INTERACTIVE PUPPET PERFORMANCE TRACKS

“THE HICCUPS!”    6 min.

 

 

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FOR USE WITH  AXTELL’S  BIRD PUPPETS AND THE “BIRD ARM ILLUSION”

 

PROPS NEEDED: CRYSTAL GLASS, PAPER CUP, SMALL PAPER BAG

 

© COPYRIGHT 1994/ 2002 AXTRAX PUBLISHING

DIV. OF AXTELL EXPRESSIONS! (805) 642-7282

WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY: STEVE AXTELL

 SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS: BILL BOLEY, MARK WADE, RYAN AXTELL & GREG JACKSON

MUSIC, SOUND EFFECTS AND ENGINEERING BY: GREG JACKSON

RECORDED AT: TREEHOUSE PRODUCTIONS AND AXTELL ENTERTAINMENT

 

LEGAL NOTICE:  By purchasing this routine you have the right to perform this routine and its musical components in live performances only.    Not for use on television or on video productions without written permission.   Limited Warranty of 3 weeks to replace damaged media.  No refunds on electronic media.

© Copyright and Trademark Axtell Expressions, Inc.  All rights reserved.

 

SEE OTHER AXTRAX AVAILABLE FOR THE MAGIC DRAWING BOARD AND AXTELL PUPPETS AT www.axtell.com

 

CD TRACK #1:       PERFORMANCE -  Does not include your practice lines - use this to perform live.

CD TRACK #2:       REHEARSAL - Includes your practice lines (YOU) that you will perform live.

CD TRACKS #3-8:  MUSIC ONLY- For vents who want to do both parts and cue the music. Cues are numbered   in the script.

 

#3:  Opening music

#4:  Hypnotizing music

#5:   Truck crash

#6:  I Am A Bird: crash

#7:  Breaking cup music

#8:  Closing music

 

 

PAUSES HAVE BE EN LEFT IN THE RECORDING TO ANTICIPATE AUDIENCE LAUGHTER

YOU CAN MODIFY THE (YOU) LINES TO FIT YOUR PERSONALITY.  REWRITE AND BE CREATIVE!

 

SOUND ADVISE: You can perform this routine by playing the CD on a quality "boom box" portable stereo player in small areas, or over a professional sound system in large areas such as an auditorium or outside. Do not play on a small inexpensive CD player because the sound will distort when you try to play it loudly. 

 

The CD should be played with plenty of volume.  Kids will be laughing hard and will miss the routine if it is too quiet, and adults may keep laughter to a minimum for fear of missing parts of the program.  The volume of the CD should be set about the same as if you were speaking over a microphone to be heard by the group, or louder.

 

 

It is best to have the CD played over a public address system and have the soundman preset the volume level to be compatible with the your microphone level.

 

 

 

 

(#3)                                         OPENING MUSIC

 

 

 

DURING MUSIC - Go to your cover of a trunk lid etc.  And while you put on the bird arm

illusion and puppet act like you are struggling with the bird and throw some feathers up into  the air.  You can get colored feathers from any craft shop.  Make your bird squawk and carry on from behind a cover, then slowly come out with the bird holding him by the chest as if to keep him from flying away).

 

 

 

 

You can also make the Arm and Puppet very easy to slip into by setting up yours in the following manner:  Mount the bird arm to a coffee can (with both ends cut out) or similar rigid tube.  After the Velcro has been attached around the can, put the bird puppet on over the can and the bird arm strap.  Your bird is now one unit with the can and arm.  You can slip into the can quite quickly this way!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

YOU:                       Hello, boys and girls. This is my trained pet bird, (name of puppet).

 

(Pretend to drink water from a styrofoam cup with another cup broken up in it for the ending)

 

BIRD:                     What’s that?  (Motioning to your cup)

 

 

YOU:                       Oh, it’s just water.

 

BIRD:                     Could I have some?

 

YOU:                       Oh, sure, (name of puppet).

 

                                NOTE:     You hold the cup in front of him and he looks back and forth from the cup to you, during your next line.

                               

                                Pet birds will need to have plenty of water - especially during training.  They get very thirsty.

                               

                                (Notice bird hasn’t taken a drink)

 

                                What’s the matter, (name of puppet)?

