Barney's Musical Castle is is a stage show that was directed and choreographed by Penny Wilson, written by Evan Viola with songs in the show written by various individuals. It was the second national stage show tour (after Barney's Big Surprise) based on the American live-action educational children's television series Barney & Friends. The show made its world premiere on September 15, 1999 at Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas.[1]
Produced by Lyrick unit Leach Productions, the show toured in North America until 2001 and was nationally sponsored by Luvs.[2] The show was announced to play in eighty cities over the course of the original run. During the show's original run, it drew more than nine hundred ten thousand attendees to two hundred forty-three performances and saw $17.5 million in ticket grosses.[2] Following North America, It was later performed in Asia in 2005, moving to the Middle East in 2006, Chile in 2006, and San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2007. A portion of the proceeds from the tour benefited the National Children’s Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating child abuse.[3]
On March 6, 2001. Barney's Musical Castle was released on home video having the show filmed at the Rosemont Theater in Rosemont, Illinois in March 2000.
The Barney Doll sitting in a sandbox before the show.
The show opens with a Barney plush doll sitting in a sandbox. The announcer announces that this show is made possible by the audience’s imagination. As the music builds up, the Barney plush in the sandbox is pulled behind the curtains with a bigger castle coming onto the stage. During the transition, the “Barney Theme Song” builds and erupts, in which Barney jumps through the castle opening, waving and greeting the audience as he skips around on stage. Seeing the audience makes Barney want to sing, leading into the “Musical Castle Sing-Along Medley”.
Barney posing in front of the sandcastle.
After the medley, four children run onto the stage by the names of Penny, Andy, Jessica and Justin, in which Barney introduces to the audience. Wondering what they were doing, the children tell Barney that they were making flags for their sandcastle until a big sign with a castle and legs came by. Andy concludes that the sign possibly wanted to lead them to a real castle. The children then exclaim that they’d like to visit a castle, in which Barney tells them that they have to use their imaginations, leading into the song “Castles So High”. After the song, Barney and the children see The Sign again, and figure out how to communicate with it. After learning how to communicate with The Sign, Barney and the children learn that The Sign wants Barney and the children to follow it, as it will lead them through an enchanted forest and lead them to a real castle.
The gang follows the sign to the enchanted forest, where they notice pretty flowers, queuing the song “What Makes a Flower So Pretty”. During the song, dancing flowers come out on stage and then leave as the song ends. After the song, Barney and the children hear Baby Bop, who was hiding in the flowers. She comes out, greets the audience and then wonders what they’re doing in the enchanted forest. Learning that they’re going to a real castle, Baby Bop decides to join them. After Baby Bop sings “Look at Me, I’m Three”, The Sign shows everyone that the king lost his crown. Barney concludes that The Sign brought them along, so they could return the crown to the king. Soon the sun comes out, and the path to the castle is gone. BJ comes out and declares that they can count on him to help find the path again, leading into the song “You Can Count on Me”. After the song, Jessica shows BJ The King’s crown. BJ notices a note inside the crown that Barney reads. The note tells them to ask the bunny, fox and bear to help them find the path. When finished reading the note, a bunny, fox and bear comes out on stage, leading into the song “Here in the Forest”, with the addition of a skunk appearing later in the song. During the song, the animals help to make a new path, however everyone has to sing one more song to make the path entirely clear, which leads into “And the Green Grass Grows All Around”.
Barney, Baby Bop, BJ and the kids with the Guard, taken from the book.
The path is cleared after the song and Baby Bop and Jessica decide to take turns carrying The King’s crown. As they go down the path, they all sing “It’s a Great Day”. After the song, The Sign comes along to tell them that they’re close to the castle. Upon arriving at the castle, they notice The Guard is sleeping. With the audience’s help, they wake up the guard. When the guard wakes up, Barney asks if he could open the door. The Guard tells them that the door is locked and a special song will need to be sung in order to have it opened. They figure out that the song to sing is “If You’re Happy and You Know It” and after the song, the door opens. Due to the door opening slowly, it leads into intermission.
Act 2
After intermission, Andy, Jessica, Penny and Andy ride horses from the audience onto the stage. When arriving on stage, they decide to put the horses back in the stables.
The curtains open to see the dinosaurs inside the castle with many flags around, leading into the song “Wave the Flags” with Barney encouraging the audience to wave their flags. After the song, everyone decides to look for the king. Penny suggests that he might be hiding in a painting she found. She hides in one herself, making the others want to join in, leading into “Musical Castle Nursery Rhyme Medley”. After the medley, they conclude that he’s not inside any of the paintings but soon wonder if he might be in a suit of armor they see. The suits of armor soon move and dance, leading into "Knights' Dance" with BJ joining in the dance.
Everyone singing "I Love You".
