Performances for Young Audiences is made possible by

David M. RubensteinChairman

Michael M. KaiserPresident

Darrell M. AyersVice President, Education

Christoph EschenbachMusic Director, National Symphony Orchestra

Chester, the country cricket from Connecticut, has a problem—he’s found himself alone and lost in the middle of New York City! But then Chester makes some great new friends who discover his hidden talent. And that changes everything.

Based on the book by George SeldenComposed and adapted by Chris BrubeckDirected by Scot ReeseConducted by Steven ReinekeNick Kendall, violin

65

The Spark of a StoryAuthor George Selden said he got the idea for the story when “One night I was coming home on the subway, and I did hear a cricket chirp in the Times Square subway station. The story formed in my mind within minutes.” After the performance, ask children to think of something unusual they’ve seen or heard, and try to imagine a story about it. Have them write down some of their ideas and share them with family and friends.

Big IdeasAfter the performance, help children explore some of the story’s themes, including friendship, music, and being true to one’s self. Some questions to discuss:

n How could a cat and mouse or a boy and cricket be friends? Can you be friends with someone very different from you?

n What does “home” mean to Mario, Chester, Tucker, and Harry?

n Did Chester make the right decision at the end of the story?

Listen for… n how the music changes when Chester isn’t happy

n cricket, chirpy, or insect sounds in some of the music (especially at the beginning of the performance)

n how the music sounds like a train and changes as the train gets closer to the city

n the sounds showing confusion when a fire breaks out

And think about…the difference between reading a story and seeing and hearing it (with music!) on stage.

Dear Grownups:Welcome to the NSO Family Concerts, designed to introduce children to the music of the orchestra. Please help your young concert-goers read and understand the information in this Cuesheet. The information below is designed to help you further the children’s concert experience.

The Concert ProgramThe performance will include original music as well as short excerpts from the musical selections below. Before or after the concert, you may want to have children listen to some or all of these musical selections.

“Blue Rondo à la Turk” by Dave Brubeck

“Saint Louis Blues” by W.C. Handy

“Beautiful Dreamer,” a ballad by Stephen Foster

The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II (YOH-hahn Strauss)

“Funiculi, Funicula” and “Santa Lucia,” Italian folk songs from Naples

“Casta Diva” from the opera Norma by Vincenzo Bellini (buh-LEE-nee)

“Dance of the Hours” from the opera La Gioconda by Amilcare Ponchielli (ah-MEEL-kah-re pawn-KYEL-lee)

“Can-Can” from the opera Orpheus in the Underworld by Jacques Offenbach

“Onward, Christian Soldiers,” an English hymn

“Un bel di, vendremo” from Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini (poo-CHEE-nee)

“A Little Night Music” (Eine Kleine Nachtmusik) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (MO-tzart)

The Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa

“Autumn” from The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi

The Prayer from the opera Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck

Hello parents!Please see page 5 for

information and activities.

David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of the NSO.

Behind the Words and MusicIn 1961, George Selden (1929–1989) wrote The Cricket in Times Square, for which he received the Newbery Medal. It became a children’s classic and turned into a series of seven books. Chris Brubeck is a multi-instrumentalist and award-winning classical and jazz composer. Chris resides in Connecticut, not far from Chester’s fictional meadow.

75 Musicians Led by One Conductor At today’s concert, NSO Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke will lead the 75 members of the National Symphony Orchestra in playing the music. The conductor is a person who leads the orchestra. Conductors generally use their right hand to tell the orchestra how fast to play and use their left hand to tell the musicians how loud or soft to play. Some use a slender white stick called a baton as they conduct. At the concert, watch how the conductor communicates with the musicians.

Musical Instrument “Petting Zoo”One hour before the concert, enjoy hands-on fun with the instruments that the musicians will play on stage in the Kennedy Center Atrium. A project of the Women’s Committee for the NSO.

Kids’ ChatAfter the 3 p.m. performance, stick around to ask questions of the concert artists.

Upcoming Family ConcertsPlease plan to join us at next year’s National Symphony Orchestra Family Concerts, performed by the full NSO at 1 pm and 3 pm on the following Sundays:

Sunday, October 27, 2013—Halloween ConcertSunday, February 23, 2014—Peter and the WolfSunday, June 1, 2014 —Classical Kids Live: Mozart’s Magnificent Voyage

The NSO also presents full orchestra Young People’s Concerts for school groups in the Concert Hall each season during the school day for grades 3 through 6.

