For eight-year-old Lyra Sales, writing a musical is no big task.
Lyra has been working on a musical which will be showing at the Errington Hall this Sunday.
“I worked on it when I was seven for like the year,” Lyra said, who revised the script. “Then I kind of put it away and then this year I started doing it again and rewriting the script a little.”
The musical is based on the book Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst.
“It’s about a girl named Lulu who wants a brontosaurus for her birthday,” Lyra said. “She’s very spoiled and bratty. She finds a brontosaurus, but instead of the brontosaurus being her pet, he (wants her) to be his pet. At the end they just end up being friends instead of other people’s pets.”
Originally, Lyra said she was going to use other artists’ songs, but ended up deciding against it.
“I decided to write my own music,” Lyra said. “I think it was because I decided that maybe the songs didn’t fit the musical that well or I couldn’t find the right songs.”
Lyra said she recorded the songs and then wrote down the words she sang, but she added that it took a few days.
The musical numbers, Sales said, are a variety of different genres.
Brontosaurus Blues has a blues-y feel, whereas I Just Want to Go Home is more of a ballad, according to Lyra.
Lyra, who is co-directing the musical with Michaela David, also did choreography for the show and came up with costume ideas.
Sales said working on Lulu and the Brontosaurus has been fun but also tiring with trying to co-ordinate practices around people’s schedules.
The performers range in age from eight to 13, according to Lyra. Lyra’s sister Elena is the narrator for the musical.
“All these kids are really into theatre,” said Ashlee Sales, Lyra’s mom. “I think quite a few of them are working on writing their own plays and music, so it’s kind of neat because they get to support each other in their final projects.”
“(Lyra) can’t do this without friends to help out to be actors in her play, so I have a feeling they’ll be taking turns over the next couple years in their own productions,” Ashlee said.
Ashlee said she’s hoping kids will come out to see the production.
“It’s a special opportunity for kids to see other kids putting something on on their own,” Ashlee said. “I think it’s inspiring for them to get to watch what other kids are doing.”
Lulu and the Brontosaurus will be at the Errington Hall on Sunday, June 5 at 4 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased at the door for $5 for adults and $2 for kids.