Shows that don't work as amateur productions — Page 2

I think Wicked would do rather well in high school cafeterias-turned-auditoriums.

I can't even imagine how much of a disaster that'll be...

^ I dunno; if the London version of "Loveland," with only four showgirls (each carrying a shepherd's crook with a letter of the alphabet on it), were used, it might be slightly easier to pull off.

This is one example of why I've always been in favor of licensing the original Goldman book, with appendices containing the new songs from the London production, which might be fitted in to suit the needs of a particular cast or directorial concept.

---

Updated On: 7/21/12 at 02:54 AM

The Marriott Lincolnshire production of MISS SAIGON mentioned earlier was brilliant. I liked it better than Broadway.

There was no helicopter. There was a metal ladder that descended down from the catwalk. There were fog machines. There were fans. There were flashing lights. There was this incrdible SOUND. It was more effective thasn the inflatable helicopter of the original.

There was no red, white and blue Cadillac for "American Dream". Insgtead, the ensemble appeared in red, white and blue costumes representing symbols of the American Dream: Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, a baseball player, Uncle Sam, Lady Liberty, etc.

The lead actors all had Broadway credits. The ensemble was superb.

I have seen very good amateur productions of both EVITA and Les Misérables.

Actually, darquegk (who posts on these forums) came up with a really great low-fi Wicked for smaller companies (I used to call it "Wicked on $50 a day") that I think would really work -- only two mobile set-pieces, a lot of quick changes (whoever does the Boq/Wizard track would win a Tony for sure were this rendition ever to hit Broadway), and a much simpler staging in general that kind of gives the story a heart that the tech-driven megamusical version lacks. Don't get me wrong, no one's ever going to license his specific version in a million years, but if somebody can chart out a halfway decent low-fi Wicked, then it just goes to prove anyone can achieve the impossible if they really, really try.

Wow. I nearly gagged on that last sentence. Seriously, though -- can't praise his version enough.

---

IMO Wicked could work in an amateur setting. The show's only neccecary tech piece is Elphaba's flying in Defying Gravity, and considering she only "flys up" and most schools/community theater do Peter Pan at one point or another, where it's characters legitametly fly across the stage....all they have to do is put her in a harness and raise her up, or have a high ramp upstage that she walks backwards up during the song, while everyone else walks down stage giving her the allusion of raising above them. Galinda's initial entrance is cool to look at but not necessary and she can simply walk in through the aisle. The wings growing on the monkey could be done with Velcro...the same way amerature productions do Suessical and Gertrude's growing tail...
The moving of Nessarose's wheel chair can be done with rope or fishing line...
Like the Broadway production the Boq transformation can be done with a stand in.
The giant Dragon Clock is not necessary....
The show doesn't really have many set pieces...it's all lighting..and the show could be truly done with a bare stage and props..
The only real challenge is getting costumes that don't look cheap, and having a girl that sing Elphaba without getting winded come No Good Deed...

The Lion King!