High School Musicals of the future

Thoroughly Modern Millie

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Would Millie really be suitable for a high school? It's a pretty dance-heavy show, isn't it?

"I fear the day when the rights to Wicked are released"
Can you just imagine the end of "Defying Gravity"? Oh goodness.

I can see Hairspray, but not as a musical, but as a musical review.
What do you think about some colleges possibly doing RENT in the future?

WIcked rights will probably never be available to High Schools, and if they are, well, hopefully the director has enoigh sense to know that it would be a distater...

Bye Bye Birdie rights are already available...

I remember reading a comment by one of the Hairspray creators, maybe even John Waters, shortly after the show opened. He said he was so excited about the success of the production because it meant that someday it would be made available to high schools, and for once a fat girl and gay boy would get the leads. I think that assures us that the creators will want to license it.

And of COURSE Wicked will be made available. Everything else in the Schwartz catalog is. In fact, almost everything gets licensed these days. The only exceptions I can think of are a few Andrew Lloyd Webber shows he doesn't want touched, and he doesn't need the money.

Millie has already been acquired by MTI -- it's just a matter of the tour closing before rights are available generally.

unfortunately there are far too many Corky St. Clair's out there directing high school and community theater...

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Updated On: 5/8/05 at 05:10 PM

My high school just pulled together a highly impressive Black Box production of "Side Show" in two-and-a-half weeks. That show works well with talented high schoolers. The key word being talented.

I think that Side Show would be extremely vocally demanding for two high school girls but who knows. I've always thought that Hairspray would be a wonderful show for high schools and John Waters did say that in the book "Hairspray The Roots." Now that Aida and Beauty and the Beast rights are available I've heard of a bunch of high schools doing productions.

Rent would be great for some colleges; my college wouldn't be able to pull it off at this point because we don't have the right people for it. But if you've got the talent that's a great show for colleges; keeps the actors in their age range and is an exciting show.

As for Wicked. There's only one person in high school that I ever knew that would be able to handle one of those roles. And that was just that she was absolutely amazing and would have made a marvelous Glinda. But I'm sure you'll have ambitious high school directors who want to make a buck since most arts programs at schools have to be practically self-sufficient and they know it'll bring in money. I might actually pay $10 to go see a production of it and get a healthy dose of laughter in.
:-P

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I just saw SideShow at a local school and the only thing good about it WAS the sisters..... it made me sads cause i LOVE SideShow........

I AM SICK OF SEEING HIGHSCHOOLS TRYING TO DO SONDHEIM!!!!!!!

I think Hairspray will actually be BETTER in highschools. It's one of those show that has pure energy, and a talented high school cast can do wonders with it. (I always hold that Joseph is way better at high schools than professional theatres).

Millie, All Shook Up, Mamma Mia will all become common.

As for Wicked...i think it would actually be better with high schoolers too, if done at a performing arts high school, or a school with a good talent pool. I think something that is lost in the Broadway version is the youth of the characters and the naivette. When 30 something actors play the role, you just dont see them as college students. Maybe that's one reason why Jenna Leigh Green struck a chord with the role.

And I know around 4 girls that could belt the hell out of Elphaba tastefully, and 2 girls that could hit Glinda's notes and still have the comedic timing.

And although I am not in high school anymore, I would have been the perfect Boq back then. (Now I am a little more Fiyero-ish)

Akiva

Updated On: 5/8/05 at 06:47 PM

I just recently saw a high school performance of Beauty and the Beast and was shocked that it wasnt as horrible as I thought it would be (I am an incredibly critical person). The talent was great and the castle set was pretty cool (the town and out side of the castle sucked though). Next year a community college will be doing B&TB also and I hope it looks good because I wanna be in it.

If my old high school did Wicked right now, they have a perfect Glinda nd Elphaba, other than that I cant imagine anyone else who could be cast though. The technology at my high school is great so the technical aspect would be great but it would be hard to cast an entire show in high school.

Most high schools would be unable to pull of Millie because almost nobody is taking tap anymore, it is hard enough to find make dancers as it is much less tap dancers.

Hairspray would be hard to do because of trying to find that many Afrucan Americans. It would be great to give over weight girls that chance and gay boys, but the lack of racial diversity in most places would be hard. Although a local youth theatre company known for doing great shows will want to be doing it and I think it will be amazing.

I would love to do RENT in college. Next year my college is going to try to do Urinetown, and I think it is perfect for colleges and high schools.

I think the music reviews would be great too. All Shook Up and Mamma Mia and stuff like that would be great. Although I dont think Lennon the Musical (which I just saw and was amazing) could be pulled off by a high school.

Newsies would be so much fun in a high school, but so many of the roles would have to be played by girls because it is impossible to find guys in theatre, much less guys who can dance.

Sean