 

BIRD:                     Well, could you please wipe it off?

 

 

 

 

 

YOU:                       (Rolling your eyes) Good grief!   (Wipe off cup on your shirt near your chest)

 

BIRD:                     Thanks, I wouldn’t want to catch a cold ya’ know. 

 

YOU:                       Okay here you go ...(tip cup so that puppet’s head is turned toward you drinking)

 

 

BIRD:                     GULP, GULP, GULP, GULP, GULP

 

YOU:                       Are you done yet?

 

BIRD:                     GULP, GULP, GULP, GULP...

 

YOU:                       (Disgusted) ARE - YOU - FINISHED - YET?

 

BIRD:     (Comes up from the cup) Ah, ah, ah, ah… whew!! Ahhh, oh  man!

 

 (SHAKES BIRD’S HEAD from side to side rapidly like a dog                                                                                shaking off water after a bath)                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

                               

YOU:                       (Wipe off your face as if  WATER SPLASHES ON YOU)

 

 

BIRD:                     Just a little bit more ...(goes back into cup).

 

YOU:                       Unbelievable!

 

BIRD:                     GULP, GULP.GULP...(BLOWS BUBBLES...experimenting with sounds....)

 

NOTE:                    You roll your eyes and then look at the bird in disbelief while he plays - Laurel and Hardy style. You’ll want to have an extra large cup so no foam pieces touch and stick to his beak.

 

YOU:                       Okay now, that’s all!  (Remove cup from bird - set it down on a table in view of the audience) 

 

BIRD:                     (head in the air - begins to gargle) GARGLE, GARGLE, GARGLE…

 

NOTE:                    just hold the puppet’s mouth open upward, but turn the head to the side so the audience can see that it’s open.  You can adjust it from side to side and adjust the mouth opening to go with the sound of the gargling.

 

 

YOU:                       (Name of puppet), swallow it please, so we can continue.

 

BIRD:                     (Lips tightly closed looking at you) MMMMMM?

 

YOU:                       Swallow it slowly.

 

BIRD:                     (Big swallow sound).

 

YOU:                       Not all at once or you might get the….

 

BIRD:                     HICCUP!                (LAUGHTER)      

 

YOU:                       …hiccups.              (LAUGHTER).  Now you’ve done it!

 

                                (Get bag.  Use a brown or white paper bag about 6 x 8 x 15 or bigger)

 

BIRD:                     HICCUP!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

YOU:                       Here, breathe into this bag.               (Put bag over his nose. Still leaving his eyes exposed) 

 

NOTE:                    It will be helpful to break in a bag so it will easily fit around the beak and allow you to pick it up quickly and put it over his nose without much bother.  PRACTICE.

 

 

BIRD:                     Umm?

 

YOU:                       Breath real deep.

 

BIRD:                     (BREATH)    (BREATH)  (HICCUP)  (BREATH)

 

                                Hey what’s this?  HICCUP! Munch Much Munch! HICCUP!

 

                               

                               

NOTE:     With the bird shake the bag upside down completely over bird.   So it appears that he’s gone deep into the bag and found something.

 

 

 

                                          

YOU:                       (Pulling off bag) What are you doing?

 

BIRD:                     (Smacking lips) I found a donut! HICCUP!     (LAUGHTER)

                               

YOU:                       This bag didn’t even work.  Huh, I’m going to have to                                hypnotize you!

 

BIRD:                     Hypno-what? HICCUP!    (LAUGHTER)         

 

YOU:       Hypnotize!  (Name of puppet), look deep into my eyes.             

 

                            Presses his face on your face eye to eye – pressing on

your nose.     (LAUGHTER)

 

 

YOU:                       (Sounding nasal) Not quite so close, (name of puppet).

 

BIRD:                     HICCUP!               (LAUGHTER)       

 

YOU:                       Just watch my finger go back and forth…

 

(#4)                         HYPNOTIZING MUSIC

 

                                NOTE:                    When the bird watches have him look back and forth watching your finger in time with the beat.  When the drums start in, he should be rocking out with body movements back and forth (dancing).  Then he goes into this Egyptian song.... 

 

 

BIRD:                     (Singing into the air wildly)  Du Du Du Du Du Du Du Du Du Du Du … HICCUP!           (LAUGHTER)  

YOU:                       (Name of puppet)! (recompose yourself) You are getting sleepy....

