Blue's Big Musical Movie
Encyclopedia
Blue's Big Musical Movie is a 2000
American
direct-to-video
movie based on the Blue's Clues
television series, and acted as the first full length
musical film
for the character of Blue the Dog. The film had a television premiere in September 2000. Its home video release was on October 3, 2000.
) and Blue (Traci Paige Johnson) are putting on a musical show in their backyard, when Tickety Tock the Clock (Kelly Nigh) loses her voice. Blue is now without a singing partner and follows up on various clues to find who might wish to partner in Tickety Tock's place. In trying to make up a song, Steve and Blue leave their cartoon home and become part of a piece of sheet music. G-Clef the Keyboard (Ray Charles
) and his friends the Notes (The Persuasions
) explain the components of music.
" as the voice of G-Clef the Keyboard, and remarked that it was "an excellent segment".
Digitally Obsessed wrote the film was a "mixture of Pee-wee's Playhouse
and Peanuts
with a touch of Where's Waldo
thrown in that is probably a lot of fun for kids, and teaches while requiring the kids to think."
Chicago Sun-Times
noted that as being centered in the world of the "most watched pre-school television show", the video will prove popular with parents of young children.
Time
stated that direct to video no longer means "not good enough for theaters" where children's films are concerned, and noted that Blue's Big Musical Movie spun the popular children's television series into a "full-length extravaganza".
In Doug Pratt's DVD: Movies, Television, Music, Art, Adult, and More!, author Pratt observes that even though designed for toddlers, Steven Burns, as the only human in the cast, delivered a "remarkable and consistent performance", while speaking directly to the camera in addressing his young viewers, speaking slowly and clearly without being condescending or patronizing.
Review Corner wrote that the film was "complete with all the charm and learning that makes the television series outstanding, and then some." They offered that while the "feature-film debut follows basically the same tried-and-true format of the television series, it contains longer (mostly musical) interludes and plenty of mini-stories and adventures along the way," as well as introducing a new character, Periwinkle the cat.
2000 in home video
-Industry milestones:*March 4 - Sony releases PlayStation 2 in Japan. PlayStation 2 is a video game console that also can play DVD.*In the USA, Bringing Out the Dead and Sleepy Hollow are the last two movies to be released on laserdisc by a major studio....
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
movie based on the Blue's Clues
Blue's Clues
Blue's Clues is an American children's television show airing on the Nickelodeon family of channels. The show premiered on September 8, 1996 and airs on Nick Jr. and other channels, although production of new episodes ceased by 2006. Versions of the show have been produced in other countries,...
television series, and acted as the first full length
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
musical film
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
for the character of Blue the Dog. The film had a television premiere in September 2000. Its home video release was on October 3, 2000.
Plot
Steve (Steve BurnsSteve Burns
Steven Michael "Steve" Burns is an American entertainer. He is best known as the original host of the long-running children's television program Blue's Clues.-Early career:...
) and Blue (Traci Paige Johnson) are putting on a musical show in their backyard, when Tickety Tock the Clock (Kelly Nigh) loses her voice. Blue is now without a singing partner and follows up on various clues to find who might wish to partner in Tickety Tock's place. In trying to make up a song, Steve and Blue leave their cartoon home and become part of a piece of sheet music. G-Clef the Keyboard (Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
) and his friends the Notes (The Persuasions
The Persuasions
The Persuasions are an a cappella group that began singing together in Brooklyn, New York in the mid 1960s. They have performed interpretations of both secular and non-secular music, and have covered a wide range of musical genres....
) explain the components of music.
