Is it really THAT hard to research a musical?

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 6/9/10 at 7:28pm

In school, for my elective this quarter, I chose to take a class called "That's Entertainment", which was about musicals. We had to make a keynote presentation about a musical we chose from a list. While this is only an eighth grade class, I was shocked by the poor information in most of the projects.

Firstly, during research in the computer lab, a girl was loudly complaining because "there's no information online about this musical that I have to do!", when the musical she was researching was, of all things, Les Miserables. One of the most famous musicals of all time has "no information on the internet about it". There were similar complaints from people researching Jersey Boys, Wicked, and Mamma Mia. Not only could the group researching Jersey Boys not find anything about the plot on the internet, but they had to ask me to help them find something about it. I opened the souvenir program they had been provided for research to find a plot summary within seconds. There were many other complaints of not finding any information about some of today's extremely popular musicals.

This made me think of the following question: is it really THAT hard to research a famous musical? I finished my project on Curtains (which I had barely any previous knowledge of) early, despite having to miss two days due to sickness, while other people struggled to find half as much information. I am trying really hard not to sound like I think I am superior to my peers (and I know that I'm not doing a very good job at that), but I was very shocked to see such misinterpreted information and lack of covering major points in all of these presentations. Does it just seem different to me looking from a different perspective?

Perhaps my big question from all of this is the following: am I being unfair judging these people because I have a slight advantage over them, already having seen each of their musicals (usually multiple times)? Or am I right in declaring that most of these people are very lazy and unwilling to do work?

[kchenofan]

Posted: 6/9/10 at 7:33pm

1. You're absolutely right in that people are lazy and unwilling to do any research.

2. You're only in 8th grade? The way you write seems much more mature.

[MeggilyWeggily08]

Posted: 6/9/10 at 7:35pm

Haha, I've come across similiar problems. It's really not that hard, I did an entire project and essay on "Hair" - and I found all of my information within less than 2 days. I think that non-theatre people just don't know what to look for.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/9/10 at 7:36pm

People are totally lazy and don't think creatively about how to research a musical. I understand when something might have a less googleable name like "Rent," but even then, expand to look for "Jonathan Larson," and include terms like Roger, Mimi, etc...

The fact that so few people know the basic rules of quotation marks, minus signs, etc... in Google is also astounding.

And I agree with what kchenofan said in #2!

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 6/9/10 at 7:40pm

kchenofan, I'm glad you agreed with me. During the presentations, part of me wanted to raise my hand and ask about certain pieces of information. In this project, knowing practically all of the correct information prior to seeing the presentations, it made me wonder if things are always this way. Most of these students were very intelligent, and most of them got A's on these projects. This just made me wonder if it's always like this, even with smart students. I just don't understand how this laziness and incorrect information can earn an A. On your second point, kchenofan, thank you for saying that. On this board especially, I try to rise above the stereotype of a 13-year-old theater fan saying "OMG, wickud, leglly blnd, they shud nvr close ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!". I know how annoying that can get.

EDIT: LizzieCurry, I didn't see your post when writing this message, and I have to say that your points are so true. The girl I mentioned struggling to find information on Les Miserables was saying "all of these websites just want me to get tickets!". If she had actually looked at those websites, she would have probably found that those websites that want you to buy tickets also have information. If that failed, she could have just searched "Les Miserables [plot/characters/songs]" on google. Updated On: 6/9/10 at 07:40 PM

[kchenofan]

Posted: 6/9/10 at 8:29pm

"On your second point, kchenofan, thank you for saying that. On this board especially, I try to rise above the stereotype of a 13-year-old theater fan saying "OMG, wickud, leglly blnd, they shud nvr close ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"."

I'm with you. I'm 15 and don't feel the need to fangirl on every board that mentions wickud.

[wickedfan11]

Posted: 6/9/10 at 8:31pm

I'm also 15, and I feel like I have much better taste in theatre than most other people my age. I used to be one of the 'OMG! I luv eyedeena!' people (when I made my username), but I have changed a lot over the past few years.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 6/9/10 at 8:51pm

WAITAMINUTE -- a class in the EIGHTH GRADE? Called "That's Entertainment"?? And you have to research BROADWAY shows??? WHERE WAS THIS CLASS WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL?! And I went to an ARTS school!!

[kchenofan]

Posted: 6/9/10 at 8:53pm

AwesomeDanny and wickedfan11, I believe we just created an alliance.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 6/9/10 at 8:56pm

It's just most kids in general are lazy these days. For instance, they rely soley on the internet for sources. The internet has made people lazy.

Back in the stone-age (early 90s) when I was in college, I took many theatre classes and was pulling microfilms and combing stacks of bound articles to write about musicals and theatre history.

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 6/9/10 at 9:37pm

CapnHook, the funny thing about the class is that there were only seventeen other people in the class, and the other class period that she taught this class had fewer students. I was literally the ONLY person who had a genuine interest in the subject area. There were only three other boys in our class, all of whom had forgotten to turn in their elective forms last year. Actually, everybody but one person in my class either forgot to turn in the form or had no idea what the class was when choosing it. The one person who voluntarily chose the class only previously had an interest in three musicals: Wicked, Mamma Mia, and Hairspray. It was quite an odd class, but it was fun. All we did besides the project was watch movie musicals (we watched Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, My Fair Lady, The Phantom of the Opera, How to Succeed, and Hairspray), fill out worksheets on those musicals, and go on a field trip to see the local high school's (mediocre) production of Into the Woods (which, by the way, had an ensemble of twenty people only used for the Act I and Act II finales). Basically, it's a class that you would have loved and breezed through (just like me--by the way, for anybody who cares, I got a 107% on the project).

