Musicals that SHOULDN"T be done in high schools...but have...- Page 2

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 4:38pm

CHICAGO. CHICAGO. CHICAGO. CHICAGO. CHICAGO, AND CHICAGO!

It makes me sick to my stomach High Schools are "trying" to put on this show.

[DTBG2]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 4:42pm

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST...OMG!!!

SAW A PRODUCTION LAST MONTH AT A LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL, IT WAS HORRIBLE!!! But maybe i should blame the talent at the school, becuase those kids also did LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, and the even butchered that show too!

[DefyGravity23]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 4:47pm

A local school here did Chicago. I didn't see it because it was the same days as ours. I heard they hired a choreographer, but when the administration saw the choreography, they made the director change ALL of it to something...err...more suitable for high school students -- that was after they had learned all of it -- what a pain! But I heard the original stuff was pretty...yeah.

I think you can usually make shows like Chicago work. Those shows that are kinda borderline. Then again...cabaret? I guess it all depends on how the director decides to do it...but sometimes if you go too far you end up either butchering the show or making parents angry. Still, there's enough shows out there that you shouldn't have to stick to the same old same old.

[TonyBWay]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 4:47pm

In my humble opinion anything Sondheim or Kander & Ebb should not be attempted by any high schools. The material is usually over the head of those performing in the pieces. I have seen several production of INTO THE WOODS in middle and in high school and I can do is (((shudder))). Les Miz is also another piece that I don't think is appropriate or suitable for a high school production.

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 4:49pm

I agree with TonyBway.

And if you have to dumb down the material (like done for Chicago) it is ridiculous. If you can't do the show in it's correct nature, than why attempt it at all? It pisses me off.

[loudasthehelliwant]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 4:51pm

I also disagree about Les Miserables.

If the school can handle it (and a school should NOT do it if they can't), then its a great student production. They did it at my high school three years ago (right when it was available) and it was AMAZING. I've yet to see Thenardiers as good as the ones we had. The rest of the leads were strong too. And, they even put in some lines that the professional tour no longer does (i.e. the song Come To Me was completely in tact).

About Fiddler on the Roof... its even WORSE when its done in junior high. A talented high school senior could probably do an ok job with Tevya, but an EIGHTH GRADER? Now, THAT's bad. (And I've seen that done... *shudder*)

[One Song Glory]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 4:59pm

My dad wants me to see the show at my brother's high school later this month but I've been thinking about it and I'm not sure if I should go or not.

[Liam]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 5:03pm

evry musical should be done in a high school IT ART PEOPLE GET OVER IT!!!!

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 5:04pm

Liam - You are officially the board idot.

[marincrazy11]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 5:09pm

We didn't dumb down Chicago at all when we did it. But we also did it for a competition that only allowed the shows to be 45 minutes long, so we there was a lot of stuff that had to be cut, for time. But of what we left in there nothing was changed or dumbed down by any means.

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 5:12pm

Still - the nature of the show is not appropiate for a high school. I can see a Show Choir doing a few numbers from the show. But a HS doing the full show is ridiculous. Listen to the opening message of the show - tell me thats appropiate for HS's. I am a HS student myself. I would kill to play Billy Flynn - but I wouldn't want my HS to do this show - I just don't think it should be in a HS.

[DefyGravity23]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 5:17pm

I also agree that Sondheim really shouldn't be done in high schools (and ESPECIALLY not middle schools) I saw a high school do into the woods this year and I couldn't understand a lot of the words. The actors just couldn't spit it out --- just plain mush. (but that's just one reason they shouldn't do sondheim)

there's a rumor going around school that we're doing Into the Woods next year. I don't think we will, but it makes me nervous.

[RaininSmilies]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 5:21pm

There was a nearby Catholic school last year that did Chicago. I can't imagine how they pulled it off though. Also, my school, which is also a Catholic school, did Damn Yankees and I was honestly a little surprised that we did a play with a swear word in the title. I mean Damn Yankees isn't bad or anything. It just sort of shocked me.

[Plum]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 5:26pm

I have seen Tevye played by a fifth grader. I don't think I've entirely recovered.

[DefyGravity23]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 5:33pm

"I have seen Tevye played by a fifth grader. I don't think I've entirely recovered."

Woah, I feel your pain...

