Profile for freewilma

RunnyBabbit said: "I asked at the box office tonight when I was there for Sunset Boulevard. They said subscription tickets are going on sale tomorrow (2/7) and general tickets are going on sale 2/21."

 

It's the 7th and the website still says "Ticket On Sale Date To Be Announced".  

Another you might want to consider is Dogfight.  Terrific Pasek and Paul music based on a movie by the same name.  

 

Along with Heathers and American Idiot, I'd suggest you look at the musical Cruel Intentions.  It is based on the 90s movie which stared Reece Witherspoon and Ryan Phillipe (and before that the classic Dangerous Liaisons).  The show had off-broadway / LA / Edinburgh Fringe runs in the past couple of years.  Not sure about it's licensing status, but it's worth checking out.  The cast recording is available.  https://www.dramatists.com/cgi-bin/db/single.asp?key=5930 and http://www.cruelmusical.com/#home

It seems like there is a move to revise and tighten the show.  I saw it a few weeks ago at George Mason University in Virginia.  Since I'd never seen the original I have no idea how much this new iteration differs from the original.  The article indicates they are hoping for a London production in the near future. https://dcmetrotheaterarts.com/2019/10/18/new-revision-of-broadway-musical-rags-is-a-timely-story-of-the-immigrant-experience/

I'm looking forward to seeing this new take on the choreography.    http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/without-michael-bennetts-choreography-is-it-still-a-chorus-line/2019/10/30/b758eaa4-f9a3-11e9-ac8c-8eced29ca6ef_story.html

This is a terrific documentary that explains a bit more; especially Standby.  The Standbys

There was a version of Pinocchio that ran in London a couple of years ago.  At the time there was some discussion of a transfer.  Haven't heard much about it since that time. https://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.php?thread=1106441#5004240

Which theatre was it......so I'll be sure NOT to go to that one for the next fathom event?  Thanks!

The show is back on......but being delayed for 2 weeks to make up for lost rehearsal time.  It's being given a PG-13 rating to inform audiences.  Additionally, actors performing in the show must have a signed permission slip from parents.  AND they are making the script available for folks to read before the show if they want more info about the content.  

Piece from Arts Integrity  Arts Integrity on Spelling Bee article

C-a-n-c-e-l-i-n-g ‘Spelling Bee’ at a Maryland Middle School

The communication announcing the cancelation of a production of the musical The 25thAnnual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Hyattsville Middle School in Maryland could not have been more terse.

Unfortunately we have decided to cancel the Spring Musical dates of May 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.

Additionally, we will hold a parent meeting after spring break, Tuesday April 23rdat 4:30pm in Mrs. Gee’s Room to address next steps and to answer any of your questions, comments, or concerns.

The letter was signed by Genese Gee-Schmidtke, the Hyattsville Middle School Theatre Arts Director. The signature included the tagline, presumably common to all of her communications, which reads, “Respect Art, Create Art, Live art…Do good!”

Inquiries regarding the cancelation to the office of Dr. Monica Goldson, who holds the title of Interim CEO at Prince George’s County Public Schools (in lieu of the more typical title of Superintendent), which includes Hyattsville, received the following reply:

Thank you for contacting me concerning the cancellation of the play at Hyattsville Middle School. Staff spoke with the Principal and listed below is what actually took place.

Teachers expressed concern given the extended use of profanity in the play even though it was play was identified as PG13 appropriate. The supervisor for Performing Arts, was then requested to review content during which time it was decided that the play should be cancelled since copyright laws did not permit the change in language when she reached out to the company.  It was then deemed more appropriate for high school and not middle school.

A letter will be crafted and sent home to the school community this week.

In addition, we will work with the central office Creative and Visual Performing Arts team to create a process for approval of plays prior to students practicing and preparing to ensure this does not happen again.

