Magic Gum Tree facts for kids
The Magic Gum Tree is a fun musical comedy from 1932. A musical comedy is a play with songs, dances, and a funny story. All the music and words for the songs were created by Arline Sauer. She was a talented pianist and composer from Adelaide, Australia. Arline Sauer wrote this musical all by herself in 1932.
This musical is all about Australia! It features many unique Australian animals and characters. People who watched it in Queensland thought it was a bit like the stories by A. A. Milne, who wrote Winnie-the-Pooh. They especially liked the nice music for singers.
What is The Magic Gum Tree About?
The story of The Magic Gum Tree follows a young girl who has recently moved to Australia. She gets lost in the vast Australian outback. The outback is a huge, dry area in Australia far from cities.
While lost, the girl falls asleep. In her dream, she meets many magical characters. These characters are part of her dreamland adventure. Eventually, a group of ten Australian Aboriginal boys find her. They help her get back home safely.
Songs in The Magic Gum Tree
This musical features several songs and musical pieces. Here are some of the main ones:
- Overture (This is an opening piece of music played before the show starts)
- Ten Little Aboriginals
- Gumnut Pixies (This song includes a dance!)
- Dear Little Wattle Blossom
- Ko-a-la
- Hail! Thou Fair Land (This is a song sung by two people, called a duet)
- Ten Little Aboriginals (Finale) (The final song of the show)
You can find the original words, music, and dialogue for the musical online here.
Where Was The Magic Gum Tree Performed?
The Magic Gum Tree was performed many times across Australia. It was first shown in Sydney in 1934. Over the next few years, it traveled to many different towns and cities.
Some of the places where the musical was performed include:
- Melbourne, Victoria (1935)
- Newcastle, New South Wales (1935 and 1941)
- Parkside, South Australia (1935)
- Wayville, South Australia (1936)
- Hobart, Tasmania (1939)
- Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (1939)
- Cairns, Queensland (1941)
- Burnie, Tasmania (1946)
- Pinnaroo, South Australia (1950)
The musical was popular and continued to be performed for many years after it was first written.
 | Bayard Rustin |
 | Jeannette Carter |
 | Jeremiah A. Brown |
