The year is 1932.
With the world plunged deep into dark days of the Great Depression, we meet one young family struggling to survive in the face of unfathomable loss. However, hope shines like a candle burning bright against the night in the midst of their most severe storm. Meet the Charles family, along with some of the most colorful characters you’ll ever meet: a bankrupt oilman, a soup kitchen matron and her sassy daughters, a not so single-minded lady along with the reluctant object of her affection, and a mysterious shoeless stranger, just to name a few. How can joy exist in sadness? In a word…HOPE!
Based on a true story, Hope In The Heartland is filled with 22 sensational songs, and a timeless tale that will touch your heart. It’s a funny, toe-tappin’ good time the whole family will enjoy!
7f, 9m +
Ensemble
4-5 (or tracks)
2
1hr 45min
Chris & Diane have been singers and songwriters for over four decades, having written 500+ songs with six #1 titles. Their anthem, Bow The Knee, is Lillenas Music’s all-time best seller. They are Dove Award Nominees and inductees into the Texas Gospel Music Hall of Fame. The Machens have also had songs in productions at Branson and Dollywood for more than a dozen years. Chris & Diane have recorded 13 artist albums, charting several of their own songs, and are available for download on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and Pandora. They have also had their songs recorded by other Country and Gospel Artists.
Caren was honored to direct every performance of Hope In The Heartland. Caren is a sought after performer and choreographer. She had the privilege of being the choreographer for 4 seasons at The Promise in Glen Rose, Texas and can be heard as Mary on the current soundtrack. She’s been performing for Garland Summer Musicals in Garland, Texas for 15 seasons. In her 16th season, Ms. Sharpe returned as assistant director for Crazy for You and The Sound of Music as well as performing in the cast. She is an in demand voice and dance teacher in the Dallas area. Caren has loved being part of a story that brings Good News and Hope to the world.
As a performer, Ryan’s credits include South Pacific, Damn Yankees, Cats, Seussical, Mama Mia, and Grand Hotel, to name a few. He won the Chita Rivera Solo Dance Award for his performance in Billy Elliott. Ryan performs and choreographs all over the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. He is also the choreographer for the Turtle Creek Chorale, and creator of the Turtle Creek Dance Company (TCDC). Each summer he co-directs and choreographs for the Ellis Co. Children’s Theatre in Waxahachie, TX. Ryan has served as Asst. Theater Director for Everman High School in Everman, TX, and currently serves as Theater Director for Polk Middle School in Carrollton, TX.
Kelly’s choreography has been seen at Uptown Players, Main Stage Irving, Garland Summer Musicals, Lyric Stage, Water Tower Theatre, Garland Civic Theatre, Firehouse Theatre, and Theatre Three. Recent credits include Matilda (Dallas Young Artists), Big Fish (Theatre Arlington), Six (Preston Center Dance), and Plaid Tidings (Lyric Stage).
4-5 Musicians
STRING BASS
ACOUSTIC GUITAR
BANJO/MANDOLIN
FIDDLE
PIANO (For rehearsal – transcription available)
or TRACKS (Available with Download)
John Charles
Male
The Carpenter
William Wade
Male
The Oilman
Patrick Martin
Male
The Oil Field Foreman
Mr. Ford
Male
The Banker
Johnny Charles
Male
9-10 Yrs Old
The Younger Son
Bernice Charles
Female
11-12 Yrs Old
The Daughter
Vada Charles
Female
The Mother
Clyde Charles
Male
13-14 Yrs Old
The Older Son
Hard-Luck Hokie
Male
The Teller of Tall Tales
Aunt Fannie Hurst
Female
The Mission Director
Gabe Harbinger
Male
The Shoeless Stranger
Norman Irvin
Male
The Mission Song leader
Francis Jewel
Female
The Woman at the Mission
Naomi Hurst
Female
The Mission Director’s
Oldest Daughter
Elaine Hurst
Female
The Mission Director’s
Youngest Daughter
Ollie/Santa
Male
The Mission Director’s Husband
Lois Hiram
Female
8-9 Yrs Old
The Child at the Mission
(optional)
The production package will include the materials listed below. These materials will be available for download upon receipt of payment if your license request is approved. Script and music files may be duplicated for your cast and crew.
Marketing Materials & Artwork
Along with the video demos, you will receive print and display-ready promotional materials including banner ads in the 16:9 aspect, a social media banner, and flyers and posters in various sizes with space for dates, venues and ticket pricing. Also provided are covers for your Playbill, both general and with space for dates, venues and ticketing.
16 Cast Script/Vocal Books
PDF files for duplication, including a full script that also contains lyrics for each song within text of the script for ease of rehearsal, are provided. Plus, vocal books including Leads (Solo/Duet/Trio), Cast/Ensemble and Band/Select Group are also included.
Music Charts
There are complete music charts for each individual song that include rhythm-vocals for singers and cast, full piano transcription, and rhythm and “Nashville” number charts for the band.
Video Demos & Promotional Ads
A full video of the Dallas production is included. Also, provided is a link to a Vimeo site of the full Dallas production that can be distributed to cast and crew for the duration of your production. Please do not duplicate. Also available are 1 minute and 2 minute general promotional spots for advertising your show with space at the end to add your venue, dates and ticketing information.
SATB Step Out Tracks
For ease in the learning of cast/ensemble songs, we have provided Soprano/Alto/Tenor/Bass (SATB) step out tracks with each individual part mixed louder than the others.
Audio Recordings & Tracks
You will receive mp3 recordings of the studio demos of each song. You will also receive mp3 split tracks for performance purposes with track on the left and guide vocals on the right. For live band performance, you will receive click (metronome) tracks with click on the left and guide vocals on the right.
Audition Materials
We have provided audition resources that include charts marked for auditioners to learn, along with both the demo and track that correlate with each marked chart. These can be used in both live or video auditions.
Voiceover Announcements
You have access to pre-recorded general announcements including “Welcome,” “Silence Your Cell Phone,” and 15, 10 and 5 minute intermission calls.
Fill out your application to begin the licensing process. Once the application is filled out, you can expect to hear from us in 2-3 business days with a theatrical license agreement. Once the agreement is signed, we will send you a link that you can use to purchase the license and download your materials.
Are you a smaller church? We can offer you special pricing based on your congregation size. List your congregation size in the “additional notes” section of your license application and we will contact you to verify.
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