THE FLOWER STORY
an original musical
by
Jennifer Bloomer
"...if nature could talk, what would it say?"
Image by Maya Telford
Background
Jennifer began writing the work in 2004 in a burst of inspiration during a long drive. The title, concept, main characters, and 3 of the songs came to her at that time. And after that she wrote 9 more songs, the script and notated all the piano parts of its original iteration. In 2015 she had an amateur middle school theatre group perform the piece. She then went back to school to learn recording and notation software, as well worked on editing the script and wrote and added in one more song to the show in 2018.
In 2019 she created a demo recording of all the songs in her home studio, bringing in many actors/singers to sing the various parts. These recordings give a good representation of all the roles in the show from this earlier version, and the ensemble feeling as a whole, but only include piano accompaniment, and not full orchestration, which wasn't completed until this year.
Between 2020- 2026 the storyline was edited more, to add depth to both the characters and the story itself, and in doing so a couple of original songs were deleted and new songs were added. An expanded synopsis of this final version, along with recordings of all songs, is found below. The newer songs are recorded with just Jennifer's voice for all parts, and noted by peach colored track boxes. In January, 2026 Jennifer completed the huge task of expanding all of the original solo piano arrangements into full orchestral arrangements. Then in March, 2026 a read-through with actors was done to confirm the newest version of the script works well.
Jennifer is now seeking a local theatre company to perform and produce the work, and bring it to its fullest expression.
Synopsis
The story is of Goldy, a 13-year old girl, who's coming of age and feeling disconnected and disempowered with the “real world” she’s becoming more keenly aware of. Social media she can't relate to, cruelty, violence, greed, environmental degradation... is this the real world, and if so, is there any place for her in such a world? Distraught, one morning in particular, by the thought of returning to a school where she doesn't fit in, along with all the negative stories she hears via the morning news, she feels she can’t take it anymore and escapes to her beloved backyard garden for solace, asking no one in particular all of her deepest existential questions. Amazingly, with the help of a most unusual guide, she is led on a magical journey into the hidden realm of the natural world. In this world Goldy discovers not only her connection to nature, but her connection to her deepest self, and ultimately her place and reason for being in her world.
The Show
Cast of Characters:
Janna (Goldy's mother)
Goldy (13 year old girl)
Trollodee (the spirit of the oak tree)
Ilsk (a brownie- nature spirit of the earth)
Calth (a brownie)
Mulk (a brownie)
Rose (nature spirit of the roses)
Jasmine (nature spirit of the jasmine)
Dahlia (nature spirit of the dahlias)
Dakath (an adult male faery)
Faylinn (an adult female faery)
Oraine (a boy faery)
ACT 1
The Flower Story Overture
Scene 1
Goldy and her mother, Janna, are in the dining room for breakfast, with the morning news blaring in the background. Goldy is distressed at the thought of going to a school where she feels neither seen nor heard, and at all the depressing news she's hearing. She feels sick, and asks her mother to turn off the news. Her mother insists Goldy is old enough to know what the real world is all about. Goldy can't handle it anymore, and rushes outside in tears.
In her backyard garden, Goldy questions what the "real world" really is in the song "Real World" and how she possibly fits in it.
Goldy is crying to herself in front of the huge oak tree in her garden, when suddenly a boy faery, Oraine, appears from behind a bush! He introduces himself to Goldy, and tells her of the magical land he comes from, the Hidden Kingdom, in the song "In My World".
Goldy is entranced, and asks to visit his world, which he agrees to. He takes her through a portal, and into his world.
Scene 2
Goldy enters the Hidden Kingdom and upon entering, sees and hears the nature spirit of the oak tree, Trollodee, singing "Mother", his homage to Mother Earth.
Trollodee, as well as the spirits of the flowers, along with the Brownies (spirits of the earth), and the 2 other Faeries (Oraine's mother and father) all introduce themselves to Goldy in "Introductions", although Dakath (the faery father) is hesitant about this encounter based on past experiences with humans.
