Musicals with little to no set or dancing

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/3/15 at 3:17pm

Hello, I am directing the school musical this year and we have a very low budget. There also aren't many students who dance. Suggestions?

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 11/3/15 at 3:20pm

Clue The Musical

Avenue Q

Godspell

Mystery of Edwin Drood

You're A Good Man Charlie Brown

 

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/3/15 at 3:27pm

Going back a bit

I Do I Do

 

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 11/3/15 at 3:27pm

The Fantasticks

Celebration

 

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/3/15 at 4:24pm

I totally forgot about Celebration. I actually saw it a gazillion years ago. I am surprised they never tried to revive it off broadway . It really belonged there the first time as it was a small intimate show in a Brodway theater.

[Mrtrobz]

Posted: 11/3/15 at 4:41pm

Sweeney Todd is the obvious one that springs to mind. You just need tables and chairs really.

[haterobics]

Posted: 11/3/15 at 5:26pm

Once? Is that available now?

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 11/3/15 at 6:58pm

1776?

[Mike Costa]

Posted: 11/3/15 at 7:11pm

Remember that you may cut the dance breaks within each number and only use one set.  There used to be many schools who had students who did not take dance lessons.  All of the choreography could simply be step touch moves or performed by only three or four people while the rest looked on.  This way you will have a much broader scope of musicals to pick from.

Congratulations on becoming a young director!

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 11/3/15 at 10:10pm

I second the congratulations. Best wishes, and let me just say that I'm loving your username right now because I'm on a kick with Gwen Stefani's cover.

[broadwayfreak4]

Posted: 11/4/15 at 9:16am

Merrily We Roll Along

[ErinDillyFan]

Posted: 11/4/15 at 11:15am

You don't say how many kids you have for the cast.

Assassins

Bonnie & Clyde

Chess (I like the London version)

25th Putnam County Spelling Bee (has some dance that non-dancers can handle)

Godspell

The Fantastiks

 

 

[JRybka]

Posted: 11/4/15 at 11:18am

I think CHESS would be a really hard show to do vocally. 

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 11/4/15 at 11:36am

The productions of CHESS I've sen in the UK have had a lot of dancing.

Most of these suggestions don't really seem appropriate for school groups, no?

Try going to some of the licensing sites. Usually you can enter criteria to specify shows that fit your needs (large cast, small set, etc).

The big licensing houses are: Tams Witmark, Music Theatre International, Rodgers and Hammerstein and Samuel French. They all are easily found on the web.

 

 

Updated On: 11/4/15 at 11:36 AM

[Braniff Forever]

Posted: 11/4/15 at 11:36am

What about Fun Home? Because it's still showing on Broadway is it not allowed to be performed elsewhere? 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 11/4/15 at 11:49am

Braniff Forever said: "What about Fun Home? Because it's still showing on Broadway is it not allowed to be performed elsewhere? "

 

That rule doesn't apply to every show anytime it's currently on Broadway.

[Elfuhbuh]

Posted: 11/4/15 at 12:50pm

Is Next to Normal available for schools to perform?

[Mike Costa]

Posted: 11/4/15 at 12:55pm

Fun Home is not currently available to be licensed to high school groups but even if it were it is questionable material for a first time director to direct or young actors to be asked to perform (along with Sweeney, Chess and Merrily)  not to mention the headlines when the school board has it cancelled due to its' subject.

Look into: Once Upon A Mattress, Guys and Dolls, and Little Shop of Horrors and The Fantasticks.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/4/15 at 1:01pm

Hair

[brdway411]

Posted: 11/4/15 at 1:03pm

Little Shop, can be a stripped down. Like the did at City Center. 

[TBFL]

Posted: 11/4/15 at 6:51pm

Blood Brothers is great show and perfect for schools