Musicals that SHOULDN"T be done in high schools...but have...- Page 4

[mikewood]

Posted: 5/3/05 at 11:07am

and this is one that I've often seen done but shouldnt. "Fiddler on the Roof"...for one reason only. There is no teenage boy that can play Tevya. Without a good Tevya that shopw just doesnt work. >>>>>

Wrong. Well, actually right.

About 5 years ago, Billerica MA had an outstanding teenage boy playing Tevya. Granted, the director acknowledged she wouldn't have done Fiddler if this actors wasn't available to "audition."

[Glindafan]

Posted: 5/3/05 at 4:03pm

Nice try everyone, but there is only ONE musical that SHOULDN'T be performed by teenagers in High School....

THE WILD PARTY!!

Imagine the parents.... imagine the audience..... imagine hundreds of people running for the exits or trying to lynch the director for putting their kid in that situation.

Next question?

[ThePointOfNoReturn2]

Posted: 5/3/05 at 4:10pm

What high school has done THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW? That just didn't make any sense...

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 5/3/05 at 5:04pm

I don't see anything wrong with a high school doing Rocky Horro, The Wild Party, or Hair...as long as the school has the talent to pull it off. These are the kind of shows that will get the student body of the high school to actually show up to the show, rather than the cast and crew's relatives. If the head of the arts department for the school feels iffy about doing it because of parent's reactions, then so be it, but I think a high school could pull off such shows.

Of course, it always depends on the school.

[Kato2]

Posted: 5/3/05 at 5:14pm

My high school did Cabaret, and it was just okay (this was like 8 years ago). I think many of the quote-on-quote "racier" shows can be pulled off provided the cast is mature and talented, and the director makes sure they really understand the book and the subject matter. Of course, I don't think things like RENT, Chicago, or The Wild Party are in any way appropriate, if only for the reason that 14-7 year olds can't really portray what is intended.

And please, don't do Candide. *shudder*

[greenifyed]

Posted: 5/3/05 at 6:14pm

My best friend's highschool did Aida this year. And 99% of the student population is white. You do the math.

[KMEP05]

Posted: 5/3/05 at 7:32pm

"3. Musical theatre didn't begin with Les Mis, people. And just because your high school isnt doing Wicked doesn't mean whatever show you are doing sucks. "

MagicToDo, you TOTALLY win.

In reference to Chicago - it's not about the sexuality. It's supposed to be more of a tease, which adds to the satire of the show (which is its main point). I saw a performing arts high school do an exceptional production of it recently - as long as that is conveyed, explained fully to the cast, and it's not a group of girls whoring themselves out for the hell of it, it can be done, and done well.

[stonewall2]

Posted: 5/3/05 at 7:32pm

There was a huge fuss last year when one area high school put on "A Chorus Line"!!!! Can you just imagine "editing" that show??!!

[~Jer~]

Posted: 5/3/05 at 8:14pm

I don't think that Beauty and the Beast should ever be done at a highschool...
I've only seen it done once but it SUCKED!!! The only person who could act/sing was Belle. The direction was horrible and choreo wasnt that great either...But they sold out for about a whole week so they did good!!!...The sets were great...the cast was ok...Worth the $8.00...

[theaterfan194]

Posted: 5/3/05 at 8:52pm

"I saw Godspell at my alma mater. But, last year I heard they did Cabaret. This is a Catholic High School. I did not go but cannot imagine how they pulled it off."

if your talking about QPHS then cabaret was awesome. everyone was absolutely perfect and they did not cut out many of the so called naught parts

[DefyGravity23]

Posted: 5/3/05 at 11:06pm

Jer --- Why shouldn't high schools do Beauty and the Beast? I mean, well, SOME high schools shouldn't do it. But if you have the budget/talent and a good director then it's fine. But that applies to practically ANY high school show. If you have bad direction and not much talent basically NO show will work. Just wondering, because I saw a wonderful high school production of beauty and the beast this year.

[~Jer~]

Posted: 5/3/05 at 11:13pm

as long as its done right...Im happy!

[arykahmarye]

Posted: 5/3/05 at 11:17pm

Last year i saw an all-girls school that put on 'Guys and Dolls'. I suppose that makes it 'Dolls and Dolls'. It was VERY weird, and i wondered at the audacity of their director to even consider 'Guys and Dolls'. And then when they did 'Chicago' this year, they chose the one person that looked most like a man to play Roxie, and their chorus was all soprano.

