Next Overdone Musical?- Page 2

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 6/9/05 at 11:11pm

Not to say that he's anywhere near on the verge of retirement or anything, but if Bill Finn does nothing else in his career, he's still going to be a very wealthy man for for YEARS to come. Spelling Bee is doing near soldout business on Broadway now and will likely run for a few years, tour for a few years and then afterwards every college, high school and community group will be doing that show for the next decade. And good for him (and Rachel Sheinkin et al)

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 6/9/05 at 11:11pm

I bet a really cool, hip high school could have a puppetry class followed by a production of Avenue Q!

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 6/9/05 at 11:15pm

"Little woman. Everyone knows the story, and it will draw people. "

That's what they thought in NY, too.

How'd that pan out for them?

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 6/9/05 at 11:15pm

Spelling Bee could become the new Charlie Brown!!!!!!

[DreamFlyer22]

Posted: 6/9/05 at 11:24pm

Did I just hear an echo, MTVMANN??

Updated On: 6/9/05 at 11:24 PM

[star2be]

Posted: 6/9/05 at 11:37pm

Naked Boys Singing..........oh wait maybe not.

[emo_geek]

Posted: 6/9/05 at 11:40pm

seussical is popping up everywhere! Then I think people will move to Little Women, but really isn't it more girl parts?

[Thenardier]

Posted: 6/9/05 at 11:42pm

Spelling Bee seems more like a fun asembly show...

[futurewinnerbud]

Posted: 6/9/05 at 11:49pm

SPelling Bee is incredible and I only wish that everyone would get the chance to be in it and do it... HOWEVER I hgihly doubt it will be over done becuase evrysingle part is a specific role and has a huge challenge...

1. a boy who can hit some crazy notes and preferably ethnic (chip)
2. a black man who can sing very hgih (mitch mahoney)
3. fat boy who has a distinct, interesting voice and incredible comic timing (william)
4. a girl who is an akward ingenue/comic hybrid with some increidble notes in her range (olive)
5. an asian girl who can sing miss saigon like its no biggie- and a lot fo Marcy's music has notes and riffs alike Kim's in miss saigon... maybe its becuase Deborah Craig's voice reminds me of Lea Salonga... (Marcy)

theres the challenge of finding 5 very talented boys, and the impossibility of adding an ensemble wwho would have anything to do, unless you changed the script. I feel like it'll be the next chorus line... attempted once in a while, intimidating everyone.

My vote for most overdoen musical of 2006-2010 goes to Little Women and Wicked...

[Aigoo]

Posted: 6/9/05 at 11:52pm

Many theatres with the money will attempt to do Wicked. However, if the director is smart enough, they'll know enough not to do it. The roles in that musical are just so challenging and people who can do it properly are rare gems.

Spelling Bee, depending on the script, might be able to do some colorblind casting. I haven't seen the show yet, but I don't know how strict they are to stick with the races.

Little Women might be doable, but you need one hell of a performer for all the sister's roles.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 6/9/05 at 11:55pm

Ooh I like the idea of Naked Boys Singing!

[surefinewhatever]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 12:01am

I'd love to see a high school do Avenue Q. Imagine the shocked expressions on parents' faces during "You can be as loud as the hell you want."

[Unmasked05]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 12:04am

My List:

The Producers....my teacher would do it in a heartbeat if she could get the license.

Spelling Bee
Hairspray
Wicked......people will be doing the hell out of this.
The Lion King
The Phantom of The Opera...maybe not in high school but regional theatre will eat it up.

[Ourtime992]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 12:44am

I think a distinction needs to be made. Wicked and Hairspray will dominate the school musical landscape to be sure, and will probably result in a lot of terrible, underfunded, oversung performances.

Spelling Bee, on the other hand, will translate well with community actors, and because the book is hilarious and sure-fire, successful productions will lead to more productions, especially by community groups who can mount it cheaply.

Forget it being the next Charlie Brown. Where I live it will be the next Charlie Brown + Joseph + Forever Plaid.

[Necromancer07707]

Posted: 6/11/05 at 3:01am

I think people will be over Wicked soon enough. At least I hope so. God forbid if not. Spelling Bee, I'd have to say. Whoever it was that said RENT, HA! Ever check out the range of those roles? Or the themes of the show? Riiiight, I definately see a catholic college prep school putting on RENT next year. Is Batboy a big college show elsewhere in the US now or it just around Cincy? Oddly enough, there's also much talk of Urinetown going on around here. Not quite as risque as RENT.

