MPB Classics
Sleeping Beauty (1980)
10/1/2022 | 58m 29sVideo has Closed Captions
A colorful cast of puppets perform variations on Tchaikovsky's ballet.
A colorful cast of puppets perform variations on Tchaikovsky's ballet. Performed by the DRAK Puppet Theatre from the Czech Republic and featuring special guest appearances from Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
MPB Classics is a local public television program presented by mpb
MPB Classics
Sleeping Beauty (1980)
10/1/2022 | 58m 29sVideo has Closed Captions
A colorful cast of puppets perform variations on Tchaikovsky's ballet. Performed by the DRAK Puppet Theatre from the Czech Republic and featuring special guest appearances from Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
How to Watch MPB Classics
MPB Classics is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship[orchestral music] - Hello, everybody.
I'm Shari Lewis, and this is-— [Lambchop sneezes] - God bless you.
- Oh.
[snorts] Thank you.
I'm Lambchop.
No, that's wrong.
Thank you.
I'm Lambchop.
- Yes, and we are here to watch with you the East Bohemian Puppet Theater'’s "“Drak.
"” - "“Drak?
"” - Drak means dragon.
- Oh!!
We'’re gonna see dragons??
- No, not really.
It's just that Drak means dragon in Czech.
- We'’re gonna hear Czechoslova-ka-kian?
- Uh no, not really, because this is a very, very special presentation of Tchaikovsky's Ballet "“Sleeping Beauty.
"” - Of course.
And in ballet, the only language spoken is dance.
- Yes.
Drak is the name of this puppet theater in Czechoslovakian.
- Yeah.
- Anyway, tonight, the ballet of Sleeping Beauty-— [Lambchop sneezes] - Oh.
- I'm sorry.
I don't know why I did that.
The ballet of Sleeping Beauty is not to be sneezed at.
- What's the matter with you?
- I don't know.
I think it's the dust around here.
- Shhh!
Don't complain.
We are special permission.
- Special permission?
For what?
To sneeze?
- No, to watch.
We have special permission to be here, backstage during the ballet of Sleeping Beauty.
Oh, Sleeping Beauty.
That's the story where the princess pricks her finger on a rose and-- - Uh uh, mmm, no, no, it was a spinning wheel.
I saw the movie.
- Yeah, well, all the Europeans think it was a rose.
- Yeah, well, who you gonna to believe?
Walt Disney or a lot of people you don't even know?
- Either story, the next thing that happens is that she falls asleep for 100 years.
- Yeah, and then a handsome prince comes along.
- And he wakes up with a kiss.
- And then she turns into a frog.
- No, she lives happily ever after.
- I like frogs.
[Lambchop sneezes] Why is there so much dust around here!?
- Because this is backstage, and backstage, every time the music starts, people start running from left to right.
- And right to left.
- And dancers starts stretching.
Stagehands are pushing props.
You know, million things all happen at the same time.
- And it stirs up the dust.
- But this isn't just any dust.
This dust-— - Dust is dust.
Dust is yuck.
Dust makes me sneeze and it makes my nose itch.
- Oh, let me scratch your nose for you.
Hmm?
Now this dust is made up of bits of all of the stories that have been acted on this great stage.
- If this is such a great stage, how come they can't afford a janitor?
- This dust is magic!
- Magic??
M-A-G-I-Ick?
Magic??
- Magic!
Sometimes from all of this dust, little figures arise.
Tiny characters the same as those in the ballet.
And they come to life.
- No.
- Yes.
- Yes.
- And just for their own fun, they act out the same story as in the ballet.
- Oh, could we watch?
- Well, as long as we don't annoy that stage manager over there.
- Good evening.
Good evening to all dancers in every dressing room from your stage manager.
Dear friends, it's 25 after seven.
It'’s 25 after seven.
If by any chance you don't know, tonight's show is Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty.
I assume you're all at your place as ready and alert because it's showtime.
Attention!
The conductor is coming.
[applause from audience] Mr.
Lighting Director, don't forget that blue light.
[Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty begins] Dear friends, the first scene begins with the birth of the Princess Aurora.
King and Queen, get ready.
Nurse comes in later.
And Nurse, remember that there's a new cradle for Aurora on the edge of the stage.
Please give me back the old one.
Yes, thank you.
Okay, okay.
Attention, attention.
And ready... Now go!
[baby'’s cry] [rattle] [rattle continues] [baby cries] [regal music] - Yoooie yoooie yoooie yoooie!
[whistles] [door creaks open] [kisses] [kisses] [kisses] [kisses] [kisses continue] [baby cries] [whistles] [sniffs] [laughs] [regal music] [wind whistles] - Mr. Propman, bring in all the props for the fairies immediately.
Dear friends, in the second scene, the good fairies foretell the future for Aurora.
The good fairies foretell Princess Aurora's future.
Then the wicked fairy gets ready with the rose.
Come, come, come.
You're late.
You're late.
These are to bring beauty and happiness and riches for Aurora.
And please don't mess it up like the last time.
Go, go, go.
Go, go, go.
[hums to himself] Oh, wicked fairy.
Where are you going?
And where is your rose?
I would love to know how you could curse our Aurora without the rose.
Here.
And don't forget, when Aurora's 15, she'll prick her finger on this rose and go to sleep.
So run.
No, no, no, no.
Not yet on stage.
The good fairies are still there.
In a moment.
[clock chimes] [soft music] [door creaks open] [soft music continues] [sighs happily] [sighs happily] [sighs happily] [loud banging] [wicked cackling] [mischievous music] - Ahhhh!
[wicked cackling] [wicked cackling] [wicked cackling] [loud banging] [cackling continues] [baby cries] - Let's clear all roses off the stage immediately.
