Come college students and community theater members to these rare opportunities to help bring a brand new musical for children to the stage internationally and regionally. "Lucette! A Lively Tale of Lumberjacks, Trees & Paul Bunyan" presents a delightful environmental twist to the beloved Bunyan tale. Join us for its world premiere the summer of 2025 through the University of Wisconsin-River Falls (UW-RF) to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Or be part of its local debut performance in the St. Croix Valley. (See below for the details for each.)
The strong tall tale character of Lucette--a young woman of Ojibwe and French Voyageur heritage raised by the bears--is easily Paul Bunyan's match. She puts him through three zany love tests to see if can see things from her point of view. She seeks to transform Paul and his logging crew from indiscriminate loggers into caring foresters. This musical, with its energetic and moving folk-contemporary songs, is based on Lorbiecki's original picture book Paul Bumyan's Sweetheart. She worked with Composer Owen Paul Olson to create songs that will keep people humming long after the show. And it will make people think if new ways.
"Lucette!" at the Edinburgh Fringe
"Lucette!" in the North Woods
Want 13 Days
in Scotland?
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
World's Biggest, Most Exciting Performing Arts Festival
Join us for This Extraordinary
Travel Abroad!
We will present "Lucette!" at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe--the most amazing, diverse global performing arts celebrations. Imagine as a student or community theater member being part of an international premiere as well as enjoying performances happening all around this historic city! You'll meet performers and audience members from around the world. Arriving in Edinburgh August 6 to 20, 2025 departure date, we'll be on a trip like no other that you could never arrange yourself!
Whether you want to be on stage or behind the
scenes, register soon! Details of costs and logistics are all there.
Enjoy a stay at the picture perfect Newbattle Abbey (like Downton Abbey!). It is just outside of Edinburgh in the town of Dalkeith, within walking distance of the Dalkeith Castle and its public park. Mornings you can have coffee walking the grounds of Newbattle Abbey, which has its own woods and gardens.
You will be traveling and working on this musical with students and staff from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls (UWRF) but also community theater members and students from UW-Madison, the Boston Conservatory of Music, and Berklee College of Music. We plan to have everyone fly to Edinburgh to arrive August 7 for a return trip August 20th (or when participants prefer. We will rehearse at Newbattle Abbey in the mornings and take a tour or two (such as "Haunted Edinburgh") and take in a variety of Fringe performances. Our performances will be the afternoons of August 14—16th in the late afternoon so we can all then go off to see more Fringe performances.
At this point, we will likely be (but not guaranteed) performing in the Forest Room (how appropriate for “Lucette!”), on George Street in the heart of the old city. The site is not far from the University of Edinburgh, National Museum of Scotland, and Royal Mile--street extending from the castle through to Arthur's Seat, a mound at the other end.
Costs
The estimated cost for the trip (3 university credits, room, board, travel in Scotland, tours) will be $3,990 or less. (Participants will arrange their own airline transportation to Edinburgh.) The more people who sign up, the less the cost! Encourage friends!
You will have the extraordinary experience of working with the playwright/librettist, composer, and director as well as with the Edinburgh staff of Greenside Venues. They will be networking us with other performers from around the globe. We're excited to have you join us. If you have questions, contact us
Financial Aid
To be eligible for financial aid, take a 3-credit in-person or online course in early summer and this Edinburgh Fringe course program for August. We are setting the limit at 12 participants and we already have half of that so register soon! You only need to express your interest at this point.
"Lucette!" in the Valley
A New Tall Tale Musical Retells the MN Story of Paul Bunyan from Lucette's Perspective ... & the Animals
After Edinburgh, we hope to bring this new musical "Lucette! A Lively Tale of Lumberjacks, Paul Bunyan" to audiences in Minnesota and Wisconsin as this musical was born here, and ll the originators live this area: Librettist Marybeth Lorbiecki, Composer Owen Paul Olson, and the Director Dr. Kathy Welch. Dr. Welch is an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and the co-founder of Green T Productions and co-owner of the Old Gem Theater. More information is pending.