Draft:Pinocchio: The Musical

Pinocchio: The Musical is a family musical created by Russian-American composer and director Alexander Prokhorov-Tolstoy. The show is a reimagined version of Carlo Collodi's The Adventures of Pinocchio blended with the Eastern European adaptation The Golden Key, or The Adventures of Buratino, written by Alexander’s great-grandfather, Alexei Tolstoy.

Background

Due to his personal connection, Alexander Prokhorov-Tolstoy has repeatedly turned to the Pinocchio/Buratino story. In 2011, he composed music for a Buratino production at a community theater based in Needham, Massachusetts. This production was expanded in 2019. The 2023 version, Pinocchio: The Musical, represents a complete departure from the earlier adaptations. This production features entirely new music and libretto, and a fresh narrative, incorporating new characters and plot twists, all created by Prokhorov-Tolstoy. His students from the Commonwealth Lyric Theater’s Young Artist program were an additional source of inspiration. They also became the pioneering actors in the early workshop production of the new musical. The original libretto was written by Alexander Prokhorov-Tolstoy and translated to English by Slava Gerovitch. The entirety of the score including orchestra, piano, and voice was arranged by Moshe Shulman. Cathy Rand from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee made music and lyrics editorial revisions, and wrote additional lyrics.

Characters

• PINOCCHIO: A mischievous wooden puppet who embarks on a journey of self-discovery, learning valuable lessons about honesty, responsibility, and bravery.
• CRICKET: Pinocchio’s “guardian angel,” who lives at Geppetto’s place.
• GEPPETTO: Pinocchio’s “father,” who made a puppet from a mysterious pine log. He once was a great playwright running his own theater but lost both the theater and fortune after being wronged by his former assistant, Carrabass.
• GOOD FAIRY HARMONETTA: A benevolent force in the story, who represents the powers of good and creates harmony.
• EVIL FAIRY FALSETTA: Falsetta, Harmonetta's wicked sister, represents the forces of evil. She turns the child actors into puppets and curses the music with dissonance and disharmony.
• CHERRY NOSE: An elderly carpenter and friend of Geppetto’s.
• CARRABASS: The villainous former assistant of Geppetto’s, now the tyrant of a theater where actors are trapped as puppets. Carrabass seeks the Golden Key to unlock wealth and power.
• FOX & CAT: Con artists disguised as beggars, who scheme to steal money from Pinocchio.
• MALVINA: A former actress from Geppetto’s theater who escaped Carrabbas’ control.
• MRS. SNAIL: A whimsical pond creature and the keeper of the Golden Key. She is in love with music.
• HARLEQUIN: An action-driven, rebellious puppet.
• PIERROT: A hesitant, emotional puppet from Carrabbass’ theater. He is in love with Malvina.
• COLOMBINA: A puppet-mediator who tries to resolve conflicts.
• PUPPET-PINOCCHIO: A puppet that represents a third-person reflection of Pinocchio’s life in Carlo Callodi’s original story.
• PETRUSHKA: An evil dancing puppet who serves Carrabass.
• DR. FROG, DR. OWL, AND DR. HORSE: A quirky trio of medical doctors whose professional opinions are in constant profound disagreement.
• MEDORO: A passionate and chivalrous dog, loyal servant to the Good Fairy.

Plot/Synopsis

Act I

Scene 1: On a rainy night, a mysterious pine log falls into the window of an elderly carpenter named Cherry Nose. He tries to give it away to his friend Geppetto and suggests that he make a dancing puppet from it. This reminds Geppetto of the children’s theater that he once lost. The two friends quarrel, but then they make amends, and Geppetto agrees to take the log.

Scene 2: Geppetto works on the puppet while telling his story: he once received a golden key as a gift from the Good Fairy, but it got lost when the theater was taken from him. Geppetto finishes the puppet, whom Cricket suggests naming Pinocchio.

Scene 3: Two Fairies arrive to determine Pinocchio’s character. They argue and then take turns performing magic spells and endow Pinocchio with both good and bad qualities.