Wait! There’s More!

The Macy’s Foundation and Washington Gas are the proud sponsors of the NSO Family Concerts.

Orchestra InteractiveEnjoy an interactive exploration of orchestras, their instruments, and their music at the Perfect Pitch Web site at: artsedge.kennedy-center.org/perfectpitch

For more about NSO education programs, see www.kennedy-center.org/nso/nsoed

Please recycle this Cuesheet by sharing it with friends!

Additional support for Performances for Young Audiences is provided in part by Adobe Foundation; The Clark Charitable Foundation; Mr. James V. Kimsey; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Park Foundation, Inc.; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; an endowment from the Ryna and Melvin Cohen Family Foundation; U.S. Department of Education; and by generous contributors to the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund, and by a major gift to the fund from the late Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas.

Education and related artistic programs are made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.

artsedge.kennedy-center.org

Cuesheets are produced by ARTSEDGE, an education program of the Kennedy Center.

Learn more about Education at The Kennedy Center at www.kennedy-center.org/education

The contents of this Cuesheet were developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. However those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal government.

©2013 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

For Parents

Be a Good Audience for Chester and Friends…

n Stay seated and keep those wings tucked in.

n Stay quiet (no chirping, but it’s okay to laugh at the funny parts, of course!).

n Watch and listen carefully.

n Clap at the end!

The ViolinThe violin is a stringed instrument. It is made of wood with four metal strings. Musicians play the violin using a bow (a wooden stick strung with a tight ribbon of horsehair) in their right hand and pressing the string with the fingers of their left hand. They can also play the violin by plucking the strings with their fingers. The body of the instrument has a hollow center. This center is called a resonating chamber, and it makes the sound of the strings loud and strong. That sound comes out of the two f-shaped holes.

Violins belong to the string family of instruments. The other stringed instruments are the viola, cello, and double bass. Although stringed instruments have similar shapes, they are different sizes, and they sound different—some make lower sounds and others make higher ones. The violin is the smallest, and it makes the highest sound— another reason it makes a good match for the high-sounding chirping of crickets!

2 3 4

Telling the StoryIt’s a big story with big music. These performers will help tell it:

n A narrator describes the story and speaks the voice of Chester

n Six actors stand on stage with the narrator to perform the roles of people or animals in the story—moving their faces, wearing simple costumes (like a hat), and using the way they speak to bring the characters to life

n A conductor leads the orchestra—and also performs the role of the train conductor

n A violin player performs as Chester, including playing his pitch-perfect chirps and tunes

n The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) creates all the rest of the sounds and music

Ready for a musical journey? Then step right up, because you’re about to experience Chester the cricket’s magical trip to the heart of New York City. The performance is a story told on stage with both actors and an orchestra playing lots of music—that’s why we call it a “symphonic play.”

Life in the Big CityFor Chester, New York City is very different from his grassy meadow in Connecticut. The city has busy streets, tall buildings, noisy underground trains, and lots of people. Chester meets people from other countries, too, including Mario’s parents who came from Naples, Italy, and a cricket expert from China.

From Page to StageThe Cricket in Times Square began as a book. Turning the book into a performance on stage takes a team of people:

n The adapter and composer, Chris Brubeck, decided how to change—or adapt—the book’s story so it could be performed by actors in a theater, and then he imagined and wrote music for the play.

n The director, Scot Reese, guided all the people involved in the performance to make sure the story comes to life on stage.

n And you! Your role is watching, listening, and imagining the story as it unfolds through words and music.

In the book, the music comes from a cricket. On stage, the violin plays the cricket’s songs. Let ’s take a closer look at these two music makers.

The Amazing Musical Miracle of Chester Cricket The Cricket and the Violin

What Happens in the StoryIt’s the 1960s in New York City’s busiest underground train (subway) station. Imagine young Mario’s surprise when he hears a “chirp chirp.” That’s our friend Chester, who has arrived here after accidentally getting carried from his home in Connecticut in someone’s picnic basket. Mario convinces his parents, Papa and Mama Bellini, to let Chester live in their newsstand. Chester also befriends Tucker the mouse and Harry the cat, and they discover Chester’s amazing musical ability. After an accident at the newsstand, Chester’s songs might just save the day for himself, the Bellini family, and his friends. But Chester realizes he needs to make a big and difficult decision.

