non-vocal and are taken from the Finale files of the Piano-Vocal Score with the melody being played. These are only 4 of the 39 songs in the show:

PURCHASE REHEARSAL MATERIALS:

(Any PDF purchased will be emailed to your email address — if you need to provide that to us (not the one on your PayPal account?), email us. CDs will be mailed to a snail mail address. Do not purchase rehearsal materials or pay for royalties until you have performance clearance.)

  • Performance License Application: No production rights can be granted until this application is filled out and sent to us. This is a filler form that after you click “SUBMIT” will send directly to our email address. Response averages 2-3 business days.
  • Script in PDF format  — Order #3080a : $25.00 (from which you will be authorized to copy for your production)



  • Vocal Book in PDF format  — Order #3080bb : $15.00 (from which you will be authorized to copy for your production)



  • Piano-Vocal Score Order #3080c : $25.00 (from which you will be authorized to copy for your production)




     

  • First Performance Amateur/Educational Royalty — Order #3080d : Royalty terms quoted on application.
  • Second Performance Amateur/Educational Royalty — Order #3080e : Royalty terms quoted on application.
  • Professional Royalties will be quoted upon application.
  • PerformanceTraks on CD — Order #3080j : $100.00 for the performance run (includes Priority Mail charges. This is rented material and must be returned. No distribution of the tracks is allowed and all copies for cast and others must be collected and destroyed.)






PRODUCTIONS

  • In-the-Hills-Drama Club, Thomaston (CT) Opera House
  • Roy Arias Studio Theater, NYC

BILLING CREDITS

The following is how the credits should read in all programs, posters, fliers, handbills and other promotional advertising for the show:

SONG-AND-DANCE KIDS
The Story of the Seven Little Foys
A New Musical

by
Chip Deffaa

With songs from the era of Eddie Foy & family,
plus a few originals by Chip Deffaa
Music arranged by Chip Deffaa

NOTE: The names of the Playwright(s), Composer, Lyricist, and Bookwriter shall be equal in size, type, coloring, boldness, and prominence. No billing shall appear in type larger or more prominent than the billing to the Authors except for the title of the play. (In a press release all type, will of course, be the same size.)

ALSO:

THIS NOTICE MUST APPEAR IN ALL PROGRAMS, ON ALL POSTERS AND PUBLICITY MATERIALS AND INTERNET ADVERTISING/WEBPAGES FOR THE PLAY:
“Song-and-Dance Kids is presented through special arrangement with Leicester Bay Theatricals.  All authorized materials are also supplied by LBT, www.leicesterbaytheatricals.com”

From the catalog of

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