Turn one-act shows into two-act shows

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 7/29/10 at 1:24am

(Product of insomnia)
If you could break a 90 minute show up, where would you do it and how would it affect the flow of the rest of the show?
My idea: American Idiot: End of act 1 right after Last Night on Earth with Whatsername in Johnny's arms as the lights fade and curtain falls. Act 2 would open with some form of entr'acte and begin with Too Much Too Soon.

[angelplays]

Posted: 7/29/10 at 6:29am

According to my dad, they did in fact make The Drowsy Chaperone two acts in the touring production. We were discussing it, and he said something like "I love how it's the wrong musical when you come back from intermission." I said "You mean, fake intermission, right? Where Man in Chair says he has to pee and he's going to put the second record on to start?" And he said no, that there was an actual intermission there.

[BroadwayBound115]

Posted: 7/29/10 at 7:21am

For Spelling Bee, I would flip flop Magic Foot and Pandemonium and make intermission right after Pandemonium. Pandemonium would be a great Act 1 closer, or when Chip leaves the Bee.

[chewy5000]

Posted: 7/29/10 at 8:27am

A Chorus Line, where they all take a toilet break after the Montage

[My Oh My]

Posted: 7/29/10 at 8:33am

I actually saw a production of A Chorus Line where there was an intermission squeezed in between "Hello Twelve" and "Dance Ten, Looks Three." It felt odd and sort of ruined the flow. But other than that, it ranks as one of the best productions of the show I've ever seen.

[Edna Turnblad]

Posted: 7/29/10 at 8:45am

I watched Passion again recently, and I decided that if you added some music to the moment, when Georgio carries Fosca down the hill you could have an intermission. It seems to make the most sense.

[Enjolras77]

Posted: 7/29/10 at 10:00am

In the LaChiusa "Wild Party", I would add the Act break right after "Gin / Wild".

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 7/29/10 at 10:02am

I always felt that if a intermission was going to be added to Pippin it should have come at the end of "Morning Glow." I don't like how it's written into the most current version, after "On the Right Track."

[CockeyedOptimist2]

Posted: 7/29/10 at 10:12am

I saw Pippin done with an intermission after "Morning Glow" but not directly after. They still did "Morning Glow", had Pippin fail as king, bring Charles back to life and had a finale number with the players. Then they opened Act 2 with "On the Right Track".

Right after "Morning Glow" could be kinda cool.

[RuprechtJr.]

Posted: 7/29/10 at 10:19am

I just did a summer stock production of "Spelling Bee" and we just HAD to have people buy snacks sometime other than before the show, and we just HAD to hold our 50/50 raffle. Either way, annoyance aside, we stuck a "snack break" right after the final audience goodbye. And we came back with Chip's "Unfortunate...Distraction." ...ugh

[rmusic11322]

Posted: 7/29/10 at 10:29am

I think Everyday Rapture is the only one-act show I've ever seen. So I would put an intermission between "It's You I Like" and "Guess The Lord Must Be In New York City."

[Gothampc]

Posted: 7/29/10 at 11:26am

I think I would break A Chorus Line at the point where Cassie finishes Music & the Mirror but before the dialogue begins. At the end of M&TM, an instant blackout. Then the beginning of Act 2 has Cassie in the exact same pose that she ended Act 1 in. It leaves the audience with a question of "Will Zach let her continue the audition or not?"

M&TM is a bit late in the show for an intermission, but Cabaret is that way. Long Act 1, short Act 2.

[Jon]

Posted: 7/29/10 at 11:55am

Once On This Island - break after "Ti Moune". Act 2 opens with "Mama Will Provide".

Man of La Mancha - break after "Knight of the Woeful Countenace". Act 2 opens with Quixote's Vigil and The Impossible Dream.

[Boq101]

Posted: 7/29/10 at 11:58am

The truth is many of these shows are written in one act for a reason, the problem with community theater doing one-act shows in one act as stated above is that the theaters lose money because there is no selling opportunity midway through the show. The company I perform with had only done one one-act show (A Chorus Line) and we lost serious profits because there was no intermission. Playing this game is kinda fun.

My school did Pippin where it ended after the scene where Pippin

[darquegk]

Posted: 7/29/10 at 4:04pm

The regional company I did Spelling Bee with did include an intermission right when Panch says "Snack break!" after Last Goodbye, and then the curtain went down. However, they bridged the gap between acts by having several characters, notably Carl Dad and Chip, in the house, interacting with the audience during the break. Chip was doing his best to sell the company's usual goodies, while Carl Dad bitched at him about the heavy amount of carbohydrates and trans fats in the snacks.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 7/29/10 at 4:13pm

"I always felt that if a intermission was going to be added to Pippin it should have come at the end of "Morning Glow." I don't like how it's written into the most current version, after "On the Right Track."

That's where we put the intermission when I did Pippin in undergrad. The show curtain came down with the final notes of "Morning Glow." To open Act II it came up in the same tableau with a reprise of the final chorus of "Morning Glow" and then the rest of the script as usual. I definitely agree with your dislike of putting the intermission after "On the Right Track."

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 7/29/10 at 11:46pm

I once saw a production of Follies where the intermission was right before before Buddy's Blues. I would not recommend that at all; it was like coming back to another show entirely, and was so confusing to me, since I wasn't familiar with the show at the time.

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 7/30/10 at 12:17am

Some productions of 1776 insert an intermission between Mama Look Sharp, and the Egg, seems awfully late in the show to me.

[darquegk]

Posted: 7/30/10 at 9:56am

The intermission to Pippin does not fall after On The RIght Track, but right before it.

[Jon]

Posted: 7/30/10 at 10:51am

If you're going to put an intermission in 1776, it SHOULD come after the scene where Adams and Franklin leave to go to New Jersey. The second act then opens with "Cool, Cool, Considerate Men."

Waiting until after Mama Look Sharp. as they did in the revival, makes the first act much too long.

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 7/30/10 at 12:05pm

"Once On This Island," after "Mama Will Provide."