Scene 4: Pinocchio comes to life and learns of his origin from The Cricket. The Cricket brags about himself. Pinocchio fools around. He punches a hole in a canvas hanging on the wall, noticing a door hidden behind it. Pinocchio then starts telling lies, and his nose begins to grow. Geppetto returns; Pinocchio greets him with joy and promises to go to school and make him proud.

Scene 5: The next morning, on the way to school, Geppetto and Pinocchio are in a crowded town square. Geppetto warns Pinocchio against the lure of the music coming from a recently arrived traveling puppet theater. Gep- petto realizes that this is the theater once taken from him by his former as- sistant, Carrabass Barrabbas, who, with the aid of the Wicked Fairy, turned child actors into puppets. Pinocchio assures Geppetto that he will go to school but instead steals money, and buys a ticket to the theater.

Scene 6: At the theater, Pinocchio watches slapstick comedy with two actors, Pierrot and Harlequin. The puppets dance and sing along to eerie music, then spot Pinocchio in the audience and call him onto the stage, disrupt- ing the show. The angry Carrabbas arrives, and terrified puppets plead with him to avoid punishment. Carrabass catches Pinocchio and drags him away.

Scene 7: Carrabbas interrogates Pinocchio, who tells of his dream of be- coming a real boy and reveals that Geppetto is his father and that there is a mysterious door in Geppetto’s house. Carrabbas recalls what the Wicked Fairy had told him about a golden key unlocking the door behind a canvas. He sends Pinocchio back home to Geppetto with five golden coins. Carrab- bas believes that Geppetto has the golden key and intends to take it by force to unlock wealth and power behind that door.

Scene 8: The next morning, as the town wakes up, Fox & Cat — the two crooks posing as beggars — arrive. Cherry Nose and Geppetto are looking for Pinocchio. Fox & Cat extract money from them, promising help. They meet Pinocchio, quickly find out that he has five golden coins, and conspire to rob him.

Scene 9: Fox & Cat lure Pinocchio into an imaginary “Moneyland” to bury his coins so that they would grow and make him rich. Then they call the police and claim that Pinocchio is a gangster. While police chase Pinocchio, Fox & Cat dig up the money. Pinocchio runs away and falls off a cliff.

Act II

Scene 10: Pinocchio is found by Poodle Medoro who was sent by the Good Fairy. Medoro introduces himself to Pinocchio, touting his knightly bravery, artistic skills, and good manners with ladies. Weak from his fall, Pinocchio passes out, and Medoro takes him to the Good Fairy.

Scene 11: At the Good Fairy’s residence, Drs. Frog, Owl & Horse hold a conference to evaluate Pinocchio’s condition. They profoundly disagree with one another, quarrel, and leave. Harmonetta sings Pinocchio a lullaby. Pinocchio wakes up. The Good Fairy gives him medicine and leaves in the care of Malvina. Malvina tells Pinocchio her story: she used to be an actress in Geppetto’s theater and later escaped from Carrabass. Malvina is tormented by her separation from her beloved Pierrot. Medoro tells Pinocchio to look for the missing golden key in the Muddy Pond. Malvina urges him on. Pinocchio vows to fight and set all of the puppets free.

Scene 12: At the Muddy Pond, Pinocchio meets the Snail and her Pond Band, who sing of their love for music. The Snail tells the story of finding the golden key thrown by Geppetto into her pond to ensure that it does not fall into Carrabass’ hands. The Snail gives the key to Pinocchio.

Scene 13: Carrabass, Fox, and Cat fear that Pinocchio will get to the hidden door in Geppetto’s house first, and they rush there to overtake him. The puppet actors overhear them. Harlequin calls everyone to action to help Pinocchio and prevent the key from falling into Carrabass’ hands. Pierrot hesitates. Petrushka runs away to report everything to Carrabass. The puppets make up their minds and rush out to fight.

Scene 14: Pinocchio returns home, and Geppetto rejoices. Carrabass, the Fox, and the Cat burst in. Geppetto and Carrabass faceoff, declaring their opposing visions of what makes a theater great. Geppetto talks about the stirring of human emotions with music, while Carrabass extols the marching to the beat of drums. A fight breaks out over the golden key. The puppets join.

