Soli:  Maureen Papovich, soprano (Rooster); Cayla Cardiff, mezzo-soprano (Donkey);  Nathan Thompson, tenor (Cat); Steve Young, baritone (Dog) 

I was delighted when Adrienne asked me to rewrite the tale of the Bremen Town Musicians with neurodivergent characters. The themes in this story reflect the feelings of individuals who feel ostracized by society, and I connected deeply with reimagining this tale with neurodiverse individuals as the protagonists in this story.

As the mother of an autistic son who is in transition into adulthood, I am acutely aware of the reality that most neurodivergent people lack the support and structure they have had through their school-age years. Neurodivergent people have incredible potential but struggle to make their way in a society with a bias for conformity. Their innate talents and unique abilities are too often overlooked and wasted. In our reimagining of this tale, it was natural to have neurodivergent main characters who do not meet society’s norms because they are misunderstood and dismissed.

My experience with autistic youths and adults spans more than 20 years in a wide range of settings. Every individual is truly unique with their own gifts and challenges. The sooner society, as a whole, learns to accept and incorporate them, the better our world will be. — Maureen Papovich

CHORUS: Once upon a time there was a musically gifted and surly young donkey. Their owner grew tired of the animal’s obsessive violin practicing leaving no time for their duties. Fed up, she yelled at the donkey to take their fiddle and get out!

DK (Donkey): Wow I can’t believe I got fired. I mean, hauling bags of grain obviously isn’t as important as perfecting my scales and arpeggios! I hear there is a good music scene in Bremen where they actually pay musicians to play.

CHORUS: So the donkey took off for the town of Bremen. A ways down the road, a dog sat practicing the viola. As the donkey passed with the violin, the dog excitedly attempted to reach out.

DG (Dog): Hey! Is that a v-v-violin you’ve got there?

CHORUS: The Donkey was completely focused on the road ahead and paid no attention to the dog.

DG: I’m a viola p-p-player! W-w-where are you headed?, I j-j-j-just got fired from my g-g-guard j-j-job.

CHORUS: The donkey had, by now, noticed the dog but didn’t want to encourage their company so started practicing scales and arpeggios.

DK: Join the club.

DG: My b-b-barking isn’t s-s-scary enough. I c-c-couldn’t get my barks out f-f-fast enough to s-s-stop an intruder. Are you going somewhere to play m-m-m-music?

DK: Yup. Bremen.

DG: Sweet. Let’s g-g-go.

CHORUS: Reluctantly, the donkey allowed the dog to tag along.

DG: See, that c-c-cat’s not even s-s-scared of me. Hey there k-k-kitty, are you a musician? Is that a t-t-tom tom mallet in your mouth? This donkey and I are going to B-B-Bremen to p-p-play our instruments — want to come?

C (Cat): Oh, um, okay. I just got thrown out of my house. I took care of the mice like my owner asked me to — fed them and kept them safe. They seemed to like me, I think they’re my friends. My owner was so mad and threw me out. I’ll miss the mice. Sorry, tell me again where you are going?

DG: B-B-Bremen. S-s-sorry, my stutter makes me hard to understand sometimes. My owner d-d-didn’t think I was w-w-worth k-k-keeping either.

C: I’m so sorry that happened to you. I have autism and sometimes have a hard time processing what others are trying to say to me.

CHORUS: The two new friends walked for a bit in companionable silence as they tried to keep up with their leader, when they all heard a wonderful but wrenching song.

DK: What is that racket??!!

CHORUS: The cat, who was very sensitive, found himself tearing up as the singing grew louder.

C: How beautiful and tragic that sounds

CHORUS: They turned a corner and found an elegant rooster wailing the Puccini aria Vissi d’arte.

R (Rooster): 

Vissi d’arte, vissi d’amore,                 
I lived for art, I lived for love.

Non feci mai male ad anima viva!
I never did harm to a living soul!

Con man furtiva
With a secret hand

Quante miserie conobbi aiutai.         
I relieved as many misfortunes as I knew of.

DG: J-j-join us p-p-please. We’re going to Bremen to make music together.

CHORUS: The rooster quietly went along without explaining her own story. She had been thrown out because of her poignant sad singing at all hours. She was amazed that the three strangers liked her singing and invited her to join them!

R: Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.

CHORUS: The dog was amazed by the donkey’s sense of direction and purpose. So intense was their focus that they noticed little around them and the dog had to rescue the donkey twice from running into trees. The dog also comforted the cat who missed his mice friends and encouraged the rooster to sing happier songs. They came upon a wood and began to settle down for the night.

R: Over there!

CHORUS: The dog looked to where the rooster was focused and noticed a beautiful mansion in the middle of the forest. The four decided to investigate and were amazed to discover two of the most capitalizing capitalists in the land. The capitalists were scheming to replace symphony players with AI music. Extremely distressed by this, the four new friends decided to show the two schemers what real musicians could do. With their instruments in hand, the dog piled on top of the donkey followed by the cat on top of the dog and, lastly, the vocalist rooster topped the trio. The four decided to sing some Puccini.

R:
O mio babbino caro, mi piace bello            
Oh, my dear father, it is beautiful.

Mi struggo e mi tormento!                
I struggle and torment myself!

O Dio, vorrei morir!
Oh God, I want to die!

Babbo, pietà!                                     
Father, have pity!

CHORUS: The capitalists were stunned by the depth and beauty of the odd quartet outside their window and, zombie-like, went outside to behold the gifted performers. The four musicians performed another beautiful song.

DK, C, DG, R:

Gloria Patri, gloria Filio, et Spiritui Sancto;               
Glory to the Father, glory to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;

Sicut erat in principio, et nunc et semper,                
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

et in saecula saeculorum.      
and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.

CHORUS: The two capitalists invited them in to eat and stay. The capitalists were greatly impressed by the musicians’ talent as well as their ability to work together to create such moving art. In the end, the capitalists asked the musicians to stay. They turned the mansion into a place where artists could live and create and make music happily ever after. The End.