Musical Play: “Jack and the Beanstalk”

The Show

We want you to know what you're getting, so the cast list and first third of the script are available here! Bad Wolf shows are written for flexibility and can be edited however you like to meet the needs of your actors, school, curriculum, parents, astrological chart, latest whim, etc. If you have questions about the portions of the script not shown, please contact us.

Casting

Flexible casting from 8-40 students. Use as many Farmers, Shepherds, etc. as desired. Actors can easily play several roles, or a single role can be divided between multiple actors. All parts can be played by any gender.

CHARACTERS:

Jack's Mother
Farmers
Jack
Shepherds
Servant
Giant
Cook
Goose
A Chorus of many children is required, individual members of which will also take turns as narrators.

Script

This is the first one-third of the script.

Song 1

ENTIRE CAST (sings):
This is the story of a boy named Jack
It also has a giant and a goose.
This is the story of a boy named Jack
Who puts a beanstalk to extraordinary use.

Now Jack and his Mom are so poor
That Jack must go out to explore.
He will climb a beanstalk way up high
He will find his fortune in the sky.

This is the story of a boy named Jack
It also has a beanstalk and a goose.
This is the story of a boy named Jack
Who finds out there's a giant on the loose.

A giant with little appeal
Who thinks Jack would make a good meal.
He says Fee and Fi and Fo and Fum,
The giant thinks a juicy meal has come.

This is the story of a boy named Jack
It also has a giant and a goose.
This is the story of a boy named Jack
Who puts a beanstalk
Who puts a beanstalk
Who puts a beanstalk to extraordinary use.

Song 2

MOTHER (sings):
My son Jack is a dreamer
He dreams of adventurous stuff,
He dreams of pirates
He dreams of dragons
As if life weren't tough enough.

My son Jack is a dreamer
But please do not take offense,
But if I could change him
Just slightly change him
I'd give him some common sense
Just a little more common sense.

My Jack's been known to do some silly things
He traded our chickens for a pair of wings
A pair of wings with which he said he'd fly,
He jumped from the barn---
And he broke his arm.

My son Jack is a dreamer
But please do not take offense,
But if I could change him
Just slightly change him
I'd give him some common sense
Just a little more common sense
Just a little more common sense
Just a little more common sense.

NARRATOR (spoken): Times are very difficult for Jack and his mother. They are down to their last bit of food. So Jack's mother tells him to take their old cow---the only thing they have of value---and sell it so they can buy food. As Jack walks down the road, leading his cow, he meets some farmers.

Song 3

FARMERS:
We are old farmers
We plant and we plow,
Just some old farmers
Who need a new cow.

We don't have money
But don't go away
Sell us your heifer
And here's what we'll pay:

Three magic beans
How your Mom will prize them
Three magic beans
Plant and fertilize them,
Three magic beans
We're not sure what they do
But give us your cow
And we'll give them to you.

JACK (spoken): My mother says I have to get lots of money for our cow. Boy, those beans are pretty.

FARMERS:
We are old farmers
We know what you need
You need excitement
To do a great deed.

You need adventure
A chance to explore
This is exactly
What these beans are for.

FARMERS AND CHORUS:
Three magic beans
How your Mom will prize them
Three magic beans
Plant and fertilize them,
Three magic beans
We're not sure what they do
But give us your cow
And we'll give them to you.

NARRATOR (spoken): Jack buys the beans and he happily brings them back to his mother.

MOTHER (sings):
Three stupid beans
What good will they do us?
Three stupid beans
What have you done to us?
Three lousy beans
They'll never even sprout
Three lousy beans I can only throw out!

(Jack's MOTHER throws the beans out the window.)

NARRATOR (spoken): Jack's mother throws the beans out the window, and she and Jack go to bed hungry.

(The CHORUS stands and links arms to form a horizontal beanstalk.)

NARRATOR (spoken): Early the next morning Jack wakes up to an amazing sight--- a giant beanstalk in his backyard.

JACK (spoken): Wow.

(JACK moves to the base of the beanstalk)

Song 4

Look at it. It's beautiful!
So fresh, so green
The greenest green I've ever seen
With dew-drops so clear they disappear.

I'm gonna climb that beanstalk way up high
I'm gonna find my fortune in the sky.
I'm gonna climb that beanstalk way up high
I'm gonna find my fortune in the sky.

Look at it. It's wonderful!
So wide, so tall
The tallest tall I think of all
From bottom to top, it doesn't stop.

I'm gonna climb that beanstalk way up high
I'm gonna find my fortune in the sky.
I'm gonna climb that beanstalk way up high
I'm gonna find my fortune in the sky.

(JACK "climbs" the beanstalk, going from child to child in the chain.)

CHORUS (chants): And he climbs, and he climbs, and he climbs, and he climbs, and he climbs, and he...

(JACK faces the audience and sings)

(This concludes the first one-third of the script.)