A Chorus Line Student Edition?

[wickedfan11]

Posted: 4/19/09 at 4:26pm

Is there a student edition of A Chorus Line?

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 4/19/09 at 4:36pm

I'm not entirely sure whether there is a specifically designated "student" version of ACL, but I do know that it is available for schools to produce-- a school near me is putting it on in two weeks, and I know of several other high schools that have as well.

[seaweedjstubbs]

Posted: 4/19/09 at 7:07pm

We performed a "school edition" of ACL where I live. It was done with the county school system. Originally, we were going to do the show as it was written, but there were some upset people so we had to edit it. We had to get permission from Tams-Witmark for the changes.

[wickedfan11]

Posted: 4/19/09 at 8:08pm

What changes did you make?

[seaweedjstubbs]

Posted: 4/19/09 at 8:28pm

A LOT! We couldn't curse, couldn't make sexual references, couldn't identify a character outright as being homosexual (we had to go around it by saying things like "I was always........different). Paul's monologue was drastically shortened. He never flat out said what his embarassing job was, but we were able to leave in the part where he said he had disco balls on his ears and stuff, so you got the idea. The worst part was that we couldn't say "gonorrhea." Mark just had to call it a "social disease." This is how his song went: "Oh no I don't! I was in shock I mean.......Oh no I can't! How could I have a social disease?" Also, Sheila's line "Can the adults please smoke" had to be changed to "Can the adults please have a coffee?...............yeah. Luckily, our talent was so good that the changes really didn't bother the audience too much. It turned out to be a great show and one of my favorites. It's just too bad that a couple of people had to mess stuff up for us. You can see a video of our Cassie doing "Music and the Mirror" on the forbidden site. If you type in A Chorus Line Music and the mirror, she's on the twelfth video on the second page.

[morosco]

Posted: 4/19/09 at 8:39pm

...what did you do about Dance Ten Looks Three?

[seaweedjstubbs]

Posted: 4/19/09 at 9:18pm

The only things that were changed in that were that it was changed to "This & That" (of course), instead of saying "didn't hurt my sex life either" she said "didn't hurt my love life either." And instead of saying "You're all looking at my tits now aren't you?" it got changed to "you're all looking at me now aren't you?" But it didn't really matter, cuz our Val was AMAZING! I wish I could post a video of her. She has one of the most powerful voices I've ever heard! I'm not exaggerating when I say that she could be one of the next Broadway diva's in about ten or twenty years (and she's really nice and humble about it)!

[Fosse76]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 11:12am

If you can't perform the show as is, you shouldn't be performing it at all. I am shocked that Tams-Witmark allowed all those changes. Those are significant.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 11:36am

That production sounds really stupid.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 12:17pm

Why not write your own musical, about a bunch of high-school kids, who put on a musical, in which they're not allowed to say "tits" or "gonorrhea" or that they're fags?

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 3:11pm

Boy, I agree with Fosse on this one. WHY would your school elect to do this show knowing its content in the first place?

I am really sorry to hear T/W allowed you to make the changes. They should have told your school admins to either do it exactly as written or choose another show.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 3:12pm

"Poop! Made it to high school without growing this!"

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 3:24pm

I've heard of some schools toning it down a bit...like using "This and That" during "Dance: 10; Looks: 3" and removing some of the stronger language, but nothing like hacking up Paul's monologue.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 3:25pm

"Your father with through life with an open mouth"

[Fosse76]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 3:28pm

"Your father [went] through life with an open mouth"

That would give his affairs a whole new layer!

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 3:34pm

Heh.

I guess Betty Lou Heiner didn't knocked up over Christmas. Maybe she got the mumps or something.

[seaweedjstubbs]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 3:35pm

It wasn't a high school production. It was a county wide thing. Believe me, nobody wanted to make the changes. When the artistic director told us about what we had to do, she was in tears. It just seemed like at every rehearsal we had to make more cuts. First it was just that we couldn't curse. Then no sexual references, then this, then that. It was REALLY frustrating for everyone involved. We couldn't change the play or cancel it because too much money had been put into it. It really wasn't a bad show. People who said that they thought the changes would upset them/affect the show said that it really didn't upset them that much. Most of the changes were made so that people in higher places who fund the arts where I live wouldn't be upset and decide to give less money to our program. Yes some of the changes were absurd and yes we could've chosen a more high school friendly show, but it was a great experience that I am very greatful for. It was the first show where I had to really dance and I learned so much from it. I'm gonna stop defending our production now. Bye.

[seaweedjstubbs]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 3:37pm

Okay, I lied. Phyllis, that line was left as it was (the "father went through life......" line).

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 3:37pm

I just can't believe Tams would allow such extensive cuts and changes like that.

"Still, I'm terrific at a dance,
Guys are ironing their pants,
I'm a birdie on the wing!"

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 3:38pm

I was in a children's production (ages 9-13) of A CHORUS LINE way back in the day, and the director butchered up that script. We had "Boobs & Tush," gonorrhea turned into diarrhea, Paul rewritten as a girl named Vicki, his monologue totally rewritten, Richie became Tricia and the cast sang "Shoot, Tricia! Shoot, Tricia!"

There are so many musicals out there to put on with kids. Why must some directors choose this one if they're going to completely destroy it?

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 3:39pm

"Shoot, Tricia" makes my day.

[seaweedjstubbs]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 3:48pm

Okay, just forget what I said about not coming back. Sadly, we did have to say "Shoot Ritchie" (which in some ways is more dirty than saying s**t.........or maybe my mind's just dirty....) and we said "Guys would love to have a chance" instead of the other. Yeah........I'll admit, I was also very suprised that TW let us do it, but our show was still awesome.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 3:58pm

I wonder how many of your changes were actually run by T/W...because, as is my understanding, they are NOT the easiest company to work with.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 4:00pm

"Shoot, Tricia!"

Sorry, I am STILL laughing about that.

[seaweedjstubbs]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 4:03pm

I would think all of the changes were approved by them. The theatre company that we did it with is a huge regional theatre where I live (they get all the "big" shows), so I doubt that they would risk losing their license over something like this.