CAROUSEL WIND Act 2 Scene 3

 

Act 2 Scene 3

[By the Venetian Carousel at the Garden State Plaza. Beside the Carousel is an Ice Cream stand; Pretzel stand; a Record store, and a Pinwheel stand where most the action takes place. Mr. Poet is dressed in an Astronaut suit and carries a space helmet under his arm. Across the front of his suit are written the words: Intergalactic Pinwheel Company. Enigmo is helping Mr. Poet as he waits for Joy to show up. Joy shows up and spots enigma with her brother, and lurks out of sight at the Record Store watching them.]

Mr. Poet:

Imagine there's a place
Where the wind is always free
And a pinwheel spins around

Enigma:

Like a smiling galaxy

Mr. Poet:

Imagine all the children
At a fancy carousel
The center of their universe

Enigma:

Is a cosmic place to sell

Mr. Poet:

Imagine selling Pinwheels
Where there's constantly a breeze
A fancy carousel

Enigma:

Is just the place for these

Mr. Poet:

We're pinwheel salesmen
Selling our wares
By the Carousel
With the ivory steeds

Enigma: [half singing, about to breakout in song.]

That stir up the air…

(sings)

At the Garden State Plaza there's wonder to spare
By the grand old Venetian Carousel in the square
It's got ivory steeds to stir up the air
Creating a wind with a whimsical flare

O What do you dream when you wistfully stare
When the wind from the carousel ruffles your hair
See the smiles on the faces of kids spinning round
And let your mind wander with calliope sound

If you're off to Paramus and the Carousel Square
Say hello to the girl with the chestnut brown hair
She sits all alone and wistfully stares
O what does she dream does anyone care

O What do you dream when you wistfully stare
When the wind from the carousel ruffles your hair
See the smiles on the faces of kids spinning round
And let your mind wander with calliope sound

O the carousel starts with a ring of the bell
Will you be lost in a dream or transformed for a spell
Does the wind stir your heart with phantom embraces
Or just blow your mind to far away places

At the Garden State Plaza all the children will grin
As your cares fly away with the carousel wind
And I think of the girl with the long chestnut hair
It's been quite a while since I last saw her there

O What do you dream when you wistfully stare
When the wind from the carousel ruffles your hair
See the smiles on the faces of kids spinning round
And let your mind wander with calliope sound

Mr. Poet:

I can't believe it
The kids are all heading
To the Ice Cream stand

Enigma:

When they could have
A cosmic pinwheel
In their hands.
Maybe we need
A different product
I took the liberty

And ordered some
Wind-up Monkeys

Mr. Poet:

I'm going for
An ice cream cone
I'll be right back

Enigmo:

We've hardly sold
Any pinwheels today
You need to improve
Your sales presentation
You should read
Green Eggs and Ham
It will help you deal with objections

Enigmo: Sings: 

Sometimes I feel like a worm inside
A candy apple at a county fair
With one bite gone and tossed aside
In a world that's going nowhere
I'm quite a voracious guy
Deep in the candy apple of my eye

A rosy window lets in the dawn
Like a finger moving down the sky
Lonely now the fair is gone
Is that a worm out there I spy
O to curl up and die
Deep in the candy apple of my eye

My little world is safe inside
It won't get bruised to the core
Should I leave this ivory tunnel
Or stay inside and just be a bore

Worm out there sort of hanging out
Is love gonna be just the end of me
In a world consumed with doubt
I'm not half the worm I used to be
The world out there is worth a try
So I leave the candy apple of my eye

[A window shopper comes to the stand]

Window Shopper:

I just got myself
A pocket full of peanuts
One of the gum-ball machines
Is broken and dishes out
Free peanuts
Is that a gum-ball Machine [Pointing to the Space Helmet.]
Or an empty Space Helmet?

Enigmo:

That belongs
To my friend, Mr. Poet
He's the Toddling Astronaut
It's only empty
When he has it on [He is kidding in a good natured way.]