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 6/9/10 at 10:00pm

107% ?

Math surely has changed since I was a kid. I guess the extra 7% is extra credit? You've answered your own question here - you didn't find the research difficult because you already love and know about the subject. You already had the tools that others didn't. Keep up the good work, and keep us posted.

Don't get cocky, kiddo

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 6/9/10 at 10:10pm

gohstlight, the 7% was extra credit, for adding things like slide transitions and playing music in the keynote and the other creative aspect of it that other teachers usually count as part of the grade. One of the other things I wondered about was if this is the kind of thing that happens all of the time or if it's just different seeing it from another perspective. If it's the latter, I feel very sorry for all of my teachers. Also, about your comment "don't get cocky", I have to say that I always try extremely hard not to sound cocky, yet, no matter how hard I try, I always come off that way. It's very annoying.

[PauloFanClem]

Posted: 6/9/10 at 10:19pm

I would urge your teacher to show "The King and I" instead of "Seven..." Come on, talking about iconic musical movies that are suitable for teenagers.

Btw, if you search "Les Miserables" on Google, the first entry is the musical's official site. No way it's hard to do research on this musical.

Updated On: 6/9/10 at 10:19 PM

[Marianne2]

Posted: 6/9/10 at 10:20pm

I agree part of it is laziness. And it is not just with today's generation either. I was in some classes where classmates couldn't be bothered looking up the answers in the textbooks for tests that we were allowed to do that on. And then they would all get mad when I got an A and they were getting C's or D's.

[PauloFanClem]

Posted: 6/9/10 at 10:23pm

They don't even seek solutions from their teacher when they have a problem. I mean, they should constantly ask their teacher whether their research up-to-date is enough.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 6/9/10 at 10:27pm

Hey look, you've got plenty to be proud of. I don't know where you are (don't tell me, you're too young to post that info here), but it can't be easy being a your age and interested in musical theater just about anywhere. I was mostly joking about the "don't get cocky" part, but it's good you're aware how your attitude can appear to others.

It's great that you even have classes like you do. We had nothing like that when I was a kid.

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 6/9/10 at 10:48pm

Kind of getting off-topic, ghostlight2, you're right, it's very hard being interested in musical theater at my age. I have one friend who is interested in what I have to say about what's happening in theater, and when she's not around, I can either talk about Wicked to the girls who have seen that and no other musicals, or I can talk about Avenue Q to the pervs. I don't like either option very much. In addition to that, it's harder being a boy interested in theater because you have all of the name-calling. Also, being much more mature than everybody else doesn't help me find people I want to be friends with. It's nice having this elective offered, but it's awkward being the only person interested and being the only person raising his hand 95% of the time. It's also awkward being the only person (except for the teacher) who knows the obvious mistakes in other people's presentations.
Updated On: 6/10/10 at 10:48 PM

[PauloFanClem]

Posted: 6/9/10 at 10:53pm

Oh... you make me remembering back my miseries during my early secondary school years (this is how we call middle school in Hong Kong). I remember I propose to do Joseph for class presentation and show them the DVD. People shouted "so gay!" during the showing, then left. I did put on the show though.

[maggiemar142]

Posted: 6/9/10 at 11:52pm

maggie- (enter stage left) it's okay, danny. we'll stick together. anyway, we're done with small minded middle schoolers now. high school has to be better, right?

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 6/10/10 at 12:01am

Updated On: 6/10/10 at 12:01 AM

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 6/10/10 at 12:25am

I think it's great that schools are offering these kind of classes when so much of the arts are being cut back in school. Have fun with it. It does get easier.
Updated On: 6/10/10 at 12:25 AM

[newintown]

Posted: 6/10/10 at 10:22am

Your classmates are lazy and stupid and will grow up to become either hookers & dope addicts or CEOs & politicians (depending upon how much money their families have).

[twinbelters]

Posted: 6/10/10 at 11:14am

I've been hearing from my teacher friends that today's youth just aren't interested in learning and won't crack a book to do research--every piece of information that is out there is and always was accessible from Google. (I had to go to the library to find an article on microfiche about black arts organizations picketing Nefertiti (1977) in Chicago so I can tell you not everything is on the net.) They don't play with or appreciate imagination and wit, it's all about fashion, celebrity, and video games. It is so bizarre to me how toys have fallen out of favor with children, too, where you can't find a toy store in downtown Chicago.

I was disheartened that it is so hard for your peers to be engaged with musical theater. I thought this generation as a whole was catching on that musicals are awesome like pretty much everyone did in the 20s, 30s, and 40s. Those days are lost forever I fear.

I too am impressed with your maturity and sophistication, AwesomeDanny. It's great that you can come on here and meet people whose interests are similarly aligned with yours.

You are all in public school I'm assuming? I'm amazed a class like this is offered with arts education funding being slashed more each year--at least in Illinois.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 6/10/10 at 11:23am

I don't have very good research skills, or at least I didn't until I was almost done with college, so I can only imagine how poor the research skills of those younger than me are. However, one of my friends told me that when she was student teaching and assigned a research paper, so actually told her students that while they can't use wikipedia as a source, they should definitely go there and use the sources that are cited in the article about their topic. I know that seems kind of obvious, but I had never thought to do it. Finding sources can be a little overwhelming at first, and it'd be great if a suggestion like that was made to students, so at least they know where to begin.