Scene 15: The Good Fairy arrives and freezes the bad characters. Pinocchio picks up the key and opens the magic door. All enter and find themselves in a strange room filled with cobwebs and musical instruments. They try to play them, but the sounds are horribly out of tune. The Wicked Fairy explains that the room is bewitched, so the music will always sound dissonant and there will be no harmony and happiness. The Good Fairy intervenes and transforms the golden key into a musical key.

Scene 16: The key is passed from hand to hand, and the puppets transform into the real children they once were. Extraordinary music fills the room — beautiful and harmonious. Carrabass, the Fox, the Cat, and Petrushka also touch the key but are turned into puppets as a punishment for their wrongdoing. The room is bathed in light, and all find themselves in a magnificent theater.

Musical numbers

Scene 1

• "Oh, what a Hell" — Cherry Nose
• "Hello, Cherry Nose" — Gepetto
• "Hush, neighbors, hush" — Chorus

Scene 2

• "There once was a playwright of note" — Gepetto
• "Ballade" — Gepetto

Scene 3

• “Knock, Knock” — Good Fairy
  
• “In the world where lies can grow” — Evil Fairy
  
• “In our hearts, my sister, let’s be kind” — Harmonetta
  
• “You will be kind” — Duet of two Fairies

Scene 4

• “Where am I? Who am I?” — Duet Pinocchio & Cricket
• Cricket’s Rock’n’roll: “I’m an extra special cricket” — Cricket
• "You are Mr. Modesty indeed" — Duet Pinocchio & Cricket

Scene 5
“Hey Gelato, fresh gelato” — Chorus
“It’s him; he’s back in town” — Gepetto
“Today at school, I’ll learn to read” — Pinocchio

Scene 6

• “Welcome to the big show” — Pierrot
  
• Song of love — Pierrot
  
• "Carrabass, Carrabass" — Petrushka and Chorus of Puppets

Scene 7

• “Well-well, a little wooden dolly” — Carrabass/Pinocchio duet
  
• “I bided my time for the right hour” — Carrabass

Scene 8

• “Everybody in this town is fast asleep” — Street Sweepers, Hens, Laundry Maids, Police (citizens chorus)
  
• “Yada,Yada, Yada, Yada!” — Fox and Cat
  
• "If you want reliable, important information..!" — Fox and Cat

Scene 9

• “Money, money, money, money” — Fox and Cat
  
• Chase / “One little puppet jumping off a cliff” — Policemen, Citizens, Fox, Cat

Scene 10

• “I am Harmonetta’s faithful servant” (Medoro’s Tango) — Medoro, Puddle Maidens

Scene 11

• “As a doctor with a diploma” — Dr. Frog, Dr. Owl, and Dr. Horse
  
• The Good Fairy’s Lullaby: “My dearest child you are just asleep” — Harmonetta
  
• "It’s just another day without you" — Malvina
• "Find a snail in a silver hat at the Muddy Pond" — Medoro, Malvina, and Pinocchio trio

Scene 12

• “I fell in love with music” — Snail
• "Listen to my story" — Snail

Scene 13

• “Time To Act” — Puppets Chorus

Scene 14

• "You were my trusted aid" — Geppetto & Carrabbas Duet

Scene 15

• "What a strange place" — Chorus, Cricket, Pinocchio, Geppetto

Scene 16

• "Look, look" — Chorus

• Grand Finale: "Music is the key to open any door" — Chorus

Production history

The workshop production was shown at the Eleanor Welch Casey Theatre in Regis College (Weston, MA) on June 20 and 21, 2024. Most of the roles were filled by the Commonwealth Lyric Theater young artists, with a few main cast members also participating. This production also featured a nearly complete stage set designed by Jenya Shekhter and implemented by Sergey Didenko and Natalya Stolyarova, costumes and wigs by Luna Gomberg, and projections and video by Sergey Aniskov.

