Hardest show for high school to pull off?

[edenespinosalover]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 5:14pm

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 5:16pm

Any show, even if it wasn't released yet? If so:

Wicked

[etheb]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 5:18pm

My high school did Les Mis last year, and everyone said it couldn't be done. But we did it, got rave reviews, and sold out every night! :)

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 5:30pm

I think that in general, most high schools should stick to relatively easy stuff. Unless it's a performing arts high school or has an exceptionally strong talent pool, there should be no grand aspirations, and the show chosen should lie well within the abilities of the students. In most cases, these will be standard book musicals that don't require *too* much heavy acting/singing, i.e. Rogers and Hammerstein shows, some of Sondheim's easier to perform works, like "Forum." I know a lot of high schools are doing "Les Mis" now, but honestly, I doubt most of them are very good. And of course, those high schools with drama teachers trying to live vicariously through their students by attempting to mount their dream production of "Sweeney Todd" or something usually end up in trouble. If I were the parent or friend of some kid and was going to see them in a show, I wouldn't want to see them doing something they weren't capable of.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 5:32pm

Hey EdenEspinosaLover, I just read your profile and saw that you're high school is doing "Sweeney Todd!" Sorry if I offended you--I'm sure yours is a good production. Break a leg!

[edenespinosalover]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 5:43pm

lol It's okay. I read that and was like, "hmmmmmm...i wonder if he was referring that to our production." it's all good. I will tell you that our directors at my school don't decide on what shows they're doing and then cast them. They see what talent they have coming in and THEN decide on what shows and cast them. And the director for "Sweeney" said that she's been wanting to this for a number of years, but this was the year she had all the talent. So, she isn't "trying to live vicariously through her students" lol. But don't worry, we planned PLENTY of rehearsal time for it (5 months). And I think you need that much time to do something this massive in high school.

[adamized88]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 5:43pm

cabaret - but my school managed to do it

[edenespinosalover]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 5:44pm

your high school did "cabaret"?!

[LittleFish8386]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 5:44pm

My HS did a Chrous Line when I was a Junior. Now I love A Chorus Line, but you cannot do an entirely dancing show with about 2 kids who can dance---its impossible. Especially when you hire a choreographer who expected us to spin, flip and jump over chairs...

[LyTeMyCanDyI]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 5:45pm

i wish my school did cabaret...were doing grease

miss saigon might be hard. wicked too. casting wicked would be insane.

[edenespinosalover]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 5:48pm

We did "A Chorus Line" 2 years ago at my high school. We had to change a lot of stuff and we had about 2 dancers too. We had a lot of pretty good movers, but not everyone had training.

[adamized88]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 5:49pm

yeah 2 years ago - the original but still very scantily clad and controversial

we went to annie after that - but cabaret was actually quite good

[edenespinosalover]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 5:51pm

Wow. I've seen colleges do "Cabaret", but I think you're the first high school I've heard of doing it.

We did "Parade" two years ago. That was extremely difficult, but it turned out really well.

[ponine24601]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 5:51pm

i think AIDA will be really hard to pull off. Beauty and the Beast too. You'd have to have amazing voices, as well as killer scenery and costumes.

[pab]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 5:56pm

I would say that "Sweeney Todd" would be the hardest. I don't think that most high school students would have great difficulty playing some of the leads (in their High School way of course) but I do believe that there are a few songs that even some professional singers will have problems with. First of all 'Kiss Me/Ladies in their Sensitivities'. Secondly, 'God That's Good', third 'The Letter (Most Honourable Judge Turpin)' and also 'City On Fire'. If those songs are to be done as written then whoever is doing them, professional or amateur, should prepare for a lot of work to get them right.

[Barnaby12345]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 5:58pm

We did TOMMY this year and did one hell of a job, it was so difficult tho, the songs are all so high...

[DickonDefysGravity]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 6:01pm

Sweeny Todd
Into the Woods- done right...
Aida
Wicked
Parade
Scarlet Pimpernel
Jekyll & Hyde

[N0tThatGirl213]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 6:06pm

Our Town

[EclipstHeart]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 6:31pm

Musical:
phantom
les miz
sweeney todd
evita
wicked
dracula
jekyll and hyde
chorus line
man of la mancha
chicago
cabaret
la cage...
hair
ragtime
scarlet pimpernel (my HS--regis--is mounting this now. it could be going better. alot better. and only a month to go. eeek. ahh well. the other choices the director considered included sweeney t, camelot, and the music man. i have to say, despite the difficulties of pimpernel, i despise classic cliche HS shows, music man being one of them. i truly hate them. i love good spectacle, sweeping bombastic scores, overwrought drama, etc. i think we should have tried camelot, but taht's my opinion.)
theres more, im sure...
Straight Plays:
Angels in America (tho I would LOVE to see us try that.)
Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth, King Lear, any of teh Henry's, Richard III (sorry, some shakespeares are a.) too epic --or-- b.) too complex.)
THe crucible (ive yet to see a single amateur production of his that actually satisfied me. Ive seen two HS attempts. both went down in flames faster than you could say "goody goody proctor")
amadeus
proof
odd couple (they can't seem to make it funny; hs juniors and seniors cannot convey teh gravity and humor of middle-aged men)
and there are plenty more of these, but these are the big ones as far as i see it
well, thats my two cents

[TabooWickedFan]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 6:45pm

my high school is doing The Crucible and our director even said that it is a hard play to pull off

[bdwybelle]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 7:06pm

etheb - did you or do you go to LaGuardia High School because I go their now and they did Le Mis last year. If you did or do go there, where you in it?

[brandonm]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 7:50pm

Wicked would be hard. Most definately Wicked.

[Galinda918]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 7:51pm

hey edenespinosalover...you did parade two years ago? did your school possibly perform at International Thespian Festival that year?? just wondering..

[FOCI]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 7:53pm

I think doing the "Crucible" in HS is somewhat of a fad this year though...everyone is doing it.

[jczelyph]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 8:05pm

Well, we're just a regular university group doing FAME. None of us are studying performance or anything related to musicals... It's not going so great...it's a very 'dancey' show and we haven't really got the most physically adept cast.

Incidentally, I get the impression that FAME is WAYYYYYY more popular in the UK than the US. I hardly ever hear anyone mention it. It's always on tour here and in the West End and I was really looking forward to taking part in it. Most of the character performers are doing really well in our production (of which I am one), but the chorus parts are stressing me a little. We only have a month left...