HANSEL

A New Musical in Two Acts

-Act 1-

Scene 1 ∙ Tempe, Arizona ∙18 December 1984

Matthew ‘Hansel’ Helmers is born. During his early years he goes to elementary school, loves dinosaurs and has a desire to become the world’s first singing palaeontologist.

Song ∙ “Did Dinosaurs Sing?”
Performed by Young Hansel and Company

Hansel quickly discovers that the life of a palaeontologist does not necessarily involve much singing, nor is it like the book Jurassic Park. However, he discovers that the book Jurassic Park is a LOT like the book Jurassic Park; and so his love affair with the written word is born.

Scene 2 ∙ Corona del Sol High School Library ∙ 2003

Song- “Chaucer, Shakespeare, Cervantes and Stephen King!”
Performed by– Hansel and the Librarian

Hansel continues to pursue his love of English, though also finding much joy in history, philosophy and even biology. At the end of senior year Hansel applies to Arizona State University for a degree in English Literature. He’s accepted, and the next Fall moves out of his house, saying good-bye to his Mom, Dad, Sister and two cats…and moves 15 minutes up the road!

Song ∙ “I’m Moving Out, but Will be Home on the Weekends!”
Performed by Hansel and Family

Scene 3 ∙ Manchester, England ∙ 2007

Hansel, having completed his undergraduate degree, develops a love for rock-climbing, learns fire-dart, hones his Improv comedy skills with the Barren Mind Improv, defends a Thesis on English teaching, and begins a love-affair with deep-dish pepperoni pizza. He decides to get his Masters degree (in English…not singing palaeontology) in Manchester, England and so packs up his life and flies across the ocean.

Song- “Why Does It Take 17 Hours to Fly to England?!!!”
Performed by- Hansel, the Flight Attendant Kick-line, and the Passengers

In less than a year, Hansel learns to love never seeing the sun, working 12 hours a day, continual typing, drinking his weight in tea, and a dish called Bubbles n’ Squeak. Maintaining his sanity becomes a challenge, but with a positive attitude, and remembering how much he loves English Literature, he excels and earns his Masters. (Plus, who wants to be sane?! Booorrrriinnnggg).

Act 1 Finale ∙ “You Never See the Sun, but the People are always Sunny!
Performed by Hansel, the University of Manchester, and 61 Million UK residents

-Act 2-

Scene 1 ∙ Camp Augusta, Nevada City ∙ 2007

Song- “On a Lake Called Vera”
Performed by- Hansel and all of Camp Augusta 2007

We go back to before Hansel received his Masters degree to learn the story of his first summer at Camp. As the bright-eyed and adventurous counsellor of Cedar 3, Hansel has absolutely no idea what is in store for him. Soon enough, throwing knives, fire-spinning, acting, singing, dancing, special-wake-ups, philosophic evening embers, Pop-up Story Book, CAPTURE THE FLAG, Gypsy Falls and overnights to Sunset Point weave into his life a tapestry of joy, surprise, wonder, and happiness. 

Song ∙ “Cedar 3 Set Things on Fire...and that’s just fine by me”
Performed by Hansel, Cedar 3 and the Nevada City Fire Department

At the end of the summer, Hansel flies from Sacramento, through Tempe, back to Manchester to start his Masters degree. But he’s got his wood cookie, and memories to last a lifetime.

Scene 2 ∙ Camp Augusta, Nevada City ∙ 2009

Song- “The Cat (and Hansel) Came Back”
Performed by – Hansel and Camp Augusta…with a didgeridoo solo by Randy

Hansel missed Camp Augusta 2008. Missed it emotionally, and missed it as in he wasn’t there because he had to stay in England and write-up his Masters Dissertation. But in 2009, Hansel returned as the Cedar Village Leader, ready to make the summer even more magical than the ones he remembered. He arrives at Camp, moves into Pine 6 (and makes a HUGE sign) and his life fills with remembered faces, new friends, and new adventures (including many a run-in with meat bees). He loves everything about Cedar Village and is passionate about all the amazing Camp Augusta Pride Projects, the brand-new Boy’s Campfire, and of course, getting to chill in the grotto with all the campers!

Instrumental Interlude
Hansel and the Cedar Village Campers
playing guitars, singing, banging on the junkyard drum kit, and just generally yelling very loudly

Scene 3 ∙ Manchester, England ∙April 2010

Hansel, seated in the Ph.D. study room at the University of Manchester, is frantically tying to finish his most recent chapter on the appropriation of Greek Mythology within Psychoanalytic Theory. But he can’t stop looking out the window, because finally, in England, the sun has come out. Everywhere people are in shorts and t-shirts, leaving their winter coats at home. The smell of summer is in the air, and for Hansel that means the distant call of Camp Augusta fills every moment of his day. He’s sitting here thinking about what will happen this summer when he returns to Camp for his 3rd year and his 2nd stint as Cedar Village Leader. What cabin activities are going to happen? What are the new Evening Programs? What are the new clinics and new songs? Will he get better at his archery skills this summer? Will he finally learn how to paper marble? What campers are returning? And what new friends will he make?! Concentrating on the pages of his dissertation become ever more difficult until he finally snaps, stands-up on his desk and begins singing at the top of his voice…

Song ∙ “On a Lake Called Vera”
Performed by just Hansel…for now

Scene 4 ∙ Camp Augusta, Nevada City ∙ Summer 2010

The two big yellow busses come around the corner. Everyone is singing, and the excitement in the air is palpable. Hansel is yelling and waving the Cedar sign. The other Cedar counsellors are dressed in outrageous costumes and dancing and singing as loud as they can. Cars pull up, doors fly open and campers rush out. Finally, the bus doors open and all of the campers arrive to the loudest, most exciting, most magical, most wonderful summer Camp Augusta has ever produced.

Finale ∙ “It’s Only the Beginning”
Performed by ∙ Camp Augusta 2010