Bots! Production Kit
$395.00
Welcome to the BOTS Robotics Competition where teams and their (singing and dancing) robots are all vying for the top prize! Amidst the coding, building, and fierce competition, two members from rival teams befriend one another and throw everything off-balance. Will their collaborative spirit sabotage their teams’ chances of winning? This STEM musical invites humans and robots alike to discover the power of technology and teamwork!
Run-Time: 45 minutes
Age: Upper Elementary/Middle School
Cast Size: 24+
Themes: Collaboration, Teamwork
Listen to the full show!
The All-Inclusive Production Kit
Every Beat by Beat musical comes with a digital Production Kit that provides everything you need to produce the show at one simple, affordable price.
Actor Book
The script the actors use. Clear, simple and professionally formatted to make your rehearsals run without a hitch. (PDF Download)
Director Book
A comprehensive guide to casting, sets, props and costumes. Plus the entire script with margin notes on how to direct the actors, when to press "play" for each music cue, and a blank stage to keep track of your blocking.
Piano-Vocal Sheet Music
Professionally arranged piano-vocal sheet music of every song in an easy-to-read format with dialogue cues. Perfectly matches the accompaniment tracks.
Vocal Tracks
Vocal recordings of the main songs in the show to help your actors arrive at rehearsal full prepared. (MP3 Download)
Accompaniment Tracks
Professionally orchestrated instrumental tracks of every song that the actors can perform along with during the show. Recorded by live, award-winning musicians to give every performance a visceral, authentic feel. Includes incidental and scene change music. Perfectly matches the Piano-Vocal Score to make rehearsals run without a hitch (MP3 Download)
Logo Pack
Attract audiences and sponsors with eye-catching logos on posters, programs, t-shirts and advertising. No restrictions on use.
Copy License
Permission to duplicate/print-on-demand as many copies of the above materials as needed for your entire cast and crew throughout the duration of the show.
Video Recording License
Legally record and share your production online, through DVD sales, or streaming, worry-free.
The resources above are conveniently provided through an online dashboard as downloads that you can access throughout your production.
We believe in clear, upfront pricing.
We know the importance of being able to confidently budget before choosing a show to produce. You’ll find the cost of our Production Kits to be about half the price of large publishers. Please we never charge extra for the things you need (logos, video license, etc.)
School Pricing
Accredited elementary and middle-schools.-
Digital Production Kit
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Unlimited performing rights for a 1-year period
Standard Pricing
All other organizations.-
Digital Production Kit
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$100/per performance royalty
Actor Book: The script the actors use. Clear, simple and professionally formatted to help give your actors a true theatre experience. The vocal sheet music is seamlessly integrated into the script to make your rehearsals run without a hitch. (PDF Download)
Director Book: A comprehensive guide to casting, sets, props and costumes. Plus the entire script with embedded notes on directing, choreography and music cues throughout. On the bottom of each page is a blank stage template for you to keep track of your blocking. (PDF Download)
Piano-Vocal Score: Professionally arranged Piano-Vocal Sheet music of the entire show in an easy to read format with script cues. Perfectly matches the Accompaniment Recordings. (PDF Download)
Vocal Tracks: The vocal recordings let your actors enjoy learning, practicing and perfecting the show’s songs with professional New York City performers as their guide. This allows your actors to arrive at rehearsals fully prepared. (MP3 Download)
Accompaniment Tracks: Also known as backing or karaoke tracks. All the instrumental music that actors can perform along with during the show. Professionally orchestrated to sound just like a Broadway orchestra. Includes sounds effects and scene change music. Music Cues in the Director Book tell you when to press “play”. (MP3 Download)
Logo Pack: Attract audiences and sponsors with professional logos on posters, programs, handbills, and advertising. Show logos are provided in multiple digital formats. You’re allowed to use them in any way you wish, including on cast t-shirts! (JPEG and PNG Download)
Copy License: No more wondering, “Did I order enough scripts for everyone?” The Copy License gives you the flexibility to copy and print as many scripts as you need for your entire cast and crew throughout the duration of your production. (PDF Download)
Video Recording License: The video recording license takes the “worry” out of turning your stage production into sharable videos. You can legally video record your production, upload it to YouTube, stream your production, or share it with your cast – so long as it’s being used for non-commercial purposes. (PDF Download)
Synopsis
Synopsis
Book by Jessica Penzias
Lyrics by Christyn Budzyna
Music by Denver Casado
We’re welcomed to the BOTS Robotics Competition, as two MCs introduce the teams, the rules of the game, and the big prize: funding for the winning school’s robotics program for a full year! We meet the competitors and their robots, including: the Robo Warriors (the reigning champs), the Circuit Breakers (last year’s bitter runners up), and the Byting Bulldogs (a nervous rookie team from a low-income school). When the robots go out for their practice run, the Byting Bulldogs’ little robot, Bulldog, malfunctions (GEARING UP FOR GLORY).