After the song, The Sign tells everyone that The King is at the top of the castle. As they decide to go see The King, Jessica gives Baby Bop The King’s crown to carry. Before leaving to see The King, BJ suggests that they dress up in fancy clothes. They then play dress up with The King’s clothes. While dressing up, they sing the “Musical Castle Costumes Medley” with the dinosaurs singing “I Put a Smile On” afterwards. After the songs, they go and see The King and return his crown to him. Because The King has his crown, a celebration begins and everyone sings “Musical Castle Celebration Medley”. Given that The King is no longer sad, he declares that it’s a great day, leading into a reprise of “It’s a Great Day”. After the song, The King thanks everyone for bringing his crown back, leading into the song “I Love You”. Everyone waves goodbye after the song and Barney blows a kiss to the audience.
The show's original vision was from longtime Barney writer Stephen White. The show was turned over to multiple writers in order to put the script together.[6]
Music and Soundtrack
The soundtrack of Barney's Musical Castle released in South Africa.
Barney's Musical Castle is a live album with songs from the stage show of the same name. The album was released by NEXT International in South Africa. This is the only Barney album to have a soundtrack based on a US live tour released outside the US.
El Castillo Musical de Barney a live Spanish album with songs from Barney's Musical Castle. The album was released in 2000 by Lyrick Studios and Tycoon Music. The soundtrack was soon re-released by HIT Entertainment and Universal Music Group International on July 14, 2009.
Barney's Musical Castle is a book that was released by Scholastic, Inc in 2001 based off the tour of the same name. It was written by Guy Davis and photographed by Dennis Full.
Gallery
Releases
Original Release (2001)
Spanish Release
Cantonese VCD Release
Scenes
Everyone singing "Here in the Forest", taken from the Asian tour.
Everyone singing "If You're Happy and You Know It", taken from the Asian tour.
Barney and the gang singing "Wave the Flags", taken from the Asian tour.
Baby Bop and BJ singing "Wave the Flags", taken from the Asian tour.
Everyone singing "I Love You", taken from the Middle Eastern tour.
Everyone singing "I Love You", taken from the Latin American tour.
Behind the Scenes
A backstage view of the stage.
The stage show truck used to transport elements of the show.
Promotional Images
Barney, Baby Bop, and BJ with the King
The Sign
Tour Dates
The original North American tour of Barney's Musical Castle ran from September 1999 through April 2001 in four legs, separated by Winter and Summer holidays. In select cities throughout this tour, The Wiggles performed as the intermission act. Bob the Builder performed as the intermission act of the Mexico tour.
Leg 1- Fall 1999
City
Venue
Dates
DALLAS, TX
Reunion Arena
Sept. 15-19
ST LOUIS, MO
Kiel Center
Sept. 22-26
TULSA, OK
Tulsa Convention Center
Sept. 28-29
AUSTIN, TX
Frank Erwin Center
Oct. 1-3
HOUSTON, TX
Compaq Center
Oct. 5-10
LOS ANGELES, CA
Great Western Forum
Oct. 13-17
ANAHEIM, CA
Anaheim Convention Center
Oct. 20-24
PHOENIX, AZ
American West Arena
Oct. 27-31
FRESNO, CA
Selland Arena
Nov. 2-3
SACRAMENTO, CA
Arco Arena
Nov. 5-7
SAN JOSE, CA
San Jose Arena
Nov. 10-14
SALT LAKE CITY, UT
“E” Center
Nov. 17-22
SPRINGFIELD, IL
Prairie Capital Conv. Ctr.
Nov. 30-Dec. 1
MEMPHIS, TN
Mid-South Coliseum
Dec. 3-5
EVANSVILLE, IN
Roberts Arena
Dec. 7-8
GREENVILLE, SC
Bi-Lo Center
Dec. 10-12
BRISTOL, TN
Viking Hall Civic Center
Dec. 14-15
HUNTINGTON, WV
Huntington Civic Center
Dec. 17-19
FAIRFAX, VA
Patriot Center
Dec. 29-Jan. 1
Leg 2- Spring 2000
A photo of the Radio City Music Hall in NYC.
City
Venue
Dates
PITTSBURGH, PA
Benedum Center
Jan. 5-9
WALLINGFORD, CT
SNET Oakdale Theatre
Jan. 12-16
NEW YORK, NY*
Radio City Music Hall
Jan. 19-30
PHILADELPHIA, PA
First Union Spectrum
Feb. 2-6
HERSHEY, PA
Hersheypark Arena
Feb. 8-9
WILKES-BARRE, PA
Northeastern PA Civic & Conv. Ctr.
Feb. 11-13
ROCHESTER, NY
Blue Cross Arena
Feb. 15-16
TRENTON, NJ
Mercer County Arena
Feb. 18-20
ROSEMONT, IL
Rosemont Theater
Mar. 1-12
MOLINE, IL
Mark of the Quad Cities
Mar. 14-15
LOUISVILLE, KY
The Gardens
Mar. 17-19
CLEVELAND, OH
CSU Convention Center
Mar. 22-26
GRAND RAPIDS, MI
Van Andel Arena
Mar. 29-Apr. 2
DETROIT, MI
Cobo Arena
Apr. 5-9
MINNEAPOLIS, MN
Target Center
Apr. 12-16
CINCINNATI, OH
Firstar Center
Apr. 18-22
A photo of Barney holding a giant Hershey bar.