The 25thAnnual Putnam County Spelling Bee is the comic recreation of a student spelling bee. It ran on Broadway from May 2005 to January 2008 and received a Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for Rachel Sheinkin, as well as a Tony for Dan Fogler who played one of the student competitors. It has widely been produced since, however for school productions, the lyrics of one song, “My Unfortunate Erection,” have been revised to “My Unfortunate Distraction” to remove the obvious sexual connotation.

According to news reports, the Hyattsville production has been in rehearsal for months, and as Gee-Schmidtke’s brief communication indicates, the cancelation came over spring break, with the performances scheduled for the weekend following the return from break. Presumably, Gee-Schmidtke did not cancel her own show, but rather was communicating the decision of others above her in the school or district hierarchy.

With the material most obviously problematic already revised and implemented for the Hyattsville production, precisely what concerns remained? A report from WJLA TV references a statement from the communications office for the district, saying that a review of the script yielded, in WJLA’s characterization, “concerns surrounding profane language, sexual innuendo, and several lines in the play that could potentially be viewed as racist.” Coverage of the Tuesday meeting in The Washington Post characterized school officials as citing “a number of concerns — with racial humor, sexual innuendo and what one described as some ‘cuss words’.”

Arts Integrity has written to the CEO and the Hyattsville principal, as well as the communications office asking for those specific examples. As of publication time, the only response received, from Raven Hill in the district communication office, read, “I will follow up with you later today.” This post will be updated with that response upon receipt.

It has been widely rumored online that the main concern about the show pertains to the characters of the two gay dads of one of the student characters. Schools spokesperson Hill was quoted by the Post as saying, “I know that there was a rumor and a concern, but we’re not seeking to remove gay characters, nor was the play canceled because of gay characters.”

James McGonnigal, an area resident who does not have a child who is a student at the school, but attended the meeting, characterized the conversation in the meeting in an e-mail with Arts Integrity, writing:

The meeting last night was not only filled with contradictions to the statement made earlier in the day about reasons for the production’s cancellation. The meeting began with Principal Thorne reading the county’s prepared statement and followed with questions and replies. During the questioning from parents and community members, the Principal and County representatives first attempted to blame MTI for not allowing the changes being requested.

McGonnigal went on to write:

There was more discussion of the list of requested changes, this time from Ms. Gee – the director of the show. One parent asked for that list to be shared and they said it would take a few days to compile it. And then I asked if the director could confirm that the inclusion of gay parents was not on the list of requested changes. After replying “Well, there were several requested changes made and we just want to make sure that we’re offering a show that’s appropriate for all ages.” When I asked again, “Can you confirm that the inclusion of gay parents was not a concern brought to MTI,” she replied “No, I cannot confirm that.”

McGonnigal has set up an online petition in support of the play going forward.

In a video recording of the start of the meeting, the school principal, Thornton Boone, reads a prepared statement which includes making a distinction between MTI school edition scripts, which he says are prepared for high schools, and Broadway Junior editions, which he cites as being for elementary and middle schools, noting that there is no Broadway Junior edition of Spelling Bee. He proceeds to say, “Based on this information, it is recommended that this production not be presented by Hyattsville Middle School.” He then outlines the intention to develop a plan for the future approval of shows for the 2019-2020 school year and proceeds to cite the school’s adherence to policies against discrimination and harassment.

Boone goes on to recount a conversation between MTI and Ms. Gee-Schmidtke in which she was ostensibly told that any changes to the script would be in violation of copyright. He goes on to state that LGBTQ content was not the reason for the cancelation, and announces that in a June performance, students will present excerpts from prior school productions, including Into The Woods, Fame, Once on This Island, Romeo and Juliet and Annie.

The impression that no changes to the Spelling Bee text are permitted, even when properly requested, is rebutted by WJLA’s report, which also cites McGonnigal:

“There are a handful of ‘damns’ or ‘Jesus Christs’ that are in there, that could easily be cut out, I don’t think with any complaint from the licensing agency,” said Jamie McGonnigal, who says he is very familiar with ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’.

