Articles

What is The Musicians of Bremen Live! based off of?  
“The Town Musicians of Bremen” is a German fairytale collected by the Brothers Grimm and published in Grimms’ Fairy Tales. If the name “Grimms” rings a bell, “The Frog Prince,” “Rapunzel,” “Hansel and Gretel,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Cinderella,” “Snow White,” and many more famous fairytales that many of us grew up with are all in Grimms’ Fairy Tales alongside “The Town Musicians of Bremen.” It was first published in 1819, and this new performance breathes new life to the story with live music, story, song, and plenty of surprises.  

What’s it about?  
The original fairytale tells the story of four aging animals—a donkey, dog, cat, and rooster—who, after neglect from their owners and a lifetime of labor, decide to run away together to become musicians in the town of Bremen. Here, these outcasts find a new home and outsmart a group of robbers, proving that friendship and teamwork can overcome any obstacle.  

In The Musicians of Bremen Live!, Ruffles—a hen with a voice that can stop a freight train—undergoes an epic journey with her friends Mule, Bobcat, and Coyote with big dreams of becoming a famous musical band. Together, they cross the desert to the big city to pursue their stardom, but can they make it big? Set in the American Southwest, this family-friendly production features new music, innovative set pieces, and vibrant costumes that will make this tale leap right off the storybook pages and onto the Samueli Theater stage.  

What has co-producing this show looked like?  
In Fall 2022, Segerstrom Center approached Cahoots NI about co-producing a show to help introduce young people to the concepts of equity, diversity, and inclusion. The following spring, Center president Casey Reitz and show creator and director Paul McEneaney met to discuss The Musicians of Bremen as potential source material, with UK playwright Charles Way proposed to write the play. Once the project was approved by both companies and a letter of agreement was signed, the first workshop took place in May 2023 on the Segerstrom Center campus. In this five-day workshop, the director and playwright worked with four local student actors to develop the script and style for the production, laying the foundation for the show’s creative direction. 

Five months later, the first draft of the script was completed, and a Cahoots NI held a workshop in Belfast, Ireland, to work with three actors, two musicians, and a musical director over five days. This workshop further developed the musical style, characters, costuming, and technical elements of the show, preparing the work for its final round of revisions. In Spring 2024, the final draft of the script was finished, and Cahoots NI hosted a four-week rehearsal process followed by try-out performances for invited audiences. Key creatives were contracted, and sets, video, lighting, and costumes were all created throughout this process.  

Now, as a part of Segerstrom Center’s 2024-25 Family Series, the Center will host the world premiere of The Musicians of Bremen Live! including six performances for student audiences (February 5–7) and four performances for family/public audiences (February 8–9. In addition to this, the Center is hosting additional rehearsal time as well as a red carpet show on February 8. As a part of our Discovery Series, this show is recommended for families with children ages 4–8 and offers an engaging experience for young audiences. 

 
What are the future plans for the show?  
As of right now, the Irish premiere of The Musicians of Bremen Live! is set for October 2025 at the Belfast International Festival. After that, a national tour of the show will be scheduled somewhere around 2026–27. Exact tour dates and routing are still to be determined.  

The Musicians of Bremen Live! has an exciting future ahead of it, and you can be amongst the first to experience this fantastic production in our intimate Samueli Theater next week. Tickets are available for under $30, and there are plenty of incredible seats still up for grabs, so be sure to secure your ticket soon! To purchase your tickets, click here.  

Are there additional activities before or after the show?  
Before the show, there are free activities for all to enjoy in the Samueli Theater lobby. Channel your inner musician by making your own prop instrument and let your imagination soar by crafting your own story inspired by The Town Musicians of Bremen! Pre-show activities start an hour before the performance. We hope to see you there!