| Johnny and the Sprites | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Format | Children's television series |
| Created by | John Tartaglia |
| Starring | John Tartaglia |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 26 half hours and 5 short-subject "pilots" |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | John Tartaglia |
| Running time | 5 minutes / 30 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Disney Channel |
| Original run | October 9, 2005 – January 4, 2009 |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
Johnny and the Sprites is a musical television show aimed for preschoolers that airs every weekend on the "Playhouse Disney" program of The Disney Channel. The show was created for, is produced by, and stars John Tartaglia (of Avenue Q fame). The show's theme song was written by Stephen Schwartz. Each episode of the show features a musical number, many of which are written by various notable Broadway composers such as Gary Adler, Bobby Lopez, Laurence O'Keefe, Michael Patrick Walker, and others. The Sprites and all of the other creatures that inhabit Johnny's world were designed by Michael Schupbach. The set was designed by Laura Brock.
The show premiered on October 9, 2005 with five 5-minute-long episodes, which continually play on The Disney Channel's programming. However, due to extremely positive audience reaction, the show was renewed for thirteen half-hour shows for 2007. The current episodes can also be viewed on the Disney Channel's official website. The show was then renewed for a second season of half-hour episodes, which were filmed in Fall 2007 at Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, New York City. The second season premiered Saturday, Jan. 19, 2008.
The show follows Johnny T (Tartaglia), a song writer who moves into a house given to him by his great-uncle. There, he discovers little magical creatures (brought to life through puppetry) called "sprites," who introduce him to their fantasy world. In return, Johnny shows the sprites, named Ginger (Leslie Carrara-Rudolph), Basil (Tim Lagasse), Lily (Carmen Osbahr) and Root (Heather Asch) what it is to be human, teaching them (and the viewer) an important lesson through song, dance, and entertainment.
In October 2007 Disney/MGM Studios presented a live version of the show as part of their Playhouse Disney in Concert series.[1] .
In the Spanish dubbed version of the program, Johnny's voice is dubbed by the host of Playhouse Disney Latin America, Diego Topa.
Contents |
Johnny and the Sprites premiered as a full twenty-five
minute series on January 13, 2007
at 10 A.M. eastern. The series features more elaborate sets, such
as a reflecting pond and the Sprites' home in Grotto's Grove. Three
new Sprites have also been added - Lily, the water Sprite (played
by Carmen
Osbahr), Root, "a budding earth Sprite," (played by Heather
Asch) and Sage, the wisest of the Sprites (also played by
Tartaglia). Natalie Venetia Belcon (who,
along with fellow cast member John Tartaglia also had a role on
Avenue Q) plays Gwen, a recurring character who, as a running gag, holds a
different occupation in each episode. She always explains that "you
never know what you can do, until you try on something new!"
Johnny's sister Tina (Sutton Foster) has also appeared.
Each show consists of two 10-minute mini episodes. Each half hour
also features the song "Heads Up!" (Music and Lyrics by Gary Adler and Phoebe
Kreutz) performed by Johnny, Lily, Root, Ginger, and Basil in
between the two 10-minute episodes.
Season 1 (2007)
Turbo-Car Johnny/Ginger's Antenna
Dilemma
- Johnny gets a new video
game and starts playing it constantly, ignoring the Sprites.
Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Then, after seeing her
Antennae in a picture, Ginger thinks they're too curly and becomes
self-conscious. Music and Lyrics by Mark Hollmann. (Originally aired January
13, 2007)
Root's Dadoots/The Rare
Nospotalotacus
-While Johnny struggles on a new song, Root gets the dadoots (the
Sprite hiccups). The Sprites do their best to help them, but
Johnny, however, finds a way to bring his song together by
integrating Root's dadoots. "What A Surprise!" Music and Lyrics by
Gary Adler. Then,
after Johnny and Lily hear the call of the endangered
nospotalotacus, the sprites realize they need to get it out of
Johnny's garden and to Grotto's Grove right away. They discover
that teamwork is the best solution. Music and Lyrics by Mark Hollmann.
