Charlotte's Web Some Musical
Adapted by Joseph Robinette
Music and lyrics by Charles Strouse
By arrangement with Dominie Pty Ltd
Based on the book by E. B. White
Season 13-28 January 2006
Venue Theatre 3
TheStory
Fern Arable, a young girl who loves animals, rescues the runt of a litter of pigs from her father's axe. She names the pig Wilbur and cares for him until he is big enough to be raised at the farm of her uncle, Homer Zuckerman.
There, Wilbur meets a gossipy goose, a gloomy sheep, and a grouchy rat named Templeton. Wilbur is homesick and lonely for Fern until he finds a new friend, a spider named Charlotte, who lives in the eaves above Wilbur's pen.
When Wilbur discovers that he is destined to be butchered, Charlotte devises a plan to save her friend. She spins words praising Wilbur into her web above his pen. She hopes that Mr Zuckerman will be so impressed that he will spare Wilbur and exhibit him at the fair. All the animals helped find words and Charlotte's plan is a great success: people came from all around to see the words on the web and the pig that inspired them.
Mr Zuckerman decides to enter Wilbur at the fair. Although Wilbur does not win the award for best pig, he is given a special award. Now safe from the butcher's block, Wilbur repays his friend Charlotte's tremendous efforts by ensuring that her 514 baby spiders safely hatch out after she dies.
The music includes Who Says We Can't Be Friends, an enchanting duet between Wilbur and Charlotte; Welcome to the Zuckerman Barn, featuring all the animals in a hand-clapping, toe-tapping hoe-down; Summer, a haunting, nostalgic chorus and Don't, a complaint about that frequently used adult word sung by the children, Fern and Avery.
ProductionTeam
| Director | John Alsford |
| Director's Assistant | Rob Macaulay |
| Musical Director | Susan Davenport |
| Choreographer | Elissa Singer |
| Production Manager | Eileen Boyldew |
| Assistant Production Manager | Nola Russell, Kate Tremble |
| Stage Manager | Myles Leon |
| Assistant Stage Manager | Nick Brightman |
| Set Design | John Alsford, Sue Theron |
| Costume Design | Liz Topperwien |
| Lighting Design | Justin Watson |
| Sound Design | Michael Shilling |
| Set Co-ordinator | Paul Tremble |
| Scaffolder | Bob Teasdale |
| Make Up | Janette Humphrey, Adele Haussmann, Kate Osmotherly |
| Props | Nick Leon |
| Props Assistant | Jo Werts |
| Sound Assistant | Simon Ellers |
| Lighting Operators | David Paterson, Edward Thompson, Andrew Topperwein |
| Crew | Simon Tolhurst, Simon Fairclough, Alex Rogers, Zoe Milton, Dave Mackein, Rob Macaulay |
| Publicity | Eileen Boyldew, David Paterson |
| Graphic Design | Trish Boaden |
Cast
| Charlotte | Roby Page |
| Wilbur | Nathan Hillman |
| Fern Arable | Kirsten Haussmann |
| Homer Zuckerman | Graham Bauerle |
| Edith Zuckerman | Victoria Watson |
| Avery Arable | Toby Francis |
| John Arable | Max Gambale |
| Martha Arable | Kate Rafferty |
| Lurvy | Brian Daly |
| Templeton | Conrad Farrell |
| Goose | Kate Tremble |
| Gander | Lachlan Ruffy |
| Sheep | Ylaria Rogers |
| Lamb | Jaime Isfahani |
| Bat | Jessica McFarland |
| Reporter/Owl | Dim Ritevski |
| Ensemble | Oliver Bailey, Sue Bailey, Harriet Davies, Reg Holmes, Marcus Low, Jessica McFarland, Tayla Page, Annie Paterson, Kevin Playford, Anna Rafferty, Dim Ristevski, Jenny Thomson, Sarah Thomson |
Orchestra
| Electronic Musical Sequencing | Susan Davenport |
| Keyboard Operation and Conductor | Susan Davenport |
TheMemories
FavouriteMoment
Wilbur didn't know why the farmers wanted to make him fat and tender. During a matinee where the audience was mainly children, Wilbur proclaimed his ignorance and was loudly and emphatically informed by a young boy: "You're gonna be killed!" - Susan Davenport