Operatic Duck / Duck on Tour (2 page)

Chapter 3

The Rehearsal

Saturday morning was the first rehearsal.

‘What's an opera?' asked Goat.

‘A story told in song,' explained Parrot.

‘Any drumming?' asked Goat.

‘Yes. Everybody loves Aida because of the Grand March when the animals come on.'

‘So, we're going to be in it,' said Duck.

All the animals waited outside the hayshed. Ned was explaining how to make a paper mache elephant to a bunch of school girls. Others were trying on costumes, or painting big gold banners. People were singing loudly in groups, and stopping when Ned told them what to do.

‘The Grand March has to be GRAND,' said Ned. ‘The singing has to be loud and the puppets big.'

‘Humph! Real animals out of paper,' said Pig. ‘I don't think so.'

Ned talked to another group. ‘Ancient Egyptians wore coloured woollen wigs. We'll need fifty wigs in pink, green, blue and yellow for the chorus.'

Sheep's eyes sparkled. ‘I could colour my wool.'

Just then, two boys carried in two large chairs.

‘What'll we do with these, Ned?'

‘Carve ducks on the legs,' said Ned. ‘Egyptians liked to carve ducks on their furniture. The king will sit on one.'

‘Two duck chairs coming up,' said the red haired boy.

‘Duck chairs!' squawked Duck. ‘Didn't know we were so important.'

‘By the way, Ned, what's a duck look like?' asked the boy.

Ned pointed. ‘There's one standing beside you. Use him as a model.'

Duck was scooped up and plonked on top of a ladder.

‘Sit still duck, I need to copy your feathers,' said the boy.

Duck had a grand view of the hayshed. Tables were full of coloured material for costumes. The girls making the paper mache animals were covered in glue and water. Things didn't seem to be going too well with the elephant head.

‘Hold still, duck.'

Duck imagined himself as a duck in ancient Egypt. He must look up Egypt on the Internet.

‘Teabreak!' called Cate.

Ned led his helpers to the farm kitchen for sandwiches and juice. Music was still playing and Cate sang along. Mr Bigge had given Ned an Aida CD, so everybody could learn their parts quickly.

‘Your voice is like a bell, Cate,' said Parrot. ‘Will you sing Aida?'

Cate laughed. ‘I'll be in the chorus. Ned will choose the singers for the big parts.'

After the break, Ned chose the singers. He didn't choose any animals.

‘Don't worry,' said Cate. ‘You'll be in the Grand March.'

Then Ned didn't choose any animals for the chorus.

They all decided to practise at night – just in case.

‘That camel is crooked and these are too small,' Ned said, looking at the lion and tiger puppets. 'They don't look GRAND!'

Just then, a large purple object, with a golden crown and leaves on it, leaned in the doorway.

Ned gasped. ‘What's that?'

‘Pig, ‘said Cate. ‘That's his dancer's costume for the Grand March.'

‘He's so GRAND!' said Ned. ‘We'll put him at the front.'

‘He dances even better to MY drums,' whispered Goat to Cate.

‘Goat will drum as Pig dances,' explained Cate.

‘A drumming Goat and a dancing Pig! That should work,' said Ned. ‘Glad I thought of it.'

‘Hmmm.' Duck noticed that now Ned was directing Cate's thoughts.

‘No! I said GOLD paint not yellow!' yelled Ned at the men painting the Temple.

Ned was a yelly, shouty sort of director, decided Duck.

‘You got Pig and Goat into the Grand March, what about the rest of us, Cate?' demanded Parrot.

‘Ned knows what he wants when he sees it,' smiled Cate. ‘Show him what you can do.'

Swishing his purple cloak, Pig snorted. ‘Get dressed up like me. Then Ned will notice you.'

‘Thanks for letting me drum. I'll practise all night,' said Goat.

Where did I put my earplugs? thought Duck.

‘Right,' said Parrot. ‘I'm getting gold and silver streamers for my skydancing in the Grand March.'

‘Great idea!' said Cate. ‘Duck, you and the other animals must think of parts for the Grand March. I've got to put up Aida posters and sell tickets. We need lots of people to come.'

Ned had finished yelling and everyone was packing up to go home.

Duck had homework. How could he and the others look GRAND in the Grand March?

He would start searching ‘A' for
Aida
.

Chapter 4

Things Go Wrong

Mr Bigge wasn't happy with the community opera,
so far. He looked at the paper mache
elephant. It couldn't stand up and was leaking glue.

‘I'll pay the bills, but you've got to get the Grand March looking GRAND for the TV news cameras. Otherwise, they won't come. Ned, it needs to be colourful and big!'

Mr Bigge stormed off before Ned could say anything about Bigge builders cluttering up his performance area by digging holes, pouring concrete and leaving things.

Duck noticed that not all the Apartments had red SOLD stickers on the map yet. Maybe that's why Mr Bigge was upset.

Meanwhile, Sheep had heard the word “colourful” and tried to help.

‘Look what Sheep has done!' cried Parrot.

Sheep was standing in buckets of blue, green, yellow and red dye. Goat was carefully sloshing colour over each woolly leg.

‘I'm just like the Ancient Egyptians who coloured their hair.'

Ned didn't know what to say.

‘Usually it was one colour for each person,' laughed Cate. ‘Egyptian women used wigs or dyed their hair those colours. Ned, here's a Rainbow Sheep for your Grand Parade.'

What could Ned say? Sheep was in!

Suddenly the singer playing Radames hurtled out of the hay shed.

‘Ned, I'm not wearing this nightie when I lead the Grand March!'

‘I think your tunic costume looks great. You look like a real Captain of the Army.'

‘My knees stick out!'

Duck looked. The knees were very knobbly. He looked silly, not grand.

‘Let's use a chariot,' said Ned. ‘Your knees won't show.'

‘Who'll pull?'

‘Errr – Horse and Cow. We can paint them gold.'

‘My costume looks like a nightie, I'm pulled onstage by gold painted farm animals! Great, Ned. Really great. Aren't you lucky I can sing so well!' He flapped back to his costume fitting.

‘I'm going to fix the elephant,' said Ned. ‘It's a complete disaster.'

‘I MUST think of something GRAND,' cried Duck.

‘You will.' Cate filled the bucket with Pig's sultana porridge and left.

‘Cow, how do you feel about being painted?' asked Duck.

‘Not good, but I'm in,' replied Cow.

Pig was dancing, Goat was drumming, Parrot was skydancing, Sheep was colourful and Horse and Cow were entering with the lead singer.

Duck needed an idea – urgently!

Before their night rehearsal, Duck searched for “Aida” songs. He found one called Celeste Aida.

‘It's an aria, that's when only one person sings,' said Parrot. ‘You repeat the words a lot.'

‘Good,' said Sheep. ‘Not much to remember.'

Duck hit the START button. The music started and so did the Voice.

‘Celeste Aida,' sang the Voice.

‘Baa, Baa, Baa Baa Baa,' sang Sheep.

‘Oink, Oink Oink Oink Oink Oink,' sang Pig.

‘Moo, Moo, Moo, and Moo Moo,' sang Cow.

‘Stop,' said Duck. ‘One at a time.'

They tried again.

‘You're a better Director than Ned. You don't yell,' said Sheep.

‘Thank you,' said Duck, ‘but I'm still not in the Grand March.'

Late that night, Duck crept into the hay shed. Maybe he could fix the elephant. Maybe he could improve the elephant. Maybe he could BE the elephant!