A Musical PicnicAnd listen up. When you hear Chester playing music he just heard on the radio, he might make up a new part on the spot. That is called improvisation—something you hear often in jazz music, but it works with any kind. Try it yourself by humming music you know—first as you’ve heard it and then making up a new part to go with it.

Chester is good at playing all types of music. Lucky you! Because that means you’ll hear many different music styles, including:

n a hymn (a religious song)n folk or traditional songsn a ballad (a romantic song)n classicaln a marchn opera

The Little Black OrpheusMario’s music teacher calls Chester a little black Orpheus (OR-fee-us)—and that’s a compliment, because Orpheus was a musician and poet in Greek legends who had extraordinary musical abilities. Like other insects, crickets have wings, but as Chester says, “these wings aren’t much good for flying.” However, the wings are very good for music. Crickets chirp by rubbing a sharp edge of one wing against ridges in the other wing. You can imagine it’s kind of like a violin player drawing the bow across strings. Of course, in nature, crickets can’t play music written by humans, but many crickets chirping can create a unique natural symphony on a warm summer’s night.

Hair

GripStick

F-Holes

FingerboardStrings

Neck

The ViolinThe violin is a stringed instrument. It is made of wood with four metal strings. Musicians play the violin using a bow (a wooden stick strung with a tight ribbon of horsehair) in their right hand and pressing the string with the fingers of their left hand. They can also play the violin by plucking the strings with their fingers. The body of the instrument has a hollow center. This center is called a resonating chamber, and it makes the sound of the strings loud and strong. That sound comes out of the two f-shaped holes.

Violins belong to the string family of instruments. The other stringed instruments are the viola, cello, and double bass. Although stringed instruments have similar shapes, they are different sizes, and they sound different—some make lower sounds and others make higher ones. The violin is the smallest, and it makes the highest sound— another reason it makes a good match for the high-sounding chirping of crickets!

2 3 4

Telling the StoryIt’s a big story with big music. These performers will help tell it:

n A narrator describes the story and speaks the voice of Chester

n Six actors stand on stage with the narrator to perform the roles of people or animals in the story—moving their faces, wearing simple costumes (like a hat), and using the way they speak to bring the characters to life

n A conductor leads the orchestra—and also performs the role of the train conductor

n A violin player performs as Chester, including playing his pitch-perfect chirps and tunes

n The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) creates all the rest of the sounds and music

Ready for a musical journey? Then step right up, because you’re about to experience Chester the cricket’s magical trip to the heart of New York City. The performance is a story told on stage with both actors and an orchestra playing lots of music—that’s why we call it a “symphonic play.”

Life in the Big CityFor Chester, New York City is very different from his grassy meadow in Connecticut. The city has busy streets, tall buildings, noisy underground trains, and lots of people. Chester meets people from other countries, too, including Mario’s parents who came from Naples, Italy, and a cricket expert from China.

From Page to StageThe Cricket in Times Square began as a book. Turning the book into a performance on stage takes a team of people:

n The adapter and composer, Chris Brubeck, decided how to change—or adapt—the book’s story so it could be performed by actors in a theater, and then he imagined and wrote music for the play.

n The director, Scot Reese, guided all the people involved in the performance to make sure the story comes to life on stage.

n And you! Your role is watching, listening, and imagining the story as it unfolds through words and music.

In the book, the music comes from a cricket. On stage, the violin plays the cricket’s songs. Let ’s take a closer look at these two music makers.

The Amazing Musical Miracle of Chester Cricket The Cricket and the Violin

What Happens in the StoryIt’s the 1960s in New York City’s busiest underground train (subway) station. Imagine young Mario’s surprise when he hears a “chirp chirp.” That’s our friend Chester, who has arrived here after accidentally getting carried from his home in Connecticut in someone’s picnic basket. Mario convinces his parents, Papa and Mama Bellini, to let Chester live in their newsstand. Chester also befriends Tucker the mouse and Harry the cat, and they discover Chester’s amazing musical ability. After an accident at the newsstand, Chester’s songs might just save the day for himself, the Bellini family, and his friends. But Chester realizes he needs to make a big and difficult decision.

