*     Fee scale published in May 2008; subject to change
**  Additional mileage charge - $0.85/mile (subject to change)
      Overnight accommodations and meals are required for all performers when applicable.

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A 45-minute performance for audiences of up to 500
Can be followed by a puppet demonstration and an interactive question and answer session
With a complete study guide, this is a perfect complement to the 4th grade social studies curriculum.

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  Theme:
*  The History of the Erie Canal in Syracuse, NY, performed by Mr. Downey's Traveling Magic Show, with a few exaggerated or added characters and scenes

  Brief Synopsis:
    The performance opens with a showboat barker, a washtub bass, and a rousing rendition of "15 miles on the Erie Canal" sung by oversized hand puppets. The boat comes in, and Mr. Downey introduces Teddy, a life-sized rod puppet who works on his showboat and talks of his other experiences as an orphan, a barge worker, and a hoagie. Vignettes follow that introduce the trader Jess Hawley, Governor Dewitt Clinton, and other real or created characters, all presenting events surrounding the building of the Canal. Set in Syracuse, characters tell the story of the Jerry Rescue, immigrant life, and the ultimate collapse of the main canal corridor in downtown Syracuse. A few magic tricks and a few more musical instruments are used to illustrate Canal economics and the lives of Canal workers.

  Objectives of the performance:
* Present the history of the Erie Canal through a child's eye and in a single familiar location
* Invoke the feel of Canal era storytelling, street theater performance, life on the waterway
* Use humor, magic and music to reinforce factual events in the building of the Erie Canal
* Tell the story of the important contributions of children on the Erie Canal

  Curriculum Correlations:
THE ARTS
* Knowing and using materials and resources in a performance
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
* Listening and singing along with well-known songs
SOCIAL STUDIES
* Understanding and enjoying US and local history
* Understanding the contributions of historic individuals and the contributions of common ordinary people in a major enterprise
* Understanding the economy of the early part of the century
MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
* Understanding the technology of building the Erie Canal waterway, problems faced in topography and real-life situations

  Performance Requirements:

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