The Byting Bulldogs try desperately to fix their bot. With limited funding, they need the prize money, otherwise they can’t have a team next year. When the youngest, least experienced member of the team, Bailey, suggests they ask for help, the Byting Bulldogs insist that they can’t show any vulnerability; afterall, they’re the underdogs and they don’t want everyone to laugh at them (UNDERDOGS). The Bulldogs get to work de-bugging their busted machine, and they send Bailey away to sort parts.
While sorting parts, Bailey meets Shawn, a member of the Robo Warriors team. They bond over their love of robotics and Bailey admits that she’s sad her team won’t let her help – she’s always wanted to be an inventor and is desperate to bring something new into existence (WITH MY OWN TWO HANDS).
The MCs announce the first match and explain the rules of the game, which includes a golden ring suspended above the field, worth 10 bonus points. In this round, the Byting Bulldogs are paired with the Circuit Breakers for a 2-on-2 robotics match against two other teams. Things are looking good for tiny, little Bulldog, until she tries to pick up some balls and they’re too heavy for her. Even worse, a lag in Bulldog’s code causes her to get in the way of the Circuit Breakers’ robot, Breaker. Outmatched by the other teams, they lose (THE FIRST MATCH).
The Circuit Breakers can’t believe their bad luck! They always wind up in second place, and they are totally sick of it (SECOND PLACE). The cranky Circuit Breakers call Bulldog a “flimsy, little robot” and encourage the Byting Bulldogs to quit the competition. When everyone leaves for lunch, Bailey stays behind, determined to get her team out of this mess.
While trying to fix Bulldog, Bailey meets the rest of the Robo Warriors team. Bailey’s a big fan and happily listens as they brag about their prowess and their incredible bot, Robo (HASHTAG BLESSED).
When his team leaves to take more selfies, Shawn stays behind with Bailey. Together, they realize that the Robo Warriors burned out their motor in the first match. Bailey lends Shawn the Byting Bulldogs’ spare motor and helps him install it – after all, it’d be a shame if they couldn’t compete. Shawn reciprocates by helping Bailey fix Bulldog’s code (LEND A HELPING HAND).
While the Robo Warriors compete with their new spare motor off-stage, the Byting Bulldogs discover it’s missing. They turn on Bailey and criticize her for helping their competitors. They exit to play their final match, leaving a devastated Bailey behind (WITH MY OWN TWO HANDS REPRISE). When the Byting Bulldogs realize that Bulldog is fixed, they come back to apologize, but Bailey is gone.
The MCs introduce the final round, in which the top teams will choose their partners. Then they share the rankings: the Robo Warriors are ranked first and the Byting Bulldogs are ranked last.
When the MCs invite the Robo Warriors to pick their partner for the finals, Shawn encourages his team to choose The Byting Bulldogs, revealing the fact that Bailey lent them a motor. Convinced, the Robo Warriors select the Byting Bulldogs (LEND A HELPING HAND REPRISE). Shawn is eager to share the good news with Bailey, but nobody knows where she is! Shawn rushes out of the auditorium to look for her.
