Rick Waterhouse

Presents

Puppets and Songs for Children

and the Young at Heart

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For a limited time: Little shows for little people!!      30 minutes of sing-alongs, storytelling, puppets, and fun                            for your pre-school patrons.        They'll join in a folktale, they'll make puppets sing.        They'll shake out a rhythm to give our songs zing!          Special "Recession pricing": Half hour show for $75.         And no travel fee!! :) :O :)                                                    Offer ends February 28th.

RICK'S  BIO:

Rick Waterhouse has never grown up, so he has enjoyed teaching elementary school for the last thirty years. His experiences with the children of Downes Elementary School in Newark, Delaware, have given him the knowledge of how to entertain kids, while teaching them at the same time. Rick makes puppets to use in his performances. His variety of voices and accents bring his puppets to life, as they engage the audience, introduce songs, and sing along. Rick has sung all his life and plays acoustic guitar and various rhythm instruments as accompaniment. In the last ten years, Rick has written over fifty songs for children, with titles as varied as: "Dancing Aliens", "The Undersea Library", and "Sounds Like We're Talking Insects". Mixing some traditional songs with those of his own gives Rick the ability to create shows on many different topics. And if he doesn't have a song to fit a specific theme, he writes one. Eight times, he has written theme songs for the Delaware Division of Libraries' Summer Library Program.          Rick feels at home on and around a stage. He has performed for Candlelight Dinner Theater (Arden, Delaware), in "Fiddler on the Roof",  "CanCan", and "Man of LaMancha"; in "The Secret Garden", at the Wilmington Drama League (Wilmington, Delaware); and with Covered Bridge Theater (North East, Maryland) in "South Pacific", "Oliver", "Godspell", "Oklahoma!", "Into the Woods",  and as Professor Harold Hill in "The Music Man". In addition, he has danced in "The Nutcracker" with First State Ballet Theatre (Wilmington, Delaware), and performed the role of "Herr Drosselmeyer" for Cecil Dance Theatre's Nutcracker production (North East. Maryland). Rick has also helped build and paint scenery and sets, been part of stage crews, and has worked the light board for two children's productions.

Rick is now offering performances for Birthday Parties!! Choose from one of the 45-minute mini-musicals - Sam Gets A Clue, The Chef Finds a Pet, The Dragon and the Chef, or In Search of the Reading Bug, at a fee of $200. Or choose a 30-minute set of interactive and sing-along songs, at a fee of $150. The birthday child receives one of Rick's hand-made puppets as a surprise gift at the end of the show. Appropriate for ages 4 to 8.

AVAILABLE PERFORMANCES Performances are 50 minutes in length, although longer or shorter performances can be arranged. The fee is $200, plus a  travel fee, ranging from $25 to $50, if your location is more than 25 miles from Rick's home near North East, MD.

"Sam Gets Creative at the Library" Sam starts the show by singing a song with the audience. But then an angry wizard casts a spell to take away his creativity. Sam is left without an original thought in his head! Throughout the rest of the show the audience and a few of Sam's puppet friends must use books to help relight Sam's creative fire. Each excerpt they identify from a popular children's book is related to some form of creative expression and restores a bit of Sam's creative mind. Together Sam and the audience make up rhymes, paint a picture, complete a pattern, do a little dance, and get creative. By the end of the show Sam is back to his old self, the audience has taught the wizard to appreciate creativity, and everyone joins in the final song: "Be Creative at Your Library". This performance is an interactive celebration of reading and the creative spirit that lives in each of us!

Special Program for First through Fifth Grades !! "Ready for Reading" is a perfect program to accompany "Running Start" or other reading incentive programs and reading celebrations. Rick visits your school three times. On the first visit, he goes to each classroom in the grade level for a half hour and presents a biography and an original song about an author chosen by the teacher. Rick teaches the song to the class and leaves a CD recording of it. Authors include: Jan Brett, Eve Bunting, Eric Carle, Joanna Cole, Roald Dahl, Tomie dePaola, Lois Ehlert, Jean Craighead George, Kevin Henkes, Pat Hutchins, Ezra Jack Keats, Steven Kellogg, Leo Lionni, Arnold Lobel, Robert Munsch, Laura Numeroff, Patricia Polacco, John Scieszka, Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein, Mark Teague, Chris van Allsburg, David Wiesner, Mo Willems, and Audrey Wood; but a new song can be composed for an author not on the list. Then the classes spend about a month reading books by the chosen author and practicing their song. On the second visit, Rick returns to each classroom to spend a half hour reviewing the class author song and introducing other songs, which encourage reading and good books. The third visit is a 45-minute assembly program, during which the classes each perform their author song for the other children and for invited parents and guests. Rick also plays and sings interactive songs with the whole group. Program fee: $400 for up to five classes in a grade level. Adjustable fee for more than five classes or more than one grade level.  A reduced fee can be arranged for entire school program. Travel fee of $25 to $50 may apply, depending on distance from my home to the school.

