he Tales of Andergrimm interweaves the Grimm tales of Rumpelstiltskin and Hansel and Gretel with the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of the Ugly Duckling. All three stories unfold with some slight alterations. In this version of Rumpelstiltskin, the girl in the tower is pursued romantically by the elf himself, who hopes to gain her love in return for spinning the gold. The king insists she must spin straw to gold to prove that her mother was not lying, when in fact he is simply a greedy ruler in pursuit of more power and riches.

As in the original tale, Hansel and Gretel are two children who love their father. In this musical, he is unaware of just how selfish his wife is. When she secretly loses their children in the woods, he is distraught and searches tirelessly for them. Hansel and Gretel must rise above their disagreements in order to survive their time in the forest and their encounter with the witch of the candy cottage.

The Ugly Duckling in this show, deals less with the various circumstances the ugly swan chick finds herself in and more with her relationship with her duckling ‘siblings.’ In this modified story, the Ugly Duckling finds a new family in which to be included and then extends that spirit of inclusiveness to one of her former tormentors.

The three tales interconnect in ways that delight audiences, and strengthen the overall theme of making the right choices to become a better person (expressed in the prologue and finale musical number ‘Choose to be Good.’). Each of the ten character traits, or a lack of it, is represented in the musical number(s) listed below, as well as in the actions of characters in at least one of the three tales:

Caring: ‘Just Don’t Care’ - The Ugly Duckling
Cooperation: ‘Cooperation’ - Hansel and Gretel
Courage: ‘Gotta Be Brave’ – Rumpelstiltskin
Empathy: ‘Feel for ya, Baby’ and ‘Don’t Feel for ya, Baby’ – Rumpelstiltskin and Hansel and Gretel
Honesty: ‘He Lied to Me’ – Rumpelstiltskin
Inclusiveness: ‘Alone’ and ‘Alone reprise’ - The Ugly Duckling
Integrity: ‘What’s in it for Me?’ – Rumpelstilskin
Optimism: ‘Maybe’ and ‘Maybe reprise’ - Hansel and Gretel
Respect: ‘Respect’ - Hansel and Gretel
Responsibility: ‘Responsibility’ and ‘Sleep Tonight’- Hansel and Gretel

Click here for more information on Character Education.
Click here for more information on the music in the show.
Click here for information on the score and accompaniment CD.