Annie Jr is mostly shorter than regular Annie than anything else. And quite a few songs are cut. I don't think the junior versions are always about cutting objectionable material, but reworking existing shows into something more suitable for school children to perform.
And I always figured a show like Rent was made into a junior production to hopefully stave off schools doing their own cuttings.
I really have no opinion on jr productions beyond that, because I don't have kids and don't work with kids. If the authors agree to it and the production clearly notes that they are doing the junior version then I just don't see the big deal.
I know a lot of adults who've left after act 1. They really think it's the end of the show. I've heard people say before and I can only guess that all these people also never went to the theatre before, since the vast majority of musicals are in two acts. And that there's usually a curtain call at the end. Were these professional productions? I assume they aren't school or local productions, since the audience members generally know someone in the casts in those cases.
Updated On: 7/31/12 at 12:11 AM