A Musical PicnicAnd listen up. When you hear Chester playing music he just heard on the radio, he might make up a new part on the spot. That is called improvisation—something you hear often in jazz music, but it works with any kind. Try it yourself by humming music you know—first as you’ve heard it and then making up a new part to go with it.

Chester is good at playing all types of music. Lucky you! Because that means you’ll hear many different music styles, including:

n a hymn (a religious song)n folk or traditional songsn a ballad (a romantic song)n classicaln a marchn opera

The Little Black OrpheusMario’s music teacher calls Chester a little black Orpheus (OR-fee-us)—and that’s a compliment, because Orpheus was a musician and poet in Greek legends who had extraordinary musical abilities. Like other insects, crickets have wings, but as Chester says, “these wings aren’t much good for flying.” However, the wings are very good for music. Crickets chirp by rubbing a sharp edge of one wing against ridges in the other wing. You can imagine it’s kind of like a violin player drawing the bow across strings. Of course, in nature, crickets can’t play music written by humans, but many crickets chirping can create a unique natural symphony on a warm summer’s night.

Hair

GripStick

F-Holes

FingerboardStrings

Neck

The ViolinThe violin is a stringed instrument. It is made of wood with four metal strings. Musicians play the violin using a bow (a wooden stick strung with a tight ribbon of horsehair) in their right hand and pressing the string with the fingers of their left hand. They can also play the violin by plucking the strings with their fingers. The body of the instrument has a hollow center. This center is called a resonating chamber, and it makes the sound of the strings loud and strong. That sound comes out of the two f-shaped holes.

Violins belong to the string family of instruments. The other stringed instruments are the viola, cello, and double bass. Although stringed instruments have similar shapes, they are different sizes, and they sound different—some make lower sounds and others make higher ones. The violin is the smallest, and it makes the highest sound— another reason it makes a good match for the high-sounding chirping of crickets!

2 3 4

Telling the StoryIt’s a big story with big music. These performers will help tell it:

n A narrator describes the story and speaks the voice of Chester

n Six actors stand on stage with the narrator to perform the roles of people or animals in the story—moving their faces, wearing simple costumes (like a hat), and using the way they speak to bring the characters to life

n A conductor leads the orchestra—and also performs the role of the train conductor

n A violin player performs as Chester, including playing his pitch-perfect chirps and tunes

n The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) creates all the rest of the sounds and music

Ready for a musical journey? Then step right up, because you’re about to experience Chester the cricket’s magical trip to the heart of New York City. The performance is a story told on stage with both actors and an orchestra playing lots of music—that’s why we call it a “symphonic play.”

Life in the Big CityFor Chester, New York City is very different from his grassy meadow in Connecticut. The city has busy streets, tall buildings, noisy underground trains, and lots of people. Chester meets people from other countries, too, including Mario’s parents who came from Naples, Italy, and a cricket expert from China.

From Page to StageThe Cricket in Times Square began as a book. Turning the book into a performance on stage takes a team of people:

n The adapter and composer, Chris Brubeck, decided how to change—or adapt—the book’s story so it could be performed by actors in a theater, and then he imagined and wrote music for the play.

n The director, Scot Reese, guided all the people involved in the performance to make sure the story comes to life on stage.

n And you! Your role is watching, listening, and imagining the story as it unfolds through words and music.

In the book, the music comes from a cricket. On stage, the violin plays the cricket’s songs. Let ’s take a closer look at these two music makers.

The Amazing Musical Miracle of Chester Cricket The Cricket and the Violin

What Happens in the StoryIt’s the 1960s in New York City’s busiest underground train (subway) station. Imagine young Mario’s surprise when he hears a “chirp chirp.” That’s our friend Chester, who has arrived here after accidentally getting carried from his home in Connecticut in someone’s picnic basket. Mario convinces his parents, Papa and Mama Bellini, to let Chester live in their newsstand. Chester also befriends Tucker the mouse and Harry the cat, and they discover Chester’s amazing musical ability. After an accident at the newsstand, Chester’s songs might just save the day for himself, the Bellini family, and his friends. But Chester realizes he needs to make a big and difficult decision.

