Trixie, The Teen Detective And The Mystery Of Gravestead Manor
Cynthia Mercati
The Gumball Gang: Crime-Solving Kids
by Jim Colleran
Highlights
75 mins Present Day Expandable Casting Unit Set/Multiple Settings Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
Synopsis
Candy Krunch and her four best friends have been solving crimes in Littletown, USA for years.
But lately, after a dry spell of cases, the Gumball Gang has been dejectedly hanging out at her grandfather’s candy shop.
Fortunately, two kid reporters inform the gang that the Cosmopolitan Museum is hosting an art show and youth artist competition.
All the kids in town get involved, including Victoria, the local pageant queen; Winston, the richest kid in town; Becca, the hopeless klutz; TJ, the neighborhood bully; Abby and Una, two outspoken environmental activists; a gang of skater kids; and a trio of visiting art students.
But at the contest’s kickoff, the glamorous judges (who bear a remarkable resemblance to the Supremes) discover that their great masterpiece by Borislav DelaGriofski has been stolen.
The Gumball Gang is on the case!
The Gumball Gang: Crime-Solving Kids boasts an upbeat contemporary score, a clever and engaging story and a great diversity of featured roles.
Celebrating teamwork, ingenuity and creativity, this family-friendly musical whodunit is sure to please audiences of all ages.
Press Reviews
"A thoroughly enjoyable show… Jim Colleran demonstrates a great talent for music and humor, and his new musical succeeds in giving moments in the spotlight for pretty much all the 26 members of the cast."
— Rob Hopper, National Youth Theatre
"An exciting mystery… a charming melodic show with high-spirited dancing, singing and acting… The perfect show to bring the family to."
— Hi! Drama
"Bull’s-eye… The show aims at many targets and hits them neatly… Mr. Colleran, whose solution to the mystery is not the least bit obvious, seems to have put everything into his script… jazzy tunes… ebullient choreography… rest assured that there’s nothing boring onstage."
— Laurel Graeber, The New York Times
"I’ve always had an affection for the show, particularly the electric score… It’s everything you could ever want in a musical: superb talent, impressive singing and dancing, witty writing and a jammin’ score. Not to mention that it’s high energy fun with a great deal of comedy and heart. It’s perfect for all ages!"
— Director/Choreographer Joanna Greer, Call Me Adam
"Do you know what a ‘skink’ is? The small Australian reptile plays a pivotal part in TADA!’s children’s theater production The Gumball Gang: Crime-Solving Kids. It’s just one example of how theater for kids can teach grownups a thing or two... The Gumball Gang, a musical whodunit performed by an all-kid cast of 26, follows the case of a missing masterpiece taken from an art competition. Beyond learning about the skink, audience members young and old get a course in art history and are reminded of the dangers of making assumptions."
— New York Daily News
Characters
| Character |
|---|
| CANDY KRUNCH (F) – Leader; organized, smart, fair-minded |
| DANNY/DANI (any) – Athlete; agile, fit, a bit sarcastic and funny |
| JESS (any) – Intellectual; into math, history, etc., “book-smart” |
| ZAK/ZOE (any) – Altruist; great people skills, ray of sunshine, all heart, great singer |
| PARKER (any) – Techie; into computers, gadgets; inventive and funny |
| BECCA KRUNCH (F) – Awkward and self-deprecating but unflappable and likable |
| OLIVE/OLIVER KRUNCH (any) – Becca’s younger sibling; devoted to Becca, supportive and upbeat |
| LYDIA LEE (F) – News hound; professional, perseverant and determined |
| MORGAN McCORGAN (any) – Reporter/photographer; ambitious and skeptical |
| VICTORIA LaSALLE (F) – Beauty queen; vain and self-absorbed but intelligent |
| WINSTON WINSTON III (M) – Rich kid; snobbish & elitist, hangs with Victoria |
| TJ DOYLE (any) – Bully; dumb, cruel, resentful, hates the Gumball Gang |
| SQUEAK (any) – TJ’s sidekick; a tiny lackey, the smaller the better |
| FRANCIS/FRANCES (any) – Art student; fan of French Impressionism (Monet, Degas) |
| ISABEL (F) – Art student; fan of Mexican Folk Art (Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera) |
| GUTHRIE (any) – Art student; fan of Neo-modernism (Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock) |
| YVETTE (F) – Ringleader; tough, smart and fair |
| RHONDA (F) – Judge; tough, smart and soulful |
| KEISHA (F) – Judge; tough, smart and soulful |
| ABBY ARMSTRONG (F) – earnest and determined environmentalist |
| UNA/UPTON ARMSTRONG (any) – committed but somewhat cynical environmentalist |
| EMMETT/EMMA HANLEY (any) – skater dude: thrill-seeking, chill, honest |
| CAT BURGLAR in the Prologue. |
Videos
The Gumball Gang: Crime-Solving Kids – Short Trailer
Publication
The Gumball Gang: Crime-Solving Kids is a play written by Jim Colleran and published by Concord Theatricals .
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Performance Rights
Available for Licensing
Amateur Only
Fee: Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.
Restrictions: Not Restricted (US) / No Restrictions (UK)
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