TAKE ONE

THE POLAR EXPRESS

 THE POLAR EXPRESS

By Chris Van Allsburg

Reader’s Theatre/Musical Script
adapted by Sara Campbell

Cast:
Announcer
Boy
Narrator (1-17)
Boys (4)
Girls (3)
Conductor
Santa
Sarah
Mother
Father

K2K Productions Additional Cast:

Commercial Hosts
Foley Artists (sound effects)

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 THE POLAR EXPRESS

Prologue

PA Voice: Thirty Seconds to air!

Announcer: Thank you...

PA Voice: In 10, 9, 8, 7, 6....

Actors move in...(Narrator 1-4, Boy, Conductor, Girl 1, Boy 2, Narrator 5, 6)

PA Voice: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1....

Music: “O Come All Ye Faithful” (instrumental with announcer)

Announcer: Broadcasting from the WK2K Studios; the WK2K Radio players present..the
Christmas classics “The Polar Express” and How the Grinch Stole Christmas”. Our stories
in a moment, but first! A word from our Encore Sponsor!

[commercial - Erb Sign]

Announcer: And now, ladies and gentlemen, boys & girls - let us begin our Christmas
special with a beautiful rendition of When Christmas comes to Town....

“When Christmas Comes to Town”…

(Outro of song)

SCENE 1

Boy: On Christmas Eve, many years ago, I lay quietly in my bed. I did not rustle the
sheets. I breathed slowly and silently. I was listening for a sound – a sound a friend had
told me I’d never hear, ringing bells of Santa’s sleigh.

(sfx: Train sound)

Narrator 1: Late that night the boy did hear the sounds, though not of ringing bells. From
outside came the sounds of hissing steam and squeaking metal. (sfx: Train stop) The

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boy looked through the window and saw a train standing perfectly still in front of his
house.

Narrator 2: It was wrapped in an apron of steam. Snowflakes fell lightly around it.
(sfx: metal door sliding) The conductor stood at the open door of one of the cars. He
took a large pocket watch from his vest, and then looked up at the boy’s window.

Boy: (sfx: tip toe downstairs) I put on my slippers and robe. I tiptoed downstairs and
out the door.
Conductor: (sfx: crunching of snow) All aboard!!! (sfx: Train whistle) Well, are you
coming?

Boy: Where?

Conductor: Why, to the North Pole of course. This is the Polar Express.
Narrator 3: (sfx: crowd sound/instrumental “Santa Claus is coming to town”) The
train was filled with other children, all in their pajamas and night gowns. They sang
Christmas carols (sfx: Christmas instrumental music) and ate candies with nougat
centers as white as snow.

Narrator 4: They drank hot cocoa as thick and rich as melted chocolate bars.
(sfx: train moving faster)

Girl 1: Look at all the lights of the town and villages. We are going really fast; we’ll be
at the North Pole in no time!

Boy 2: I can’t see lights any more. We must be in the forest now.

Narrator 5: The train thundered through the quiet wilderness. It climbed mountains
so high it seemed as if it could scrape the moon. But the Polar Express never slowed
down. Faster and faster it ran along, rolling over peaks and through valleys like a car
on a roller coaster.

Narrator 6: The mountains turned into hills, the hills to snow covered plains. It
crossed a barren desert of ice- the Great Polar Ice Cap. Lights appeared in the
distance. They looked like the lights of a strange ocean line sailing on a frozen sea.

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Conductor: There is the North Pole!

SCENE 2

Girl 2: The North Pole!!! Look at the huge city, look at all the factories where the elves
make the toys.

Girl 3: Where are the elves???

Conductor: They are gathering at the center of the city. That is where Santa will give the
first gift of Christmas.

Boy 3: Who receives the first gift?

Conductor: He will choose one of you.

Boy 4: Look!!! The elves!

Narrator 7: Outside they saw hundreds of elves. As the train drew closer to the center of
the North Pole it slowed to a crawl, the streets were crowded with Santa’s helpers. (sfx
train slowing down/stop)When the Polar Express could go no further, it stopped, and the
conductor led the children outside.

Conductor: Please make two lines! Stay with a buddy at all times. (sfx train door open)

Boy: Look there’s Santa’s sleigh.

Girl 1: The reindeer look excited! Look at them prance. (sfx: prancing hooves)

Boy 2: Listen to the beautiful sound of the silver bells that are hanging from their
harnesses. (sfx: bells)

Boy: What a magical sound, it’s like nothing I’ve ever heard.

Narrator 8: Across the circle, the elves moved apart, and Santa appeared. The elves

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cheered wildly. (sfx: crowd)

Narrator 9: Santa marched over to the children and pointed. (sfx: walking in snow)
Santa: Let’s have this fellow here.

Narrator 10: The conductor helped the boy up. He sat next to Santa.

Santa: Now, what would you like for Christmas?

Narrator 11: The boy knew that he could have any gift he could imagine. But the thing
he wanted most for Christmas was not inside Santa’s giant bag. What he wanted ore
than anything was one silver bell from Santa’s sleigh.

Boy: Can I have a bell from your sleigh?

Santa: Of course!

Narrator 12: Santa motioned for an elf to cut a bell from the reindeer’s harness. (sfx:
cutting of bell) The elf tossed it up to Santa. (sfx: bell in the air) Santa stood, holding
the bell high above him.

Santa: The first gift of Christmas! (sfx: bell ringing)

Narrator 13: Everyone cheered (sfx: crowd) and waved as Santa and his sleigh flew
off into the night!

Narrator 14: Children all over the world were anxiously awaiting Santa’s arrival.

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SCENE 3

Narrator 15: As soon as the children were back inside the Polar Express, they all asked
to see the bell. The boy reached into his pocket, but the only thing he felt was a hole. He
had lost the silver bell from Santa Claus’s sleigh!

Girl 2: Let’s hurry outside and look for it.

Narrator 16: But the train gave a sudden lurch and started moving. (sfx: train moving)
They were on their way home.

Narrator 17: The boy was heartbroken about losing the bell. When the train reached his
house, he sadly left the other children. He stood at his doorway and waved good-bye.

Narrator 18: The conductor yelled something from the moving train.

Boy: What??

Conductor: (cupped his hands around his mouth) MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Narrator 19: The Polar Express let out a loud blast from its whistle (sfx: Whistle) and
sped away. (sfx: train moving)

SCENE 4

Narrator 3: On Christmas morning the boy and his sister Sarah opened their presents.
When it looked as if everything had been unwrapped, Sarah found one last small box
behind the tree.

Sarah: There’s one more for you!

Narrator 4: He opened the box. (sfx: opening present) Inside was the silver bell! There
was a note….

Boy: (reading the note) …found this on the seat of my sleigh. Fix that hole in your pocket.

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Mr. C.

Narrator 5: He shook the bell. (sfx: bell) It made the most beautiful sound they had
ever heard.

Mother: Oh, that’s too bad.

Father: Yes, it’s broken.

Narrator 6: When the boy had shaken the bell, his parents had not heard a sound.

Boy: At one time, most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed, it fell
silent for all of them. Even Sarah found one Christmas that she could no longer hear
its sweet sound. Though I’ve grown old, the bell still rings for me, as it does for all
who truly believe.

Song: “Believe”

K2K Speaks

Announcer: Thank you Brian & Jenn. I do appreciate K2K and the opportunity we
have to.....

In a few moments we will return to WK2K radio players Christmas special with “How
the Grinch Stole Christmas”. But, first let’s hear from Woodstock Print and our K2K
ReImageined Take One singers...

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to SONG before Grinch