Seeking musical advice for my school's drama club

[romgitsean]

Posted: 1/25/10 at 4:11pm

Hey, so, I don't know if you guys know this, but I run my school's drama club completely, because we don't have a drama teacher, so I basically choose the shows, everything.

My school is a really small poor charter school in the south, (and by really small and poor, I mean, it was hard for the school to give us $1,000 for drama club this year and there's only forty people in my grade) and we're a middle school and a high school, so next year, I have the following season lined up:

Middle School Show: The Lion King
Middle School & High School Show: Holes (Non-musical)
High School Show: Pippin.

I know a lot of you will cringe at the thought of a school doing Pippin, but it's all student-directed, and Pippin is one of my favorite musicals, and so I would never attempt to purify or take it out of its (sexual) element (except for the Orgy bit...that has to go...but that's not just a high school thing, many theatres get rid of it), but I want to make the play-within-a-play concept more clear to the audience. Any ideas how I can make that concept really crystal clear?

Also, how is licensing for TLK handled? I know French Woods is doing it, so they must've licensed it, and I assumed MTI handled it--and French Woods licenses everything, so I just wanted to know what carrier it's under.

Thanks, guys!

[daredevil]

Posted: 1/25/10 at 6:05pm

The play within a play concept is a problem, I think, because it is never worked fully through. Does this company travel around, choose an unknown to play Pippin, only to have him immolate himself at the end. Is that what they have been doing? If that is so, what really happens to Pippin and his new family by rejecting this---what does the leading player really threaten him with. One idea I had while watching a high school production a few years ago, would be to project images from the real world that Pippin and the other two would face---like images of Haiti, or Iraq---that is where he is going to if he doesn't play the game. That's just one idea. Also, what does the widow mean, when she says this one is different, has she played this with the "other" Pippins, and wants to save this one? What is she rebelling against?
I think these issues were never really worked out in the original production, so they remain and the director has to work around them---or maybe add to them.
Anyway, those are the questions I asked myself when watching the show the last time, maybe they will stimulate you to look for others. The text in some cases is simply vague, and the director and the company have to either accept them, or challenge themselves to work it through.

[romgitsean]

Posted: 1/25/10 at 8:08pm

Thanks for your advice, daredevil :) Very interesting take.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 1/25/10 at 8:21pm

THE LION KING is not available for licensing. Any school, community, or non-Equity regional production of the show that is producing THE LION KING is doing so ILLEGALLY (unless they received a special permission OR they are a "trial run" production for potential licensing) so that show is not an option for you. Besides, even if licensing for that show WERE to be available, it's not a show that you could do with $1,000 budget.

If you insist on doing a Disney show, how about ALADDIN JR.? http://www.mtishows.com/show_detail.asp?showid=000271

To be honest, it doesn't seem like you will be able to do as many shows as you want to do with your budget. Especially if it is a musical....

[Pgenre]

Posted: 1/25/10 at 8:26pm

I worked as dramaturge for a production of PIPPIN a million years ago and in that production the Leading Player was portrayed by a very sexy girl and I think that her gender, along with the score as performed by a female voice in that central role, really added a lot to the show and made it feel much more contemporary. Also, since the other female roles are sort of thankless, it really provides a great opportunity for the pseudo-Glea Michelphaba you may have in your theatre group who will throw a sh*t fit if you cast the Leading Player as a male, or do the male-heavy PIPPIN at all. Just a thought, but a female Leading Player is a highly recommended suggestion if you have any pull in how the show will be cast. Definitely bring it up to the director as an option as many don't even consider it given Vereen's legendary performance. It is NOT a gender-specific role by ANY means, even less so than the Emcee in CABARET.

P

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 1/25/10 at 9:47pm

When I saw a high school production of Pippin, the role was played by a girl.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 1/25/10 at 10:19pm

Do Jesus Christ Superstar and piss off the parents and the school board. Sounds like fun!

[MrJNLong]

Posted: 1/26/10 at 12:24am

The concept of "Pippin" seems to be best pulled off by a director who understands the theories and practices of Bertolt Brecht. Tehre are many Brechtian elements already built insto the script. The more they are brought out, the more the script makes sense. IMHO of course. Don't shoot me, but although I think Fosse's choreography was awesome, his direction missed the mark in this production I feel. Is it OK to say that?

[allofmylife]

Posted: 1/26/10 at 2:32am

Don't touch the Lion King. There is a far more ferocious beast in the jungle that will rip you to shreds. The Disney Lawyer. You do not want him on your trail. This is a company that sues day schools for painting Mickey Mouse on the walls.

Updated On: 1/26/10 at 02:32 AM

[Disneyland Magic Man]

Posted: 1/26/10 at 5:48am

MTI controls all Disney liscensing... The Lion King is a no go.

Pippin shouldn't be done by schools. It's not meant to be performed by actors who have no idea what's going on and will not be appreciated by an audience who will have no idea what the meaning is. I recommend Bye Bye Birdie or Grease. High schools should really stop doing shows that realistically can't be pulled off within their means. It demoralizes the shows themselves.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/26/10 at 11:31am

Pippin is at heart a show about a young man trying to make sense of the world. Perfect for college or high-schoolers.