A Musical PicnicAnd listen up. When you hear Chester playing music he just heard on the radio, he might make up a new part on the spot. That is called improvisation—something you hear often in jazz music, but it works with any kind. Try it yourself by humming music you know—first as you’ve heard it and then making up a new part to go with it.

Chester is good at playing all types of music. Lucky you! Because that means you’ll hear many different music styles, including:

n a hymn (a religious song)n folk or traditional songsn a ballad (a romantic song)n classicaln a marchn opera

The Little Black OrpheusMario’s music teacher calls Chester a little black Orpheus (OR-fee-us)—and that’s a compliment, because Orpheus was a musician and poet in Greek legends who had extraordinary musical abilities. Like other insects, crickets have wings, but as Chester says, “these wings aren’t much good for flying.” However, the wings are very good for music. Crickets chirp by rubbing a sharp edge of one wing against ridges in the other wing. You can imagine it’s kind of like a violin player drawing the bow across strings. Of course, in nature, crickets can’t play music written by humans, but many crickets chirping can create a unique natural symphony on a warm summer’s night.

Hair

GripStick

F-Holes

FingerboardStrings

Neck

Performances for Young Audiences is made possible by

David M. RubensteinChairman

Michael M. KaiserPresident

Darrell M. AyersVice President, Education

Christoph EschenbachMusic Director, National Symphony Orchestra

Chester, the country cricket from Connecticut, has a problem—he’s found himself alone and lost in the middle of New York City! But then Chester makes some great new friends who discover his hidden talent. And that changes everything.

Based on the book by George SeldenComposed and adapted by Chris BrubeckDirected by Scot ReeseConducted by Steven ReinekeNick Kendall, violin

65

The Spark of a StoryAuthor George Selden said he got the idea for the story when “One night I was coming home on the subway, and I did hear a cricket chirp in the Times Square subway station. The story formed in my mind within minutes.” After the performance, ask children to think of something unusual they’ve seen or heard, and try to imagine a story about it. Have them write down some of their ideas and share them with family and friends.

Big IdeasAfter the performance, help children explore some of the story’s themes, including friendship, music, and being true to one’s self. Some questions to discuss:

n How could a cat and mouse or a boy and cricket be friends? Can you be friends with someone very different from you?

n What does “home” mean to Mario, Chester, Tucker, and Harry?

n Did Chester make the right decision at the end of the story?

Listen for… n how the music changes when Chester isn’t happy

n cricket, chirpy, or insect sounds in some of the music (especially at the beginning of the performance)

n how the music sounds like a train and changes as the train gets closer to the city

n the sounds showing confusion when a fire breaks out

And think about…the difference between reading a story and seeing and hearing it (with music!) on stage.

Dear Grownups:Welcome to the NSO Family Concerts, designed to introduce children to the music of the orchestra. Please help your young concert-goers read and understand the information in this Cuesheet. The information below is designed to help you further the children’s concert experience.

The Concert ProgramThe performance will include original music as well as short excerpts from the musical selections below. Before or after the concert, you may want to have children listen to some or all of these musical selections.

“Blue Rondo à la Turk” by Dave Brubeck

“Saint Louis Blues” by W.C. Handy

“Beautiful Dreamer,” a ballad by Stephen Foster

The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II (YOH-hahn Strauss)

“Funiculi, Funicula” and “Santa Lucia,” Italian folk songs from Naples

“Casta Diva” from the opera Norma by Vincenzo Bellini (buh-LEE-nee)

“Dance of the Hours” from the opera La Gioconda by Amilcare Ponchielli (ah-MEEL-kah-re pawn-KYEL-lee)

“Can-Can” from the opera Orpheus in the Underworld by Jacques Offenbach

“Onward, Christian Soldiers,” an English hymn

“Un bel di, vendremo” from Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini (poo-CHEE-nee)

“A Little Night Music” (Eine Kleine Nachtmusik) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (MO-tzart)

The Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa

“Autumn” from The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi

The Prayer from the opera Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck

Hello parents!Please see page 5 for

information and activities.

David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of the NSO.

