High School Musicals of the future- Page 3

[Theatreboy49]

Posted: 5/9/05 at 10:48am

If the high school had the talent and the ethnic cast do you think that they could do Rent?

Posted: 5/9/05 at 12:10pm

Hey Kids: Old guy here. I can recall the excitement when a local high school actually got the chance to do a new show: West Side Story! And, man, was it controversial! There was sex and even a MURDER! Parents complained--But the choir director pointed out that boring old Carousel had sex and murder and no one objected to that!

Here's how life works: A big show opens on Broadway. Almost invariably, it gets released to amateur groups. Some productions suck. Some are pretty good. Parents love them all the same.

Your kids' high school will do Wicked-- you'll remember that you really loved that show! Betsy Eaglebaur will NAIL Defying Gravity. The school will even rent an Anti-Grav machine. But there will be some new show (probably involving cannibalism and featuring actual time travel) that your kid would have preferred to do. Your kid will complain that Wicked sucks, it's boring and old and she hates the movie starring Apple Paltrow & Rumer Willis-Moore.

Then you will feel like I do, RIGHT NOW!

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 5/9/05 at 1:24pm

"If the high school had the talent and the ethnic cast do you think that they could do Rent?"

My sister was talking to the drama teacher at her high school and she said that she would never do a show like Rent at a high school. She just just didn't think high schoolers had the emotional compacity to portray these characters effectively. Even if they were really talented, she still didn't want for 14 year old girls to have to explore a cracked-out HIV-positive character.

Yes, her school has more than enough racial diversity, even among the hardcore theater people, to be able to pull off the "ethnic" cast. But the "ethnic" cast and a bunch of kids that already know all the words to the songs does not make the show.

JoeKv, what's this about cannibalism and time travel? Damn, I would want to do that show too!

[bially082]

Posted: 5/9/05 at 3:59pm

I think The Producers will be a show that a lot of High School attempt to do.

I hope Wicked becomes like Sweeney Todd, meaning that only the best schools would be goofy enough to attempt it. Sweeney is only done by really good schools, and I hope it stays that way with Wicked. -Not that Wicked is anywhere near as good as Sweeney Todd, but you get my point.

Updated On: 5/9/05 at 03:59 PM

[bially082]

Posted: 5/9/05 at 4:01pm

My old HS, from which i graduated 5 years ago, just did a production of La Cage! We had one of best theatre departments I've ever seen in a high school though, in the Chicago area.

[MagicToDo82]

Posted: 5/9/05 at 4:04pm

EganFan2, you nailed it.

JoeKV99, you rock.

[DefyGravity23]

Posted: 5/9/05 at 5:51pm

I know a high school girl that can definetely handle Elphaba. well...singing wise anyway. Maybe not acting... I've heard her sing Defying Gravity. She's better than *gasp* Idina. I don't know for sure about better than Shoshana, but definetely better than Idina.

But effects, choreography, makeup (imagine trying to make Elphaba green w/ cheapo HS makeup), acting, costumes etc etc would still suffer if high schoolers did Wicked. I think I wouldn't be able to watch...scary.

My vote is for Millie.