Help with HONK!

[QueenAnne82]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 1:48pm

Hey peeps. Does anyone have a video/DVD of Honk? I am directing it and have never seen it. It can be a school, community theater.... whatever. I live in Chicago and will pay shipping and stuff. PM me if you can help. Thanks!

Updated On: 11/22/06 at 01:48 PM

[Jon]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 2:41pm

What you are asking for is illegal. There is no legally available videotape of this show.

Why do you need to see another production? So you can copy someone else's staging?

It's sad that the standard method of "directing" a show has lately become to watch a video of another production and copy it.

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 2:50pm

Exactly what I was thinking. The original director of Honk! had never seen it, and he/she did just fine.

[AnythingCanHappen]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 2:53pm

That was a nasty accusation Jon. What a friendly face to see on BWW.

If I had a copy of the Honk production that a local university had done (I was hardly involved) I would send it. I say this as a Theatre Major (Double Major in English and Theatre..) but for a college production - it's amazing.

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 3:04pm

Ok, I know I'm Jon, but...

That wasn't exactly an accusation. It was fact. University-setting or not, it would be illegal to film the show unless they'd been given special permission to do so by the license-holders -- in which case it would still be illegal to copy and distribute it (since the permission would most likely have only been granted for "archival" reasons).

I'm a firm believer in the notion that there's no reason for a director to see a production of a show before directing it themselves. If they read/hear it and like it, AND have their own vision of how to direct it, that's all that's required...AND what makes a director.
Updated On: 11/22/06 at 03:04 PM

[AnythingCanHappen]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 3:08pm

well, we record the show for archival purposes. only students are allowed to view (they stay in the directors office) and it is the final dress rehearsal, there are no paying audience members at all that night.

[bwaynut2]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 3:14pm

I have to agree that if you're going to direct, you need to have your own vision and not rely on previous productions. As someone who has directed and choreographed shows in a university setting, I always avoid looking at what other people have done with the material. Sometimes it's hard to do, when the material selected for you is often very familiar (Music Man, Oklahoma, etc). Since you are not familiar with HONK!, you should look at this as a challenge and approach it as if this show has never been done before. As a director, this should excite you. If it scares you and you can't direct it from scratch, then you really should not be directing.

[Jon]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 6:06pm

"Archival purposes" is bullsh_t. The MTI contract clearly state YOU MAY NOT VIDEOTAPE THE SHOW - not for archival purposes, not for any purposes. Period.

[taylor_kras]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 6:16pm

There IS a legal professionally filmed version of it. It stars Gavin Creel as Ugly. OK?! Is this Lindsay B?

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 6:36pm

There is?? If so, I'd love to see it.

[LuPonatic]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 7:16pm

I'm glad we don't live in the real world on this message board. I have a video of every production I've ever been in and I'm proud of it! And everyone is not a Broadway caliber director, and sometimes you can't figure out the best thing for a certain scene, and ideas from other productions are a great thing! Maybe this person would prefer to put on a good show than a show I've seen so many directors put on...a bad one.

[AnythingCanHappen]

Posted: 11/23/06 at 3:10am

Thank You LuPonatic.

I have a video for every highschool production i did. thats 20.
Arsenic and Old Lace, Little Shop of Horrors, Tartuffe, My Fair Lady, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever - to name a few.

Pictures too, lots.

And I am sorry that the director sees some good in letting a grad student come back and view work they did years ago. It's not like he is renting them out like a Blockbuster Video or anything. Lighten up Jonny boy.