The_Magic_Basket

The Magic Basket

The Magic Basket

Musical play by Alfred Wheeler

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.

cover art

Synopsis

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

  • 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

  • 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

  1. [1]
    "AusStage".
  2. [2]
    "Untitled". 24 July 1940. p. 12 – via Trove.
  3. [3]
    "DISTRICT SCHOOL CONCERT". 5 December 1940. p. 1 – via Trove.
  4. [4]
    "SUMMERTOWN". 12 December 1940. p. 3 – via Trove.
  5. [5]
    "Grand Concert". Cloncurry Advocate. 26 November 1943.
  6. [6]
    "Rosary School Annual Concert". Southern Cross. 3 September 1943.
  7. [7]
    "Benalla". Advocate. 22 November 1944.
  8. [8]
    "Warnertown Children Present ThreeAct Play". Recorder. 17 December 1945.
  9. [9]
    "Concert at N. Lambton for Children's Homes". Newcastle Sun. 15 December 1945.
  10. [10]
    "St. Aloysius College Annual Concert". Advertiser. 5 October 1946.
  11. [11]
    "Brevities". Newcastle Sun. 25 March 1946.
  12. [12]
    "Operetta Night at North Lismore School". Northern Star. 15 November 1946.
  13. [13]
    "Brevities". Newcastle Sun. 25 March 1946.
  14. [14]
    ""The Magic Basket"". 6 October 1947. p. 6 – via Trove.
  15. [15]
    "Bright Concert at St. Andrew's". Daily Advertiser. 11 October 1947.
  16. [16]
    "NTH. Lismore School Operetta". Northern Star. 11 November 1946.
  17. [17]
    "Lemnos Ss Concert". Shepparton Advertiser. 23 December 1947.
  18. [18]
    "School Concert at Tucabia". Daily Examiner. 29 December 1947.
  19. [19]
    "District News". Daily Mercury. 4 December 1948.
  20. [20]
    "Successful Concert Held at Ungarie". West Wyalong Advocate. 22 December 1949.
  21. [21]
    "St. Hilda's Concert". South Coast Bulletin. 7 December 1949.
  22. [22]
    "Personal". Scone Advocate. 27 April 1949.
  23. [23]
    "Nanson Convent School". Geraldton Guardian. 9 November 1950.
  24. [24]
    "St. Andrew's Sunday School Concert". Riverine Grazier. 10 October 1950.
  25. [25]
    "Maddington News". South Western Advertiser. 24 August 1950.
  26. [26]
    "Happy Party at St. Giles". Examiner. 17 December 1951.
  27. [27]
    "The Magic Basket". Sunshine Advocate. 19 October 1951.
  28. [28]
    "St. Giles' Home Christmas Party". Advocate. 17 December 1951.
  29. [29]
    "Crowd Liked the Children's Efforts". Maryborough Chronicle. 15 October 1952.
  30. [30]
    "School News". Braidwood Dispatch and Mining Journal. 5 December 1952.
  31. [31]
    "News in Brief". Advertiser. 20 May 1952.
  32. [32]
    "Maclean Convent Concert Well Attended". Daily Examiner. 8 December 1952.
  33. [33]
    "Southbrook News". Pittsworth Sentinel. 8 December 1953.
  34. [34]
    "Infants School Staff Are Very Busy". 25 September 1951. p. 7 – via Trove.
  35. [35]
    "Church News". Barrier Daily Truth. 2 October 1954.
  36. [36]
    "St. ANne's SCHOOL SPEECH NIGHT". Townsville Daily Bulletin. 30 November 1954.
  37. [37]
    "Happy Contest by Juveniles". Lithgow Mercury. 4 October 1954.
  38. [38]
    "The Idea of Education Week is Being Well Received by Adults". Nepean Times. 8 August 1957.
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