Faylinn (the faery mother) lets Goldy know her visit must be short, just 3 faery days, lest she stay too long and be unable to return to her world. Each faery day is marked by the evaporation of one dew drop on a flower petal.
Goldy can't believe that this world and these beings are real. They remind her of her connection to them as a child, while out in nature. In particular, Trollodee, the spirit of the oak tree, reminds Goldy of their long-time connection in the duet, "Oh, Tree".
Scene 3
The Brownies- the nature spirits of the earth- sing to Goldy about their work with Mother Earth,- the foundation of all life, and the importance of the dirt, in "Brownie's Song".
As the seasons are changing, it is time for the faeries to do their work of guiding nature by singing the song about the changing of the seasons. Oraine leads the song "Seasons", and includes Goldy, by reminding her that she is part of the seasons and cycles of nature.
The faeries are busy with their work of tending to the plants, so Goldy wanders over to Trollodee to process all she's seen. She's in awe of the love she feels in this realm, compared to her old world. She feels sleepy all of a sudden, and climbs up into Trollodee's branches for a nap, thinking about her mom back home.
Scene 4
Back in Goldy's house, in the regular world, Janna is on a break in her Zoom meeting, and stares at a rose in a vase on her dining table, which reminds her of Goldy. She sings of her sadness and frustration with working so hard to make Goldy's life a good one, yet knowing her daughter is not thriving, in "Day in, Day Out" .
Scene 5
Back in the Hidden Kingdom, Goldy naps in Trollodee's branches while the faeries are busy with their work of singing to the flowers to help them grow, in the song, "Flowers". Oraine, the boy faery, is showing he's capable of this important work by leading the song. His mother, Faylinn, is proud, but father, Dakath, is distracted by thoughts of the human visitor in their realm and eventually leaves while the song continues.
Scene 6
Dakath finds a quite corner to sing his lament about the mess humans have made of treating Mother Earth, the plants, the animals, and each other in their world. Goldy wakes from her nap and hears Dakath singing.
After Dakath finishes his song, Goldy lowers herself from the tree to confront him. She's sorry about the harm humans have done to the earth, and wishes she could heal it. Dakath is angry with humans, and tells her the story of how humans harmed the very land they're on, with the destruction of many old oak trees to build the development Goldy lives in. He reveals a family member of Goldy's that was responsible for the whole thing, much to Goldy's chagrin. Dakath and the other nature spirits hope Goldy will want to make things right in her own world, but Goldy feels hopeless and disempowered and would prefer to stay living in the Hidden Kingdom forever.
Goldy approaches Faylinn and Oraine with "Let Me Stay Here With You", hoping she can stay forever. Faylinn and Oraine tell her no, it's not possible, as she needs to return to her world. But Dakath, who'd been listening from afar, joins in at the end that he agrees to Goldy's request to stay in the Hidden Kingdom forever!
Scene 7
Faylinn pulls Dakath into their own faery home, and confronts him on his decision to allow Goldy to stay in their realm forever. Dakath responds with "She Will Pay", explaining his decision is one of vengeance: wanting to keep Goldy as a human hostage for all the harms humanity has caused his realm. Faylinn doesn't agree, and lets him know she and the others will do everything they can in the time they have left to encourage Goldy to return to her own world.
ACT 2
Scene 1
Dakath takes Goldy by his side, commending her on her decision to stay in his world; reinforcing how negative her world is, and how disempowered she is in it. The nature spirits are not pleased with these developments, and Faylinn creates a distraction to get Dakath to leave Goldy alone awhile. The flowers- Rose, Dahlia and Jasmine- take this opportunity to sing to Goldy about her true magnificence, in "Who You Are".
'Goldy likes the idea of being a beautiful being, but deep down doesn't believe it's really true, expressed in "Can I?"
