A CONCORD THEATRICALS TITLE

Really Rosie

Full-Length Musical, Comedy  /  2w, 4m

Book and Lyrics by Maurice Sendak
Music by Carole King

From the brilliant minds of Maurice Sendak ( Where the Wild Things Are) and Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Carole King, Really Rosie is a jewel for children and adults.

Really Rosie

Request license
Get the Script
  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    2w, 4m
  • Duration
    Duration
    60 minutes (1 hour)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Theatre for Young Audiences
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for all audiences

Details

Summary

Rosie, the sassiest kid on her block of Brooklyn’s Avenue P, entertains herself and her friends by acting out showbiz fantasies, notably directing and starring in an Oscar-winning movie. 

Written by the author and illustrator of Where the Wild Things Are and other popular children’s books, Really Rosie is a jewel for children and adults. Author Maurice Sendak is the winner of a Caldecott Medal, National Book Award, and a National Medal of the Arts. Composer Carole King is the winner of a National Academy of Songwriters Lifetime Achievement Award, a Grammy Trustees Award, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Library of Congress’s Gershwin Award for Popular Song.

History
Really Rosie premiered as a half-hour CBS animated television special on February 19, 1975. Directed by Maurice Sendak, the special featured Carole King voicing the title character and singing the songs. An album of King and Sendak's songs was released on Ode/Epic/SME Records. In 1978, Sendak expanded the piece for stage productions in London and Washington, D.C. On October 14, 1980, the stage adaptation of Really Rosie premiered off-Broadway at the Westside Theatre in New York. Directed and choreographed by Patricia Birch, with designs by Sendak, the production ran for 274 performances.
Keywords
Performing Groups
ROSIE – Bossy ten-year-old girl who plans to direct the movie Did You Hear what Happened to Chicken Soup?
KATHY – Rosie's sidekick and secretary who longs for her chance in the spotlight
PIERRE – Doesn't care and has a major attitude
JOHNNY – Shy and a bit nerdy
ALLIGATOR – Kathy's brother who actually belives he is an alligator
CHICKEN SOUP – Rosie's brother who runs away
OTHER ROLES – Rosie, Johnny and Kathy's mothers and a small chorus of neighborhood kids

Plus Chorus

  • Time Period Present Day
  • Setting The front steps of a Brooklyn home on a hot day in July.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes
  • Duration 60 minutes (1 hour)
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Media

"A celebration of childhood curiosity and creativity.” – Newsday

“There is such juicy vitality, such insouciant grace, such frolicking exploration of the waist-high jungle of childhood... You will regret not being able to wrap up a large chunk of the proceedings and take them home with you.” – New York Magazine

“The characters are appealing, just as Sendak was... Taken together, the stories create a parable of community, as children discover how to be a part of something larger without losing themselves.” – The New York Times

“A sunny showcase for a talented cast of performers... just try not being delighted watching Really Rosie's dynamic company performing their hearts out.” – Broadway World

“Cheery and charming... Its catchy songs serve as tutorials on the alphabet, numbers, months of the year and proper behavior, and its loose storyline celebrates the power of the imagination to overcome loneliness.” – amNY

Videos

  • Really Rosie at Encores! Off-Center youtube thumbnail

    Really Rosie at Encores! Off-Center

  • A First Look at Really Rosie at New York City Center youtube thumbnail

    A First Look at Really Rosie at New York City Center

  • "Pierre" from the Really Rosie Animated TV Special youtube thumbnail

    "Pierre" from the Really Rosie Animated TV Special

Music

Song Samples

Really Rosie
One Was Johnny
Alligators All Around
Pierre
The Ballad of Chicken Soup
Chicken Soup with Rice
Avenue P
My Simple Humble Neighborhood
The Awful Truth
Such Sufferin'

1. “Overture” – Band
2. “Really Rosie” – Rosie, Kids
2a. “Face Cream” – Band
3. “Set Change” – Band
4. “Names Underscore” – Band
5. “Rosie’s Exit” – Band
6. “Mutiny & Sufferin’” – Rosie
7. “Simple, Humble Neighborhood” – Rosie, Kids
7a. “Bell Tone” – Alison Price, Bibi Humes
7b. “Underscore and Bell Tone” – Band
8. “Alligators All Around” – Alligator, Kathy, Johnny
9. “One Was Johnny” – Johnny, Rosie, Kids
10. “Pierre” – Rosie, Pierre, Kathy, Johnny, Lion
11. “Screaming and Yelling” – Rosie, Kids
12. “Cellar Change” – Band
13. “Ballad of Chicken Soup” – Rosie, Kids
14. “The Awful Truth” – Kathy, Boys
15. “Very Far Away” – Kathy, Alligator, Johnny, Pierre, Rosie
16. “Movie Sequence” – Band
17. “Very Far Away (Reprise)” – Kids
18. “Scene Change” – Band
19. “Underscore (Rosie/Kathy Scene)” – Band
20. “Avenue P” – Rosie
20a. “Underscore (Screaming & Yelling)” – Band
21. “Chicken Soup with Rice” – Chicken Soup, Rosie, Alligator, Johnny, Kathy, Pierre
22. “Finale Ultimo (Bows)” – Band
23. “Exit Music” – Band

Piano-Conductor

1 Reed (Flute, Piccolo, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone)
1 Guitar
1 Drums
1 Bass
  • Musical Style Classic Broadway
  • Vocal DemandsEasy
  • Orchestra Size Small/Combo
  • Chorus Size Small

Licensing & Materials

  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

Music Rentals

Concord offers a full suite of resources to help you put on the show of a lifetime!
Rental materials for this title may present challenges for some licensees. Please purchase a music perusal prior to licensing.
7 Piano-Conductor

1 Reed
1 Guitar
1 Drums
1 Bass
7 Piano-Conductor
Get the Script

Add-Ons

Take a look below at how you can enhance your show!

Authors

Author

Carole King

Author

Maurice Sendak

Community

Now Playing

Community Experiences