The Magic Basket
The Magic Basket is a musical for children written in 1940 by Australian composer Alfred Wheeler, with the book and lyrics written by Bronnie Taylor.[1] The musical was originally published by Australian music publisher Allan & Co. Pty. Ltd. The story involves a group of children whisked to a magical land on the Moon, where they help the Sandman to recover his bag of sleep-dust from Goblins. The children are transported in a magic basket by Mrs Mustard, the Old Woman who Sweeps the Sky.[2]
Characters
[edit]- The King of the Moon
- The Queen of the Moon
- Lord High Chancellor
- The Sandman
- Mr Moonshine
- Mrs Mustard
- Face-ache, the leader of the Goblins
- Twinkle, the leader of the Moonbeams
- Children
- Goblins
- Moonbeams, ladies-in-waiting to the Queen
- Newsboy
Musical numbers
[edit]- Oh isn't it fun to live in the moon? (sung by Moonbeams)
- Whatever can we do (sung by chorus)
- I sweep the sky (sung by Mrs Mustard and chorus)
- My basket brave and I (sung by chorus)
- Derry derry down Oh! (sung by Queen and chorus)
- Galloping, galloping up in the sky (sung by Children)
- The Sandman (sung by Children and the Sandman)
- Tippetty tippetty toe (sung by Children)
- Goblins bold are we (sung by Goblins)
- If you will be a meddlesome Matty (sung by Children)
- The deed is done (sung by Children)
- Bong! goes the gong (sung by chorus)
- One song before we part (sung by solo and chorus)
- Lullaby (sung by chorus)
Productions
[edit]- 1940 Lauriston Girls' School, Melbourne (premiere)[3]
- 1940 Wyalong, New South Wales[4]
- 1940 Mount Barker, South Australia[5]
- 1943 Cloncurry, Queensland[6]
- 1943 Adelaide, South Australia[7]
- 1944 Benalla, Victoria[8]
- 1945 Port Pirie, South Australia[9]
- 1945 Newcastle, New South Wales[10]
- 1946 Adelaide[11]
- 1946 Newcastle, New South Wales[12]
- 1946 North Lismore, New South Wales[13]
- 1946 Newcastle, New South Wales[14]
- 1947 Broken Hill[15]
- 1947 Wagga Wagga, New South Wales[16]
- 1947 Lismore, New South Wales[17]
- 1947 Shepparton, Victoria[18]
- 1947 Grafton, New South Wales[19]
- 1948 Mackay[20]
- 1949 Wyalong, New South Wales[21]
- 1949 Southport, Queensland[22]
- 1949 Scone, New South Wales[23]
- 1950 Nanson, Western Australia[24]
- 1950 Hay, New South Wales[25]
- 1950 Maddington, Western Australia[26]
- 1951 Launceston, Tasmania[27]
- 1951 Sunshine, Victoria[28]
- 1951 Burnie, Tasmania[29]
- 1952 Maryborough, Queensland[30]
- 1952 Braidwood, New South Wales[31]
- 1952 Adelaide, South Australia[32]
- 1952 Grafton, New South Wales[33]
- 1953 Southbrook, Queensland[34]
- 1954 Kygole, New South Wales[35]
- 1954 Broken Hill, South Australia[36]
- 1954 Townsville, Queensland[37]
- 1954 Lithgow, New South Wales[38]
- 1955 Parramatta District Primary Schools, starring Bob Winley as Mr Moonshine and Elaine Marriott as The Queen
- 1957 Penrith, New South Wales[39]
References
[edit]- ↑ "AusStage".
- ↑ "The magic basket: a juvenile operetta". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- ↑ "Untitled". 24 July 1940. p. 12 – via Trove.
- ↑ "DISTRICT SCHOOL CONCERT". 5 December 1940. p. 1 – via Trove.
- ↑ "SUMMERTOWN". 12 December 1940. p. 3 – via Trove.
- ↑ "Grand Concert". Cloncurry Advocate. 26 November 1943.
- ↑ "Rosary School Annual Concert". Southern Cross. 3 September 1943.
- ↑ "Benalla". Advocate. 22 November 1944.
- ↑ "Warnertown Children Present ThreeAct Play". Recorder. 17 December 1945.
- ↑ "Concert at N. Lambton for Children's Homes". Newcastle Sun. 15 December 1945.
- ↑ "St. Aloysius College Annual Concert". Advertiser. 5 October 1946.
- ↑ "Brevities". Newcastle Sun. 25 March 1946.
- ↑ "Operetta Night at North Lismore School". Northern Star. 15 November 1946.
- ↑ "Brevities". Newcastle Sun. 25 March 1946.
- ↑ ""The Magic Basket"". 6 October 1947. p. 6 – via Trove.
- ↑ "Bright Concert at St. Andrew's". Daily Advertiser. 11 October 1947.
- ↑ "NTH. Lismore School Operetta". Northern Star. 11 November 1946.
- ↑ "Lemnos Ss Concert". Shepparton Advertiser. 23 December 1947.
- ↑ "School Concert at Tucabia". Daily Examiner. 29 December 1947.
- ↑ "District News". Daily Mercury. 4 December 1948.
- ↑ "Successful Concert Held at Ungarie". West Wyalong Advocate. 22 December 1949.
- ↑ "St. Hilda's Concert". South Coast Bulletin. 7 December 1949.
- ↑ "Personal". Scone Advocate. 27 April 1949.
- ↑ "Nanson Convent School". Geraldton Guardian. 9 November 1950.
- ↑ "St. Andrew's Sunday School Concert". Riverine Grazier. 10 October 1950.
- ↑ "Maddington News". South Western Advertiser. 24 August 1950.
- ↑ "Happy Party at St. Giles". Examiner. 17 December 1951.
- ↑ "The Magic Basket". Sunshine Advocate. 19 October 1951.
- ↑ "St. Giles' Home Christmas Party". Advocate. 17 December 1951.
- ↑ "Crowd Liked the Children's Efforts". Maryborough Chronicle. 15 October 1952.
- ↑ "School News". Braidwood Dispatch and Mining Journal. 5 December 1952.
- ↑ "News in Brief". Advertiser. 20 May 1952.
- ↑ "Maclean Convent Concert Well Attended". Daily Examiner. 8 December 1952.
- ↑ "Southbrook News". Pittsworth Sentinel. 8 December 1953.
- ↑ "Infants School Staff Are Very Busy". 25 September 1951. p. 7 – via Trove.
- ↑ "Church News". Barrier Daily Truth. 2 October 1954.
- ↑ "St. ANne's SCHOOL SPEECH NIGHT". Townsville Daily Bulletin. 30 November 1954.
- ↑ "Happy Contest by Juveniles". Lithgow Mercury. 4 October 1954.
- ↑ "The Idea of Education Week is Being Well Received by Adults". Nepean Times. 8 August 1957.