Updated On: 6/11/05 at 03:01 AM

[jarred03]

Posted: 6/11/05 at 3:13am

I would definitly say Wicked, it would be hard without amazing leads but I'm sure high schools will try it anyway, and most likely fail. Spelling Bee would be the best choice because of what Margo said, but honestly I can't picture too many school directors doing it, because they usually want to do stuff that's magical and fluffy and crap like that. Hairspray won't be as popular as you think just because most high school drama departments aren't that racially diverse. It would be a great show for high schools if they have an equal mix of black and white kids, but that's rare. Rent is too racey for high schools but it would be great for colleges.

[felineofavenueb]

Posted: 6/11/05 at 3:33am

I think if Beauty and the Beast can be done in schools, Phantom of the Opera can be done, and I think it will. A lot. Aida, too, I think will spring up in popularity this coming year, with rights having just recently been released. Spelling Bee will undoubtedly become the next Charlie Brown, and I can see a lot of community theatres and colleges (but definitely not highschools) doing Avenue Q.

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 6/11/05 at 2:17pm

Bee, Hairspray, Little Women, Maybe Aida? Millie too.

[Derek]

Posted: 6/11/05 at 2:39pm

ok, i saw a community theatre do wicked (it was produced and directed by teens, i understand its illegal, but it was free so i thought it was cute). I actually loved their defying gravity (elphaba was like 17 and awesome!!!)...they did most of the song in front of their main curtain....and right when they sing "my friend", elphaba went behind it and the guards came through the audience and up on stage. from behind the curtain you hear elphaba yelling its me and the curtain opened and she was standing on a cube like platform about 10 feet off the ground with her cape like HUGE behind her attached to her waist with dry ice all over the stage. i must say i was very impressed. i believe a lot of high schools (with good talent) could pull it off

[lamentingenvelope]

Posted: 6/11/05 at 2:45pm

I think Spelling Bee will be very popular with Cabaret-type theatres that want something cheap and easy that will engage the audience.

The next Forever Plaid, pretty much, is what I'm saying.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 6/11/05 at 2:55pm

Although it isn't a musical, I think the next soon-to-be-overdone show currently on Broadway is "Doubt". It is relatively cheap, requires a small cast, and has a short running time (ninety minutes, no intermission). I think that in two years, every regional and community theatre in America will have mounted or will be in the process of mounting a production of "Doubt".

[MissElphie]

Posted: 6/11/05 at 2:59pm

Wicked.
It might not be done very WELL...but it will be done a lot.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/11/05 at 3:35pm

The only problems Spelling Bee will have with high schools will be the erection song and the two daddies. Unless cuts or cahnges are made, middle-America schools won't touch it. But it will be hot with community and regional theatres.

All Shook Up will probably be big with high schools. It's pretty safe material, especially the gay copout, so parents don't think the show believes it is acceptable. I remember when I did Grease in high school, we were not allowed to say Rizzo was "pregnant" or use the term "VD". We had to say Rizzo was "you know" and substitute "VD" with "TB". Oh, and Greased Lightnin' was referred to as a "real dragon wagon". And knowing my high school, that probably hasn't changed in the last 17 years.

Wicked will be attempted a lot simply because high school drama teachers love to show off their prize females, of which they always favor in every production.

Rent is highly unlikely with high schools unless they are VERY liberal and even then, there will still probably be significant changes. Brooklyn is more probable, but honestly, I don't know if it's popular enough for many schools to consider. Even that show will need tweaking in the script here and there.

[Liz_Bennet]

Posted: 6/11/05 at 3:40pm

I agree about Doubt. I would bet a large amount of money that it will show up around my hometown (either Ithaca or Syracuse) within two years of the rights being released. I think I Am My Own Wife is rapidly becoming ubiquitous as well (regional theaters love one actor shows), but I'm very curious how it will turn out without Jefferson Mays. It's being produced in Ithaca this summer, but I'm living in Philly so I can't see it. Then I realized it's at the Wilma here next fall as well...

Among musicals, I think Millie will become popular among high schools. Little Women might become popular among community theaters (who are all doing Jane Eyre right now).

[Hairspraydoll]

Posted: 6/11/05 at 3:45pm

Ok. I am a high school theatre teacher...

No theatre teacher wants to do Wicked simply because we are sick of it. No musical is being butchered by kids more than Wicked right now at every competition. Every musical theatre category has at least 10 Populars, Loathing and Defying Gravity's. My ears bleed.

There's no way high schools can get away with the content of Rent and Avenue Q.

It could be Hairspray, Spelling Bee, or Little Women.

Schools are already doing Beauty and the Beast here. Our Performing Arts high school will be the exception and do whatever one releases rights first out of all the big ones.

I personally think Little Women and Spelling Bee will be the ones most attempted. Hairspray is coming to Vegas and Avenue Q so the rights won't get released here. Suessical has been done 5 times just this year in town.