

THE FLOWER STORY
an original musical
by
Jennifer Bloomer
"...if nature could talk, what would it say?"
Image by Maya Telford
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 since then she wrote the remainder of the 12 songs, the script and notated all the piano parts. In 2015 she had an amateur middle school theatre group perform the piece. She then went back to school to learn recording 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 and the ensemble feeling as a whole, and are all found below along with a synopsis of the accompanying scenes. However, in 2023 the storyline was edited a bit, with a couple of new songs added, which are recorded just with Jennifer's voice (noted by *). She is now working on orchestrating the piano arrangement, and seeking both theatre or film companies to perform and produce the work, and bring it to its fullest expression.
Background
The story is of Goldy, a 13-year old girl, who's coming of age, and concerned about what the “real world” she’s becoming part of really is. 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 her questions are met with answers by the nature spirits of the plants in her garden, who appear to her in human form. While never leaving the garden setting, they take Goldy on a magical journey of discovery to the very heart of nature, and of herself.
Synopsis
Cast of Characters:
​
Janna (Goldy's mother)
Goldy (13 year old girl)
Deva (the overseeing Nature spirit for the garden)
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)
The Show

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.

Scene 2
Janna is left behind, needing to connect in to her Zoom meeting for work. She calls out to Goldy to please not be a drama queen, and to get herself to school on time.
Then, Janna prepares for her Zoom meeting, while catching glimpse of a rose in a vase on her dining table, which reminds her of Goldy, and her struggles with growing up and blossoming fully. 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 3
Goldy has escaped to her backyard garden, questioning what the "real world" really is in the song "Real World". She ends up sitting in front of the huge oak tree in her garden, crying to herself.
Magically the Deva of the garden, and many of the nature spirits or "Elementals" appear and introduce themselves in the song "Introductions" *. They wish to tell Goldy about the real world, from their perspective.


Trollodee, the spirit of the oak tree, reminds Goldy of their long-time connection in the duet, "Oh, Tree".


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".

Trollodee sings of his reverence for Mother Earth/Mother Nature, the Source of all life, in "Mother".
Scene 4

Oraine, the fairy child, leads the song "Seasons" reminding Goldy of the seasons and cycles of nature, of which she is part of.

Dakath, the male adult fairy, expresses his distress that humans don't act like they're part of nature. He reminds Goldy how her body is completely made up of the elements of nature.

Scene 5
The Flowers (Rose, Jasmine and Dahlia), although agreeing with Dakath that Goldy's body is of nature, also want to remind Goldy of the amazing being she is beyond her body, in "Who You Are".


Goldy, in understanding that the true nature of herself and all beings is inherently good, is grappling with how so many people can yet do so much wrong. She learns about free will and is saddened by the choices so many humans have made. Dakath also laments these choices in "Earth, Mother".
Goldy is overwhelmed by the wrongs of the world, and decides all of a sudden she'd rather live in the elemental realm. She pulls the faeries aside, and asks them if she can go back with them to their world, in the song "Take Me Away With You", sung by Goldy, Faylinn, and Dakath.
The Elementals explain how Goldy, by being who she really is and bringing her true talents and abilities out to the world, can make a difference and be part of the solution to the ills she experiences in her world, in "You Be You" *.
Scene 6
Scene 7
Back in the house, Janna has finished her Zoom meeting, and is left feeling distraught and empty about her own discontent with her life, and Goldy's. Deva visits her, albeit invisible to Janna, and helps Janna to realize her freedom to change her life, and that of her daughter, in "Day In, Day Out Reprise".

Thoughts of the life she needs to return to have filled Goldy's head, and she worries about what will happen once she returns. She also worries she won't remember the magical visit she's had with the Elementals. Deva tells Goldy that she'll always find them, and herself, by being in the moment.
Goldy is reassured by the Elementals that she will never be alone; that they are always by her side, in "Never Alone".
Goldy says goodbye to the Elementals, and as she turns her back on them they one by one disappear from sight. As she approaches the back door, it suddenly opens and her mother appears, greeting her lovingly.
The End
Artwork by Sophia Van Dyke
All songs and story ©2015 Jennifer Bloomer
Get Involved!


-
Producing! If you are a theatre group or a 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!