Musicals that SHOULDN"T be done in high schools...but have... — Page 3

Everytime I see a high school doing Cabaret, I get a little queasy.
My dad's high school did Cabaret, back in the early 70s. It caused this huge controversy, but the school's drama department was insistent that this was the show they were doing. I've always thought it was awesome that they were willing to take on a more risque show, regardless of what the community thought.

annie- with a warbucks who could have very well been an alto and an annie only about 3 inchs shorter than miss hannigan
Heh. My best friend played Warbucks in 8th grade and he had one of those pre-pubescent-head-voices. Loved him to death, but that was poor casting.

My former high school has done Joseph, Wizard of Oz, Godspell, Seussical, and next year Beauty and the Beast. These shows wrote the book on fluff. I wish they would take a "risk" and do something beyond G-rated.

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I just saw a high school production of Cabaret a month ago and it was absolutely horrible. The acting was great and everyhthing (it was an arts high school) but they had high school kids doing it exactly the way the revival was odne. Everyone was a slut and in kinky outfits and everything. It was embarrasing sitting there with my mom and having the kIt Kat girls come down the aisle and kiss and touch me. The revival on Broadway was great, but you can;t ahve high school kids doing that. If they did it the way the original was done, I'd have no problem, but UGH!!

My mom claims that her Catholic high school did Cabaret while she was there, but I think she might just be getting old and crazy.

"CHICAGO. CHICAGO. CHICAGO. CHICAGO. CHICAGO, AND CHICAGO!

It makes me sick to my stomach High Schools are "trying" to put on this show."

In response to this comment, I was in a High School summer musical of "Chicago" and I thought that we did an awesome job! But, there are those high schools out there that some how get the rights to it and then end up butchering it!



PICTURES OF "CHICAGO"

Updated On: 5/2/05 at 09:12 PM

Parade......The Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts is doing it this year....just too edgy and too objectionable in content. Not to mention that the score is very difficult.
They're known for doing edgy shows...they did "A Funny Thing Happened...", which is a little raunchy for high schools (but I'd do it), and last year they did Ragtime. (Coalhouse was unbearably weak) I don't think Ragtime is objectionable in content, but I think Ragtime is very heavy for high schools...and it has to be solid to work well...which it wasn't.

I also think Camelot is a terrible pick due to the lack of leads and chorus work on top of material some would find objectionable.

Updated On: 5/2/05 at 09:23 PM

I, too, don't get this feeling that Les Miz is not ok for high schools--it's PERFECT for high schools.

It depends on the school, folks. Some schools have one or two people that can carry a tune. Some (like my high school) had gazillions of great singers.

It's a learning experience--it doesn't have to be perfection or "professional".

And schools SHOULD do the OKLAHOMA!s and GUYS AND DOLLS and MUSIC MANs and SOUND OF MUSICs. Again--it's a learning experience, and you learn better by working with great works. It's the same reason that students SHOULD be working on Shakespeare, the Greeks, Shaw, Williams, etc.

I have no problem with changing dirty words (even "This or That" is ok). But, if you have to cut major chunks out of A CHORUS LINE or CABARET---don't bother.

I, personally, find it DEEPLY offensive that a character's merely being gay is a problem. But, understanding how things are in this country right now--if it's a problem in your school, don't bother.

And, yes, a good school is going to try to do shows that their kids will enjoy--variety if anything. And, yes, I do understand the need to allow people in schools (both on the stage and ESPECIALLY in the audience) to learn to enjoy the idea of attending the theatre. It's vital for the future of audiences and artisans of the theatre. But, that doesn't mean only doing "cool" shows.

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Updated On: 5/2/05 at 10:21 PM

TOMMY
ROCKY HORROR SHOW

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Defygravity23- I am in middle school, and we recently finished The Sound of Music, and in my opinion, as well as everyone else's, it was wonderful. We had really good sets (for a MS production), and I don't mean to brag (I was Maria), but I probably had one of the best voices in the entire production (but the Mother Abbess was killer- you should have heard her high notes). I know you probably didn't mean it offensively, but please don't generalize about Middle School, because we try really hard and put on an incredible show.

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Updated On: 8/14/05 at 10:59 PM