Mr. Poet sustained a head injury
That knocked
All the negativity
Out of him

Window Shopper:

Is that a fact?

Enigmo:

He had an unfortunate
Mishap with a
Radio Flyer
And a sharp incline

Mr. Poet
Sing that song
About your Radio Flier

Mr. Poet:

[As he sings his ice cream drips in his hand.]

My radio flyer— it is bright red
It's orbiting my bungalow
The big dogs can't lick my face
Cause I wear a goldfish bowl

I'm a Toddling Astronaut in space
And I sure miss the human race

My diapers on number Two
Think I need a change of pace
I wonder what real spacemen do
If they have to go in space

I'm a Toddling Astronaut in space
And I sure miss the human race

Through asteroid rocks again
Take this helmet off my head
Think I need some Oxygen
Hope the fish aren't getting dead

I'm a Toddling Astronaut in space 
And I sure miss the human race 

Somebody call my flight engineer
This goldfish bowl is really stuck
Oh good my mommies' here
With the sirens and a fire truck

I'm a Toddling Astronaut in space 
And I sure miss the human race 

I've learned my lesson well
Don't put plastic on your face
And concerning those homemade Spacesuits
Well just don't trust them in outer space

[Window Shopper smiles politely and walks away.]

Enigmo:

Ingenious how these are made,
Who would have thought
To put pinholes in pinwheels
To make them appear like Galaxies?

Mr. Poet:

That's one of the
Four selling points
It's easy to remember
Because a pinwheel
Has four propellers

Enigmo:

Not only are they amusing
They are educational too.
Too bad the kids all run
Straight to the ice cream stand

Enigmo: [to Mr. Poet]

I'm going to take a break.

[Enigmo goes to the Ice Cream stand, the Pretzel Stand and the Record Man to ask about Joy]

Ice Cream Man:

May I help you?

Enigmo:

Yes. I was wondering if you could help me. Have you seen a girl with long chestnut hair who sits by the carousel every day?

Ice Cream Man:

Not lately. Is there something wrong with her? She sits all day mumbling to herself. I think she may have mental problems.

Enigmo:

Thank you. [Enigma goes to the Pretzel Stand]

Pretzel Man:

May I help you?

Enigmo:

Yes. I was wondering if you could help me. Have you seen a girl with long chestnut hair that sits by the carousel every day?

Pretzel Man:

Not recently. I think she must be homeless, because she just sits there staring wistfully at the carousel.

Enigmo:

Thank you.

[Enigmo goes to the Record Stand]

Record Man:

May I help you?

Enigmo:Yes. I was wondering if you could help me. Have you seen a girl with long chestnut hair who sits by the carousel every day?

Record Man:

That must be Joy. [he looks over to where Joy is hiding; Joy shakes her head, trying to tell the Record Man not to give her away. The Record Man pauses a moment, then continues.]

She sits by the carousel writing children stories. Her father manages a store at the other end of the mall. The Great Engineer.

Enigmo:

Thank you. I'm Thinking of Jumping for Joy

While walking through Carousel Square
Where the dragon kites fly
I met someone positively fair
Who lifted my heart strings so high

I can't help it but when I'm beside you I am beside myself
I can't help it but when I'm beside you I am beside myself

I thought the light shone through me

Like a balloon I would be free
But there  were just so many strings
That I just couldn't see

I can't help it but when I'm beside you I am beside myself
I can't help it but when I'm beside you I am beside myself

I have my balloon bouquet
Guaranteed to sweep her away
O boy o boy o boy
I'm thinking of jumping for joy

I can't help it but when I'm beside you I am beside myself
I can't help it but when I'm beside you I am beside myself

[Enigma walks out and heads to the other end of the Mall]

Record Man: [to Joy]

Why are you hiding from him? He looks like a nice man.

Joy:

I went to Italy to look for him, and I heard some bad things about him. Now I'm watching how he treats my brother. If he treats him well I might forget what I heard about him.

Record Man:

He's been here for a week helping your brother. What if he asked about you at the Ice Cream Stand? Maybe they said bad things about you.

