Easier Musicals to direct

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 7/17/08 at 11:47pm

I may be getting a job as a theatre instructor at a High School for this upcoming year. Although I am certified to teach, I really only want to do it for a year or so to get enough money for graduate school.
The school wants to do a musical, so I'm looking for shows that will be easy to direct.
I don't want something too challenging because I'm not a "director" in the sense that I feel it's my calling. Plus, being a public school I see myself having to worry about all other aspects of the show like costume, set, ect.
So I'm wanting some advice on shows that will be easier for me to direct. Nothing too complicated, no HUGE dance shows, things like that, not even shows that require GREAT acting :)

The only ones that come to mind so far are:
Damn Yankees
Once Upon a Mattress

Oh! Don't suggest Seussical! I've done the show once and HATE it! I don't want to be involved in it again :)
Any Ideas?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/17/08 at 11:56pm

You don't want to do a huge dance show and you put Damn Yankees on your list?

[ACL2006]

Posted: 7/17/08 at 11:57pm

Mattress is actually a boring show to do. Other options are Guys & Dolls, Footloose, Oklahoma.

[keen on kean]

Posted: 7/17/08 at 11:59pm

Fantasticks?

Sound of Music - minimal dancing but tough vocals

Godspell - tough sell in non-denominational public school setting

Birdie?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 12:00am

Maybe, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown? A lot of musicals that I can think of that don't have a lot of dancing are very dramatic and would require good actors and musicals that wouldn't necessarily require good actors tend to have a lot of dancing.
Updated On: 7/18/08 at 12:00 AM

[NSLV]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 12:04am

I wouldn't say Birdie is an easy show to direct...Telephone Number alone is really though to stage well. What about "Honk!", the musical version of the Ugly Duckling.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 12:06am

Damn Yankees isn't a HUGE dance show, imo.

R and H seems like it maybe too difficult in terms of acting.

Charlie Brown and Fantastics are too small, I would think.

[gypsy4]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 1:23am

Bugsy Malone and so is fiddler.
Updated On: 7/18/08 at 01:23 AM

[MerMaggieGalinda]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 2:22am

Little Shop of Horrors maybe?

[mr.scribble]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 3:26am

Charlie Brown doesn't have to be small I SMed a production with like 30 kids in it if you can imagine and it pretty much fills all your descriptions, high school musical, beauty and the beast

[jspaeth87]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 5:41am

my first thought was you're a good man charlie brown. cinderella is pretty simple though too

[Patash]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 9:01am

The Boy Friend is great for a high school. Simple in that it has a smaller cast, lots of young people, over the top adult characters (which they can play better than "real" adults), and only three sets (two if you set the party on the beach). You need a good choreographer, but it's less about dance than a lot of musicals.

Once Upon a Mattress works well too, but only if you can give up the idea of casting the cutest girl in school as the princess. Why do they keep doing that? Give me a 250 pound cherub faced Winnifred with a really good belt any day!

[musicalman2]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 9:55am

What about "Working"? Not sure if the rights are available since they are revising it at present.

'Mattress" seems like a good choice too.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 10:10am

Easy shows to do would be ones that are TECHNICALLY simple. Look at song cycles (SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD, EDGES, etc.) or shows with minimal set/props (THE LAST FIVE YEARS).

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 10:24am

CapnHook-
In a TX High School you would NEVER get L5Y done.

MTVMANN-
From someone who did mainly RnH in High School (Working being the exception), it's not a challenge acting wise. Just remember, they are in High School, they are "training" or doing it for fun.

If you are worried about the talent pool, wait to announce it until you get in the classroom a week or two. Be prepared to have to take something less well known though, on the off-chance someone in the district decides to do it.

I'll also echo Working as an EASY show to do. Mostly monologues, so you can send kids off with an ASM/SM/AD, build a unit set that rotates, maybe a wagon or two, and the costumes/lighting are a breeze. And, you only need piano accompaniment, AND you're set. No dancing either. The monologues give the kids a chance to really show their stuff, and you don't have to worry about someone forgetting major amounts of blocking. Plus, with TX's No Pass-No Play, it's easy to just remove a monologue versus re-casting. (That's how we went from a full cast to 25)

[jagfkb]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 10:48am

Les Miserables can be done with an extremly simple set yet still come off as amazing. Also, aside from the wedding, there's no real dancing.

[StuckToTheStage]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 1:28pm

Schoolhouse Rock LIVE! is extremely easy.

[Jon]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 1:42pm

The idea of doung The Last Five Years - a two character musical - in a high school is prepsterous.

[lildogs]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 1:57pm

Try DO PATENT LEATHER SHOES REALLY REFLECT UP?

There's also high school versions of G&S shows like PIRATES OF PENZANCE...we did that in HS and it went over very well.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 5:17pm

The Apple Tree. It's three different musicals in one. So you can cast it with the same actors or use all different actors for each act.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 7:52pm

Mattress is a big costume show.
Les Mis? One of the most difficult shows to direct. And if you don't know the kids you would have no way of knowing if you would have the cast. Male heavy
Guys and Dolls: challenging to choreograph, and Male heavy
Honk!: while it's sweet, I don't think it would appeal to HS kids.

Here's an oldie...but fun and easy to cast/direct/perform: Li'l Abner

I have been a HS and MS drama teacher/middle school teacher for 15 years so I've done GADS of shows (2 musicals a year). Feel free to pm me if you have specific questions.

I'll post more as I think of them.