Leg 3- Fall 2000
City
Venue
Dates
NASHVILLE, TN
Gaylord Arena
Sept. 9-10
HUNTSVILLE, AL
Van Braun Center
Sept. 12-13
BIRMINGHAM, AL
BJCC Coliseum
Sept. 15-17
AUGUSTA, GA
Augusta/ Richmond County Civic Center
Sept. 19-20
COLOMBUS, OH
Nationwide Arena
Sept. 22-24
CHARLOTTE, NC*
Charlotte Coliseum
Sept. 27-Oct. 1
GREENSBORO, NC*
Greensboro Coliseum Complex
Oct. 4-8
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA*
Bryce Jordan Center
Oct. 10-11
PORTLAND, ME*
Cumberland Co. Civic Center
Oct. 13-15
UNIONDALE, NY*
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Oct. 18-22
WORCESTER, MA*
Worcester Centrum Center
Oct. 25-29
TORONTO, ONT
SkyDome
Nov. 1-5
PEORIA, IL
Peoria Civic Center Arena
Nov. 7-8
DAYTON, OH*
University of Dayton Arena
Nov. 10-12
WHEELING, WV*
Wheeling Civic Center Arena
Nov. 14-15
ALBANY, NY
Pepsi Arena
Nov. 17-19
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO
World Arena
Nov. 26-28
SAN ANTONIO, TX
Alamodome
Dec. 1-3
MILWAUKE, WI
US Cellular Arena
Dec. 8-10
MANKATO, MN
MidWest Wireless Civic Center
Dec. 12-13
WINNIPEG, MB
Winnipeg Coliseum
Dec. 15-17
HAMPTON, VA
Hampton Coliseum
Dec. 28-31
Exclusive plush Barney released to promote the show
Leg 4- Spring 2001
City
Venue
Dates
RICHMOND, VA
Richmond Coliseum
Jan. 2-3
KNOXVILLE, TN
Knoxville Civic Center
Jan. 5-7
LITTLE ROCK, AR
Alltel Arena
Jan. 9-10
BATON ROUGE, LA
Riverside Complex
Jan. 12-14
NEW ORLEANS, LA
Kiefer UNO Lakefront Arena
Jan. 17-21
ATLANTA, GA*
Atlanta Civic Center
Jan. 24-Feb. 4
TAMPA, FL*
Ice Palace
Feb. 7-11
MACON, GA*
Macon Coliseum
Feb. 13-14
JACKSONVILLE, FL*
Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Feb. 16-18
MIAMI, FL*
Miami Arena
Feb. 21-25
VANCOUVER, B.C.
PNE Coliseum
Mar. 7-11
SEATTLE, WA
Key Arena
Mar. 14-18
PORTLAND, OR
Memorial Coliseum
Mar. 21-25
OAKLAND, CA
Oakland Alameda County Coliseum
Mar. 28-Apr. 1
SAN DIEGO, CA
San Diego Sports Arena
Apr. 4-8
LAS VEGAS, NV
Thomas & Mack Center
Apr. 11-15
DES MOINES, IA
Veterans Memorial Auditorium
Apr. 24-25
Trivia
Barney's Musical Castle logo.
During the second verse of "I Love You", Penny signs out the words.
It is rumored that the footage from the tour commercial was filmed at Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas in September 1999, not to mention that it was the first location where the show was performed at.
In the book adaptation of this video, including a few behind the scene photos of the tour, Justin is seen wearing a different pair of clothing compared to the ones he wore in the video release, Andy has his shirt tucked into his pants while in the video, he has his shirt untucked, and Jessica has on a different hairstyle than in the video. It could be assumed that the photographs taken from the book and the tour were shot before the video's filmed performance.
Although David Voss portrayed the role of the sign from the tour, he was only credited as a dancer during the end credits.
In the Spanish version, additional shots were used that were not in the original VHS release.
When the video was re-released in 2006, the text was changed and has the HIT Entertainment logo, the DVD Video logo and the 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment logo on the black tape with ink label. Unlike the 2006 re-release of It's Time For Counting which contained different previews by having the exact same colored tape and ink label this release had, this tape still used its original tape master sourced from the 2001 release.
The original performance of this live show aired on Tomie dePaola's sixty-fifth birthday.
The Wiggles
The Wiggles and Captain Feathersword performed as the intermission act of the North American tour since this was to promote the Australian musical group being introduced to an American audience around that time.
Fernando Moguel (who portrayed Andy in the tour) later worked for The Wiggles and made appearances on their albums, videos, and at their American concerts. Fernando Moguel also portrayed as the Yellow Wiggle in the Latin American version and was later a Wiggly Dancer, he also played Carlos in The Kingdom of Paramithi which was produced by The Wiggles.
When this stage show was released on home video in the US, it included the footage from The Wiggles' Big Show tour (filmed in late 1997) after the feature, having it previously be included on the 1998 re-release of Wiggle Time! which was considered as a remake of The Wiggles' first ever video from 1993.
The Wiggles used the confetti from this tour in the song Marie's Wedding for their video called Hoop-Dee-Doo it's a Wiggly Party
