La Guardia High School to cancel/postpone its musical this year?

[CapnHook]

Posted: 12/24/08 at 12:31pm

https://www.broadwayworld.com/l.cfm?id=231078

The budget is SIX FIGURES?? Yeesh! My high school (which was a school of the arts) was lucky to get FOUR figures!

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 12/24/08 at 12:33pm

Our budget was a maximum of $5000 for the musical, and $2000 for regular plays. I can't imagine a six figure budget.

[Lynnespock2]

Posted: 12/24/08 at 1:20pm

When this high puts on a musical, it is not your typical high school musical. If has all the production values of most Broadway shows including an orchestra, sets, costumes, lighting, etc.

This is the premire performing arts school in the city, if not in the country. This is the Fame school. Many successful and famous people are graduates of this school or the two schools that merged to make this school, this old Music and Art and High School of the Performing Arts.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 12/24/08 at 2:04pm

Orfeh graduated from there. (Just don't ask her what year she graduated!)

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/24/08 at 2:07pm

It's still a PUBLIC school, however. The article mentioned the parents RAISING the money (perhaps): I wonder where the money normally comes from.

And while I'm sure it's incredibly dissappointing for those kids, perhaps one of the wisest financial decisions I've heard in a long time.

And my budget for my HS: Under 4k for musicals, Under 1000 for all other shows.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 12/24/08 at 3:18pm

This has been rumored since last year. Thank goodness I graduated already.
And yes, our production values were ridiculously high. For proof, YT "laguardia ragtime."

[Lynnespock2]

Posted: 12/24/08 at 3:59pm

This school is considered by the state as being a vocational high school. Vocational schools get special funding from the city and the state to do certain things. If it were an automotive school, they would need cars to work and learn on. This is part of their training. Most high schools put on a HIGH SCHOOL musical. This is a form of training for many of these students and therefore, part of their education.

Graduates? So many, it would take too much space to list them all. Here is the link:
http://www.alumniandfriends.org/notablealumni

There are many alumni who donate for various purposes and parents who are willing to fund raise to further their students education.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/24/08 at 5:04pm

I realize that but it is still "extra curricular"; above and beyond class work.

So...if in the long run NOT producing ONE show (and the article states that this is only one of many productions for the year) can allow the same number of students and faculty and services NEXT year...then it's a wise decision.

When the economy gets this bad, public education takes a huge hit. I work in a very wealthy district and my principal has already told us she'll be VERY suprised if there aren't cutback/layoffs next year

[JustAGuy]

Posted: 12/24/08 at 5:35pm

What's more important? The production values, or the opportunity to perform? Seems bizarre to me that they would sacrifice an opportunity for their students to learn a new production and it's music. Some of the most interesting and exciting theatre I've ever seen has been in a black box, and that includes musicals.

[Winston3]

Posted: 12/25/08 at 7:22am

JustAGuy, I agree with you. LaGuardia could still do a show and their students would still learn the same things if they lower the production costs. Yes, I know that the school is a vocational but doing a show in that school comes secondary to the academic work just like any other public school in the city. There is no reason why their shows have to be as flashy as they are. As I said, you can still teach the same things with lower production values. They don't need to be in such flashy shows because these kids aren't on Broadway yet.

[dg22894]

Posted: 12/25/08 at 9:22pm

I saw Ragtime there and thought some of the local High School Productions had better talent. Also, I felt that the costumes and sets were great but a bit to much they should work with less of that to improve the overall show. 6 FIGURES is really just too much we were lucky is we got 1000 and everyone's production fee at my high school and I think our shows are good and it is not the sets that should make a show great in high school it should be the talent

[Madcap Maisie]

Posted: 12/25/08 at 9:26pm

Drama funds got cut from my HS this year....now all we are given is the building and electricty...everything else is fund-raisers or gotten through ticket sales