General Electric Carousel of Progress

Me: Welcome to the General Electric Carousel of Progress. Now most carousels go round and round without going anywhere. But on this one we're gonna be making progress. And progress is not just moving ahead. It's dreaming, working, and building a better way of life. Progress is the sound of a motor. (motor sound) The hum of a turbine. (turbine humming) The heartbeat of a factory. (sounds of a factory) The sound of the symphony. (music swells) The roar of a rocket. (rocket sound) Progress is people being released from drudgery, gaining more time to enjoy themselves and live richer lives. And as long as man dreams, and works, and builds, this progress will go on, in your life and mine.


Everyone: There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of very day. There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, and tomorrow's just a dream away.


Jenna: Man has a dream and that's the start.


Aleu: He follows his dream with mind and heart.


Saba: And when it becomes a reality, it's a dream come true for you and me.


Everyone: So there's a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day.


Balto: There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, just a dream away!


Act 1: Spring (pre-electric era)


Balto: Hello. It's nice of you to visit.


Me: Well, the robins are back. That's a sure sign of spring. What year is it? Oh, just before the turn of the century. And believe me, things can't get any better than this.


Dingo: Yes sir, we've got all the latest things. Gas lamps, a telephone, and the latest design in cast-iron ranges. That reservoir holds five gallons of water hot all day on just three buckets of coal. Sure beats chopping wood.


Saba: And isn't our new ice box a beauty? Holds fifty pounds of ice. Milk doesn't sour as quick as it used to.


Balto: Jenna, the pups and I keep the water in the drip pan from overflowing.


Jenna: Wasn't too long ago we had to carry water from a well. But thanks to progress, we got a pump right here in the kitchen. But of course we keep a bucket of water to prime it with.


Kodi: Yes, we have everything to make life easier.


Me: Mother, I was reading about a fella named Tom Edison who's working on an idea for snap-on electric lights.


Sarah: I'll believe that when I see it.


Me: (laughs) That's my wife Sarah.


Sarah: But with my new wash-day marvel, it takes only 5 hours to do the wash. Imagine!


Jenna: That's right, folks. Now, Sarah has time for over things like-


Sarah: Like canning and polishing the stove?


Aleu: Okay, Sarah. You just iron the wrinkles out of James' shirts.


Sarah: Yes, dear.


Balto: But no one can improve on nature for drying clothes.


(thunders and starts raining)


Saba: Oh, well. The cistern was low on rainwater anyway.


Me: You know, our home entertainment is getting better too. With this amazing new stereoscope, my son can now see and learn about the latest events in the world, like the World's Fair in St. Louis.


Jim: This is amazing, father!


Me: (laughs) Get back to homework, son. Now, how about that? 3 dimensional images are quite amazing!


Dingo: Also we have one of those new talking machines. Now that is innovative. It plays music right here in our home.


("There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" plays on talking machine.)


Me: Well, the young folks have their own ideas about entertainment. Jane, our teenage daughter, is gettig ready to go to a trolley party on one of those new electric streetcars. She says hayrides are old-fashioned.


Jane: Thanks for letting me go, Papa.


Me: Be home by 9:00, daughter.


Jane: Yes, Papa.


Aleu: It's hard to imagine how life can improve. But there's a new company, uh, General Electric they call it, who is trying to bring the same power that runs the streetcars into our homes.


Jenna: Because those guys are working that out, one thing is certain.


All: There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining a the end of everyday. There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, and tomorrow's just a dream away. Man has a dream and that's the start. He follows his dream with mind and heart. And when it becomes a reality, it's a dream come true, for you and me. So there's a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day. There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, just a dream away!


Act 2: Summer (Roarin' Twenties)


All: Whew!


Me: Hottest summer we had in years! Well, we've come very far since the 1800's. But no one knew that this would be the age of electricity.


Aleu: Everyone's using it. Farmers, factories, and even whole towns like ours are using it!


(sounds of cars and streetcars outside)


Balto: With those new electric streetlights we don't worry so much about our family being out after dark. And what a difference in our home.


Jenna: That's right! We can run as many wires as we need in any direction for our new electrical servants. Electric sewing machine, coffeemaker, toaster, waffle iron, refrigerator, electric clock, and they all go to work at the click of a switch.


(appliances make noise)


Kodi: Well, the days of lugging hot irons and old ironing board and cast-iron ovens are gone forever. With an electric iron and electric lights, Mother can do her ironing in the cool of the evening. Isn't that right Mother?


Sarah: Yes, dear.


Me: Family entertainment is improving too. Our old Edison talking machine is put away in the attic. We have a phonograph now.


Balto: Yes. There's also a new type of music called jazz. All the youngsters seem to like it.


("There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" plays in jazz form)


Dingo: With our crystal set, Grandpa can get entertain from up to 100 miles away.


(radio plays) (static)


Saba: Now that's amazing news! Too bad we get so much static.


Me: Unfortunately, I'm also getting some static from my daughter.


Jane: I don't see any harm in looking for a job, Dad.


Me: It's a man's world out there, Jane.


Jane: Well, it won't always be.


(dogs growl)


Me: Easy, guys. You're supposed to be man's best friend.


Jenna: Sorry, James. Well, we have indoor plumbing now. Saves alotta walking. In our new bathroom we have, uh, a houseguest. That's Cousin Orville.


Balto: As usual, he's in the most comfortable place. He's rigged up something very clever. It's called air conditioning. Not a bad idea at all. That might improve in the future.


Aleu: Well, considering all the conveniences we have, it looks like we have made real progress in improving our lives.


Me: But when read about what General Electric is working on, we can be sure of one thing.


Everyone: There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day. There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, and tomorrow's just a dream away. Man has a dream and that's the start. He follows his dream with mind and heart. And when it becomes a reality, it's a dream come true for you and me. So there's a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day. There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, just a dream away!


Act 3: Fall


Me: Oh, hello again.


Balto: Well, it's Fall again and the kids are back in school. Thank goodness!


Jenna: (sighs) Here we are in the Fabulous 40's and now, we have so many new kitchen wonders to help take over the hard work. We have a new electric washing machine. It does about everything but hang up the clothes. Ovens are bigger and better than the ones from the Roarin' 20's.


Aleu: Our new refrigerator is bigger and holds more food and ice. We also have a new electric dishwasher. Kitchens are now places to relax in. We spend a lot of time out here. Have to.


Saba: That's right. Now that television's here, Grandma and Grandpa have taken over our den.


(television starts)


Dingo: Well, television's here to stay and no doubt it will improve.


Me: That's true. But my son's more interested in models. Airplane models that is.


(model airplane turns on)


Jim: Hey, Dad! It works!


Me: I hear it!


Balto: Remember back in the 1920's when young people got their excercise dancing the Charleston? Well, today our daughter Jane keeps in shape with electricity.


Me: I'm having another phone put in next week.


(dogs bark)


Me: Cut it out! This person Jane's talking about may be a good customer of General Electric, like we are.


Kodi: Well, our family's caught in the do-it-yourself craze.


We're remodeling our basement.


Me: Mother's pretty ingenius, like using her food mixer for stirring paint.


Aleu: Well, one thing's certain. We won't have any food mixed around here until Mother's finished with her painting.


Well, now it's time to move on.


Balto: It's also time to sing the song again. Let's sing it together!


Everyone: There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day. There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, and tomorrow's just a dream away.


Me: Man has a dream and that's the start.


Balto: He follows his dream with mind and heart


Everyone: And when it becomes a reality, it's a dream come true, for you and me. So there's a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day. There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, just a dream away!


Act 4: Present day:


Everyone: Merry Christmas!


Me: We were just recalling how frantic Christmas was in the past.


Balto: Today, our new all electric home has taken all of the hard work and it does most of the back-breaking drudgery we had to do.


Jenna: We have a new electric range which is voice-activated. Our refrigerator is bigger and better than ever.


Aleu: We have a new computer. The kids really have loads of fun with it. It also helps them become the dreamers and doers of tomorrow.


Dingo: Also, televisions also have color now. And it's even thinner than the original televisions. They call it High-Definition TV. Replacing the old videotapes, we have laser discs. They not only have music on them, but movies too!


Balto: We can create new color schemes on walls, carpets, fabrics, and furniture. Now let's have some music to fit the color scheme.


(music plays)


Me: What a difference from scratchy talking machines and flickering gas lamps.


Kodi: We've come a full cycle since the old days.


Jenna: Yes, and it's difficult to imagine that our way of life can improve.


Kodi: But this is just the beginning. There's a whole new century waiting ahead of us. Now let's move on through the 21st century!


All: There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day. There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, and tomorrow's just a dream away. Man has a dream and that's the start. He follows his dream with mind amd heart. And when it becomes a reality, it's a dream come true, for you and me. So there's a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day. There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, just a dream away!


Me: Thank you for traveling through time on the General Electric Carousel of Progress. We hope that this show has been good experience for you and your family. Now, please all personal belongings and exit through the doors at the back of the theatre. Have a great big beautiful tomorrow!