FOLLIES in High School???

[WalkOn]

Posted: 2/15/07 at 3:25pm

Well I'm shocked at how WELL this high school did it.

The girl singing LOSING MY MIND has an amazing voice.

Go to THAT Website

The keywords:

sondheim follies musical

should get you there.

I WISH all high schools had the resources this one had to put on such an impressive production.

Check it out!!!

[C is for Company]

Posted: 2/15/07 at 3:27pm

I've seen those on there but never had the heart to watch them for fear of the quality of the production. Who'd want to see marital troubles spanning 30 years from people hardly half the age of that amount of time? I guess I should check it out now.

Updated On: 2/15/07 at 03:27 PM

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 2/15/07 at 3:28pm

there's clips from a high school COMPANY on that site that are passable... they had a big budget obviously.
Updated On: 2/15/07 at 03:28 PM

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 2/15/07 at 3:33pm

and again, all the people who went apesh*t at this idea a while ago in the name of purity and real theater and all that garbage can eat their humble pie (from Sardi's if they have to stay in the theater district).

[WalkOn]

Posted: 2/15/07 at 3:39pm

Well, If I ever said a high school couldn't/shouldn't do FOLLIES pass me a BIG slice of humble pie.

I swear these kids "get" what is going on more than most of the actors I've ever seen doing this show.

That kid's IN BUDDY'S EYES is a heartbreaker.

[Jellylorum]

Posted: 2/15/07 at 3:39pm

That was really beautiful. Her voice is amazing.

They had a nice set too. I wish my high school had a bigger budget for their theatre program.

[Danielm]

Posted: 2/15/07 at 3:40pm

I'm sorry but ANYONE under the age of 50 doing I'm still here is just wrong and I so love to see it. It makes me think of those wonderful scenes in the movie Camp. It doesn't matter how well the child sings--it has to do with the inappropriateness of the material. I LOVE it when High Schools do these kind of shows. It's instant camp.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 2/15/07 at 3:41pm

Wow, they are lucky to have a glowing curtain of stars and an excellent set for the stage. For a 17-year old she is really good, but it just doesn't carry the same impact.

Also after that video, the slideshow that plays after allowing you to browse for more selections, there is an ENCORES "sampling" which was press coverage and it has clips not on the Bway.com video of it.

[Plum]

Posted: 2/15/07 at 3:42pm

Dude, I know that town! Oh, Joizey, you do me proud.

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 2/15/07 at 3:46pm

Beautiful set and costumes, but the girl is no more talented or spectacular than I would expect a good high school age performer to be.

[Kringas]

Posted: 2/15/07 at 3:54pm

I've seen these clips before. I know I'm focusing on the wrong thing, but what I found most inappropriate was the star curtain. Anyway, these roles are a little too much for the average high schooler, but good for the school for not only attempting it, but being allowed to do it in the first place. My high school had such rigid restrictions on what could be done that we would have never gotten away with anything like Follies.

Edited to add: And I agree with Fenchurch. Certainly no disrespect to the kids, but no one I saw on this videos really stood out as being that exceptional of a performer.

Updated On: 2/15/07 at 03:54 PM

[lildogs]

Posted: 2/15/07 at 4:13pm

It's good--FOR HIGH SCHOOL--they have a great musical director and it's staged fairly well, but these are quite obviously kids who still are physically unsure of themselves though they have lovely voices.

Ben is very young and pretty fey and Sally might as well be playing Annie Oakley.

It sounds great. But it still looks like a high school show.

I'll pass on the humble pie.

[robbiej]

Posted: 2/15/07 at 4:18pm

Actually, I really kind of love high schools that tackle enormous, completely inappropriate shows. Why not? I would love to have my kid working on a show like that and learning not only what terrific material is...but also the lessons said material is trying to impart on the audience. I went to college with a guy who floored me when he told me he was Ben in his high school production of FOLLIES. And this wasn't even a drama major. I was gobsmacked. And completely jealous. I mean...I loved being Billy Crocker in ANYTHING GOES...but come on!

I saw a high school SWEENEY TODD in Midland Park, NJ. Best SWEENEY ever? No. But, damn was I impressed they tackled it as well as they did.

[WalkOn]

Posted: 2/15/07 at 4:25pm

I'm thinking that it is something of a disserve to high school theatre programs to focus on the least challenging of shows.

How much can you get out doing GREASE and BYE BYE BIRDIE over and over again?

To me it is clear that these kids have risen to the occassion.

