Featuring songs from our 2007-2008 performance Seasons
Click HERE for a list of the songs

Official Release Date:  November 10, 2007

For the past 3 years, Monica Flynn (Executive Director of WCTDC) and Kevin M Reese (playwright and composer of many of the shows presented by WCT) have talked about producing a CD that would contain songs from shows they have produced onstage.  The idea was to have a CD that kids (and parents) could buy-- at a reasonable cost so everyone could afford it.  In 2006, the decision was made to begin work on the CD.

There was never any doubt who the singers would be.  The four members of the Once Upon a Time Players (Nancy Bogard, Barbara Schoenhofer, Kyle Vespestad, and Monte Wheeler) were the only ones considered by Flynn and Reese.  Over the years they have performed most of Kevin's plays (usually more than once) and are considered by him to be experts on his shows.

To decide which songs needed to be recorded (there are over 250 songs to consider in KMR Scripts' shows) we asked the actors which songs consistently get the most response from kids (and parents).  We also asked the actors which songs were their personal favorites to sing.  The list of 60 songs was then narrowed down to 20.  We decided to concentrate on songs that will be heard during WCT's 2007-2008 Once Upon a Time season.

In August, we brought the singers to Kevin M Reese's studio, KMR Studio, and over the course of about a month, laid down the vocal tracks of the songs, using the actual accompaniment instrumental tracks that are used for the live theatre shows. 

September and the first two weeks of October were spent mixing and engineering (adjusting balances, FX, etc) the songs in the studio.  By October 12, the Master was sent to the replication company (the CDs are commercially pressed -- not burned on a computer) and we just waited for the word that our finished CDs were being sent to us.

We wanted to keep the purchase price at $10.00 to stay inline with other merchandise we sell.  The CD is a fund raiser-- but we want as many people as possible to be able to buy it.  We think the 20 songs, which run just over 43 minutes, is a great deal.

Some interesting facts:

• All the songs were recorded at KMR Studio in Valley Center, KS during August of 2007.

• The singers were in the studio for a total of approximately 20 hours.  Sometimes it was all of them, sometimes it was just one of them working on solos.

• The instrumental tracks you'll hear on the CD are the exact same ones you'll hear the actors singing to during their live performances of the plays.

• Not counting the planning involved, it took about 3 months of work (recording, mixing, manufacturing) to produce the CD.

About the Singers

Barb Schoenhofer
Barb is a native Wichitan who left in 1987 to perform in theatres all over the country, including 4 national tours.  She returned to Wichita in 1993 and has since performed in almost every theatre in town.  She has also performed regularly at Lyric Theatre in OKC.  Barb has been performing and choreographing for WCT since 1994 and is now also their costumer.  Her favorite children's show is THE THREE BILLY GOATS GRUFF.  Her favorite children's theatre song to sing is Life is More Than Fate from LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD. Her favorite thing about performing in children's theatre shows is making kids smile and hopefully teaching them a lesson in life that will stay with them forever.

CD Contents

From: LITTLE RED HEN
    1. We're Awake (All) [0:59]
    2. I'm too Busy (Barbara, Kyle, Monte) [1:44]
    3. Baking Song (Nancy)  [1:29]
    4. Teamwork (All)  [1:33]

From: THE THREE LITTLE KITTENS
    5. We R the Kittens (All)  [2:50]
    6. Kitty Litter (Barbara, Kyle, Monte)  [1:21]
    7. Catnip (All)  [2:23]
    8. Time Outs (Barbara, Monte, Kyle)  [2:38]

From: TOY LAND
    9. Toy Land (Kyle, All)  [1:31]
   10. Biggest Kid in the World (Kyle, Nancy)  [1:30]

From: LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD
   11. More than Fate (Barbara)  [1:15]
   12. Food (Kyle)  [1:39]

From: GOLDILOCKS & THE THREE BEARS
   13. Walking Through the Forest (Nancy, Kyle, Monte)  [1:06]
   14. Clean-up Rap (Barbara, Kyle)  [2:20]
   15. Someone's Been Eating My Porridge
          (Monte, Nancy, Kyle) [2:06]

From: WIZARD OF OZ
   16. Scaredy Cat (Monte)  [1:36]

From: PINOCCHIO
   17. Let's Have Some Fun (Kyle, Nancy, Monte)  [1:16]

From: THAT CHICKEN LITTLE HENNY PENNY
   18. Wonderful Day (Barbara)  [1:32]
   19. No-Peek Chicken (Kyle)  [1:21]

Bonus Favorite:
   20. Once Upon a Time (All)  [0:59]