Behind the Words and MusicIn 1961, George Selden (1929–1989) wrote The Cricket in Times Square, for which he received the Newbery Medal. It became a children’s classic and turned into a series of seven books. Chris Brubeck is a multi-instrumentalist and award-winning classical and jazz composer. Chris resides in Connecticut, not far from Chester’s fictional meadow.

75 Musicians Led by One Conductor At today’s concert, NSO Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke will lead the 75 members of the National Symphony Orchestra in playing the music. The conductor is a person who leads the orchestra. Conductors generally use their right hand to tell the orchestra how fast to play and use their left hand to tell the musicians how loud or soft to play. Some use a slender white stick called a baton as they conduct. At the concert, watch how the conductor communicates with the musicians.

Musical Instrument “Petting Zoo”One hour before the concert, enjoy hands-on fun with the instruments that the musicians will play on stage in the Kennedy Center Atrium. A project of the Women’s Committee for the NSO.

Kids’ ChatAfter the 3 p.m. performance, stick around to ask questions of the concert artists.

Upcoming Family ConcertsPlease plan to join us at next year’s National Symphony Orchestra Family Concerts, performed by the full NSO at 1 pm and 3 pm on the following Sundays:

Sunday, October 27, 2013—Halloween ConcertSunday, February 23, 2014—Peter and the WolfSunday, June 1, 2014 —Classical Kids Live: Mozart’s Magnificent Voyage

The NSO also presents full orchestra Young People’s Concerts for school groups in the Concert Hall each season during the school day for grades 3 through 6.

Wait! There’s More!

The Macy’s Foundation and Washington Gas are the proud sponsors of the NSO Family Concerts.

Orchestra InteractiveEnjoy an interactive exploration of orchestras, their instruments, and their music at the Perfect Pitch Web site at: artsedge.kennedy-center.org/perfectpitch

For more about NSO education programs, see www.kennedy-center.org/nso/nsoed

Please recycle this Cuesheet by sharing it with friends!

Additional support for Performances for Young Audiences is provided in part by Adobe Foundation; The Clark Charitable Foundation; Mr. James V. Kimsey; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Park Foundation, Inc.; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; an endowment from the Ryna and Melvin Cohen Family Foundation; U.S. Department of Education; and by generous contributors to the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund, and by a major gift to the fund from the late Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas.

Education and related artistic programs are made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.

artsedge.kennedy-center.org

Cuesheets are produced by ARTSEDGE, an education program of the Kennedy Center.

Learn more about Education at The Kennedy Center at www.kennedy-center.org/education

The contents of this Cuesheet were developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. However those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal government.

©2013 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

For Parents

Be a Good Audience for Chester and Friends…

n Stay seated and keep those wings tucked in.

n Stay quiet (no chirping, but it’s okay to laugh at the funny parts, of course!).

n Watch and listen carefully.

n Clap at the end!

Performances for Young Audiences is made possible by

David M. RubensteinChairman

Michael M. KaiserPresident

Darrell M. AyersVice President, Education

Christoph EschenbachMusic Director, National Symphony Orchestra

Chester, the country cricket from Connecticut, has a problem—he’s found himself alone and lost in the middle of New York City! But then Chester makes some great new friends who discover his hidden talent. And that changes everything.

Based on the book by George SeldenComposed and adapted by Chris BrubeckDirected by Scot ReeseConducted by Steven ReinekeNick Kendall, violin

65

The Spark of a StoryAuthor George Selden said he got the idea for the story when “One night I was coming home on the subway, and I did hear a cricket chirp in the Times Square subway station. The story formed in my mind within minutes.” After the performance, ask children to think of something unusual they’ve seen or heard, and try to imagine a story about it. Have them write down some of their ideas and share them with family and friends.

Big IdeasAfter the performance, help children explore some of the story’s themes, including friendship, music, and being true to one’s self. Some questions to discuss:

n How could a cat and mouse or a boy and cricket be friends? Can you be friends with someone very different from you?

n What does “home” mean to Mario, Chester, Tucker, and Harry?

n Did Chester make the right decision at the end of the story?

Listen for… n how the music changes when Chester isn’t happy

n cricket, chirpy, or insect sounds in some of the music (especially at the beginning of the performance)

n how the music sounds like a train and changes as the train gets closer to the city

n the sounds showing confusion when a fire breaks out

And think about…the difference between reading a story and seeing and hearing it (with music!) on stage.

