MISS NELSON IS MISSING! Younger@Part® is the authorized 30 minute edition of the TYA musical for elementary schools and youth theatres (grades 2 – 5). Through a series of workshops with industry professionals and actual kids, the Younger@Part® musicals are tailor-made for younger actors. Song keys are changed where needed, songs and scenes are edited for time and content, while keeping the spirit of the original show intact. There are great parts for girls, boys and can feature any size ensemble/chorus, who are featured throughout the show.
Miss Nelson’s class is the worst behaved in the whole school. Spitballs flying across the room, paper airplanes sailing every which way and uncontrollable children send the gentle, long-suffering teacher, Miss Nelson, over the edge. But the students of Room 207 are in for a surprise when Miss Nelson turns up missing and is replaced by Viola Swamp, a scary substitute teacher who assigns homework from hell and wields her ruler like a sword! In desperation, the students set out to find their beloved Miss Nelson … but will they ever get her back? Lessons of appreciation and respect.
Each Younger@Part® title comes complete with Performance Tracks, Guide Vocal Tracks, Director’s Guide, 30 Student Scripts and more with an affordable Performance License package.
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It is the end of the morning announcements, and the students of Room 207 are out of control. They are jumping rope, throwing spitballs and paper airplanes, and sleeping. The school janitors (Pop, Murray, Penny, Johnny, and Bud) explain that the students of Room 207 are notoriously awful. Miss Nelson, the teacher, enters and tries to get her students to focus. Instead of calmly listening to the story of Pinocchio, they are disruptive, rude, and completely disrespectful to their teacher. Miss Nelson complains about her lack of control (“The Worst Kids Of All”) and concludes that something must be done about this situation.
It is the next day. Mr. Blandsworth, the principal, enters and explains that Miss Nelson will not be in today. Instead, the students meet Miss Viola Swamp- at first a shadow at the door- and then a very real, very terrifying substitute teacher. She demands respect and explains the consequences of disobedience in class (“The Swamp Song”). Swamp begins the lesson, and the children are suddenly attentive and responsive.
Time passes and there is no sign of Miss Nelson. The homework assignments pile up. The students go in search of their teacher but to no avail. They speculate about what may have happened to Miss Nelson and head to the Police Station to get some official assistance in their search.
At the Police Station, Detectives McSmogg and Mc Smoog are, unfortunately, very little help and the students start to lose confidence. They meet at the local Ice Cream Shoppe and write a letter to Miss Nelson, begging her to return and promising to be better behaved (“Miss Nelson Is Missing”).
At school the next day, the students have proven they have changed. They are helping the janitors clean and comparing notes on their homework assignments, when in walks Miss Nelson! She is now able to successfully continue with the story of Pinocchio, and the students realize they now have the same qualities that turned Pinocchio into a real boy: obedience, unselfishness, and respect.
The janitors explain that Detectives McSmogg and McSmoog are now working on a new case: the missing Viola Swamp, and Miss Nelson reveals that Miss Viola Swamp was really Miss Nelson in disguise (“Finale”)!
MISS NELSON IS MISSING!
Book, Music & Lyrics by JOAN CUSHING
Based on the book “Miss Nelson is Missing” and “Miss Nelson is Back” by HARRY ALLARD
Illustrated by JAMES MARSHALL
Younger@Part® Edition Adapted by Tessa Farr
CAST SIZE
1 gender-flexible lead role 8 featured roles where singing is not required
Expandable, gender-flexible ensemble of kids
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
MISS NELSON / VIOLA SWAMP (played by the same actor) – could be played by an adult or an older child who can help to keep the pace of the dialogue moving; could be played by a woman or a man in drag; all musical lines (there aren’t many) can be spoken if necessary
- MISS NELSON – sweet; kind; pretty; wears long flowy dresses in pastel colors (this long skirt will be used to hide the VIOLA SWAMP tights underneath)
- VIOLA SWAMP – mean; scary; ugly; wears yellow and green striped tights with a black dress and at least one removable accessory (pointed glasses, prosthetic nose, etc.)
5 JANITORS (no singing required) – the narrators; wear coveralls; can be played by boys or girls (if necessary, switch JOHNNY to JILLY and/or switch MURRAY to MILLY)
- POP HANSON – makes a popping sound when he says his name
- PENNY WHISTLER – whistles when her name is said
- JOHNNY BONES – does a hand-jive when his name is said
- MURRAY SNAPSBERG (“SNAPPY”) – snaps when his name is said
- BUD – no sound effect
2 DETECTIVES (no singing required) – bumbling; clumsy; inept detectives; can be played by boys or girls; dress like Sherlock Holmes – signature hats and capes, handle-bar mustaches, pipes, large magnifying glasses
- DETECTIVE MCSMOGG – takes the lead
- DETECTIVE McSMOOG – the sidekick
MR. BLANDSWORTH (no singing required) – the boring Principal; wears a pastel shirt, a funny tie/bowtie, and nerdy glasses; can be played by a boy or a girl (switch to MRS if necessary)
12 STUDENTS – can be cast gender-blind; all go by their own names (or a name they choose); wear pastels, as in the original book
Director’s Script -1
Cast Scripts & Vocal Books – 30
Piano/Vocal Score – 2
Guide Vocals CD – 1
Performance Tracks CD – 1
Logo Pack – 1