Joy: [Walking out of store, to herself.]

I don't know what to do

(Sings)

To love you is like climbing a mountain capped with snow
I'd like to reach out to you but it seems so far you know
So many jagged peaks and things I just don't like
But you might be worth the trip so I just might take you up on that hike

Imaginary mountain between your heart and mine
Nothing's insurmountable when your love is so divine

The sun shines on the mountain the streams are charged with gold
There just might be some nuggets in all that icy cold
Into the distant valleys pure white water flows
I'd like to climb that mountain but I just might get frozen to my toes
Imaginary mountain between your heart and mine
Nothing's insurmountable when your love is so divine


The lakes form in the valleys more water's on the rise
When love melts snowy peaks the mountains aren't so high
The glacier in my heart warmed by your romance
Could break the ice with me and I just might become an avalanche

Imaginary mountain between your heart and mine
Nothing's insurmountable when your love is so divine

[Lights fade the Mall empties, the lights to the Ice Cream Stand, the Pretzel Stand, the Pinwheel Stand and the Record Man go off in succession, signifying the close of a day, then come back on signifying a new day. A delivery man shows up with a the Pinwheel Stand with a box full of Wind-up Monkeys. Joy is watching from her hiding spot from the Record Store.]

Enigmo:

They've arrived! The Monkeys are here. [Mr. Poet and Enigmo unpack the new product, wind a few up and place them on the counter. The Wind-up Monkeys clang their symbols or beat their drums; there are two versions of the toy. Enigmo demonstrates to Mr. Poet how to sell them using exaggerated mime movements. Mr. Poet mimics him and they wind-up doing the Wind-up Monkey dance, with Window Shoppers joining in the line dance.]

Enigmo: (Sings)

There's a big commotion about a monkey motion
It's not a locomotion but you might get the notion
To do the monkey dance you need no PHD
So take it for a spin grab that wind-up key
Wind the one in front in turn your key will spin
You'll be waltzing with invisible violins

The key is turning wildly in the wind-up monkey's back
With that little drum a pounding you're sounding the attack
A little fuzzy wind-up toy a buzzing out the blues
So happy that you've found some one to tell your troubles to

[Enigmo and Mr. Poet in harmony]

It's the wacky way to unwind do the Wind-up Monkey Dance
You don't have to go to France to do the Wind-up Monkey Dance

Enigmo: (sings)

The key is wound up tightly so you think that it's a knife
And you wind up just unwinding the story of your life
With frazzled song and dance you do the same old part
Behind your back the hole reveals a big ole broken heart

[Enigmo and Mr. Poet in harmony]

It's the wacky way to unwind do the Wind-up Monkey Dance
You don't have to go to France to do the Wind-up Monkey Dance

Enigmo: (sings)

Take a step to the right and make a monkey pose
Take a step to the left and tumble to your toes
You get the swing of it and you're out of NRG
There's a key behind each monkey
Wind the one in front in turn your key will spin
You'll be waltzing with invisible violins

The family tree was shaken and no monkey dropped on you
So you pound upon your rib cage like that Ape Man used to do
You fix that busted drum and tone down your kazoo
Or else nobody's ever going to want to waltz with you

[Enigmo and Mr. Poet in harmony]

It's the wacky way to unwind do the Wind-up Monkey Dance
You don't have to go to France to do the Wind-up Monkey Dance

[ People line up to buy the Wind-up monkeys and Joy comes out of hiding]

Joy:

Enigmo! What are you doing here?

Enigmo:

I got a call from Mr. Poet who said that you were still interested in me so I flew here to see you. I remembered you said that you visit this carousel. So I came and sat on the bench. I saw that Mr. Poet was struggling with his sales so I decided to help him while I waited for you.

Joy:

That was very nice of you to help my brother. He's very special. God blesses us with special people to make our hearts grow.

Enigmo:

I didn't know he was your brother.

Joy:

If you liked me why did you make me wait a year before trying to find me?