ABC 7 reached out to the licensing agency, Music Theatre International, and a spokesperson confirmed that they have accommodated similar requests in the past.

If gay dads aren’t the issue, if mild curse words can be altered with permission, what remains a problem with Spelling Bee? Again, the school district isn’t being specific. The most likely point of contention may well be a brief scene when one of the student spellers utters, “Jesus, can’t you come up with a harder word than that?” and Jesus appears to that student in a one-page scene in which he explains that spelling bees aren’t something he much concerns himself with.

If it is the depiction of Jesus which is a problem under the PGCPS guidelines, then presumably that is not a matter that would be any different in the high school than the middle school. Is this the “extended use of profanity” alluded to in an e-mail from Goldson to the Justine Christianson, president of the school’s PTSO? Are we to parse the language carefully to distinguish profane from what is often seen as its synonym, obscene?

There may be a solution at hand, namely that the show proceeds, despite losing days of rehearsal, with a “mature content warning” appended in materials promoting the show, as if anyone in the community isn’t now aware of such reservations on the part of the administration after major press coverage. The school and the district will reportedly issue their decision by tomorrow. But what’s worth noting is that the solution didn’t come from anywhere in the school hierarchy. Rather, it was proposed by a student at yesterday’s meeting.

It seems that Hyattsville Middle School’s leadership, and the district leadership, has an awful lot of work to do very quickly if they are to dispel both rumors and establish the clear facts about any censorious intent. They need to be transparent about what changes they’re requesting and to eliminate any sense that gay parents aren’t a problem and that their reasoning isn’t in any way arbitrary or that they have failed to seek genuine solutions.

But it also seems clear that in both this decision and their plans to implement a review process, which would likely only serve to reduce the variety of work available for performance at the school, they should listen to their students and include them in that process going forward. Because, with teachers often silenced in such cases, it seems the students may have the most creative ideas about how to solve problems, and get on with the show.

Text from Washington Post article on this situation.  

Post Article Link

By Donna St. George

April 23 at 11:08 PM

For months, students at Hyattsville Middle School in Maryland practiced for their spring musical. They recited lines, learned songs and imagined the world of the spelling bee contestants who were at the heart of their show.

Then, just before spring break, performances of the “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” were canceled with little explanation — setting off a wave of concern and criticism from parents who questioned whether the decision was related to gay characters in the musical.

“This is Hyattsville, Maryland, in 2019, and I can’t believe that is a reason,” said Elizabeth Tornquist, whose daughter was rehearsing for the show in the Prince George’s County school.

By Tuesday evening, school officials had agreed to revisit the issue, saying they would look into whether it would suffice to simply let people know the show was for more mature audiences so that they could decide whether to bring younger children.

 

School officials also said they would go back to the licensing agent for the Broadway hit to ask again about modifying language they said contributed to a decision that the musical was not appropriate for middle school.

None of the changes being requested involve eliminating the gay characters, they said, despite chatter on social media.

“I know that there was a rumor and a concern, but we’re not seeking to remove gay characters, nor was the play canceled because of gay characters,” schools spokeswoman Raven Hill said.

Parents gathered at Hyattsville Middle for a meeting Tuesday, demanding answers for the abrupt cancellation. A small group protested before the meeting, bearing signs with messages that included, “The Show Must Go On!” and “Three Months of Work For Nothing?”

Robert Kapler, whose 13-year-old daughter was involved in the musical as part of the school’s creative and performing arts program, said he was dismayed to hear of the show being halted so close to curtain time.

 

“She would wake up and practice,” he said. “She practiced after school, and she practiced at night. She practiced her singing. She practiced her dancing. She practiced her lines.”

“My main concern is that they’re shutting down something that should have been allowed to go forward because they put so much work into it,” he said.

The issue hit a nerve in Hyattsville, a community that many say prides itself on being diverse, welcoming and LGBTQ-friendly.

School officials sent a letter to parents in mid-April, abruptly canceling a show not long from opening.

