the old man who loved cheese
The Old Man Who Loved Cheese
Words & Music by EDWARD BARNES
Based on “The Old Man Who Loved Cheese” by Garrison Keillor
SYNOPSIS: Wallace P. Flynn likes cheese– slimy, sloppy, gunky, lumpy cheese, and the worse it smells, the better! But Wallace P.’s penchant for putrid cheese soon gets him in trouble. His family decides the stench is too much for them, so they pack up and leave to escape the odor. And his neighbors can’t take it either– they call in the Cheese Police to bring Wallace P. and his smelly cheese to justice. Scientist analyze him, friends and family testify against him. But will Wallace P. Flynn ever learn to change his wheys?
THEMES: Everyone has different tastes; Conformity vs. individuality; Importance of family
“Truly modern yet very accessible. Filled with lots of musical zest and zip.”
MINNEAPOLIS STAR-TRIBUNE
Illustrations ©copyright by Anne Wilsdorf
CAST: 6 + ensemble
- Wallace P. Flynn (tenor)
- Wallace’s Wife (mezzo-soprano)
- Wallace’s Daughter (soprano)
- Wallace’s Son (tenor)
- Easy Ed (baritone)
- Judge Madeleine Kline (mezzo-soprano)
- Scientific Experts, Cheese Police, Neighbors, Restaurant Patrons (ensemble)
DURATION: 35 minutes
ACCOMPANIMENT: Piano; or with chamber orchestra (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, piano, percussion, string quartet, bass)
COMMISSIONED BY: The Children’s Theater Company of Minneapolis
PRODUCTIONS: The Children’s Theater Company of Minneapolis, Opera of the Ozarks, University of Oregon, Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama
videos/excerpts
Scene 1
Scene 2
Copyright 2022 – Operas for Children – Edward Barnes, Composer