A young girl embarks on a series of misadventures, causing her friends and teachers to be worrisome. Based on the children's books by Ludwig Bemelmans.
"In an old house in Paris all covered with vines lived twelve little girls in two straight lines..." Thus begins this musical adaptation of the classic 1930's children's book about Madeline, the smallest and bravest of the twelve little girls.
One year, at Christmas time, as Madeline, her friends and Miss Clavel get ready by making presents for family and friends, decorating the school and baking cakes and cookies, Paris is hit by a huge and very unexpected snowstorm.
One day, the Spanish Ambassador moves into the house next door to Madeline's school, and he has a son, a 'bad hat' named Pepito.
As we know well by now, no one knows better "how to frighten Miss Clavel" than Madeline.
Pepito invites Madeline and the girls to a Gypsy carnival.
"Not a single eye was dry" the day the Spanish Ambassador moved to London, taking Madeline's dear friend Pepito with him.
At the Old House - and all over the neighborhood - people's hats, gloves and scarves are missing. Madeline and Pepito work with Detective Moreau to find the perpetrators, then finally discover that the "thieves" are some altruistic magpies who are distributing the warm clothes to the homeless in the park.
Even though she outperforms the competition, Genevieve is disqualified from a dog show because she is not a purebred. But after she rescues the Mayor's dog, the judges change their tune.
Just in time for Easter, Madeline updates the old hat belonging to Bon Bon, the milk horse. But then an enormous gust of wind sends the hat flying across town, into the shop of a struggling designer, who attempts to market it in time for Easter.
The Old House, sorely in need of repair, is condemned and the girls are forced to move to a small apartment where their snooty neighbors hate kids and dogs. But just before the wrecking ball destroys their beloved abode, Madeline enlists the aid of the ladies of the Historical Society, who help get the Old House renovated to perfection.
Madeline's country cousin Andre comes to town. Everyone thinks he's nothing more than a bumpkin with phenomenal gardening skills until, with Madeline's encouragement, he saves the day at the big soccer match.
When Madeline and the girls visit a toy factory, Madeline is accidentally boxed as a "doll" and sold to a handicapped girl. The ailing child considers Madeline her only friend and is devastated when Madeline reveals her true identity and has to go home. But things turn around the next day when the little girl discovers she now has twelve real live friends.
Madeline, the girls, and Pepito prepare a disastrous meal for Lord Cucuface, who immediately enrolls them for cooking lessons at the famed Cordon Bleu. After various mishaps, the children finally get the hang of French cuisine, but Madeline fails to receive her diploma because she has given her creation to the hungry. In the end, Miss Clavel helps Madeline realize that the satisfaction of helping someone is more rewarding than any blue ribbon could ever be.
The girls get a chance to perform with a famed ballet master who thinks Madeline is too small to succeed. Madeline's insecurity (and Pepito's teasing) keeps getting in the way of her performance until she is given a pep talk - and a pair of toe shoes - by an accomplished prima ballerina, who convinces Madeline that hard work and courage will help her excel.
After being evicted from the opera for barking along with her favorite arias, Genevieve is dog napped by an impresario who sets her up at a dinner theatre. When Madeline finally catches up with her talented canine, Genevieve, now a star is reluctant to go home because she is still embarrassed about the incident at the opera. It is up to Madeline to convince Genevieve how much she is missed at the Old House.
Madeline, Pepito and the girls visit Miss Clavel's aunt and nephew in their Alpine chalet.
Madeline is 'discovered' by a Hollywood director and is transported to California for her motion picture debut with her idol, Sugar Dimples.
Lord Cucuface takes the girls and Pepito on a yacht trip, and excludes the girls when he teaches Pepito sailing techniques.
It's Madeline's birthday & Pepito & his father take her to the zoo while Miss Clavel & the girls get the house ready for a surprise birthday party.
Madeline paints a magnificent picture and accidentally leaves it at the Louvre, where it is mistaken for a masterpiece and hung next to the Mona Lisa, upstaging DaVinci's creation. Madeline tries to get the painting back, but one believes that she is the anonymous artist. In the end she finds she must use her feisty individuality to prove herself to the authorities.
The circus has been cancelled because Monsieur Funnybones, the world's shortest clown, has lost his ability to laugh.
The girls are looking forward to a big costume bash at Pepito's house. But a week before the festivities they all come down with chicken pox and are quarantined in the Old House.
Lord Cucuface becomes convinced that the girls have musical talent and schedules a Bastille Day performance.
The girls and Pepito visit Pepito's relatives' hacienda in Spain and encounter Pepito's cousins who are naughty and mischievous 'bad hats', the way Pepito used to be (only worse!)
The girls find a homesick parrot who repeats the same street names over and over.
While on holiday in New York, the girls and Pepito attend a Yankee game, and Madeline catches the first home run ball of the season.