Enigmo:

When I left the shore after acting in that film I took the train to come to the carousel to meet you, but on the way I ran into the Great Engineer. He asked me why I looked so sad, so I told him that I had a date with a girl and she stood me up. He said I should forget about her and made me homesick, so I went back to Italy.

Joy: [folding her arms angrily ]

We'll see about that. [They walk through the Mall to a shop called "Union Station" which has a large Train track with a model locomotive. They stand back to back and start walking away from each other as they sing,}

Joy: (sings)

On a run down railway track that's seen its better days
We're standing back to back must we go our separate ways

Joy and Enigmo [in harmony]

The Great Engineer is gonna go and pull us into Union Station
You can hear his whistle blow clear across the whole creation

Enigmo: (sings)

Weeds have grown between the ties we walk on rusty rails
Just get it back on track that old engine never fails

Joy and Enigmo [in harmony]

The Great Engineer is gonna go and pull us into Union Station
You can hear his whistle blow clear across the whole creation

Enigmo: (sings)

Station master's gold watch makes time stand still it seems
Let's climb aboard and let our love pick up a little steam

Joy (sings)

Where the vanishing point appears the lines just seem to meet
As our destination nears imagine a love so sweet

Joy and Enigmo[in harmony]

The Great Engineer is gonna go and pull us into Union Station
You can hear his whistle blow clear across the whole creation

George Montagne: [to Enigmo]

Aren't you the young man that I met on the train?

Enigmo:

Yes. and this is the young girl you said I should forget.

George Montagne:

I'm sorry, I didn't know you were talking about my daughter. Won't you come inside?

Enigmo:

Joy, would you like to go on a date with me?

Joy:

I know just the thing. Mr. Poet is putting on a concert tonight. We could go to that.

[George Montagne gets between the two, links arms and pulls them into Union Station]

CAROUSEL WIND Act 2 Scene 4

Act 2 Scene 4 The Finale

[A concert venue. Mr. Poet is alone on the stage with his guitar, seated or standing with a single spotlight on him. Off to the side or in the audience are Joy and Enigmo.]

Mr. Poet:

I'd like to thank you all for coming out to my "Big Debut." Also, I'd like to thank Joy for encouraging me to fulfill my dream.

[Joy nods her head as Mr. Poet erupts in song]

It's the Lion's big debut! — He lifts up his baton
To conduct the wildest orchestra you ever laid eyes upon
Alligator on guitar  — Aardvark drives an autoharp

Mockingbird on the fife he plucks it for a lark

Kazoo's a Kangaroo — flamingo's on the flute
Ukulele Koala and Lemmings on the lute

It's the Lion's big debut! — He knows he can't complain
The Lemmings on the lute are playing leapfrog again

Chimpanzee on timpani — a Zebra xylophone
Camel kicks the kettledrum — Tiger slides off his trombone

Yak attacks the sax — first violin's a Mole
Porcupine on bagpipes punctured them with holes
It's the Lion's big debut! — He must keep his dignity
The Zebra wears a keyboard and the Kangaroo's off key
A Bobcat on the banjo — Hare slappin' a snare drum
Washboard has a Wallaby — O the oboe's Opossum
French Hen on English horn — celesta played by Skunk
Panda ate his bamboo flute — the Elephant blasts his trunk

It's the Lion's big debut! — he must remain composed
Cause the seal is barking with cymbals on his nose
Whooping Crane on clarinet — Armadillo accordion
Pelican plays a piccolo — Monkey's on the mandolin
Baboon on bassoon — Hyena harpsichord
A Sloth played the spoons — He just hung around and snored
It's the Lion's big debut! — It's imperative to prevail
The beaver on the upright bass goes wacky with his tail
Gorilla bangs the gong — Dobro's a Wolverine
Tambourine has a Tree Frog tromping like a trampoline
Chipmunks on the chimes — Rattlesnake on castanets
Turtle plays the tuba but he hasn't showed up yet
It's the Lion's big debut! — Players are leaving by the score
The Rattlesnake's in the audience and the audience went out the door
Then there's Silence — But for one tingling triangle
All the players have left the house
The Lion finishes the piece with an intrepid little Mouse!

