Barab, Seymour

The Pink Siamese (1959)

Duration: 45 minutes
A musical play for children to perform

Dialogue and Lyrics by Susan Otto (E)

Scoring
10 singing roles; 3 speaking roles; chorus 2.1.2.1-1.2.2.0-perc(4):timp/SD/tamb/BD/finger cyms/wdbl/tgl/ susp.cym/slide whistle/xyl/glsp-strings.
Abbreviations (PDF).

Territory
This work is available from Boosey & Hawkes for the world.

World Premiere
4/10/1959
Detroit, Michigan
Company: Detroit Institute of Arts

Roles

THE PINK SIAMESE
MRS. A, a Cat Matron
MRS. B, a Cat Matron
MAY, Mother of the Pink Siamese
DR. QUACK, a duck
Mother
Child
Clown
Fat Lady
Acrobats
Tattooed Man
Red-haired Boy
Crowd (people and children at the circus)
Other cats

Time and Place
Any time period. The Forest of Family Trees and a Circus

Synopsis
Born into an impossibly vain family, the Pink Siamese is shunned from birth. Labelled as a “cat-tastrophe” because he doesn’t resemble his beautiful brown and cream colored kin, his family calls in a doctor. The kitten is immediately diagnosed as a hopeless embarrassment to his family’s pedigree. He is sent forth from his family’s home, in the Forest of Family Trees, to town to live as an outcast. He soon finds employment in the freak show at the circus. Forced to live in a cage and roar at the circus-goers, the Pink Siamese becomes increasingly lonely.  All he wishes is to live in a nice warm house and be loved. His circus friends, including the Fat Lady, Tattooed Man, and Acrobats, unsuccessfully try to cheer him. The Pink Siamese is miserable, until one day a young red-headed boy comes to the circus. During the show, the boy declares that the Pink Siamese is no freak, he simply is a uniquely-colored cat. The crowd agrees, and chaos ensues - the circus owner doesn’t want to lose his “freak”. The boy then invites the Pink Siamese to come live in his home where he will be safe, warm, well-fed, and loved.

Moods
Comic, Dramatic

Subjects
Ethics, Society