I don't think many middle schoolers can pull off ANY musical well. I've seen even musicals like "the Music Man" and "Guys and Dolls" butchered to pieces. You have to remember, middle school musicals/plays are usually done just to get the kids interested and started in theatre. Just like 3 year olds in dance recitals. You don't actually expect them to be good, but everyone has to start somewhere!!!

[LilMiZBroADwaY23]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 5:38pm

I wish there were more female heavy musicals out there. Because at our school, all of our decent guys have graduated this year. We only have three men left in our Varsity Chorale. It just sucks when you don't have a decent lead male. We have atleast five AWESOME females, but guys in our school are rare. They either do it when they're in middle school, quit or are too afraid because being in a musical or choir "isn't cool."

It took some balls to do Godspell, because we had to work a couple of guys to the bone to get them to an okay performance. It's just ****ing irritating.

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 5:40pm

Umm - there is a lot more in Chicago than just the trial. Sexuality is displayed through choreography and costumes - and if that's taken away - you've lost some of the show. There are cold blooded murder depicted on stage - an orgy is also depicted with the Kitty scene - when she finds her husband in bed with two other women, and in the Revival they add a man in there. Why should this be in a HS?

I also wouldn't call it a bomb in the 70's. It was nominated for 11 Tonys in 76, and recieved positive reviews when it opened in 75.

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 5:49pm

i have suffered through the following;

the king and i- they painted the actors YELLOE and drew slanted lines onto their eyelids

into the woods- they added an ensemble of dancers, and half the cast couldn't sing

annie- with a warbucks who could have very well been an alto and an annie only about 3 inchs shorter than miss hannigan

my theory is if you're gonna butcher it just don't do it

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 5:55pm

i think that if you have enough talent, finances and a genious directing it than you can do anything...

[VonTussleGirl]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 5:58pm

Heh... our Annie was actually taller than Miss Hannigan...

But that was okay, considering she had, hands down, the best voice in the school.

[MusicalDirector109]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 6:44pm

I directed "Carousel" at a high school and it was wonderful!!! It won many theatre competitions that year!!!

[Ourtime992]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 6:59pm

When it comes to propriety, I draw the line at flagrant sexuality, but I have yet to see a show too "hard" for a high school to do, given that the high school has adequate resources, a competent direction, good music and drama productions, etc.

I recently posted pictures of a production of Beauty and the Beast that was mind-blowing, impressive to me in a way that even the Broadway production wasn't, possibly because my expectations were lower with a high school. The same high school did an outstanding Les Miserables the year before, with Footloose and Scarlet Pimpernel the years before that. This particular high school has never done the same show twice in the 30 years that the drama teacher has been there, and they also do a revue and a dinner theater production each year, always winning distinctions at state competitions and generating enormous buzz in the community.

On the other hand, my high school did Anything Goes, Damn Yankees, and Joseph during my time there. Fun times, I guess, but I sure longed to tackle Carousel at the time. We had more than adequate performers (a number of my close friends have since gone on to conservatories and performing careers) but a less than ambitious director.

I don't think it's in anyone's best interest to snobbily say high schools "shouldn't" be "allowed" to do certain productions just because we love them and want to protect them. When there are legitimate concerns about that, the creators usually work with the licensing agencies to restrict them from the get-go.

Posted: 5/2/05 at 6:59pm

About Fiddler on the Roof... its even WORSE when its done in junior high. A talented high school senior could probably do an ok job with Tevya, but an EIGHTH GRADER? Now, THAT's bad. (And I've seen that done... *shudder*)


My middle school did Fiddler and we shocked a whole lot of people with our talent... I hated our Tevye just cause he's a jackass but he's very talented. But our cast was subject to intenese auditions for the show. I was Morchada the innkeeper.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 6:59pm

am I the only one who hates the words "shouldn't" and "couldn't?"
Remember these are kids, many of whom (like me) never will have a chance to go to Broadway.
Let them have their fun.

I once say an all child, Chicago Parks production of 'The Mikado".....including the orchestra....it was horrible......but the look on the kids faces truly made it magnificent....

shouldn't and couldn't need to be used sparingly.......no easier way to nip a dream in the bud

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 7:11pm

Well, I phrased it SHOULDN'T to open up the debate. It seems that there are very few shows that COULDN'T be done.


I personally am waiting for the report of a high school who has staged WHOREHOUSE.