Puss in Boots
Cuts and Updates
As of December 16, 2007
Act I, scene 1
Proverbia. Reverse “A stich in time saves nine” and “A stich in nine saves time,” or omit entirely.
Peter & Proverbia. The horseman verse of Peter’s song has been eliminated, and the rest rearranged. The sequence is now as follows:
• Peter sings wordlessly offstage at the stage direction singing is heard;
• He enters and sings the “I’m Peter!” refrain in view with piano;
• He goes straight into his “Hi! My name’s Peter!” dialogue;
• He reverses the lines about slaying dragons and killing pirates…
• …so as to launch straight into his “Captain Peter” verse;
• This seques into the refrain, but Proverbia interrupts him after three lines.
Peter. Peter sings his “Peter the gallant” refrain a cappella, but in a vigorous tempo and not in troubadour mode as originally written. After a few lines, the voice gives way to piano, which swells into the scene-change.
Act I, scene 2
Peter. Entrance refrain is sung a cappella.
Scratchenbitem. Cut the line “Not two days… I will be back tonight!”
Proverbia & Puss-no-Boots. We will make several cuts to the one-sided dialogue between Proverbia and Puss, to be determined in rehearsal. The following phrases, however, will certainly go:
• Space? You want to go into space?
• Cell phone? But that’s a C, not an S.
• Shall I scratch you? You're going to sneeze?
Act I, scene 3
King. Cut “Shouldn’t there be some petitioners around?”.
King. Change “or cull their cattle” to “or kiss their wives”.
Act I, scene 5
Proverbia & Puss-in-Boots. Cut text from “Those who hear such merry singing” to the end of the scene. The infectious whistling and vigorous dance that follows will make the point without words.
Act I, scene 6
Pippo. Cut “Worried about the INS, I expect.”
Puss-in-Boots & King. Cut “May I hope that you enjoy your fishing?” replacing it by a surprised question from the King and a reminder “You're going fishing” from Puss.
Act I, scene 7
Scratchenbitem. Simplify the end of his first speech. After “…or anything came by?” he ad libs a bit with the audience, then winds up with “…they’ll fall into my hands!” as the cue for the music.
Puss-in-Boots. The earlier versions of the script (I no longer have them) gave Puss’s narratives in the first person. But, like Snoopy, he casts himself in the heroic third-person mode. So his long speech should read: “Let me give you the picture: Puss bounds on for miles, over hill and down dale, through heaths and thickets, fighting wild animals on every side. But he wins through. Armed with nothing but his claws, he captures the fiercest as presents for the King. Now at the palace, he forces his way in, pushing aside all who try to stop him: pages, lackeys, chamberlains…!”
Peter. Reprise of the song not in the serenade mode, but in vigorous wedding-march tempo.
Act I, scene 8
Pimpernel & Peter. Middle section of the duet (“Winging like a bird…”) now spoken over soft piano noodling.
Widow. Reverse order of “Peter, who is this girl?” and “Heavens, you look half drowned!”.
Act II, scene 3
Widow & Pippo. Cut from “Now, I think we’ll make a sausage pie” to “in the oven before they escape,” thus eliminating all the business with sausages.
Pippo. Cut “especially since half of it got stuck in your mouth.”
Act II, scene 5
Puss-in-Boots. As in Act I,scene 7, Puss boasts in the third person. His speech reads: “My little friends can get through any cracks. As for me: Puss scales the palace walls, tiptoes along the rooftops, jumps over vertiginous drops, swings by his very nifty tail, and climbs in through the skylight.”
Act II, scene 6
Widow. Cut the final “Did… you… say… something?”
Act II, scene 7
Proverbia & Scratchenbitem. Cut text from Proverbia’s “Show mercy. We can be content…” through “And so, in simple prose….” This omits Scratchenbitem’s “Repent?” speech also.
Proverbia & Peter. Cut text from Proverbia’s “Princess, may I borrow Peter?” through Peter’s “Yes, even then.”
Act II, scene 8
All. The last lines of the original script, beginning “It’s a high life,” are omitted, and replaced by the following, sung by all:
Why not respond, now the story ends,
By clapping?
Why not make sure that we part as friends
By clapping?
Now that we've chased your cares away,
Cheer for the chaps who've won the day!
Let's hear you say you've enjoyed our play
By clapping, clapping, clapping!