Scene
One -
The MC calls a group of dinosaurs to life to present a
pageant retelling the story of how they solved the mystery
of why they began dying in great numbers in the Cretaceous
Era, 65 million years ago. Following the opening number,
"Come To The Cretaceous Cabaret",
HIERONYMOUS
BONES
and her partner CRANOCK
are introduced as the investigating team by way of "Meet
My Partner," which is quickly followed by "What The
Bones Don't Show". This solo for
HIERONYMOUS
depicts what life was like in those far off times, setting
the stage for all that follows.
Scene
Two
- HIERONYMOUS
and CRANOCK
pick
up the story as it happened. They encounter
DR.
EAKINS,
whom they wish to carry out autopsies to see if there is any
pattern to the wave of dino deaths.
CRANOCK
and cast present "The Age of Reptiles," with its
soon-to-be ironic refrain about how good life was for dinos
in those days.
Scene
Three
- DR.
EAKINS
reports that the results of her studies are uncertain.
HIERONYMOUS
hypothesizes that the dinos face some conspiracy by mammals
to eliminate them. This seems wildly unlikely to
CRANOCK,
but HIERONYMOUS
is determined to question ZALAMBDALESTES,
the leader of a rebel band of mammals.
Scene
Four
- Their deliberations are suddenly interrupted by a
stampeding herd of Triceratops.
CRANOCK
calms the herd down, learning that the very group of mammals
HIERONYMOUS
seeks has caused the stampede. The
TRICERATOPS
LEADER
is incredulous that any dinos would want to talk to mammals.
"Mammals!" expresses in song what dinos really think
about these lowly and despised creatures, but
HIERONYMOUS
is undeterred. DR.
EAKINS
departs to continue her research.
Scene
Five
- ZALAMBDALESTES
delivers a morale-building speech to his group, followed by
the song "Zalambdalestes" depicting his determination
to do whatever can be done to protect his kind from dinos.
But he is suddenly captured by the dino team.
HIERONYMOUS
engages ZALAMBDALESTES
in a tense round of questioning until it becomes obvious
that mammals have nothing to do with the dinos' problems.
The mammal leader points out that recent changes in the
weather have affected the situation, at which point
FLAP,
a flying reptile, wanders in to show
HIERONYMOUS
a special rock. The detective deduces that a giant meteor
has hit the earth - but how widespread are the climatic
changes? They must talk to CRANOCK's
cousins, a herd of migrating dinos called
Edmontosaurs.
Scene
Six
- In his solo, "Bad News," the
EDMONTOSAUR
LEADER
informs everyone that firestorms and huge dust clouds
blanketed the group's traditional migration route. All now
realize that the dinos face a prolonged, worldwide period of
cold and dark, with disastrous consequences for the dinos'
food chain. The dinos depart to spread the word - perhaps
some kind of survival is possible.
Scene
Seven
- The dinos react with dispair to their apparent fate. The
title of their next song says it all: "Extinction Is A
Terrible Thing." It doesn't help matters for the mammals
to drop in to remind dinos of their likely doom in a reprise
of "Mammals!" presented from the mammal point of
view. But the fat lady hasn't quite sung yet. A final
conclave of dinos is called at which
HIERONYMOUS
and DR.
EAKINS
reveal that even if dinos are finished, creatures that
evolved from dino stock long before - birds, of all things -
will continue their line. In "Puttin' On Some
Feathers," the dinos exit the scene with style, content
to know that they will, in a fashion, live on.
Other
Cretaceous pages:
CRETACEOUS
HOME PAGE
CAST
OF CHARACTERS
PRODUCTION
NOTES
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