Babar Episode 10: The Show Must Go On
Synopsis:
When Babar organizes a world class ballet to be performed in Celesteville, the star of the show, a temperamental prima ballerina, makes problems for his friends in the cast and crew and turns Babar’s production into a disaster.
Review:
One thing I like about the show is that the characters are fully treated like humans. There are no mentions (okay, maybe a couple scattered around here and there) of the fact that they are elephants after the first five episodes.
Oh and the elephants are cute
Ahem. Anyway, the plot of all the episodes (including the first five) in Seasons 1 and 2 are; a situation the kids experience is similar to a situation Babar and Celeste experienced when they were kids, so Babar tells that story.
The episode starts off with the kids holding a play about Rapunzel. Julien (not one of the kids) keeps making a mistake while trying to say Rapunzel. Julien wants the play to change for him (i.e. he wants to change Rapunzel’s name to Jane 😛 ). 😉 This, of course, reminds Babar of an incident that happened when he was younger. He tells Flora (one of the kids) about it…
Mademoiselle Soretoza (a famous ballerina ostrich; the show takes place in Africa 😉 ) comes to Celesteville to perform a ballet, where she is the star, and makes a big deal about it. She complains about a lot of things while people set up the ballet. The director leaves due to this, so Babar becomes the director.
Over the next few days, many of the cast and crew leave (sometimes by Soretoza’s request!) because Soretoza complains about everything.
Meanwhile, news of the ballet-to-be reach Rhinoland. (Did you read the link in the main page? If not — Lord Rataxes and his wife, kid and servant live here.) Rataxes (reluctantly) and his wife come for the rehearsal only by Rataxes’s wife’s request. 😉
One day, Celeste gets her feelings hurt by Soretoza and retires. Babar comforts her and they make a deal. Celeste promises to work hard and improve her dancing, while Babar promises to keep the show going (which’ll be hard 😉 ).
Soretoza talks meanly to the remaining cast and crew and they all leave. Meanwhile, Lady Rataxes mopes about her husband sleeping during the play. 😛 (Lady Rataxes gets ashamed of Lord Rataxes a lot in the show 😉 )
A day before the ballet, Babar calls an emergency meeting with his friends. All his friends decide to play the roles, but they make a lot of mistakes. Somehow they get through a full rehearsal through the night, but without a leading man (elephant). Babar thinks he can handle it…
…but on the day of the play Babar argues with Soretoza and she decides to leave the play. Dun dun dun! But, Babar decides that Celeste will be the star and Rataxes the leading man (rhino). Everyone else returns as well now that Soretoza is gone.
The play goes well, everyone (including Lady Rataxes) loves it and everyone lives happily ever after.
Babar ends the story and Julien comes back and apologizes for his past behavior. The Rapunzel play goes well… END.
One of my favorite episodes. It teaches the lesson that you shouldn’t be nitpicky about every little thing. Just relax and enjoy the show. 😉 🙂
(That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be a critic though; it’s fun! Just do it after you watch the episode/read the book/interact with the media a couple of times 😉 ).