[wicked cackling] [wicked cackling] - Aurora was warned if she pricks her finger on a rose, she goes to sleep.
So all roses out.
Attention, the set change is coming.
[dancers giggling] Shh, shh,.
There's a show going on out there.
Oh, chaos.
Unbelievable.
The third scene will start very soon.
It is the morning of the 15th birthday of Princess Aurora.
Oh, yes.
She is 15 now.
Wicked Fairy, bring the rose that you have kept hidden all this time.
And you, Nurse, don't forget Aurora's present.
Nurse, do you have that present?
[serene music playing] [sleepy noises] [door creaks] [sleepy noises] [creaking and knocking] [laughing] [laughing] [bell rings] [bell rings] [bell rings] [bell rings] [bell rings] [bell rings] [sleepy noises] [sighs] [sighs happily] - Yeah, haha!
[classical music plays] [music morphs to Tchaikovsky' s traditional music] - Third scene is almost over.
Coming up, are the performers at Aurora's birthday celebration.
Master of ceremonies.
Fire eater, clown, juggler.
Get ready.
How's everything out here?
Ready?
Yes?
[audience applauds] [clapping] [upbeat lighthearted music plays] [electronic music playing] [clapping] [drumroll] [electronic music playing] [clapping] [unintelligible excited noises] [screams] [serene music] [bang] [bang] [bang] [bang] [clang clang] [bang] [bang] [clang clang] [bang] [clapping] [upbeat lighthearted music plays] [unintelligible excited noises] [suspenseful music playing] [upbeat lighthearted music plays] [grotesque eating and swallowing noises] [insane laughing and clapping] - Ahem.
[serene music] [humming "“Once Upon a Dream"” song] - Huuuu.
- Whoa oh, whoa oh.
[hums more of the song] [laughs] [laughs] [everyone laughs] [happy music playing] [transitions to classical Tchaikovsky music] - Stagehands, please stand by.
Get ready to set up for scene five, which is the King's Kitchen.
This is the scene where we bake a cake for Aurora.
Of course it is a birthday cake.
The Wicked Fairy will try again with the rose.
Bakers, get ready.
And I'll have an egg.
Oops, the mike is open.
[egg cracks] [spatula scrapes on pot] - Ooh!
Ooh!
[spatula scrapes on pot] [silly music playing] [stifles a sneeze] [stifles a sneeze] - Ah ah ah chooo!
[silly music continues] [licks the spatula loudly] - Brbrbrbrbrbrbr!
[silly music continues] [kettle whistles] - Fssssssh.
Fssssssssh.
[water splashes] [water splashes] [taps] [sniffs] - Yum!
[licks] - Yum!
[suspenseful music plays] [laughs] [laughs] [bells ring] [silly music plays] [serene music plays] - Ohh.
[silly music plays] [suspenseful music plays] - Ah!
Ah!
Choo!
[unintelligible upset words] [transitions to classical Tchaikovsky music] - Okay, this is the end of the baking scene.
End of the baking scene.
Okay, friends, get ready to continue.
We're going to do the sixth scene, the King's ballet school.
Dance Teacher, get ready.
Oh, he's already there!
Excellent!
Later, the students arrive at the ballet school.
Even later, Princess Aurora.
Stagehands, change the set.
Let's go.
Excellent.
Thank you.
[classical music continues] [transitions to more simple music] - (nasally voice) Fold the knee.
Follow nine.
Follo deen.
Follo dine.
[knock at door] Entre.
[missed note] ["“Once Upon a Dream"” playing] [simple piano tune] [missed note] ["“Once Upon a Dream"” playing] [loud banging] [missed note] [missed note] [missed note] [missed note] [scraping like a knife] [boing] [boing] [scraping like knives] [fabric ripping] [knocking] ["“Once Upon a Dream"” playing slow and shakily] [fanfare] [knocking] - Entre.
- [all] Yeeeaaaahhh.
[classical music plays] - [all] Awwwwwwww.
- [teacher] Awwwwffffff.
[fearful chatter] [screams] [suspenseful music plays] ["“Once Upon a Dream"” playing slowly] [music speeds up] [transitions to classical Tchaikovsky music] [music ends] - Attention, this is scene seven.
The Wicked Fairy is tempting Princess Aurora with the rose.
Aurora is going after it.
Wicked Fairy, I hope you have the rose with you.
[mischievous music] [wicked cackling] [mischievous music continues] [drawer thuds] [serene music] [mysterious music] [transitions to classical Tchaikovsky music] [wicked cackling] [thuds] [thuds] [wicked cackling] [mysterious music] - Uh!
[wicked cackling] [mysterious music] - Oh oh!
Ohhhhhh.
[serene music] [transitions to classical Tchaikovsky music] [music swells] [music ends] - Oh, my.
Don't you think this is overdone a bit?
Well, you'll have something to clean up.
And don't put it all over my mike next time.
Dear friends, this is the beginning of the last and final scene.
We'’ll wake up Aurora and go home.
So I need the Prince on stage.
The Prince on stage.
And don't forget your saber.
The Prince on stage.
Prince onstage.
Please, somebody, send him in.
It always takes him a hundred years.
Prince onstage.
Costume, costume!
Boy oh boy.
[comedic medieval music] [triumphal music] [comedic music] [creaking] [creaking] [creaking] [creaking] [mysterious music] - Ah ah ah-— [mysterious music] - Ah ah ah-— [mysterious music] - Ah choo!
[triumphal music] [loud kiss] [serene music] [transitions to classical Tchaikovsky music] [music swells]
Support for PBS provided by:
MPB Classics is a local public television program presented by mpb