The world premiere of Pinocchio: The Musical is scheduled for November 14-17, 2024 at the historic Emerson Colonial Theatre in Boston, MA. The show has garnered critical attention, being named a "Critics’ Pick" by The Boston Globe and included in WBUR’s "2024 Fall Theatre Guide" as one of the season’s most anticipated cultural events. The show will be accompanied by the Commonwealth Lyric Theater Orchestra directed by Jenny Tsai. Jon Lehrer is the chief choreographer. Lighting and sound are designed by Scott Clyve and Gage Baker, respectively, under the overall technical direction by Mike McTeague.

Artistic and stage director for both productions is Alexander Prokhorov-Tolstoy and executive producer is Irina Prokhorov.

Casts

Cast

	Workshop Production, June 2024	World Premiere, November 2024
Geppetto	Adam CJ Klein, Paul Soper	Adam CJ Klein
Carrabass	Paul Lutty, III	Russell Hoke, Paul Lutty III
Cherry Nose	Andrew Papas	Jeff Paul Goble, Ron Williams
Cricket	Ekaterina Vikhlinina, James Yeh	Miles Messier, Alex Hartofelis
Pinocchio	James Yeh, Ekaterina Vikhlinina	James Yeh, Ekaterina Vikhlinina
Medoro	Afanasy Prokhorov	Anthony Rinaldi, Afanasy Prokhorov
Good Fairy	Diana Kuznetsova, Isabelle Shvorin	Jean Furman, Kaileigh Bumpus
Evil Fair	Varvara Didenko, Sabrina Shepova	Meghan Carey, Meghan Carey
FOX	Chloe Perlov	Britain Hope, Rowan Hunt
CAT	Anastasia Prokhorov-Tolstoy, Varvara Didenko	Justin Gibson Taylor, Bridget DeVine
Pierrot	Naomi Kalmikov, Rebecca Kalmikov	Greyson Lynch
Malvina	Isabelle Shvorin, Veronica Mayasova	Arina Bagaryakova, Jean Furman
Harlequin	Kayamina Young Bolotovskaya, David Metskhvarishvili	Ben Horsburgh
Petrushka	Aurelia Eliseeva	Afanasy Prokhorov, Chloe Perlov
Dr. Frog	David Palchuk, Michael Postnikov	Bridget DeVine, Justin Gibson Taylor
Dr. Owl	Damian Shepov, Naomi Kalmikov	Abigail Bubnick, Varvara Didenko
Dr. Horse	Maiia Kuznetcova, Anastasia Prokhorov-Tolstoy	Alex Hartofelis, Anthony Rinaldi
Mrs. Snail	Acia Gankina, Arina Bagaryakova	Kira Sarai Helper, Arina Bagaryakova
Columbina	Sabrina Shepova, Kayamina Young Bolotovskaya	Ali Ragazzini
Ensemble	Rowan Hunt, Jean Furman, Alex Aleksandrov, Bridget DeVine, Anastasiia Yehorkina, Luna Sanchez, Rebecca Kalmikov, Naomi Kalmikov, Sofia Kazimov, David Metskhvarishvili, Diana Kuznetsova, Maiia Kuznetcova, David Palchuk, Damian Shepov, Michael Postnikov, Valeria Poliantseva, Aurelia Eliseeva, Nellie Prokhorov-Tolstoy, Isabelle Shvorin, Sabrina Shepova, Veronica Mayasova, Kayamina Young Bolotovskaya, Ekaterina Vikhlinina, Alena Kalinina, Marina Khitrik‑Palchuk, Boris Shepov, Sean Eliseev, Masha Shukhman‑Kotliarenko, Michael Kuznetsov, Ekaterina Bolotovskaya	Alex Aleksandrov, Fiona Liu, Ali Ragazzini, Ben Horsburgh, Abigail Bubnick, Alex Hartofelis, Bridget DeVine, Mitchell Takeda, Leah Suskind, Daria Fridkin, Sophia Podjarski, Aurelia Eliseeva, Veronica Mayasova, Anastasia Prokhorov-Tolstoy, Naomi Kalmikov, Rebecca Kalmikov, Nelli Prokhorov-Tolstoy, David Palchuk, Sofia Kazimov, Kayamina Young Bolotovskaya, Chloe Perlov, Ekaterina Vikhlinina, James Yeh, Varvara Didenko