Sing Down the Moon: Appalachian Wonder Tales

Journey into the Appalachian Mountains in this award-winning musical that deftly weaves six traditional tales and original music into a keepsake quilt of mountain lore and wisdom for the whole family. Three "Jack tales" feature the resourceful, clever Jack who climbs a wonder-bean tree to find giants in the sky, who lands himself a job despite his foolishness and who wins the heart of Featherflight, the magical daughter of a devilish trickster. "Catskins" is a spunky Appalachian Cinderella. "The Enchanted Tree" is a beauty-and-the-beast love story between a lost girl and a frightening crow. And in a zany, sung-through "Sow and Her Three Pigs" plucky Nancy the pig outsmarts the hungry fox. This musical play incorporates singing, mountain dances, music and giant puppets to create a highly theatrical storytelling style. The score, which interweaves music throughout the tales, is inspired by "Old Time" Appalachian music featuring fiddle and banjo that drives the play's action and makes music itself a character in the play. Nominated for five Helen Hayes Awards, it was commissioned and originally produced by Theater of the First Amendment, George Mason University's professional theatre in Fairfax, Virginia. The Washington Times described the show as "excellent entertainment for viewers of all ages, offering adventure, romance, drama and comedy." The original cast recording was the winner of the Parent's Guide Award for Children's Media and the Oppenheimer Toy Portfolio Award. Sing Down the Moon has enjoyed success on professional, community, university and youth theatre stages.