(Originally aired January 14, 2007)
Johnny’s Sister
Tina/Spritesgiving!
-Johnny's sister Tina (Sutton Foster) visits and he explains to
the Sprites what a sister is. Music and Lyrics by Gary Adler. Later on,
it's Spritesgiving and Basil is put in charge of the feast but when
all the plants get the Forgetful Fungus, will they have to put the
feast on hold? "A Fungus Among Us" Music and Lyrics by Michael Patrick Walker.
(Originally aired January 20, 2007)
The Sprites and the What?!/Doctor
Basil
-Johnny is cooking dinner for Gwen, but then misplaces his
colander. In reality, Seymour finds it and the Sprites come up with
many creative uses for it. Music and Lyrics by Gary Adler and Phoebe
Kreutz. Then, when Johnny gets a bad cold, Basil decides to take
care of him. He tries out various remedies without success, but
finally discovers something very important that he forgot to do.
Music and Lyrics by Billy Lopez and Bobby Lopez. (Originally aired January 27,
2007)
Ginger Listens/Aloha Johnny
-When Ginger temporarily loses her ability to speak because she has
run out of words for the day, she begins to realize the importance
of listening. "Stop and Listen" Music and Lyrics by Ryan Cunningham
and Joshua Salzman. Then, when Johnny gets a letter from his older
sister Lina inviting him to spend a week in Hawaii, he makes
immediate plans to visit, which causes the Sprites to think he's
leaving forever. Music and lyrics by Zina Goldrich and Marcy Heisler.
(Originally aired February 3, 2007)
Seymour's Guest/Root of Passage
-Russel, a 'Schwombat' from Australia and Seymour's cousin, visits,
but his nocturnal nature keeps Johnny and the Sprites up at night.
They have to learn to get along despite their differences. "Git
Along Little Sprites" music and lyrics by Michael Patrick Walker. Then,
Root is old enough to walk through the portal all by himself. He
chooses Johnny to be his friend at the end - will Root make it or
be too scared? "Through the Portal" Music and lyrics by David
Kirshenbaum. (Originally aired February 10, 2007)
The Sprites Sleepover/Seymour the
Sleuth
-The Sprites have a sleepover at Johnny's house, but they can't
sleep because things are so different back in The Grove where they
normally sleep. "Feelin' 'Grove'-y" music and lyrics by Michael Patrick Walker. Then,
watermelons go missing from Johnny's garden and Seymour unravels
the mystery with the help of Johnny and the Sprites. "Seymour the
Sleuth" Music and Lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe.
(Originally Aired February 17, 2007)
Spring Tuning/Where's the Water,
Lily?
-When the Sprites find out that the "Spring Tuners" can't come to
the grove to "wake up the earth", they ask Johnny to substitute.
-"Time To Wake Up" Music and Lyrics by Gary Adler,When Johnny gets a new water
fountain, water begins to disappear from the grove. Lily learns
that there is a reason for everything. "Reason and Rhyme" Music and
Lyrics by Michael Patrick Walker.
(Originally Aired March 17, 2007)
Ginger and the Shell/Fuzzies' Day
Off
"The Hardest Thing To Do", Music and Lyrics by Benj
Pasek and Justin
Paul. "Fuzzies' Frug", Music and Lyrics by Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker.
(Originally Aired April 20, 2007)
Basil's Band/The Sprites Rule
-Basil discovers something about making promises - and keeping them
- when he joins a band and forgets about all of his friends.
Features a cameo appearance by the cast of the Off-Broadway hit
Altar Boyz.
"That's What Friends Do" Music and Lyrics by Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker. The
Sprites decide to make rules to keep the Grove running smoothly.
"Rules are Made for a Reason" Music and lyrics by Zina Goldrich and
Marcy Heisler.
