This production requires a space 21 feet wide and a ceiling height of 11 feet. Puppets are viewed at 6 feet from ground. Children sit on floor (or chairs) and the first row is 8 feet from stage. An aisle is required in the audience. Max audience size: 400.

Our story begins at Giuseppe Peppisinko Pizza Palace, where the owner, "Papa" (pictured far right) introduces us to Rufus (middle) and Rosa (left), who work at his restaurant waiting tables and entertain customers with their singing. Papa shows them a classified in the paper for an opera audition, and gives them the afternoon off so they can try out.

At the opera we meet the great Leonardo (pictured far right), who is holding auditions for his opera. He is quite unfriendly towards the would be opera singers, especially Rufus, who's voice is so amazing that Leonardo is afraid it would ruin his own career. Leonardo discourages Rufus, telling him that he has no talent. The typical audience is outraged by this behavior.

Rufus runs into Houndog at the opera, who is seeking out a singer for his band "Houndog and the Housebreakers". We meet the "Housebreakers", Marcus and Barkus. Houndog asks Rufus to join his band, but Rufus is unsure about taking such a career path.

While Rufus contemplates joining Houndog on the road, a larger than life Houndog steps out from backstage to "rock it out" with the crowd.

Back at Papa's restaurant, Leonardo has come to dine. Papa hopes that it will make his restaurant famous. When learning of the entertainment for the evening (Rufus and Rosa's love duet), Leo fears he will be out-sung by Rufus, so he insists that he shall sing a solo for Papa's customers instead. Leo sings so powerfully, that he fall through the floor into the basement, and loses his voice.

With Leo's voice lost Rosa fears that the opera, which opens that very night, will have to be cancelled. But Rufus knows all the parts to the opera, and Rosa pleads with him to fill in for Leonardo, to which he hesitantly agrees.

Leonardo is taken to Dr. Bonehead, a voice teacher, to recover his voice. Hilarity ensues with prop gags and silly puns. Leo is given a vocal transplant with an experimental device, but he accidentally receives the voice of a chicken!

The opera opens with Rufus in the lead role, rather than Leo. But Leo shows up and begins to wreak havoc in the last act of the opera.

Rufus stops Leo from ruining the show, and wraps him in toilet paper. Rosa enters the scene and the two sing a duet for the finale.

"The enthusiasm and liveliness you generated through your shows was exceptional!"
- Capital Children's Museum

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