Dear Grownups:Welcome to the NSO Family Concerts, designed to introduce children to the music of the orchestra. Please help your young concert-goers read and understand the information in this Cuesheet. The information below is designed to help you further the children’s concert experience.

The Concert ProgramThe performance will include original music as well as short excerpts from the musical selections below. Before or after the concert, you may want to have children listen to some or all of these musical selections.

“Blue Rondo à la Turk” by Dave Brubeck

“Saint Louis Blues” by W.C. Handy

“Beautiful Dreamer,” a ballad by Stephen Foster

The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II (YOH-hahn Strauss)

“Funiculi, Funicula” and “Santa Lucia,” Italian folk songs from Naples

“Casta Diva” from the opera Norma by Vincenzo Bellini (buh-LEE-nee)

“Dance of the Hours” from the opera La Gioconda by Amilcare Ponchielli (ah-MEEL-kah-re pawn-KYEL-lee)

“Can-Can” from the opera Orpheus in the Underworld by Jacques Offenbach

“Onward, Christian Soldiers,” an English hymn

“Un bel di, vendremo” from Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini (poo-CHEE-nee)

“A Little Night Music” (Eine Kleine Nachtmusik) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (MO-tzart)

The Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa

“Autumn” from The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi

The Prayer from the opera Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck

Hello parents!Please see page 5 for

information and activities.

David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of the NSO.

Behind the Words and MusicIn 1961, George Selden (1929–1989) wrote The Cricket in Times Square, for which he received the Newbery Medal. It became a children’s classic and turned into a series of seven books. Chris Brubeck is a multi-instrumentalist and award-winning classical and jazz composer. Chris resides in Connecticut, not far from Chester’s fictional meadow.

75 Musicians Led by One Conductor At today’s concert, NSO Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke will lead the 75 members of the National Symphony Orchestra in playing the music. The conductor is a person who leads the orchestra. Conductors generally use their right hand to tell the orchestra how fast to play and use their left hand to tell the musicians how loud or soft to play. Some use a slender white stick called a baton as they conduct. At the concert, watch how the conductor communicates with the musicians.

Musical Instrument “Petting Zoo”One hour before the concert, enjoy hands-on fun with the instruments that the musicians will play on stage in the Kennedy Center Atrium. A project of the Women’s Committee for the NSO.

Kids’ ChatAfter the 3 p.m. performance, stick around to ask questions of the concert artists.

Upcoming Family ConcertsPlease plan to join us at next year’s National Symphony Orchestra Family Concerts, performed by the full NSO at 1 pm and 3 pm on the following Sundays:

Sunday, October 27, 2013—Halloween ConcertSunday, February 23, 2014—Peter and the WolfSunday, June 1, 2014 —Classical Kids Live: Mozart’s Magnificent Voyage

The NSO also presents full orchestra Young People’s Concerts for school groups in the Concert Hall each season during the school day for grades 3 through 6.

Wait! There’s More!

The Macy’s Foundation and Washington Gas are the proud sponsors of the NSO Family Concerts.

Orchestra InteractiveEnjoy an interactive exploration of orchestras, their instruments, and their music at the Perfect Pitch Web site at: artsedge.kennedy-center.org/perfectpitch

For more about NSO education programs, see www.kennedy-center.org/nso/nsoed

Please recycle this Cuesheet by sharing it with friends!

Additional support for Performances for Young Audiences is provided in part by Adobe Foundation; The Clark Charitable Foundation; Mr. James V. Kimsey; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Park Foundation, Inc.; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; an endowment from the Ryna and Melvin Cohen Family Foundation; U.S. Department of Education; and by generous contributors to the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund, and by a major gift to the fund from the late Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas.

Education and related artistic programs are made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.

artsedge.kennedy-center.org

Cuesheets are produced by ARTSEDGE, an education program of the Kennedy Center.

Learn more about Education at The Kennedy Center at www.kennedy-center.org/education

The contents of this Cuesheet were developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. However those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal government.

©2013 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

For Parents

Be a Good Audience for Chester and Friends…

n Stay seated and keep those wings tucked in.

n Stay quiet (no chirping, but it’s okay to laugh at the funny parts, of course!).

n Watch and listen carefully.

n Clap at the end!