Question:High School Theater
Question:High School Theater
#0Question:High School Theater
Posted: 7/17/04 at 3:22pmquick question: How many people did you or do you tend to have in a high school musical production?
You aren't feeling overwhelmed are you?
#1re: Question:High School Theater
Posted: 7/17/04 at 3:30pm
Depends on the show.
We had 40-50 people in ANNIE.
About 15 people in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS.
Eight people in THE WEDDING BAND.
"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle
--Aristotle
#2re: Question:High School Theater
Posted: 7/17/04 at 3:33pmi think it all depends on the size of the school. my school has about 2,000 students in it and our productions tend to have about 50 people in them. our past productions include stuff like "singin' in the rain" and "how to succeed in business without really trying". anything that can accomodate a cast of that of our size.
Thou giveth fever.
#3re: Question:High School Theater
Posted: 7/17/04 at 3:39pmmy school has 1,500 people and in 42nd street we had 120 people. Our musical director cuts about 2 people. It's ridiculous. And it wasn't just this year. It's always been like this.
You aren't feeling overwhelmed are you?
#4re: Question:High School Theater
Posted: 7/17/04 at 3:45pm
Some directors feel, especially in middle schools, that anyone who auditions gets to be "in the show."
I attended a school of the arts, so we had audiitons, and you had to be good to get in (with the exception of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD where one of our directors tried an experiment).
"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle
--Aristotle
#5re: Question:High School Theater
Posted: 7/17/04 at 3:47pm
about 100 people tried out for H2S but they cut half of the people auditioned. but pretty much all of our produtions in the past two years were picked around a certain actor who was a really good tap dancer and we were all basically auditioning for roles that were already cast.
wow, if they cut only two people i dont want to think about how bad they must have felt. did they have to audition in front of everyone else who was there or does your school do private auditioning?
Thou giveth fever.
#6re: Question:High School Theater
Posted: 7/17/04 at 3:50pm
My high school did not have cuts for musicals, and I'm glad!
(There were cuts for plays. But for musicals, everyone was allowed in the chorus)
Everyone deserves a chance to be involved.
It's only high school theatre!
I starred in a short film called Magnetic Personality. Check it out!
#7re: Question:High School Theater
Posted: 7/17/04 at 3:50pmwell...two was an estimate...but it was a small number. For our auditions you are split into three groups and they rotate between the acting singing and dancing auditions. For the reading you read a scene in front of the group. Forthe dancing the whole group dances together and for the singin you sing in groups of three just in front of the musical director. Teh dancing auditions are stupid. The choreographer can't even see everyone which is why we have such bad featured dancers. most of them are jocks who have never taken dance in their lives.
You aren't feeling overwhelmed are you?
Updated On: 7/17/04 at 03:50 PM
#8re: Question:High School Theater
Posted: 7/17/04 at 3:59pm
really. . . my school has dance auditions seperate from singing and acting. you can be a dancer without having to sing and the student choreographers teach you the dance once and you go on stage in groups and do it for the directors. i think it is pretty stupid to have dance apart from singing because we have lots of chorus members who have no idea how to move. i think you should have some basic idea of movement to be in it.
our auditions are pretty stressful because you are putting yourself out there for everyone auditioning to sing. when i auditioned it was in front about 80 people. i do believe that if you want to be on stage you have to be comfortable doing that but i think the auditioning process is more stressful than actually singing when you have already been cast.
Thou giveth fever.
JakeB
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#9re: Question:High School Theater
Posted: 7/17/04 at 5:00pm
I am currently directing my college production of Fame (and I mean that I'm directing it, not teachers; it's an entirely student-led project, right from getting the rights to putting it on the stage - it's cost over $1000 in licensing)
It was always clear from the beginning that we'd have auditions - I don't want any old trash in my show. We had 2 auditions, then callbacks for some of the leads who we were undecided on. The day we announced the cast was horrible, some people didn't speak to me for days.
In the end, I believe there is about 26 in the show. 80% are fully committed - attending every rehearsal, learning lines, etc. 1 person has left and we're going to ask 2 people to leave as they haven't attended any rehearsals.
But I really wouldn't advise directing a musical in college, it's hard work. If I could turn back the clock I'd have said 'actually no, let's do a play instead'.
#10re: Question:High School Theater
Posted: 7/17/04 at 5:32pmOnly 1000 dollars in licensing? Wow. You got a deal!
BSoBW2: I punched Sondheim in the face after I saw Wicked and said, "Why couldn't you write like that!?"
jonartdesigns
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/04
#11re: Question:High School Theater
Posted: 7/17/04 at 6:12pm
my school boasts the biggest and worst casts i've ever seen. The choreographer comes up with the most retarded dance she can think of (usually one that only the really experienced dancers do in the show) The director assigns audition songs (the highest song for the guys[ever try auditioning for kenickie with "those magic changes"?]) and there is no acting auditions. Also people she likes who ttok her class get all leads and multiple roles (in annie we had one guy play 6 parts and a freshman get more roles than seniors because his brother got leads) in a cast of 75 you relly don't need to double cast.
....this rant sponsored in part by Barq's Root Beer
"Grease," the fourth revival of the season, is the worst show in the history of theater and represents an unparalleled assault on Western civilization and its values. - Michael Reidel
BWayBoy88
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/23/04
#12re: Question:High School Theater
Posted: 7/17/04 at 6:15pmWow. Thats horrible. My school depends on the show. Some shows we had 40 kids while others we only had about 20
jonartdesigns
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/04
#13re: Question:High School Theater
Posted: 7/17/04 at 6:29pmnot to mention that i was told when i auditioned as a freshman that i had to wait 'til senior year to get a lead so senior year came along and she announced into the woods- i was set...until she changed it to the king and i which has 2 male leads (i was the thrid senior male so i got nothing) the rest of the cast was underclassmen
"Grease," the fourth revival of the season, is the worst show in the history of theater and represents an unparalleled assault on Western civilization and its values. - Michael Reidel
Paul LW
Featured Actor Joined: 6/17/04
#14re: Question:High School Theater
Posted: 7/17/04 at 7:16pm
FF and I went to the same high school.
EXCEPT for this year when we did GREASE! and we had to cut about 50 people because 120 tried out!
I mean...you seriously can't have 100 students at Rydell! It's not possible! (I was Danny : ) )
Before that in Hello, Dolly! State Fair and Brigadoon our cast was usually around 50 people, and whoever want to be in it was in it.
shesings
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/14/04
#15re: Question:High School Theater
Posted: 7/17/04 at 11:37pmwe always had around 50 .. they always let the pommies come in to be the dancers, and then had a separate singing chorus. But we had a rule that if you missed more than 2 rehearsals you were out. I think thats a good policy to weed out the people who aren't serious about it.
#16re: Question:High School Theater
Posted: 7/18/04 at 12:25pmand also...ourmusical director doesn't lower the notes if someone can't hit them. We have on girl who is always a lead but she isn't that good. She would be better if shecould actually hit some of the notes, but our musical director refuses to lower them. Its the same with the lead guys. I hate muscial at my school if you couldn't already tell.
You aren't feeling overwhelmed are you?
Videos