Cast
- Steve BurnsSteve BurnsSteven Michael "Steve" Burns is an American entertainer. He is best known as the original host of the long-running children's television program Blue's Clues.-Early career:...
as Steve the host - Traci Paige Johnson as Blue (voice)
- Nick Balaban as Mr. Salt (voice)
- Spencer KaydenSpencer KaydenSpencer Kayden is an American actress and writer. Kayden is most notable for playing Little Sally in the popular Broadway musical Urinetown and for her membership in the recurring cast of comedians on sketch comedy series MADtv.-Biography:...
as Mrs. Pepper (voice) - Aleisha AllenAleisha AllenAleisha LaNaé Allen is an American actress.-Early life:Aleisha Allen was born on April 28, 1991 in Bronx, New York City, she went to school along with her other siblings. She went to Sacred Heart School in the Bronx as a child.-Career:Since the age of four, she has been active in television and...
as Side Table Drawer (voice) - Ray CharlesRay CharlesRay Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
as G-Clef the Keyboard (voice) - Jimmy HayesThe PersuasionsThe Persuasions are an a cappella group that began singing together in Brooklyn, New York in the mid 1960s. They have performed interpretations of both secular and non-secular music, and have covered a wide range of musical genres....
as Note (voice) - Jerry Lawson as Note (voice)
- Joe RussellThe PersuasionsThe Persuasions are an a cappella group that began singing together in Brooklyn, New York in the mid 1960s. They have performed interpretations of both secular and non-secular music, and have covered a wide range of musical genres....
as Note (voice) - Jayotis Washington as Note (voice)
- Jenna Marie Castle as Paprika (voice)
- Kelly Nigh as Tickety Tock (voice)
- Cody Ross Pitts as Slippery Soap (voice)
- Seth O'Hickory as Mailbox (voice)
- Olivia Zaro as Pail (voice)
- Jonathan Press as Shovel (voice)
- Cameron Bowen as Periwinkle (voice)
- Adam Peltzman as Green Puppy (voice)
- Koyalee Chanda as Magenta (voice)
- Alexander Claffy as Purple Kangaroo (voice)
Recognition
Hartford Courant wrote that while the film teaches children "sharing and working together", it also teaches "self- expression and friendship" through "the smooth tones of Ray CharlesRay Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
" as the voice of G-Clef the Keyboard, and remarked that it was "an excellent segment".
Digitally Obsessed wrote the film was a "mixture of Pee-wee's Playhouse
Pee-wee's Playhouse
Pee-wee's Playhouse is an American children's television program starring Paul Reubens as the child-like Pee-wee Herman. The show was developed from Reubens' popular stage show and the one-off TV special The Pee-wee Herman Show, produced for HBO, which was similar in style but featured much more...
and Peanuts
Peanuts
Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...
with a touch of Where's Waldo
Where's Waldo? (TV series)
Where's Wally?: The Animated Series was a joint venture between American/Canadian/British animated television series productions, distributed by DiC Entertainment and The Waldo Film Company...
thrown in that is probably a lot of fun for kids, and teaches while requiring the kids to think."
Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
noted that as being centered in the world of the "most watched pre-school television show", the video will prove popular with parents of young children.
Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
stated that direct to video no longer means "not good enough for theaters" where children's films are concerned, and noted that Blue's Big Musical Movie spun the popular children's television series into a "full-length extravaganza".
In Doug Pratt's DVD: Movies, Television, Music, Art, Adult, and More!, author Pratt observes that even though designed for toddlers, Steven Burns, as the only human in the cast, delivered a "remarkable and consistent performance", while speaking directly to the camera in addressing his young viewers, speaking slowly and clearly without being condescending or patronizing.
Review Corner wrote that the film was "complete with all the charm and learning that makes the television series outstanding, and then some." They offered that while the "feature-film debut follows basically the same tried-and-true format of the television series, it contains longer (mostly musical) interludes and plenty of mini-stories and adventures along the way," as well as introducing a new character, Periwinkle the cat.
Awards and nominations
- 2001, Nominated for Young Artist AwardYoung Artist AwardThe Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist...
for Best Family Feature Film - Animation
Soundtrack
The film's soundtrack offers 18 original tunes available under the Kid Rhino record label.- Today's the Big Day
- At the Show
- The Breakfast Song
- The Clipboard Song
- Sidetables's Lament
- Blue's Clues Theme Song
- Silly Hat
- Putting It Together
- Notes
- Rhythm
- Tempo
- Dynamics
- There It Is!
- As Smart as You Are
- Sing!
- The Magic of Theater
- I Can Be Anything I Want to Be
- So Long Song
External links
- Blue's Big Musical Movie at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...