Stand-by Joined: 8/2/06
hey
its that time of year again where my school starts to brainstorm shows for our annual spring musical for 2009. the director told me on the side, the show might be GODSPELL. I'm not to crzy about it. Not anything to do with the show, but it has the word GOD in it, and im worried that the religous commentary might not go over well in my very politically correct hometown that i live in.
Any comments or Suggestions?
oh BTW, we just did Disney's AIDA, this year. The show was fantastic. But there was soooooo much backstage drama before, and during the rehersal period. Cast List day........... OMIGOD. 12 people quit.
So shows with a big cast and multiple leads would be great!
Updated On: 5/17/08 at 01:47 PM
Rent: School Edition
Les Miserables: School Edition
Sweeney Tood: School Edition
Avenue Q: School Edition
Ragtime: School Edition
Oh Calcutta!
Well Godspell will most likely be out of the question, the rights are usually held while it is on Broadway, and the revival should still be up and running...
And High School Drama will happen no matter what the show
and PLEEEASE don't do a school edition!
Stand-by Joined: 8/2/06
they actually have an Avenue Q school eddtion?
that'd be hysterical.
So how bad is Rent: SE??
School editions, usually just transpose the score so it doesn't ruin teenagers voices. Some school editions, (Avenue Q, Sweeney Todd, Les Miserables, Rent) cut out about 1/2 hour of the show, while others (Ragtime) are nearly the same. I had a friend who saw "Ragtime: School Edition" with a 17 year old Tateh, 16 year old Father, 16 year old Mother, 14 year old Sarah, 15 year old Coalhouse, and the rest of the cast was under 19 and she said it was the same show, with transpositions. No book changes.
Avenue Q: School Edition
Some language cut, some songs cut (or changed)
Rent
Contact is the only song completely left out
La Vie Boheme changed (mucho medication)
Less Collins/Angel kissing, lesss Maureen/Joanne kissing
Can be done in moderate/liberal high schools
THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW
OH, CALCUTTA!
TABOO
FOLLIES
I LOVE MY WIFE
APPLAUSE
COCO
CHICAGO
THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG
NINE
I DO, I DO
... the list is endless.
Back when I was in high school we performed:
Sweet Charity
Grease
Anything Goes
West Side Story
I think Godspell is a great choice! Glad to hear Aida went well.
http://www.musictheatreinternational.com/index.asp
I don't see a point getting a school edition...there are plenty of musicals to choose from that are appropriate for high schools!
New pop infused musicals are not the best option for high school students....wait until you have some developed voices...
SOOO many great shows without getting a lame toned down school edition!
Barnum can be done with great success in a high school!
Featured Actor Joined: 5/7/08
Brody, very funny. You should have suggested the heroin overdose musical as well.
What about . . . "Anything Goes", "Once Upon a Mattress" "Pippin" ?
OKLAHOMA! is a great show for high schools to do, and it normally sells pretty well.
playbill.com just did an article of which shows are most often done in high school theatre... maybe if you check that out you can get some ideas...
When I was in high school, my theatre group did:
THE SECRET GARDEN
ANYTHING GOES
THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD
LES MISERABLES
once on this island
Has anyone mentioned Into the Woods?
In high school, I was in a whole bunch of theatre groups. Some of the shows I remember were: Cinderella, Oliver, Bye Bye Birdie, Wizard of Oz, Grease (grrr), Secret Garden, Titanic, Millie, and Lil Abner. But don't do Lil Abner. Just don't.
Wizard of Oz
The Music Man
Bye Bye Birdie
Little Shop of Horrors
Titanic
The Sound of Music
Into the Woods
Seusical
Anything Goes
Bye Bye Birdie
Hello Dolly!
The Music Man
Guys and Dolls
Little Shop of Horrors
Once Upon a Mattress
Carousel
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
City of Angels
Les Miserables
West Side Story
Grease
Oklahoma
The King and I
Fiddler on the Roof
etc.
take your pick... there are so many shows that are overdone and pulled off by high schools.
For the record there's no reason why Godspell can't be done in any High School, however the rights may not be available this year (due to the revival), as someone pointed out.
Updated On: 5/17/08 at 05:57 PM
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/07
South pacific
guys and dolls
crazy for you
Broadway Star Joined: 5/26/07
I have seen many high schools attempt Into the Woods and have yet to see one succeed. For a non-theatre school, I feel any Sondheim is too complex to be done properly.
Updated On: 5/17/08 at 07:12 PM
YAY! "APPLAUSE"!
Let me just say as a high school student who just finished "Oklahoma", everyone was really bored because the show was so old and corny. I appologize to all the "Oklahoma" fans, but especially if you just did AIDA (which is what my school did last year), don't do "Oklahoma". To a high school student it's like going from gold to garbage.
I love "Applause" and think it would be great with your biggest diva star and a talented younger student. Also "Sound of Music" is good because everyone knows the show. "Into the Wood" is fantastic even though it has a smaller cast.
Jekyll & Hyde
How to Suceed...
The Scarlet Pimpernel
Oklahoma
Sound of Music
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/19/08
Videos