AIDA in High Schools?- Page 2

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 8/15/04 at 12:49am

To the people whinging about a 15 y.o Mrs Potts, she could be played by a TEACHER!

[MyNameInLights]

Posted: 8/15/04 at 12:56am

No, she couldn't be played by a teacher. IT'S A FREAKING SCHOOL. THE STUDENTS PLAY THE ROLES. Now I'm REALLY sorry I asked for help. I mean, Heaven forbid I go out for a role I'm interested in without being laughed at. It's not like I'm going to get it anyway. But I'm going to try, and that's why I asked for help. It doesn't need to be continually brought up. It's done. Knock it off.

Posted: 8/15/04 at 1:03am

What about the sets with an AIDA high school production. That be tough also. I mean obviously you wont have the floor to roof pool and swimmers...

[eyecu]

Posted: 8/15/04 at 1:15am

So how do you expect kids to get involved in theatre if they can't perform themselves...? you guys are silly.

[BJC899]

Posted: 8/15/04 at 1:44am

A little off topic but I just want to defend us kids who are involved in such high school productions. They CAN be really good...I've seen people with no talent transformed into an amazing person on stage with the assistance of the director. It really is amazing what you can do with kids because they are so open and mostly just want to please there director.

Also I was recently in a production of Les Miz SE and we blew the roof for 7 shows. MTI came to our show. We didn't expect them to show (they had said they would if they could) They loved our show, and gave it so much praise. They said we didn't deserve the space we had ..meaning we were to good for just a local show.

Also this is way OT but we did joseph 2 years ago, and one of the kids dads is a backstage guy at AIDA. He got some of the old sets from the show (they had replaced them in the show) and we used some for our show.

I'm just rambling.
HS shows can either be really bad or good. It's hard to call a show bad when you know how much work they put into the production.

[bronxboundexpress]

Posted: 8/15/04 at 2:01am

Remember in the movie CAMP when the little white girl sang the song form DREAMGIRLS that was supposed to be played but a big black woman. That was meant to be funny. And I have the same feeling when I see school productions. You can't expect to believe these performances when it's obvious they're children. That's why I laughed at the 15 year old Ms. Potts.

Posted: 8/15/04 at 9:20am

In a meeting , my director stated that since we were the first high school in the US to perform "Ragtime", that we had the oppurtunity to do "Aida".

Posted: 8/15/04 at 10:28am

I guess it comes down to that is it a high school and not a pro. theater comp. and that things may be bad, good, and great. But you just hate to see that kid struggle with a song they can't sing! Aida has tough tough songs...kinda like how a lot of teen girls are trying to belt out Defying Gravity...again tough tough song and their voice arent ready to handle it...

[nystateomind04]

Posted: 8/15/04 at 12:17pm

mynameinlights, really, dont worry about it- nobody gives any thought to anything that bronxboundexpress says anyway. i hope you knock 'em dead at you audition.

[bronxboundexpress]

Posted: 8/15/04 at 12:24pm

nystateofmind, why am I in your post then? I'm sorry I hurt the little girl's feelings. It's still funny though, sorry.

[nystateomind04]

Posted: 8/15/04 at 12:34pm

yes you seem sorry enough to mention how hillarious it is over and over again.

furthermore, teenagers play older roles all the time, it is a neccesity in high school theater, and it isnt funny. meryl streep played a near-death male rabbi in "angels in america", there are a lot of examples of actors playing older or younger parts. that's why we call it "acting" Updated On: 8/15/04 at 12:34 PM

[FOCI]

Posted: 8/15/04 at 2:45pm

"...kinda like how a lot of teen girls are trying to belt out Defying Gravity...again tough tough song and their voice arent ready to handle it..."

I don't think this is necessarily true, talent is something that has always had an inherently subjective nature about it and when age becomes a factor it becomes even more so. You cannot generalize and say something like" people under the age of 18 can't sing this song" because people grow and mature at different rates as do their voices.If it is a question of experiencence then yes, older people tend to have more experience but again NOT ALWAYS TRUE. I mean look at Andrea Mcardle in Annie-she was out there belting with the best of them, and certainly better at age 12 or however old she was then many adults I know. Talent transcends age barriers but it can only be honed and refined with experience.
My point is: You go Mynameinlights there is no reason you would not make a great Mrs. Potts!!

[zbigner]

Posted: 8/15/04 at 3:55pm

I'm a high school math teacher, and my favorite thing about teenagers is that they don't yet know what they are not supposed to be able to do, so they go ahead and do it anyway. Adults should certainly play a role in setting realistic expectations while trying not to underestimate the kids.

When I go to a high school production, I know it's a high school production and adjust my expectations accordingly. I also know that the primary purpose of the production is the education of the kids in it and not my entertainment.

There are plenty of sub-par productions done by professionals charging more than $50 a ticket. I'm not sure why some people get so upset over the possibility of some high school kids doing the same at a tenth of the price.

[bronxboundexpress]

Posted: 8/15/04 at 4:34pm

I still think it's funny. So sue me.

[bogey_LIVE]

Posted: 8/15/04 at 4:41pm

High School Musicals are the foundation for bringing more students into the performing arts realm. Unfortunately, a lot of kids come out of it thinking they are hot S***, when, really, they should be librarians. Also...Performing arts school aren't ANY better than normal High schools. NOT EVEN perfomring colleges and conservatories...they all are crap..why?...because most high schools dont have enough people auditioning, so they have to pick anyone they want. If you have ONE half-assed person, the whole show sucks...and whether in high school or college, you always have at least ONE half-assed person

[NoDayButToday2]

Posted: 8/15/04 at 11:19pm

come on you all are making it sound like you have never been in a highschool production yourself. you had to have done SOMETHING... or maybe you didnt know exactly what you wanted to do until college. well you probably performed some there too. or maybe you arent the acting singing type and just enjoy watching other-if that is so, then it is your choice to see the show or not see the show. profesionals will be better than teenagers. thats just the way it works. if you dont want to see a show thats less than perfect, dont see a highschool production. the bottom line is that they try hard, have a passion for performing, and do the best with what materials and space they have. i dont see one reason why anyone should be bashing them like this.


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if you dont like my typing skills then dont read my posts, because i am lazy and will not go and edit them just because it bothers someone. we're all pretty smart people here so im hoping you can just figure out what i meant Updated On: 8/15/04 at 11:19 PM

[musicalfandukie]

Posted: 8/15/04 at 11:21pm

if high schools can get there hands on shows like into the woods, les miserables, and titanic..i am sure they can get ahold of aida one day

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 8/15/04 at 11:48pm

At the age of 18 (I am now 19) I am almost sure I would have been able to play and sing the role of Radames, if only I had had the chance. Then again I cannot think of any kids in the current high school class who could have sung it, so I think it has to do whether the crop of talent that year can handle it or not. A lot of it is luck of the draw with what amount of talented teens happen to be in the high school that year.

Akiva

[theaterfan194]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 6:48am

i recently saw a hs production of cabaret and it was amazing i think hs actors should get more credit then they usually get

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 9:49am

how did they do the pool scene in aida?