Sweeney Todd in a HIGH SCHOOL?!

[SweeneyTodd101]

Posted: 12/14/04 at 9:43am

Bradford High School in Wisconsin is opening a production of Sweeney Todd on January 13th of 2005. The group is making attempts to take the show to the International Thespain Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska. Is it possible for a highschool to handle what is considered to be the most amazing works of Stephen Sondheim and possibly the best composition for the musical theater stage of the 21st century? These must be pretty amazing kids. What do you think?

[misterchoi]

Posted: 12/14/04 at 9:43am

We did it at Stagedoor Manor, and I was grossed out that they were planning on doing it.

But after seeing it, I realized anything can be done if TALENT is had.
It was brilliant, as were all performers.

[pab]

Posted: 12/14/04 at 9:52am

Depends on the school and the talent that exist there. It would pretty hard but not impossible. I've seen to done very badly and I've also seen a pretty good production of it.

[andyf]

Posted: 12/14/04 at 9:56am

My high school did that in...'97?

Amneris, help me out...I seriously have no idea.

Anyway, it came out really great, but you definitely need the talent.

Updated On: 12/14/04 at 09:56 AM

[DancerGirl16]

Posted: 12/14/04 at 10:55am

I was in sweeney todd at stagedoor manor and I think it came out really well but the problem with doing it at a high school that is different from theatre camp is not enough selection I mean we have about 400 experienced actors to choose from for the cast....that often is not the cast at high schools

[Sondheimluvchild]

Posted: 12/14/04 at 1:48pm

If NYU couldnt pull it off then there is no way a high school could pull it off either.

[jacobtsf]

Posted: 12/14/04 at 1:47pm

"If NYU couldnt pull it off then there is no way a high school could pull it off either"

I disagree. If there is an ample amount of talent than it can be done.

[maybethistime]

Posted: 12/14/04 at 4:36pm

whats all the talk about NYU not being able to pull it off??? i didn't see it, but was it horrible??? (i want to go there)

[Necromancer07707]

Posted: 12/14/04 at 4:43pm

We're putting it on this spring at my high school. I'm auditioning for the part of Sweeney. I think I can pull off the sound of vocal maturity, the dialect (I've been in a few London-based plays before with dialect training), and the acting requirements. My biggest problem will be keeping my voice in a healthy shape during the show. Time to load up on Thayers Throat Lozenges! The biggest problem I think we will face is pulling off the orchestra. I say we just hire professionals. Then again, that's not my choice.

[bobby_strong]

Posted: 12/14/04 at 4:48pm

i love the international thespian festival in nebraska. I went to that festival three times and I can assure you that ive seen some good theatre there. I mean it is the best of the best so if they've got the talent, then they will be performing at the Lied Center on the Campus of Lincoln come June.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 12/14/04 at 4:51pm

Yes, shows can work in a high school setting if the talent is there. That is often a huge, sometimes insurmountable, "IF".

As I have said before, when I hear of a high school production of a very challenging show like Sweeney, I immediately think that there is a very frustrated director there. The director sounds awfully unfulfilled.

Who is the show for?

And I imagine it can seem like a 'thespain' society. Accent on the 'pain'....

[demosupremo]

Posted: 12/14/04 at 5:38pm

I was in Sweeney Todd at Stagedoor Manor and it was an absolutely AHMAZING production. You have to have some pretty amazing voices to do it.

[Amneris]

Posted: 12/14/04 at 5:39pm

yup! MHS did it in 97'. It was decent for a HS.

[ReederWI]

Posted: 12/14/04 at 5:53pm

A local community theatre near where I live is contemplating doing this show.

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 12/14/04 at 9:31pm

I saw a SUPERB production of this at a church with a local high school. Absolutely enthralling! I simply DEMANDED to work with the director. I think EVERY show, to have ever been written, should be done in any way. As long as there are intelligent-enough people to handle it, then let it be so :)

If you don't like it, you can always whinge about it here :)

[Necromancer07707]

Posted: 12/15/04 at 1:16pm

Oh joy.. a children's theatre production of "Seven Fetishes for Seven Ballzy Brothers"

Good one, rockfenris2005.

[artsamore]

Posted: 12/15/04 at 6:23pm

I don't know.....

I always "sigh" when I see a high school putting on a production of something like West Side Story, or Gypsy, or Sweeney Todd.

I just feel that these shows are just too difficult for anyone under 30 to do. When I see a production, even a high school production, I am looking for greatness not a show that "got by". Even if you have a cast of really talented people, I don't want to see an 18 year old playing Sweeney, or Mrs. Lovett, just as I don't want to see a college student playing "Hamlet". When you deal with shows that are the elite, that requires a level that I don't think a teenager can ever be at, no matter how well trained!

[Amneris]

Posted: 12/15/04 at 6:37pm

AndyF and I went to the same HS , over the years they did Sweeney,Gypsy,West Side Story, H2$,Pippin, Little Shop,king and I, Evita (which they won almost every papermill playhouse award for)..then the director was leaving our HS and got lazy, the shows got awful. We then got a new director and they might as well have taken the drama dept. away with the old director. The new teacher is like 18. and looks like kristin chenoweth after she smoked up.

[Necromancer07707]

Posted: 12/15/04 at 6:40pm

artsamore, high schools aren't really expecting people like you to see these shows when they put them on. They mostly expect friends, family, relatives, competing high schools, etc. They aren't going to be professional for a few more years, so I'd just have to say get over it.