Mr. Poet:

Thank you. I'd like to invite Joy up here to sing a song and tell her story.

Joy: [members of the cast may dress up as painted pony's and a little toddler could all do a pantomime skit]

Long, long ago a roving merry-go-round made its way to a castle in the clouds. Kids would line up to ride Burgundy, the dark red pony.

All the ponies were painted bright colors—all, that is, except for Imagination. Even though Imagination was carved out of fine white wood, kids still avoided her.

At night when the moon shone upon the ponies they seemed to come to life. "My paint has rubbed off from so many kids riding me," they'd say, as if the chips in their paint were badges of honor.

This bothered Imagination, but she wasn't going to feel sorry for herself. She tried to be kind to the other ponies, but they were only concerned with their own popularity. "Being popular is not so important," Imagination thought to herself. "Maybe I'm destined for some one special. That's it!"

Imagination decided that she would save herself for someone special.
One night a halo surrounded the moon as Imagination looked up wistfully: "I wish a prince would come here to ride on me."

In time the Royal Entourage came to the carnival and stopped at the merry-go-round. Sure enough the Tiny Prince ran to Imagination and jumped on the saddle.

It was no wonder the Tiny Prince picked the unpainted pony. Imagination looked clean and pure compared to the other ponies with their chipped paint and discarded gum in their manes.

The Tiny Prince was delighted to ride Imagination and asked for another turn when the music stopped. The painted ponies were shocked the Prince didn't choose to ride any of them.

Word spread throughout the Kingdom that the Prince had ridden the white pony—that the painted ponies were no longer the favorites. Imagination was now the favorite pony on the Merry-go-round.

Joy: (sings) with the cast joining in on the chorus

Imagine a merry-go-round
In a Kingdom of Fantasy
With ponies painted exotic hues
The favorite being Burgundy
One pony was left unpainted
For she had a fine white grain
The other ponies laughed and said
Imagination was too plain

[The cast joins together:]

You may be
The favorite pony
On the merry-go-round
But I need a love
That won't come crashing down
True love has no limits
Imagination runs
When you reach
For the golden ring
In the halo round the sun

Joy: (sings)

The children all loved Burhundy
They would rush to her side
And yellow orange and navy blue
Were the runners up for rides
In time the favorite ponies
All suffered from wear and tear
But not so Imagination
The plain unpainted mare

[The cast joins together:]

You may be
The favorite pony
On the merry-go-round
But I need a love
That won't come crashing down
True love has no limits
Imagination runs
When you reach
For the golden ring
In the halo round the sun

Joy: (sings)

At last a Royal Entourage
Took the young Prince to the fair
When he saw the merry -go-round
He ran to the shining mare
Imagination was chosen
She kept her heart so pure
Through countless generations
Her legend will endure

[The cast joins together:]

You may be
The favorite pony
On the merry-go-round
But I need a love
That won't come crashing down
True love has no limits
Imagination runs
When you reach
For the golden ring
In the halo round the sun

Enigma:

Everyone join in on the finally...

[The cast joins together for one last song] 
[The Ukulele Cub of Las Vegas are welcome  to join in  on  this song provided that they can also play along with the instrumental bridge.] 

It's time to say goodnight
The day is almost done
Hello to Mr. Moon
Good-bye Mr. Sun

Let Mr. Sun shine
On distant shores
May the world turn
A little more green
May children who
Are not yet born
Live to breathe
Air that's clean

It's time to say goodnight
The day is almost done
Hello to Mr. Moon
Good-bye Mr. Sun

Mr. Moon moves
The seas around
And makes all life
Continue on
Let Gods' creatures
All abound
From the toads
To the graceful fawn

It's time to say goodnight
The day is almost done
Hello to Mr. Moon
Good-bye Mr. Sun

Please answer
Every human need
Children grow up
Much too fast
Heal the broken
Heart that bleeds
And may the time
Of wonder last

