Tubby the Tuba’s story will enchant the family

Published 12:15 pm Thursday, January 31, 2008

If weeks of winter weather have taken your household’s mood in a downward direction, “Tubby the Tuba” might be able to help.

Musicians from Cascade Symphony will accompany tubist David Brewer and narrator Dave Dolacky to tell the story of Tubby, a fictional tuba in an orchestra, Saturday afternoon at Edmonds Center for the Arts.

As the classic story goes, Tubby’s mood was also leaning toward boredom and sadness. He was growing tired of playing the same “oom-pah, oom-pah” during all of the orchestra’s concerts. One night, Tubby went down to the river and found a new friend — a frog who sang a beautiful tune — and this tune inspired Tubby.

Cascade Symphony’s musicians, likewise, hope their performance, with the help of Dolacky and Brewer, will inspire young listeners to appreciate not only the story, but classical music as well. The concert will feature two pieces, Kleinsinger’s “Tubby the Tuba” and Ravel’s “Mother Goose Suite.”

“Between the two pieces, there will be some interactive things, like a presentation from the brass players,” said longtime symphony member Roberta McBride.

Dolacky and Brewer both have ties to the local music community. Dolacky manages the Mountlake Terrace High School theater, works with Shoreline’s Reader’s Theatre and spent two years as the Edmonds center’s technical adviser. His narration skills come from time spent at radio stations KISW, KVI, KIRO and television talk shows.

Brewer played in the University of Washington marching band, has a musical education degree and also has played for a handful of philharmonic organizations, including Seattle and Bellevue. He has been with Cascade Symphony for eight years, McBride said.

“Because this is a story about an orchestra, the music is essential to (Dolacky’s narration),” she said. “For example, as the story talks about rehearsal, you hear the orchestra start warming up.”

The story is easy to follow, so there are no age limits, as far as anyone being too young to attend the concert, McBride said. And it’s such a classic that it likely will be familiar to any family that plans on attending.

A wealth of information exists on the many links at www.tubbythetuba.com for children who seek to “Read with Tubby” or “Play with Tubby,” and for parents who might be interested in the “History of Tubby” prior to the concert.