“Unfortunately we have decided to cancel the Spring Musical dates of May 2nd, 3rd and 4th,” the letter said, adding that a parent meeting would be held Tuesday to answer “any of your questions, comments or concerns.”

Some parents complained that they went through spring break without knowing why the show was being stopped.

 

Justine Christianson, president of the school’s PTSO, said she had received an email Tuesday morning from Monica Goldson, interim chief executive of the Prince George’s school system, saying the cancellation came after teachers expressed concerns about “the extended use of profanity” in the musical.

That email said the play’s content had been reviewed by school officials who decided to cancel the play because copyright laws did not permit a change in language.

“It was then deemed more appropriate for high school and not middle school,” the message from Goldson said. It added that school system officials would create a process for approval of plays before students begin practicing “to ensure this does not happen again.”

At the parent meeting Tuesday, school officials mentioned a number of concerns — with racial humor, sexual innuendo and what one described as some “cuss words.”

 

Parents pressed to know more about when and how concerns had arisen — and where the process had gone wrong.

“This play is two weeks out. . . . I find it completely unacceptable,” one mother said.

The decision to revisit the issue came after a student who was at the gathering suggested the disclaimer about more mature content, so families could decide if the show was suitable for the very young.

A school board member, Pamela Boozer-Strother, who represents the area and attended the meeting, supported the disclaimer.

“It was something that had been on my mind,” she said later. “I was glad the student asked it, and she was able to take us in a new direction of a solution that may be possible.”

The school system said it would report back within two days about whether the show will go on, Boozer-Strother said.

“I don’t think the reasons for all of this were made very clear, but I am glad there is a way forward and that the students don’t feel all of their hard work was for nothing,” Christianson said.

Karl Kippola, a professor and director of the theater and musical theater program at American University in Washington, directed a campus production of the musical. He called it a “lovely” show — lighthearted and irreverent but also moving as it depicts the struggles of young spelling bee contestants.

He said one contestant’s gay parents appear briefly, and there are a couple of instances of mild profanity “but not anything that people have not heard in school before.”

Jesus is invoked in an exclamation, he said — which leads to the appearance of an actor dressed as Jesus, who gives the speller advice.

“The idea that people would be offended by it, that seems to be a little bit of a stretch,” he said. He said he could not call it a safe, traditional pick for a middle school but could see how students would find it fun to work on.

“It would be something they could relate to much more personally and directly,” he said. “Above all, the musical is funny and it makes the problems accessible but not overwhelming.”

He added: “People who are looking to be offended can find something offensive in it, but I think you can do that with most musicals.”

Several great choices from Be More Chill and The Prom.  I know that Be More Chill also released a karaoke version of their accompaniment tracks which would be easy to use at a Cabaret.  You could definitely consider all of Natalie's songs in Next To Normal.  American Idiot might work too; as well as Dogfight (even though we don't know Rose's exact age).

ps - Last 5 years isn't really teen.  It's more 20s angst.  

 

Mark Ballas has full sleeve tattoos and during Jersey Boys (maybe at the Muny this summer??) he posted a video of the flesh colored body stocking he wears to totally cover his arms.  

disneybroadwayfan22 said: "I’m so thrilled for Adrienne, Rachel and the K&I cast.


Are Hadestown and Heathers not eligible for some reason?Such a shame about Waitress missing the deadline. I really hope Katherine, Marissa and Jack are remembered because so many more shows will be opened long then and they won’t be there next year"

List of all Eligible productions

 

CedricOates said: "No Hadestown?"

 

that jumped out at me too; as well as Heathers. 

 

CATSNYrevival said: "I liked the title Little Dancer better."

absolutely a better title . I wonder what precipitated the change?  Confusion with Elton's "Tiny Dancer"?  But Marie is awfully generic.  It's not an iconic name like Evita or even Amelie .  I saw that Tiler Peck is back in the lead role after having also done it at the Kennedy Center; as are a number of the other folks from that cast.