The robots excitedly gear up for the final round of the competition, as the finalists face off in a robot rap battle and Bulldog promises to stay out of the Robo’s way in the final round (GEARING UP FOR GLORY REPRISE).
The match begins and Robo does all of the shooting while Bulldog sits in a corner. Soon, Breaker and her partner start dominating the match. If Robo and Bulldog want to win, they’re going to need the elusive bonus points. Robo reaches his arms up to grab the ring, but it’s too high. At that moment, Bailey and Shawn burst back into the gymnasium. The Byting Bulldogs pass Bailey the remote controller, and Bulldog speeds over to Robo. Since Bulldog is so light, Robo is able to lift the “flimsy little” Bulldog up in the air. Bulldog grabs the ring and they get the ten bonus points to win the game and the scholarship! (THE FINAL MATCH)
Everyone reflects on the power of teamwork and finding strength in unlikely places (LEND A HELPING HAND FINALE).
Casting
Casting
Robots
Bulldog
Robo
Breaker
Tinker
Giga
Robot Ensemble (optional/flexible)
The MCs/ Referees
MC Aubrey
MC Mickey
The Byting Bulldogs
Bailey
Cory
Taylor
Riley
Morgan
Mr./Ms. Duff
Byting Bulldogs Ensemble (optional/flexible)
The Robo Warriors
Shawn
Kylar
Perry
Landry
Frankie
Ms./Mr. Orrico
Robo Warriors Ensemble (optional/flexible)
The Circuit Breakers
Quinn
Mason
Casey
Finly
Mr./Ms. Kohlman
Circuit Breakers Ensemble (optional/flexible)
Videos
Videos
Denver Casado introduces the show.
Jen A. – MAUSD Expanded Learning Program (Bristol, VT) –
The summer camp program that I work with decided last year that they wanted to do a STEAM collaborative musical and challenged me to find a show about Robots/robotics with the intent of collaborating with our robotics ed team. What were the odds that someone had indeed written that musical and that it was AWESOME!!? Having already directed BBB musicals multiple times, I knew to check with you first and you did not disappoint. I made the plan to do this BOTS! thing, started putting the background producing plugs in place and didn’t really look at it or think about it again until about a month before the camp started.
When COVID hit, I assumed that our musical was doomed, but the camp director insisted that we would carry on. She wanted us to create the show as a film. There would be four ‘pods’ of performers, each with their own directors, that would never be together in person. Students would be recorded individually singing their parts and we would meld it all together. We were in our pods for six weeks solid 7:30am-5:30pm, all working on every aspect of the show without ever seeing the other pods in person.
Many, many times over the course of those weeks I marveled at the fact that we had found a show that was about the topic we needed AND was already divided into teams that did not need to see each other. The Robo Warriors were 6th graders who were all together, Bulldogs were 4-5th grades, and Circuit Breakers were 3rd graders (which was hilarious). The fourth pod was our techie crew who also made guest star appearances as the Giga Bits. Over the course of the camp, the teams would send sassy videos back and forth, and challenged each other to real robotics competitions. Up to the very last minute, you could hear the BOTS! music playing throughout the building. We all had it stuck in our heads!
We were able to have a choreographer Zoom in to all of the classrooms at the same time and teach the choreo which we were able to record and use over and over. It was the best ever!!! We could mute our classes so she didn’t have to hear all the talking. Yay!!
In the end our film was showcased as a huge drive-in movie event. Families could sit in their cars or distanced on the grass which made a space bigger than the theater. It was amazing to hear the rippling applause and laughter across the parking lot. Our community needed this and Beat by Beat provided the perfect way to bring us together. We learned a lot about theater, movie making, robotics, and hygiene this summer.
Thank you for creating shows that kids relate to, that is accessible and fun vocally, for always making sure that there are plenty of roles all with names, that the music is varied, and for your masterful ability to make things both funny and touching. I can’t wait to direct my next BBB show- hopefully in person with everyone in the room together.