H.S. Mama Rose is now H.S. Joanne in Company- Page 3

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 6/1/10 at 10:37am

Yes. There are moments that are the same, but anyone who saw it should know that it is not an identical copy. And for what it's worth, no, the orchestrations here are in fact not the same. This is piano only. The Doyle version was not. Predominantly, yes. Only, no.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/1/10 at 10:38am

The most annoying thing about it is that the way she's holding the class prevents the sound from resonating.

But really, isn't it about time to get over being bent out of shape over high school productions?

[Dolly_Levi]

Posted: 6/1/10 at 10:45am

But really, isn't it about time to get over being bent out of shape over high school productions?

Agreed, it's HIGH SCHOOL, she's a very talented girl - all the squabbling seems unnecessary.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 6/1/10 at 10:45am

Completely. My initial reaction was, "these are kids, they have no business doing Company anyway, really," and then I ignored it until I came back and saw many replies there were. Then I thought, hmm I wonder what the big deal is. And honestly, when you have a seventeen-year-old playing characters who she doesn't really have enough scope of experience to create on her own, are we SURPRISED that she's just copying what she sees? I'm certainly not. I don't think someone this age would be able to develop an interpretation on her own, because at 17, there's no way in to what the characters in this show are going through. "What they're going through" runs deeper than just the debate of marriage, but even then, I feel the same way.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/1/10 at 10:54am

And then - on top of that - what kind of shows do you EXPECT high schools to do? With the exception of the rare shows out there that deal strictly with high school characters, they are all going to be required to take a leap and play characters with whom they have very little to relate to in terms of life experience.

It's just so stupid the way people get all bent out of shape over this stuff.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 6/1/10 at 11:01am

Exactly. I don't expect high schools only to do kid-friendly shows or ones with age appropriate characters, but at the same time, there are some that I don't think they should be doing period. But if the director wants to do stuff like that, then yeah, these kids are kind of stuck and this is how the performances are going to end up. What else can they do than mimic what they're shown? For all we know, the director said here, watch this, this is how you should do it.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 6/1/10 at 11:19am

The girl shows remarkable talent for someone in high school with little training. Wait until she cuts her teeth a bit and maybe gets more freedom with a role. I can't believe some of the people on these threads shredding a high school production that looks LEAGUES above anything we ever did in high school.

Some of you need to relax. I'd like to see some of you tackle that song.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 6/1/10 at 11:24am

Oh no, she clearly has natural talent, and the director is clearly ambitious. I don't have to agree with his choices to see that. I personally don't think this performance is anything special because it shows no interpretive work -- but I don't disparage her that, because I think it's a terrible choice for a teenager. But there's talent there, I'm not saying there isn't.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 6/1/10 at 11:31am

Well she is in high school and again, she is probably sourcing performances she or the director have seen to guide her. Once she has some more training, she will invariably deepen her performances. I find it a little harsh to come down on her for mimicing performers when she is so young.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 6/1/10 at 11:50am

That's exactly what I'm saying. I'm not "coming down on" her. I'm saying, what do you expect? I'm agreeing with you. I didn't mean her choices were terrible, I mean the role was a was a bad choice. It shouldn't be played by someone so young.

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 6/1/10 at 11:50am

I'm literally going to get eaten alive for this, but I'm gonna say it anyway:

I think a lot of this animosity that is so shocking to some older posters can be explained by simply remembering that most of the people one this board....are in high school. And, I'm sure, jealousy plays a part in the animosity. That's often the way it works out in high school theater circles: people tend to gang up on the really talented kid as a way to feel more secure.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 6/1/10 at 11:57am

I don't think someone this age would be able to develop an interpretation on her own, because at 17, there's no way in to what the characters in this show are going through.

And you can't appreciate Equus unless you've had sex with a horse.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 6/1/10 at 12:03pm

Yes. Exactly. Or at least an actor playing a horse.

[DRSisLove]

Posted: 6/1/10 at 1:47pm

"I think a lot of this animosity that is so shocking to some older posters can be explained by simply remembering that most of the people one this board....are in high school. And, I'm sure, jealousy plays a part in the animosity. That's often the way it works out in high school theater circles: people tend to gang up on the really talented kid as a way to feel more secure. "

That's exactly what I've been thinking. Glad someone finally said it.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 6/1/10 at 1:49pm

I wasn't aware there were a lot of high schoolers on here. I guess there isn't much difference between high schoolers and bitchy gay men. They all seem to blend for me.

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/1/10 at 1:51pm

Ummm. I am not in high school, and haven't been for several years now. I just do not enjoy seeing some Sondheim shows performed by high schools. It's an age old argument which is not worth getting into.

[jake6970]

Posted: 6/1/10 at 1:56pm

Well this is kind of a pointless discussion...how many of you have been in high school shows, or any show for that matter where the director tells you to do something? And if you don't do it, they tell you again. Most of this is probably direction. And it's a moot point because she is literally still in high school and just booked a featured role on a national tour. For being 18 it looks like she has a pretty promising career ahead of her...who cares whether she copied or not anyway?

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 6/1/10 at 3:47pm

ljay, I was referring more to the posters who made unfounded and somewhat dramatic claims (i.e. "this girl makes me sick"). You present rational arguments, unlike some of the other posters in this thread.