I'm reminded of the Hobart Shakepeareans here in Los Angeles. Those
ELMENTARY school kids have a grasp on the text that rival many so-called professional actors.

Updated On: 2/15/07 at 04:25 PM

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/15/07 at 4:32pm

I've been viewing those clips for months. The LOSING MY MIND is great.

BUT I think FOLLIES is probally the worst show a HS could do. There is no point in having the younger versions of the characters, because the main characters are already played by kids! I would never waste my time watching kids around my age trying to interpret the subject matter in FOLLIES. I don't even want to think of a 16 year old Hattie or Carlotta, I'd have to send Elaine Stritch there to give them a talking to! How could these kids know what the characters are feeling, when they've never experienced any of the ups and downs of marriage, etc?

Not to be rude, but I think their orchestra/band is awful; they obviously can't handle the Sondheim music.

Updated On: 2/15/07 at 04:32 PM

[robbiej]

Posted: 2/15/07 at 4:37pm

Oh...I remember being in high school and thinking we were pursuing some sort of great art. But that's not really the point of high school musicals, is it? I would say the educational and socialization experiences trump 'art'. Be honsest...how many high school shows are actually 'good'?

I would never go to a high school show expecting it to be 'good', the way I expect other theatre to be. I would go to support the school, support the kids. And if, somehow, I get something interesting to watch...well, then, fantastic.

Fact is, I would rather my kid belt out WHO'S THAT WOMAN? than FREDDY, MY LOVE. There's a sh*tload more for her to learn in the former.

[WalkOn]

Posted: 2/15/07 at 4:41pm

There is philosophy in the education system of "process over product." It contends that in a teaching environment observation of the process that leads to originality is more valuable than any judgement of the product.

That is where I am coming from when evaluating this "for educational purposes" produciton.

Compare this to standards and expectations of a professional production, this wouldn't stand a chance.

But given the ENORMOUS challenges for anyone doing FOLLIES. These kids have a mature and impressive grasp on material clearly beyond their years.

Updated On: 2/15/07 at 04:41 PM

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/15/07 at 4:45pm

I think it's a wonderful thing for teenagers to study FOLLIES in school, or whatever. I find too many of them are overly obsessed with shows like Rent or Wicked, and they're missing out. Introducing them to Follies is a great thing, but I just believe they should wait to perform the material. Victoria Clark has stated she has waited for years and years to finally play Sally. These kids should wait until they are of age, and will have the honor of interpreting these amazing characters; and they will actually have experiences to relate to.

[lildogs]

Posted: 2/15/07 at 4:45pm

But I think Shakespeare is different--as a rule, his characters ARE young people and the plays are transferable to almost any time and place...

[robbiej]

Posted: 2/15/07 at 4:45pm

Even my drama school (college) valued process over product in the classroom. It was probably the hardest thing for me to grasp back then...the idea that your scene work is about the process and the exploration and not about any sort of end result. The production work was far more product oriented. As it should be.

[Kringas]

Posted: 2/15/07 at 4:45pm

How could these kids know what the characters are feeling, when they've never experienced any of the ups and downs of marriage, etc?

To put that sort of restriction on it, though, means you are really limiting what high school performers can do. With few exceptions (not including those horrible "back of the magazine" plays some high schools have to misfortune of having to perform) any show a high school does is going to deal with issues and experiences beyond the scope of what they students have actually experienced firsthand.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 2/15/07 at 4:48pm

ljay - it isn't a professional production. It's a high school production.

Unless you'd prefer every high school to do HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL...

[robbiej]

Posted: 2/15/07 at 4:50pm

'These kids should wait until they are of age, and will have the honor of interpreting these amazing characters; and they will actually have experiences to relate to.'

I don't know about you...but I'm perhaps one of maybe 2 or 3 people from all four years of my high school experience who are actually professional actors. Most of these kids will not go into theatre as a profession...so why impose your restriction on them?

My friend who played Ben in his high school (back in the early 90's, by the way) never had any sort of desire to become a professional actor. But he loved playing Ben and felt he got a great deal out of it.

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/15/07 at 4:51pm

^ LOL. Good point, BSO. Every HS doing High School Musical is a scary though.


But I keep envisioning a 16 year old Phyllis talking about the "pleasures" of sex with Kevin, probally played by a 14 year old. You have to admit, that would be strange!

[WalkOn]

Posted: 2/15/07 at 4:52pm

Process over Product, of course, applies to creative endeavors. Endeavors were judgement of product is mostly subjective.