(Originally Aired May 19, 2007)
Ginger's Grounded/Baby Johnny
When Ginger injures her wing, the Sprites have to find a way to
spread Spoffle (sprite plant food) over all of the plants in
Grotto's Grove. "No Spoffle", Music and Lyrics by Gary Adler. And when
Johnny wishes he could be a baby for just one day, the Sprites
learn about taking care of others. "Sleepytime Lullaby", Music and
lyrics by Zina
Goldrich and Marcy Heisler. (Originally Aired July 21,
2007)
Laugh Sprites, laugh/Hola Lily
"It's A Funny Thing", Music and lyrics by David Kirshenbaum. "So
Many Ways To Say 'Hello'", Music and Lyrics by Gary Adler and Phoebe
Kreutz. (Originally Aired September 15, 2007)
Very Spritely Holiday/Sprites Snow
Day
"Brightly Shining", Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. "Til You
Try Out Something New", Music and Lyrics by Ryan Cunningham
and Joshua Salzman. (Originally Aired December 1, 2007)
Season 2 (2008)
Gwen Meets The Sprites/A Biddow For
Root
When a spell goes wrong, Gwen begins to turn into a bunny. She
meets the Sprites later, after the spell is broken. "A New Friend",
Music and Lyrics by Michael Patrick Walker. Lily
tries to clean Root's favorite pillow (his "biddow") but mistakenly
ruins it. "Not My Biddow", Music and Lyrics by Benj
Pasek and Justin
Paul. (Originally Aired January 19, 2008)
The Bridge Troll/This Is Your Life,
Johnny!
On their way to a picnic, Johnny, the Sprites and Gwen encounter a
Bridge Troll (Christian Borle). "A Good Song!", Music
and Lyrics by Michael Patrick Walker. Ginger
gets stage fright during a play in honor of Johnny's birthday.
"Give It A Try", Music and Lyrics by Zina Goldrich and Marcy Heisler.
(Originally Aired January 26, 2008)
Johnny the Mud Troll/Helpful
Basil
Ginger mistakenly turns Johnny into a Mud Troll. "Bad Day To Be A
Mud Troll", Music and Lyrics by Gary Adler and Phoebe Kreutz. Basil loses
the key to his helpful hints book. "I Believe In You, Basil", Music
and Lyrics by Michael Patrick Walker.
(Originally Aired February 2, 2008)
Johnny and the Love Bug/The Twenty-Foot
Root
Lily makes a love bug for Valentine's Day. "You Make My Heart Go
'Hop'", Music and Lyrics by Gary Adler and Phoebe Kreutz. Tired of being
too small, Root makes himself grow. "The Right Size", Music and
Lyrics by Gary Adler
and Phoebe Kreutz. (Originally Aired February 9, 2008)
The Sprites Plan a Party/Basil and the Magic
Watermelon
The Sprites plan a surprise party for Johnny. "It's Party Time",
Music and Lyrics by Ryan Cunningham and Joshua Salzman.
Basil and Root search for the magic watermelon of great weight so
that the Fuzzies will stop floating away. "Never Give Up!", Music
and Lyrics by Michael Patrick Walker.
(Originally Aired February 16, 2008)
Root and the Tickle Troll/Ginger Goes for the
Glory
While waiting for Johnny to come home, the Sprites think a Tickle
Troll is outside Johnny's house. "The Tickle Troll", Music and
Lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. When Ginger tries to break the
flying record she gets help from an unexpected source. "I Can Do
It!", Music and Lyrics by Ryan Cunningham and Joshua Salzman.
(Originally Aired February 23, 2008)
Lily's Hair/Ginger and the Cloud
Lily asks Root to make her hair grow longer. "A Brand New 'Do",
Music and Lyrics by Carmel Dean and Mariana Elder. While flying,
Ginger makes friends with a playful cloud. "Playing in the Air!",
Music and Lyrics by Mark Hollmann. (Originally Aired March 1,
2008)
A Johnny for Everyone/Lily and the Frog
Princess
When Basil, Lily and Ginger each want to do something different
with Johnny, they cast a spell to turn one Johnny into three. "Play
With Me", Music and Lyrics by Michael Patrick Walker. Lily
turns her pet frog, Francesca, into a princess (Ann Sanders). "I Wanna
Be Me", Music and Lyrics by Michael Kosarin and Jim Luigs.