Two new shows for 2009!!!

"Dr. Smoghorn Goes Green" is a show with puppets and guitar that will give your students a better understanding of Global Warming and the renewable energy alternatives that can help us overcome it. This performance will introduce them to the science behind one of the world's greatest challenges. Dr. Smoghorn interviews a dinosaur (puppet) to find out about fossil fuels and the simple chemistry behind the release of CO2 into the atmosphere. Seeking to learn about alternative energy sources, he finds out about hydro-electricity from his friend Oggie Otter (puppet), wind turbines from Elena, the eagle, (puppet) and solar energy from Mr. Sun (puppet). There are interactive songs, audience participation, demonstratins with a working wind turbine model, solar-powered toys, and posters explaining a hydro-electric dam and the greenhouse effect. The show ends with audience helping Dr. Smoghorn put the various pieces of this global puzzle together to encourage your students to "Go Green". For K through Grade 5.

And

"The Chef Shapes Up" is a show that uses music and humor to teach kids and their parents about foods that are healthier for them and how daily exercise can keep them fit! The Chef has been snacking and slacking - eating too much junk food and lying around all day - and it shows! It is time for him to lead a healthier life style, so he seeks the advice of some of his puppet friends to build a new diet. Edgaar, the Dragon, teaches him some healthy ways to cook meats. The Pirate shows him how to get protein from fish and nuts, but cracking the shells with his teeth might not be such a good idea. And Mickey, the Moose, has some interesting ways to combine fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Next, the Chef finds the Bookworm, who teaches him about calories and how to burn them. Bonnie, the Border Collie, knows lots of fun ways to get exercise - if the Chef and the audience can keep up! Along the way there are excerpts from popular children's books for the audience to identify, sing-along songs, and lots of other opportunites for the audience to become part of the show. By the end, the Chef has shaped up and gets the audience moving with a new, healthier version of his "Pizza Song". Your audience will learn how to eat and exercise for a healthier life, with information based on the USDA website, "My Pyramid".

"In Search of the Reading Bug" is an original musical play  designed to stir your audience's imagination, teach them some insect science, let them practice language skills, and be reintroduced to some great books for kids.      The usually well-informed, but often confused entomologist, Professor Nigel Netwinder, is seeking the rare and valuable Insecta Libratera - the Reading Bug. The local zoological garden will pay big bucks for a live specimen, but capturing it is going to be difficult. Seven insect habitats have sprung up nearby and each has a book near it. Perhaps this is the insects' library and they are hidden and waiting for a chance to devour the book. This must be where the Reading Bug is hiding!!      The professor enlists the audience's help to discover the title of each book and which insect is reading it. But the real fun begins when the audience and the professor get wrapped up in each insect's favorite topic! Will Professor Netwinder finally net his prize bug?      The show has insect science, insect puppets, an insect comedian, interactive songs, and a surprising ending that shows the kids that they are all Reading Bugs. Your K through fifth grade students will be dazzled by fifty minutes of energetic entertainment!!

"My First Songs" has old favorites like  "I've Been Working on the Railroad", and "The Unicorn Song", sprinkled with original songs like: "I Have to Have Ten", a counting song, "Colors, Colors", where kids show how many they know, "Seeds", which invites kids to act out the life of a plant through the seasons, and "The Undersea Library", about a magical place where sea creatures go to find a good book. There are lots of opportunities for the children to get up and move and to use egg shakers to help them practice with rhythm. For pre-K and Kindergarten "The Dragon and the Chef" is a mini-musical starring a six-foot long puppet named Edgaar, the Dragon, and Rick, as a King's chef. Rick also plays King Rupert and Sparks, the King's wizard, in a story about how Edgaar turns from a peaceful neighbor into a fire breathing menace to the Kingdom! Ratay, the King's French rat, and the Bookworm, who lives inside Sparks' book of spells, round out the cast. The audience folds paper hats to wear during the show, in their role as the townspeople. They help the Chef make pizza, dodge "fireballs" and raise a ruckus when their village is burned by the dragon, clap the beat for Edgaar's rap song, and chant along with Sparks, as he mixes a potion to try to rid the Kingdom of the fiery Edgaar. The show ends with the Chef and the Townspeople going to the library to solve Edgaar's problem, and singing the final song about Dragons and Daring Deeds.  For K through Grade 5. A reading list of books used in the show is sent ahead of time, to be distributed to students.

