"The Bantam of the Elementary School Light Opera" is the second segment of the thirteenth episode of the Disney Channel animated series, Hamster & Gretel.
Synopsis[]
Strange things start to happen when the elementary school rehearses for a play.
Plot[]
During rehearsals for a school play for The Vikings of Venzance being directed by Hiromi, actress Miranda abruptly quits due to the unfavorable conditions of the props. This leads Bailey, Hiromi, and the other actors to turn to stagehand Gretel to take her place. However, Gretel is hesitant to do so due to a negative experience she had while participating in a past play. Fred tells the actors about a legend about the curse of the Bantam of the Opera, which Hiromi dismisses as a "silly school myth." Later, when Kevin returns with astronaut costumes he obtained from a discount store, Hiromi improvises and modifies the play to have a space theme. However, a mishap during another rehersal leads Gretel believe that the legend of the Bantam is true, only for no one to believe her after Fred determines that the true cause was faulty wiring.
At home, Gretel vents to Kevin about her fear of performing onstage, who reassures her that being a true hero sometimes involves pressing on in spite of one's fears. However, on opening night, the Bantam appears and destoys the set and many of the props. Hamster and Gretel chase after the Bantam, while Hiromi―in part due to Kevin's encouragement―improvises once again in order to avoid cancelling the play. Meanwhile, Hamster and Gretel discover that the Bantam is actually Christine DePoulet, a former high school mascot who went into hiding after suffering from stage fright while participating in the school's first production of The Vikings of Venzance 25 years prior. Gretel gives her the same advice Kevin gave her, after which they earn a standing ovation for their performance.
Song[]
- Frank's Discounted Discount Costumes (jingle)
Cast[]
- Meli Povenmire as Gretel Grant-Gomez
- Michael Cimino as Kevin Grant-Gomez
- Beck Bennett as Hamster
- Joey King as Fred Grant
- Priah Ferguson as Bailey Carter
- Romi Dames as Hiromi Tanaka, Miranda
- Carolina Ravassa as Carolina Grant-Gomez
- Cree Summer as Christine DePoulet
Trivia[]
- The title is a play on the novel The Phantom of the Opera as well as the musical.
- The play The Vikings of Venzance is a play on The Pirates of Penzance.
- It's unknown what happened to the chicken mascot who left 25 years ago as it is revealed that Christine DePoulet who disappeared during that time just found the costume in the basement.
- The episode shows Gretel grew averse to performing in theater after she tripped during a previous performance and caused an accident that harmed the other child actors and set the stage on fire, similar to Anne Boonchuy as shown in the Amphibia episode "A Caravan Named Desire".
- This is the last episode to air in 2022.
- The space outfits resemble Buzz Lightyear's uniform, albeit grayer.
- Christine DePoulet's name literally translates to Christine of Chicken.
External links[]