Scene 2
Goldy is pensive, thinking about all the bad people in her world, and wondering how they can do their bad deeds. Dakath tries to convince her it's because they're just bad to the core, while Faylinn and the others explain theyre not bad on the inside, just making bad choices because of their free will.
They explain how each person, by expressing their truest talents and gifts, can make a difference for the good. Goldy doesn't feel she has anything of value to offer her world, and the nature spirits help guide and remind her of her deepest gifts and talents in "You Be You!".
Goldy realizes she truly does have gifts, and that her truest self and talents are much better received in the Hidden Kingdom than her old world. She is more convinced than ever to stay living in their realm, much to their disappointment, with the exception of Dakath, who gloats.
Oraine, who feels guilty and responsible for bringing Goldy to their realm in the first place, decides to take matters into his own hands to get Goldy back to her world by letting Goldy's mom know what's going on. He exits, meanwhile another dew drop evaporates, leaving only 1 left; one faery day. Trollodee and Rose watch Oraine leave and know his plan.
Scene 3
Back in Goldy's house, in the regular world, Janna has finished her Zoom meeting, and is left feeling distraught and empty about her own discontent with her life in "Day In, Day Out Reprise".
All of a sudden she sees Goldy's backpack still on the chair, and realizes Goldy never went to school. She calls frantically for Goldy inside the house, and then goes outside while Oraine is seen heading for her. She doesn't see Oraine and screams at the top of her lungs for Goldy, in the exact instant that Oraine is right in front of her. The impact of the emotions from Janna wipe out much of Oraine's life force and he drops to the ground.
Dakath appears at the portal and rushes to Oraine. He picks him up and takes him to the portal, where they both disappear.
Scene 4
Back in the HIdden Kingdom, Oraine is lying lifeless on the ground, with Dakath and Faylinn standing around him, singing and chanting faery spells in their effort to revive him, in "Fae Ra Na".
Goldy watches from afar, talking with Trollodee, Rose and the Brownies about the situation. Goldy wants to help Oraine, and comes up with an idea to save him by transferring the negative human energy from Oraine into herself. She's told it will mean she'll be forced to return to her world and might not be in a good state once back there. In a burst of courage and power she's willing to take her chances.
Dakath and Faylinn have Goldy lie by Oraine, while they do their enchantments as "Fae Ra Na" continues, and suddenly Goldy vanishes from the Hidden Kingdom, while Oraine wakes and sits up, alert.
Scene 5
Back in her old world, in her backyard garden, Goldy is lying on the ground, lifeless. Dakath is kneeling by her side, thanking Goldy for what she's done, and expressing his remorse to for how he'd misjudged her. He apologizes for his actions, and finally for the first time calls her by her real name. Meanwhile all the other nature spirits have appeared by Goldy, and Dakath desperately asks how she can be revived. Rose responds that the only way to heal her heart and body is through Love, in "Love Heals".
Goldy slowly wakes up as she feels the love essence of the energy of her mother that she'd taken within herself. She realizes all the love that surrounds her in her world, and all the love she has to share. She wants to stay in her world and spread the love!
Goldy realizes she must say goodbye to all the nature spirits, as they must return to their world and she must stay in hers. She's saddened by the thought of never seeing them again. They reassure her in "Never Alone" that she is truly never alone, and that they will always be by her side whenever she's out in nature.
They surround her in a group hug, and then slowly disappear through the portal. Goldy says goodbye to them, and heads towards the back door of her house. As she approaches the door, it suddenly opens and her mother appears! They yell out each other's name at the same time, and then hug lovingly.
The End
Artwork by Sophia Van Dyke
All songs, story & script ©2015 & 2025 Jennifer Bloomer
Get Involved!
-
Producing! If you are a theatre or film company interested in producing this show, please contact Jennifer.
-
Donating! Donations are gladly accepted to help support Jennifer in orchestrating the work, as well to create her own production of the show. Donate here!