"Sam Gets A Clue" is the show for you if you want to highlight great children's books and encourage reading. This show will engage both kids and adults with interactive singing and audience participation. Sam cannot remember his name or who he is - amnesia! All he finds in his pockets is a small notebook with his name on itand some writing in it. So he asks the audience to help him get a clue to his identity. He starts to read the first page of the notebook aloud and the audience recognizes it as part of Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. After a quick look at the book, Sam decides that he must be a chef. But the singing recipe he makes up with the audience's help proves he is a terrible cook! However, the book does provide him with a clue, when a card with the letter "B" on it falls out. Sam and the audience have a lot more books, songs, puppets, and laughter ahead of them, before collecting and unscrambling the letters that reveal his true identity. Your audience will listen to parts of great kids' books, sing and clap along to original songs, and laugh as Sam changes costumes and jobs, thinking he is an insect biologist, a juggler in the circus, a pirate captain, a magician, and a French artist! At the end of the show, the audience will join in singing "A Clue to Who You Are", which shows kids how books can give them endless possibilities for their future. For K thorugh Grade 5.

"Exploring America" looks  at the beginnings of our new nation, and the move westward, across the continent. The Pirate sings about his life on the high seas, Johnny Appleseed plants his way toward the setting sun, and Lewis and Clark and their Corps of Discovery map out the Great Northwest. The "USA Rap" is a spirited song that describes how our country acquired the lands that became the 50 United States.

"Ready For Launch" is a show about  space and our exploration of it. Mixed in with factual information are songs of fun and fantasy: "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed the Sky"; "Birthday Cake For Aliens", where The Chef and an adult volunteer help the kids come up with a crazy recipe; and "Dancing Aliens", when four volunteers come up front to make dancing limberjack toys leap and jiggle to a rock and roll beat. The show ends with "Read Rings 'Round Your Universe", which tells how each of us can find our own personal universe in books.

"The Chef Finds A Pet" is a musical play about owning a pet and using books to learn about it.The Chef is lonely, working by himself in his kitchen all day, so he decides he needs a friend. After singing the song "Friends, Friends" with the audience, he fills out an application for an Internet site called "Find A Friend". However, the opera singer puppet he meets is too loud for him. He decides to get a pet to keep him company. The pet rock,  pet worm, and pet skunk puppets show him that things found in nature don't usually make good pets. The Chef gets a talking book puppet from his library, which teaches him about how to find a pet that is right for you. The Chef finally goes to the pet store and gets four pets. With the song, "Guess My Pet", the Chef sings clues so the audience can guess which pet is in each box. A child gets to come up front and bring out one of the pet puppets inside. The show ends with the happy Chef singing "Paws, Claws, Scales, and Tales", a song that celebrates pets. For K through Grade 5..

"Got To Be Kidding" is just meant for fun! Songs include: "Something Made Me Laugh Today", about the funny things that happen to kids, "The Land of the Lost Books", about all of the strange places that the books we check out of the library may end up, "The Echo Song, where the audience makes the echo, and a version of "Down By the Bay", during which Grizwald, the puppet, makes up rhymes for animals suggested by the kids. The finale comes when The Chef comes out to get everybody moving, as they follow his recipe for making pepperoni pizza!

For Sunday School and Church Family Celebrations: "Bible Stories in Song" engages the children with original songs like: "Setting the Bright Light Free", about God's creation of the sun, moon, and stars; "Could You Ever Believe?", about how the blind beggar's faith in Jesus' power to heal gives him sight; "Give God Many Thanks", which reminds us to thank God for our families and the wonderful world around us; and "The River of God", in which the kids use shakers to tap the rhythm and sing along to celebrate the part that water plays throughout the Old and New Testaments. The children also pretend they are the seeds that fall on good soil in Jesus' parable, and use animal puppets to sing "Rise and Shine" after the 40 days of rain have ended. This interactive performance will encourage everyone to sing along and celebrate the Christian Life! Rick also has a collection of original songs, accompanied by guitar, which are based on the Old and New Testament readings in the three-year cycle of the Lectionary. The main theme centers on following Jesus' example of compassion, and sharing His love with our neighbors in our country and around the world. The songs range from introspective solo pieces to upbeat audience sing-alongs.

