Rachel Sheinkin | holiday MUSICAL | medium 16 plus

STRIKING 12 is a perfect alternative to standard holiday fare while still being family-friendly. On New Year's Eve, an over-worked and under-inspired single guy who's had enough of holiday cheer makes a resolution: to stay home and go to bed early. On another New Year's Eve, a continent away—and more than a century earlier—Hans Christian Andersen's Little Match Girl tries unsuccessfully to sell her matches in the snow.

The two stories are brought together when a young woman selling special "full-spectrum holiday light bulbs" to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder shows up at the grumpy man's door. Though the man (who probably could use the bulbs) seems to enjoy the young woman's company, he sends her away. It's not until he reads "The Little Match Girl" that he is finally pulled out of his funk.

All of this unfolds through a tuneful pop/rock/jazz score that retains the vibrant style of its original performers: the celebrated band, GrooveLily. (The show has since been expanded to 8 or more actors and 6 musicians). The witty and deeply moving script weaves three stories and settings: contemporary New York City, 19th century Denmark, and the very room in which the show is presented. Through simple, unpretentious theater created through the voices and instruments of the performers, Striking 12 reminds us that "the world looks like new…on the first day of the year."

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Violin Ascension
Overture
Snow Song (It's Coming Down)
Last Day Of The Year
Resolution
Green And Red
The Sales Pitch (Patter Duet)
Matches For Sale
Say What?
Hey La La/Fine, Fine, Fine
Fine Fine Fine
Can't Go Home
Wonderful
Give The Drummer Some
Picture This
Caution To The Wind
Violin Ascension
Screwed-up People Make Great Art
It's Not All Right
Wonderful - Reprise
Picture This - Reprise
Snow Song Reprise - First Day Of The Year
The Little Drummer Boy

NARRATOR 1 (Master of Ceremonies)
THE MAN WHO'S HAD ENOUGH
S.A.D. LIGHT SELLER
LITTLE MATCH GIRL
JACK
SMALL PART GUY: GRANDMA; CRAIG; HOGART CAROLER; JONNY, POST-NASAL-DRIP GUY
NARRATOR 2 (band member): PASSERBY; DIANE; TV ANNOUNCER; HOGART CAROLER
NARRATOR 3: LYDIA; ERICA; TV NEWS CORRESPONDENT; HOGART CAROLER; MRS. PALAMINO; SPACE-INVADING GIRL
HAPPY FOLEY/DRUMMER (band member, can also be combined with one of narrators or HAPPY FOLEY): BOSS, HOGART SPOKESMAN
CHORUS roles that can be played by subset of chorus include: COWORKERS; TRAIN CONDUCTORS; PARTIERS; PASSERSBY ON STREET; HOGART CAROLERS

Note that roles can be played by more, or by fewer actors, for desired cast size. The overall sense should be that there is one group of players: musicians, singers, actors, out of which everyone steps to become their character when needed. When not playing a role in any given moment everyone is in a sense themselves, as well as a potential chorus member. We recommend including band members act as narrators to bolster the sense of the whole group creating the story together.

Director's script
Cast scripts
Vocal Books
Piano-Vocal Score

(6 musicians)
Keyboard (Synth)
Guitar
Bass
Drums
Violin
Cello

Perusal Pack
Video Licence available