Barney's Magical Musical Adventure is a 1992 direct-to-video Barney Home Video that was released exclusively to JCPenney stores on August 2, 1992. It had a wide release on January 27, 1993. This was the first home video to be based on the children's television series Barney & Friends.
Plot[]
Barney's friends are playing in Derek's backyard while building a sand castle. When they wish they could visit a real castle, Barney takes them to a magical forest. While using their imagination, beyond the gate lies a magical forest, filled with musical flowers.
After following the trail of castle signs, Barney and his friends take a break where they discover echoes. They try echoing different silly sounds before an unknown voice responds to their echo, causing Barney and his friends to scurry off. Later down the trail, Barney and his friends discover a bridge. Before crossing, Twynkle the Elf magically appears, informing the group that she was the voice they heard previously. Before allowing them to cross the bridge, she tells the group that they must do three things: solve a riddle about standing on one finger, perform to "Looby Loo", and be her friend. After completing the three tasks, the group crosses the bridge and approaches the castle gate. Twynkle informs the group that the castle will not open the gate until 3 o'clock. She leaves the group, returning to the bridge, while Barney and his friends wait for the castle to open.
Barney's friends pretend to have a horse race around the castle. After playing with the make-believe horses, the castle finally opens. Upon entering the castle, Barney and his friends meet the king, who has a special wish: he wants to go fishing. The group decides that the kids can watch the castle and Barney can wear the crown while the king is off fishing. The king happily leaves for his fishing trip. Baby Bop joins the fun, and the group decides to have a royal tea party, filled with mother goose rhymes. After finding a trunk of musical instruments, the kids decide to put on a musical show for Barney and Baby Bop.
Baby Bop goes home, and the king returns to the castle. The king makes the children princes and princesses, claiming that they can visit any time. Using their imagination, the kids pass through a castle door and return to Derek's backyard. Barney reminds his friends that they can feel like princes and princesses every day at home.
Cast[]
- Barney (Voice: Bob West, Costume: David Joyner)
- Baby Bop (Voice: Julie Johnson, Costume: Jenny Dempsey) (cameo)
- Michael (Brian Eppes)
- Derek (Rickey Carter)
- Tina (Jessica Zucha)
- Min (Pia Hamilton)
- Twynkle the Elf (Mary-Margaret Pyeatt)
- The King (Rick Wetzel)
Songs[]
- "Barney Theme Song"
- "The Noble Duke of York"
- "Castles So High" **
- "Castles So High" (Reprise)
- "Silly Sounds"
- "Looby Loo"
- "Go Round and Round the Village"
- "If I Had One Wish"
- "Old King Cole"
- Tea Party Medley: "Polly Put the Kettle On"/"Little Jack Horner"/"The Muffin Man"/"Pat-A-Cake"/"Pease Porridge Hot"/ "Sing a Song of Sixpence"
- "I Am a Fine Musician"
- "It's Good to Be Home"
- "I Love You"
** Notes a song was instrumentally played during the end credits.
Production[]
Production of Barney's Magical Musical Adventure occurred in June 1992.
Development[]
This video was originally intended to be about Barney and the kids traveling to different locations on a magic carpet, along with a pianist and a grand piano; the working title was "Barney and the Magical Musical Flying Carpet". However, scriptwriter Stephen White pointed out that the idea couldn't possibly work, as a carpet that could hold Barney, the kids and a concert grand piano with a pianist would have been absolutely huge and baffling when flying through the air. In addition, White also pointed out that any kind of classical or semi-classical piano playing wouldn't be right for a preschool audience. The video was eventually reworked to “Barney's Magical Musical Adventure” which involved Barney and the kids visiting a castle.
Release[]
The 1992 JCPenney Wishbook advertising the exclusive release of the video retained the original title of the video as well as an early mockup of the VHS cover.
Home media[]
Barney's Magical Musical Adventure was suggested at a retail price of $14.95 during it's initial release. The video spent a few weeks on the Billboard Top Kid Video chart[1] going as far to reach #4 during the week of June 26, 1993.[2] Barney's Magical Musical Adventure was re-released by Lyrick Studios in 1999. On February 14, 2001 [citation needed], Barney's Magical Musical Adventure was featured in the Blockbuster Exclusive video, Barney's Valentine Adventure (along with Be My Valentine, Love Barney).
Streaming[]
On May 14, 2022, the official Barney YouTube channel, managed by 9 Story Media Group at the time, uploaded Barney's Magical Musical Adventure on the platform. The video uploaded by the channel came from a Barney fan upload on YouTube.
Releases[]
Gallery[]
Behind the scenes[]
Awards and nominations[]
Barney's Magical Musical Adventure was in contention for the 1994 Homer Awards, however, it was later replaced with the video Let's Pretend with Barney due to it arriving to the market before May 1, 1993, which was the cutoff date for the awards that year, hence making it ineligible.[3]
Trivia[]
- Rick Wetzel (who portrays The King) is the father of Susannah Williams (who portrays the role of Julie on Barney & Friends).
- The royal clothes that Derek wore in this home video, will be later re-worn by Curtis in the episode, "Once a Pond a Time".
- Min would later make a reference to this video in Sing And Dance With Barney.
- Behind-the-scenes footage from this video was shown in an 1993 CBS News report.[4]
- In the beginning of the "Barney Theme Song", the original Barney Home Video logo was shown instead of the season one logo.
- The video release of Barney's Stu-u-upendous Puzzle Fun! would later have a similar treatment where the season three opening silhouette was replaced with the current variant of the home video logo.
- If closely examined, the early front cover design from the J.C. Penney catalogue, Derek, Michael, Tina and Luci (as her name was listed during the end credits alongside Kathy, Shawn and Tosha despite not appearing the video itself) are wearing the exact same clothes as they did in the episode "My Family's Just Right For Me".
Occurrences[]
- This video marked:
- The final appearances of the season one Barney costume and the 1991-1992 Baby Bop costume.
- The final appearance of the season one Barney doll.
- The final appearance of the season one intro sequence.
- The first time that the season two arrangement of "I Love You" being used, but some differences were used that was edited from season two, it uses different arrangement at the first verse, and the length played a little longer.
- The final time Jenny Dempsey performs Baby Bop.
- The final time in which The Lyons Group would use the Barney & The Backyard Gang box art style for the front cover of the VHS tape, before switching over to new format for other Barney home videos.
- The first video to only feature four kids.
- The first video to not utilize the school set as Derek's backyard was used as the prominent setting.
- The only video to feature the child actors who appeared in the video itself by including the ones who were still credited despite not appearing (excluding episodes from the first three seasons that were released on home media).
- The final video until Barney Safety to have the song "I Love You" being used due to the lawsuit in 1994.
- This group (Michael, Derek, Tina, Min) also appeared in "A Splash Party, Please".
References[]
- ↑ Billboard TOP KID VIDEO September 4, 1993 Retrieved May 7, 2023
- ↑ Billboard TOP KID VIDEO July 10, 1993 Retrieved May 7, 2023
- ↑ PICTURE THIS June 11, 1994 Retrieved March 8, 2023
- ↑ Barney is Big Hit to Children!