To contact Rick about scheduling a performance or to get more information, please: e-mail to - wate6585@zoominternet.net or call - 410 658 2509

Upcoming Performance Schedule                                                   December 4, 2009    Greenwood E.S.   Kennett Square, PA   9:00 to 11:30 a.m.                                                   Ready for Reading - first classroom visits                    December 18, 2009   Greenwood E.S.   Kennett Square, PA   9:00 to 11:30 a.m.                                                   Ready for Reading - second classroom visits                    December 21, 2009   Greenwood E.S.   Kennett Square, PA   9:30 a.m.                                                   Ready for Reading Assembly                               January 13, 2010      Corbit-Calloway Memorial Library   Odessa, DE   11:00 a.m.                                                   "Little Show for Little People" - interactive songs and puppets                                  February 5, 2010       Brader E.S.   Newark, DE   9:00 to 11:30 a.m.                                                  Ready for Reading - first classroom visits                   February 19, 2010     Brader E.S.   Newark, DE   9:00 to 11:30 a.m.                                                  Ready for Reading - second classroom visits                   Marcxh 5, 2010        Brader E.S.   Newark, DE   1:00 p.m.                                                  Ready for Reading Assembly                   March 25, 2010        Conowingo E.S.   Conowingo, MD   8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.                                                   Multi-Cultural Day - Puppets and Storytelling   and                                                   Newark United Methodist Preschool   Newark, DE   7:00 p.m.                                                 "Spring Fling".                   April 21, 2010          Middletown H.S.   Middletown, DE   10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.                                                 Cedar Lane Early Childhood Center presents:"Sing Along with                                                 Rick Waterhouse" - interactive songs, puppets, characters,                                                 and children's books.

PAST PERFORMANCES For Children: 2009  Performed "Sam Gets Creative at the Library" for Summer Library programs in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.. 2008  Performed "In Search of the Reading Bug" for Summer Library programs in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. 2008 Presented Ready for Reading program at schools in Delaware and Maryland. 2007 Performed "Sam Gets A Clue" for the Summer Library programs in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. 2007 Performed for Newark Parks and Recreation's Spring Concert Series in Newark, Delaware. 2007 Presented Ready For Reading program at schools in Delaware and Maryland. 2006 Performed "The Chef Finds A Pet" at Camp Sunnybrook for the Visually Impaired. 2006 Performed "The Chef Finds A Pet" for the Delaware Division of Libraries' Summer Library Program at all Delaware public libraries and libraries in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 2005 Performed "The Dragon and the Chef" at Camp Sunnybrook for the Visually Impaired and at the Dover Air Force Base Library. 2005 Perfomed "The Dragon and the Chef" for the Delaware Division of Libraries' Summer Library Program at all Delaware public libraries and at libraries in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 2004-2008 Performed benefit concert to raise funds for Heifer, International. 2000-06 Performed for "Running Start" program at Downes Elementary School, Newark, DE. 2001-02 and 2007 Performed free concerts for Fair Hill Nature and Environmental Center, Elkton, MD. 2001 Performed "Read Rings 'Round Your Universe" shows for the Delaware Division of Libraries' Summer Library Program at all Delaware public libraries. 2000 Performed "Libraries: Your Passport to the World" shows for the Delaware Division of Libraries' Summer Library Program  at all Delaware public libraries. 2000 Performed "Children's Games and Songs" show at Longwood Gardens' Children's Spring Festival, Kennett Square, PA. For Adults: 2003- 09 Presented original anthems for weekly services at St. Mary-Anne's Church, North East, MD. 1998 -2008 Performed Christmas carols in Victorian costume with The Yuletide Singers, Longwood Gardens, Kennett, PA 2000 -2006 Performed folk music and original songs, monthly, at The North Elk Coffee House, North East, MD.

Some of Rick's Handmade Puppets

Copyright (C) 2009 R. Waterhou