(Originally Aired March 8, 2008)
Johnny's Not Invited/Basil and the
Beanstalk
The Queen of all Magical Beings (Chita Rivera) visits the Grove, but only
invites magical beings to her party. "Welcome to Grotto's Grove",
Music and Lyrics by Michael Patrick Walker. Basil
climbs a giant beanstalk and picks the giant vegetables he finds
growing there, but they belong to a hungry giant (Paul Vogt). "My Lucky Day",
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sislen and Alisa Klein. (Originally
Aired March 15, 2008)
The Sprites Save Grotto's Grove/Seymour's New
Home
When a pushy real estate developer (Ann Harada) wants to build a hotel in
Johnny's back yard, the Sprites and Johnny must stop her.
"Everything Must Go", Music and Lyrics by Larry O'Keefe. When a log
blocks the entrance to Seymour's burrow, Johnny helps him find a
new home. "Home Sweet Home Sweet Home", Music and Lyrics by Michael Patrick Walker.
(Originally Aired March 22, 2008)
Johnny and the Sprites Shrink/Johnny's Gotta
Dance
An "uh-oh" berry makes Johnny and the Sprites shrink. "A Giant
World", Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Lily tries
to make Johnny a better dancer by casting a spell on his shoes.
"Dancin' Feet", Music and Lyrics by Zina Goldrich and Marcy Heisler.
(Originally Aired March 29, 2008)
Johnny's Troll Trouble/Basil the
Dogsitter
Things are all set for Root's birthday party until a "Make-A-Mess"
Troll (Christopher Sieber)shows up. "Follow
Me!", Music and Lyrics by Michael Patrick Walker. Basil
can't find the little dog he said he would watch. "I Will Find
You", Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. (Originally Aired April 4,
2008)
Johnny Helps Mother Nature/The Sprites Grow A
Rainbow
The Sprites must play host to a visiting Mother Nature (Angie
Radosh). "Clean and Green!", Music and Lyrics by Michael Patrick Walker. Color
worms remove the color from the Grove. "All Because of You and Me",
Music and Lyrics by David Kirshenbaum. (Originally Aired April 19,
2008)
Who's on First? - Ginger wants Johnny to play ball, but Basil wants Johnny to read his favorite book. Johnny finds a fun, musical way to show the Sprites that taking turns is the way to go! "One Good Turn", Music and Lyrics by Michael Patrick Walker.
Laugh, Basil, Laugh - When Basil comes down with a cold, Johnny discovers the way to make any Sprite feel better is to make him (or her) laugh. They try singing, dancing and it doesn't work, until finally Johnny does some Yoga poses and it makes Basil laugh. But, oh dear! It looks like Ginger has caught his cold! "Make Someone Laugh", Music and Lyrics by Gary Adler.
Leave a little Lettuce - When Seymour the Schmole takes all of the lettuce in Johnny's Garden, Ginger sings a song to demonstrate the advantages of sharing. "Leave A Little Lettuce", Music and Lyrics by Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich.
Yes You Can! - Basil has lost another flying contest to Ginger, and he's feeling pretty low. Then Johnny (and Ginger) help him remember all the great things he can do. "The Things You Can Do", Music and Lyrics by Gary Adler.
Waiting for the Stars - Ginger and Basil are about to see the stars for the very first time, but they just can't wait...literally. It takes all of Johnny's patience and a special song, to convince them that sometimes, wonderful things are worth the wait! "Waiting For The Stars", Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.
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| | Multichannel News Article - 'Johnny:' It's Sprite Time - 2006-12-02 00:04:00 | Multichannel News |
| | Children's TV taps Broadway talent - Children's TV taps Broadway talent - Entertainment News, TV News, Media - Variety |
| | Pittsburgh-based director adds producer duties for 'Sprites' - Tuned In: Pittsburgh-based director adds producer duties for 'Sprites' |
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