 

BIRD:                     (YAWN) Sleepy.

 

YOU:                       VERY sleepy!

 

BIRD:                     Very sleepy !    Ah…(head drops down)   ZZZZZZZZ (snoring)              (LAUGHTER)           

 

YOU:                       (To audience)  (name of puppet) is now completely hypnotized.

 

BIRD:                     (Looks up) Yep ! That’s right! (Drops head).                        (LAUGHTER)

 

 

 

YOU:                       (Name of puppet), can you hear my voice?

 

BIRD:                     (Quickly lifts head) Loud and clear! HICCUP!  (Drops head)                  (LAUGHTER)          

 

YOU:                       Are you completely hypnotized?

 

BIRD:                     (Head up) I sure am!  I’m VERY hypnotized. HICCUP!  (Drops head).         (LAUGHTER)   

 

YOU:                       Okay, (name of puppet), now you are....

 

BIRD:                     In fact, I’ve never been so hypnotized in my life! HICCUP! (Drops head).         (LAUGHTER)              

 

YOU:                       Now I need to help (name of puppet) think that he is something else, so he’ll forget about his hiccups!  Let’s see...I got it....

 

BIRD:                     HICCUP!              

 

YOU:                       You are a big DUCK.

 

BIRD:                     (Staring into audience) I am a big TRUCK.  (LAUGHTER)        

 

YOU:                       Not at TRUCK, a DUCK!

 

(#5)                         TRUCK CRASH              (LAUGHTER)             

 

YOU:                       (Name of puppet)!  (You look at the bird and the audience with mouth open - amazed)

 

                                CRASH WRECK  (bird wrecks into your arm or chest)                 (LAUGHTER)

                               

BIRD:                     (Waking) What happened?  HICCUP!            

 

YOU:                       (Disappointed) Nothing happened at all. The hypnosis didn’t work, the bag didn’t work…oh, there is one more thing I know of to cure the hiccups…but I hate to tell you what it is.

 

BIRD:                     Wha... HICCUP! What’s that?

 

YOU:                       Singing. 

 

BIRD:                     HICCUP!  I love to sing!

 

(#6)                         I am a bird, (Honk, honk)

I am a bird, (Honk, honk)

I am a bird, I am a bird, I am a....

 

 

 

YOU:                       (Put hand gently over his beak to quiet him then let go after music stops) 

                               

Not that kind of singing.  More like an opera singer.

 

(Get goblet)  Here, I’ll put this crystal goblet right here and you try to make it break by singing a loud note.  (Place goblet on the table, as bird watches it).  

 

BIRD:                     Huh? 

 

YOU:                       Well, you see, when you sing the loud note, the glass will start vibrating until it shatters. 

 

BIRD:                     Really? 

 

YOU:                       Mum um (YES).  And when you break the glass, your hiccups will be gone, and I will reward you with another drink of water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

BIRD:                     Oh good…HICCUP! ‘cause I’m really thirsty. (Bouncing around excitedly). Okay, I gotta break the glass...Oh boy!  HICCUP! This is gonna be real fun!   Hit it, maestro!

 

(#7)                         (Piano)

 

                                La la la la!   (Notices nothing happened)  Hummm!

 

                                (Piano)

 

                                La la la la!  Hiccup! 

 

                                (Piano)

 

                                La la la LAAAAAAAAAAAAA! 

 

 

 

                                NOTE:                    Both you and the bird are looking at the goblet, but you begin to shake the hand holding the cup.  You don’t notice it for a second or two, then your attention turns to the cup vibrating...hold the cup out in front of your chest, so audience won’t miss it breaking.  When it breaks toss the cup pieces into the air, crush the cup and let it fall to the ground with all the pieces.

 

 

 

 

 

                   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

YOU:                       (Name of puppet), you shattered this styrofoam cup!  What have you got to say for yourself?

 

BIRD:                     HICCUP!  Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha

 

(#8)                         CLOSING MUSIC

 

 

YOU:                       Oh no! Oh well, give him a big hand!

 

 

 

END

 

 

 

NOTE:                    During the end music, you can either say “Good bye” to the audience, or take a bow, or just put the puppet away and go on to your next bit.

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