Aida rights to be released

[phillyphanatic]

Posted: 6/26/04 at 12:07am

So, when Aida closes in September, its rights will be released for amateur theatres to perform. My high school wants to perform it, but I think they're nuts because we'll butcher the show. So here's my question. Should we even let a great show like this go to a high school with the risk of it being butchered?

[Glebb]

Posted: 6/26/04 at 12:10am

Why not? Someone will make money and a lot of people will have fun. I liked the show a lot, but it's not sacred.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 6/26/04 at 12:10am

YES! I CALL DIBS FOR THE FIRST DINNER THEATRE PRODUCTION!

[Musetta1957]

Posted: 6/26/04 at 12:14am

Apparently they already have been released -- or this theatre in Missouri is committing a no-no. Or maybe they're the first.
http://www.marshallnews.com/story/1071103.html

[FinnFanatic]

Posted: 6/26/04 at 12:30am

They've definitely already been released to professional companies. I'm not sure about amateur. The North Shore Music Theatre (a theatre-in-the-round, very successful/popular professional theatre just north of Boston) is performing it in October. I'm pretty sure they're one of the first professional companies to get the rights from Disney. They are also doing Beauty and the Beast. It opens in two weeks or so. They couldn't secure the costume rights from Disney, so they have a 4.5 million dollar costume budget! And it's in the round, so I'm very interested to see how it turns out. They've done some big shows there, like Miss Saigon and WSS. I just recently saw the American Premiere of "Tom Jones: The Musical" which has music by George Stiles ("Honk!" and "Just So" and the new "Mary Poppins" that is opening/has opened in London).

[judy_in_disguise]

Posted: 6/26/04 at 12:34am

When they made the student version of Les Mis I almost cried. It's sad to see beautiful songs like that butchered by some guy whose voice just changed or some girl who thinks she knows what vibrato is.
That being said,
Aida is a pop musical and suits the way a lot of young people like to sing. Is there a Heather Headley in every school? Oh God no. But it's doable, in my opinion- I don't think it would be butchered too badly in the average high school.
I'd say go for it!

[FinnFanatic]

Posted: 6/26/04 at 12:40am

In response to the Les Miz comment, I felt exactly the same way. I graduated from HS in 2001, and I heard last summer that my HS Drama Club was doing the student version of Les Miz in the fall. I almost cried. While my HS has a very good drama department, I did not think it would be possible for them to pull off Les Miz. Wow. I have never been more wrong of anything in my life. I saw the show in the fall and it was, I have to admit (and not just cuz I am an alumni) one of the best productions of the show I have ever seen. They hired a vocal coach to train all of the leads, and it really paid off. The barricades moved on an off the stage smoothely, "Bring Him Home" was beautifully sung, as was "On My Own", "I Dreamed A Dream" and "Stars". The cast of about 60 really did an amazing job. I brought 3 of my friends from college who had never seen a show at my HS before and they talked about it for the next week.

[judy_in_disguise]

Posted: 6/26/04 at 12:46am

FinnFanatic,
I hear you on that. I saw it performed at an arts school and I was quite impressed. But then- those kids were about to graduate highschool and go to university for voice or theatre, or go straight into the industry, a lot of them have already done a lot of work in the industry- so that made sense.
I saw it at a highschool nearby as well, a Catholic school with a decent arts program and I can't even believe I made myself sit through the second act.
All depends on the school and the dedication of the perfomers. I agree that you'll find at least one in the group that does it extremely well. But think of all the others who are out there butchering it! My school butchered Fame and the Sound of Music quite well- but they weren't Les Mis!
I think it's nice that students have the opprotunity to perform great works. But more importantly, I think the people involved in producing the musiclas (so, teachers) should carefully consider the ABILITY of their students and school.

[FinnFanatic]

Posted: 6/26/04 at 12:56am

Yeah, I'm sure there are several schools that should not even consider attempting Les Miz. I guess you also need to think of the director and the adult production team. There are only so many productions of "Grease" and "The Sound of Music" and "Guys and Dolls" that they can stomach to work on. It's tough to find a newer more interesting show that will still attract a large audience. Les Miz is sure to attract a large audience, so it's also a good marketing strategy................so long as your production of it is not horrendous.

[Musetta1957]

Posted: 6/26/04 at 1:07am

I've seen two LMSEs produced by two schools who should never have even considered performing it.

I'm afraid this thread will turn into an LMSE rant.

Which would be fun, however inappropriate.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 6/26/04 at 5:15pm

Sure? Why shouldn't they be allowed to do it? It's an amateur production, thus people should expect the so-called "butchering" (though I have seen plenty of amateur shows that were good).

High schools can already do great shows such as Helly Dolly, Mame, Seussical, Peter Pan, Little Shop of Horrors, Annie, Guys & Dolls, Into The Woods, Parade, Ragtime, Company, Damn Yankees, Fantastiks, Fiddler, How to Succeed, Music Man, Les Mis, Pippin, 1776, Good Man Charlie Brown, West Side Story, etc. Why not AIDA and BEUTY AND THE BEAST?

[saddle shoe side kick]

Posted: 6/27/04 at 5:29pm

I believe the rights were released, along with those to 'Beauty & the Beast.' You have to be a certain distance away from Broadway to do either show, though. I'd love to do Aida. What a show... I hope nobody butchers it though. -Penny

Updated On: 6/27/04 at 05:29 PM

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 6/27/04 at 5:52pm

Let the rights be released...there are professional productions that are butchered just as often!