School Shows HELP!!

[kathryn_with_a_y]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 4:11pm

Hi everyone,
I have quite the dilema; Me, along with my two best friends are complete theatre junkies. Last year the principal of the local middle school hired a director who dropped out a week before the middle school show was set to open. My two friends & myself were then recruted & put together a spectacular version of 'Once on this Island' in a week. This year, we've already been asked back to direct, however we have now idea what show to do. The kids are wicked talented, we have great singers, great dancers & great actors...problem is we have two boys in the drama club. HELP! I should also mention, that I'm a sophmore in High School, so the principal, is very worried that we will pick a modern & "provocative" musical. so I need some good safe choices. Any ideas???

Updated On: 8/7/05 at 04:11 PM

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 4:15pm

Don't pick

Chicago
Cabaret
Gypsy
Sweet Charity

Def stay away from the adult shows.

WONDERFUL TOWN is a good choice - but it has quite a few male supporting roles - but they don't sing.
Updated On: 8/7/05 at 04:15 PM

[pab]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 4:16pm

YAGMCB

[NYC_or_Bust]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 4:17pm

i know it will sound funny, but one of the best HS productions i've ever seen was a mostly female version of NEWSIES!

I dont know of many shows that only have a couple of guys in them...well i know a couple but good luck trying to do it at a HS level..



Could you get more guys? otherwise I dunno if my suggestions would help you

[Pinguin]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 4:22pm

Smile was all I could think of off the top of my head...

[kathryn_with_a_y]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 4:44pm

Actually, I was concidering that However, we don't have a boy good enough to play Charlie Brown; plus the high school in the same town, is doing that this coming year as well. I know this sounds strange, I've never seen I school do it, but what do you think of 'Hello Dolly'?? The only part I'd be worried about is cornelius, but I think I could find someone. Also (on an unrelated note) I really want to stay away from those 'Broadway Jr.' Shows 'Once on this island' is the only one I've ever seen done well. I think typically they cute all the good songs.

[pab]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 4:50pm

For "Hello Dolly" you will need at least four men to play the roles of Horace, Barnaby, Cornelius and Ambrose. Females can play a lot of the waiter parts and other roles that usually require men.

[kathryn_with_a_y]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 4:55pm

well, I just did Hello Dolly with a community theatre, Our Barnaby had a fair voice but was a great dancer, Our cornelius had a great voice, Horance was fair as was Ambrose.I figured Cornelius NEEDS a great voice, however for parts like Ambrose I can find some one who doesn't neccesarily have a wonderful voice but can act & dance. It's not the recrutement of boys I'm worried about it the quality of the ones who need to sing. I know I have boys who would do it if they only had to be in the ensemble; its really jsut cornelius I'm worried about.

But I'm thinking more along the lines of something like that. Some thing with a humorous female lead, because we have more female talent than we know what to do with, its the lack of guys thats the dilema.

[pab]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 4:58pm

Well, I would agree. Of those four characters the only one that really requires a very good singing voice is Cornelius. After all look what a non singer like Walter Mattheu did with Horace in the movie.

[MissElphie]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 4:59pm

What about something like Little Shop? There's Audrey and the Urchins for the female leads, and only Seymore, Mushnick, The Dentist (the same actor who plays him plays a bunch of smaller parts) and the plant. Is it workable to make Mushnick female? The plant could be done by a teacher or a deep voiced girl. Audrey is a very humourous female lead...

[loganp37]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 4:59pm

Honk! comes to mind.

The main character is male, but all the other male characters don't have to have beautiful voices. The other male roles are more character actor types. Plus most of the roles can be double/triple cast depending on how many males you have audition. You need a strong female actor/singer to play the role of Ida. The set could be complex or very simple, along with the dancing and costumes for the show depending on your budget.

Updated On: 8/7/05 at 04:59 PM

[kathryn_with_a_y]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 5:04pm

Miss Elphie- Little Shop is a great idea, however, its expensive isn't it? I figured that casting-wise it could be done at the school, however I don't know about our budget.

Logan- I heart Honk! we did it three years ago & I was the SM. our cast was great & our Honk was a low alto & she was phenomenal. If we hadn't jsut done that I would do it in a heartbeat.

[SongNDanceman2402]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 5:10pm

there is a show i just did called dear edwina. it has like 2 main guys and a mainly girl cast. its very childish and seems kinda lame at first but ive grown to love it. the characters are tweens and is as simple as it comes. its pretty short too, but there is so much to work with and make it your own. you can make some guy roles with quick scenes into girls. EX: Uncle Vladimir - Aunt Valarie. lol sorry im rambling but i had some ideas. heres a snyopsis- http://www.mtishows.com/show_plot.asp?ID=000212

[alphieboy]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 5:19pm

The plant in Little Shop can easily be done by a girl. A community theatre nearby casted a good friend of mine as Audrey 2, and she was great in it! I have also heard of many other instances where Audrey 2 has been female.

[kathryn_with_a_y]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 5:26pm

Do you know if they rented the plant or if they made it?? And if they rented do you know how much it cost??

Sorry I know its a lot of questions but I'm really lost & our school doesn't have great funding in the theatre department so, its hard for me. Any information you have would be great. Ir any other show ideas, I really am lost.

[MissElphie]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 5:42pm

My school did little shop on a VERY low budget (I went to a Catholic school so we never had money). Our art department made the plant. The art teacher kinda slaved out the art students to make it. The rest of the sets are pretty easy (they don't change a lot - I don't think ours changed ever) and there is not too much costuming (mostly normal street clothes).
Updated On: 8/7/05 at 05:42 PM

[kathryn_with_a_y]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 5:49pm

Do you know what they used?? I'd really love to do the show, but my biggest issue is the plant. Its so crucial, if it sucks, I's be so mad.

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 5:56pm

I think Snoopy: the Musical could probably work.

[nolatheatre]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 7:30pm

Cats..maybe?

[MissElphie]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 7:31pm

Hmmm...ok, sorry. I just found out my school rented the plant from a community theatre. The art classes did all of the sets. I'm not sure how much it cost to rent.

[nolatheatre]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 7:35pm

or revues are always fun!

[leon1489]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 7:52pm

Anything Goes? It's pretty appropriate, funny as heck, and even though it's old it's actually very appealing. There's also only one main set (the ship) and the costuming is relatively easy.

[bcectchc]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 10:31pm

I'm doing Anything Goes this winter at my school, but I haven't chosen WHICH version to produce.

Do any of you have preferences between the original (1936, I think), or the revival from the late 1980's???? There is quite a bit of difference between the two -- I have perusal copies for each -- but I have never directed either at this point!

[leon1489]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 10:43pm

I saw the revival version and I loved it. Honestly, I think for today's audience, the revival is better. Especially for a student production.

[kathryn_with_a_y]

Posted: 8/8/05 at 11:44am

I don't know, I like both version, we're doing the revival as one of my high school shows this year. However, I really like Bonnie's song better than Erma's, but other than that I like the revival better