Ugh. This makes me mad!

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 12:51pm

High schools doing adult themed shows. A local High School here is going to do Chicago this Spring. It's kind've pissing me off, because Chicago doesn't belong in a high school. This kid said since they got permission to do they are going to make it all "rauncy, with sexy dancing".. that makes me SOO mad. My High school is doing a nice production of Godspell, why should another be doing a sexed up adult show. UGH.

I hate when high schools try to do shows they know they aren't capable of. I don't wanna see a 15 year old Roxie and Velma, and 14 year old hoochie ensemble members dancing to All That Jazz. This kid was like "we went to go see it on Broadway, and we thought it was really bad." I would like to see a H.S do anything nearly as good as the Broadway production.

Sorry, I had to get this off my chest. Anyone else agree? Updated On: 2/13/05 at 12:51 PM

[Aphexis]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 12:54pm

I'm going to have to disagree. It depends on the program. It's hard to judge talent and make broad generalizations about high school's in general doing adult themed musicals/plays. I do agree that there are some schools that don't have the ability to do certain high scale productions but there are many schools with talented 15,16,17, and 18 year olds who can handle the material just as well if not better than some working actors. As for innapropriate content...it depends on the town....I don't believe in sensorship, so I'm proud of schools who pick mature shows.

[marincrazy11]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 12:55pm

I did Chicago my senior year. Although we did not do the whole show, just about 45 minutes for competition. There were only two people under the age of 17 in our cast and it was very well done. We didn't ry to get all "rauncy, with sexy dancing".. We stayed true to the material but kept it pretty clean. I can honestly say that I have things more sexually provocative or explicit done at some other high schools. If done well the show isn't all about the sexy nature but can be a good show.

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 12:57pm

Chicago wasn't intended to be performed with a teenage cast. It's just not true to the show. This kid said "Ew, on Broadway they were all too old, and had no energy." That comment pissed me off so bad. