Bartolo, the Master Pumpkin Carver sits carving exquisite pumpkins in his tiny booth at the annual Autumn Carnival on opening day. He invites the audience to sit with him for a spell as he sings the enchanting tale of the Pumpkin Kid: (Find A Light)

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In a town that has seen better days, an orphan boy happily hauls a wagon full of misshapen pumpkins.  The people of the town, led by a very grumpy Tailor, have become disillusioned and dour, forgetting they were once vibrant and hopeful. (A Mis'rable Time of Year)  As he passes among them, the Pumpkin Kid sings of hope and possibility. (Find A Light-Reprise)

 

He eventually stops to visit his cranky neighbors; a surly Blacksmith, a disillusioned Woodcarver, and the ill-tempered Tailor. 

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Begrudgingly, they each loan him a discarded tool, an old saw, a broken spoon and a twisted hat pin.  The child returns to his makeshift home, which is really a lean-to shack behind a candlemaking shop. Once there, he creates the most exquisite pumpkin carvings with the broken and bent tools and exhausted, drifts off  to sleep.  

 

Moments later, he is rudely nudged awake by the owners of the candle shop, a married couple known as The Candle Lady and Candle Man.

As they threaten to evict the boy from their property, he places a lit candle inside one of his creations which casts remarkable images on the cold dark walls of the hut. 

The Candlemakers are taken aback - for he has somehow carved images of them, the husband and wife in happier times. (Our Wedding Day Song)

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So touched and impressed by the boy's creation, they vow to assist him on his quest as he makes his way throughout the town, delivering light to those who need it most.

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What happens next?

What magic is revealed when these pumpkins are illuminated from within? And how is it that the light is able to change and transform hearts, even those that feel cracked, ruined and beyond repair?