That's got to be the worst i've ever seen. My high school is doing 'Beauty and the Beast' this year, and it's actually pretty good. Our director has no life and amazing carpentry skills, so our castle is beautiful. My biggest problem is that my pot costume is covered in huge fake roses, but we got them from another school.

[mikewood]

Posted: 5/5/05 at 12:27pm

Chelmsford MA is doing Sweeney todd this weekend.

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 5/5/05 at 1:00pm

Not a musical, but I saw a high school do a scene from The Vagina Monologues
I thought it was completely disrespectly
Updated On: 5/5/05 at 01:00 PM

[fiesta1]

Posted: 5/5/05 at 3:50pm

My guess is that we won't be seeing "Naked Boys Singing" anytime soon.

[Expressboy69]

Posted: 5/5/05 at 3:53pm

lol, you all think Chicago is risky. I go to a catholic high school and we are doing 'Bat Boy' with hardly any cuts, I think it is going to turn out amazing! I brought the show to the director's attention and I couldn't believe that she took the chance and decided to do it! Well, this show has caused so much controversey because our principal didn't read the show until a few weeks into rehearsal and she called down the entire cast and we actually had to do a trial performance for her to show her that we have everything staged tastefully! But, tonight is opening night and the show is going to be great!

anyway upcoming shows(not controversial, but extremely difficult) will be West Side Story and then Les Mis

[EternalJayJay]

Posted: 5/6/05 at 2:01am

My senior year in high school they did "70, GIRLS, 70." The teacher had the BRILLIANT idea that since it was our first year with SENIORS (it was a new school) that we do a musical about a SENIOR citizen retirement home. Makes sense, doesn't it? THANK GOD I wasn't in it. It was HORRID.

[M_Jokay]

Posted: 5/6/05 at 2:30am

My high school did Mary Poppins- it was illeagle, and they brought on like poster board cartoon penguins from the art dept, and had the flag girls from the football games do the chimney sweep dance. It was HORRIBLE--- but funny!

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 5/6/05 at 2:36am

SWEENEY TODD - or any other Sondheim - SHOULD NEVER EVER BE DONE IN HIGH SCHOOL!

With the possible exception of FORUM...all the productions i've seen have been DISASTEROUS.

[aspiringactor]

Posted: 5/6/05 at 9:32am

This is my first time posting on any site in my entire life, and I thought this topic was fitting: I was just wondering if anyone had seen the new "Avenue Q" production for high school performances - Just kidding.

[DancerGirl16]

Posted: 5/6/05 at 1:02pm

Wait I think I have a winner.....

A MIDDLE SCHOOL did GRAND HOTEL

[ChristineDaae]

Posted: 5/6/05 at 1:23pm

I loved Cabaret but how can a school do it? I mean with "Two Ladies"...

[jaymike]

Posted: 7/22/18 at 12:47pm

Since its been 13 years since the last posting..I would be curious to know what happened to all of those shows that members stated "I hope they won't do that show here next year..."

I live/work in Northern NJ where we have high schools that will spend up to $60,000.00 on a production.  Some high schools have been selected by MTI and Disney to co-produce newly developed school editions of shows, like "Miss Saigon" and "Spring Awakening"..both of which have been done countless of times since 2005.   I agree that some musicals cannot..or should not...be done.   But that decision is held in the hands of the musical director/vocal director/choreographer of the schools.  In some schools, these people are hired on just to produce and direct the shows..and then leave.  Some musicals SHOULD be produced by schools...."Putnam County Spelling Bee"...."Hairspray"....."Once On This Island"....  I can tell you that a good number of my Jersey teachers would go toe-to-toe with you defending their choices of doing Sondheim.   My daughter was in a production of "Into The Woods" at her high school...best show she was in....

[freewilma]

Posted: 7/22/18 at 1:23pm

More and more shows have "high school" versions out now which have made them much more accessible to student populations such as American idiot, Heathers and Avenue Q.  Additionally, the arguments can be made that some of these "inappropriate" shows are EXACTLY what high school students should be performing. Who better to perform Spring Awakening than actors who are the same age as the characters.  And really, shouldn't we be opening up discussions of many of these issues with young adults? Dogfight brings up positive body image, mental health, PTSD, and the #metoo movement.  American Idiot focuses on substance abuse and unplanned pregnancy.  If doing edgier productions opens up dialogues within these communities and is handled with respect (rather than sensationalism), it can be tremendously effective.