It's time to say goodnight
The day is almost done
Hello to Mr. Moon
Good-bye Mr. Sun 

                          The End

Carousel Wind Treatment

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

[To Find The Musical "Carousel Wind" Click on "Carousel Wind Act 1 Scene 1 to the right in the May 2012 section]

I was selling Magic Pens at a kiosk beside the Venetian Carousel at the Garden State Plaza and would often notice a girl in her early twenties being left by her parents on the same bench. She looked lonely sitting there watching the carousel — it made me wonder what was going through her mind day after day — so much so that I started writing a song about her. The main theme of song was to speculate on what she might be dreaming, that perhaps the wind generated by the carousel might carry her off with its phantom embraces. I suggested in the song that if you happened to see her at the mall to say hello to her, but hadn’t done so myself. So I said hello to her asked her why she sat at the same bench beside the carousel. She said that she liked to see the smiles on the faces of the children. The carousel was decorated with ornately framed vignettes of Venice, and each time it stopped a different scene would take the girl into a new dream world.

The action for Carousel Wind takes place at Piazza Ducale – in Vigevano, Italy. The main characters are Joy, the girl with the chestnut brown hair and Enigma, her imaginary love interest, a mime artists that wears a striped shirt, a figment of imagination perhaps inspired by the gondolier depicted on the Carousel. The animation begins with the camera rolling forward inside the archways of the Piazza towards the façade that resembles a carousel. Right in front of the façade, with a similar silhouette, a Venetian carousel appears as if in a dream. Joy, with a forlorn expression, walks in and sits facing the carousel.

The camera angle then shifts to a low shot from her side and a little behind so that she is half the frame with her face prominent from the side, and the carousel is whirling by. She is looking up at the children, her hair is blowing from the carousel wind and light is flickering on her face, as if projected from the carousel. The wind is drawn in meandering shapes, much like the ornate frames of the Venetian vignettes. Her frown gradually becomes a wistful smile, as if she is hoping for something. Close-up of stirrups being a star, then a windmill, then a star drawn on the end of a telescope, then an eye then the telescope comes away from the face and it is Joy. Joy dreams of walking along the beach, looks through her spyglass at a mime who accosts wearing a squirting flower. They fool around (the mime picks up a shell and puts it to his ear and blows water out his mouth) and the mime squirts her; then offers the flower, which she attaches it to her round straw hat… She dreams of floating in a gondola with the mime underneath an arched bridge… As she dreams families with children walk by in the foreground without noticing the girl. In another dream Joy is at the top of an arched bridge overlooking a canal in Venice. She is wearing the straw hat with the squirting sunflower and looking down over the stone railing. In her hand is a flower and she is dropping petals into the water below. The petals drop like tears, from above there is a reflection of Enigma and as the petal hits the water it shatters the image… In the final scene the camera pans down to the empty bench at the carousel with the squirting sunflower on the floor. A broom sweeps it up and puts it into a wheeled dustbin. Where the flower was is a shadow. The camera pans out and reveals it is a shadow of Joy and Enigma embracing…

Carousel Wind

CAROUSEL WIND

Joy had a shadow that followed her around, even when the sun was not shining. The shadow was her younger brother, Todd, who would have been like any other kid, had he not taken a wrong turn down a steep hill in a peddle car. The accident caused a severe head injury that knocked out all the negativity, and left him with the mind of a seven year old. Joy’s parents were ashamed of Todd’s lack of development, and in their minds the shame cast a shadow over the family. But this was not the case with Joy, who believed if God put us under a cloud we should rise above the rain.

Click on Carousel Wind Act 1 Scene 1 (at the top right column) to begin musical journey...

This week was a busy week so I didnt get to work on this project as much as I would have liked to. I added one horse and placed the carousel in the piazza.

Koichi

I have the major components of the carousel finished... I just need to duplicate the horses in various poses. I will be adding color and decorations along the panels later.

-Koichi

here is a quick 3d render of the piazza. I am now working on putting the carousel, girl and bench.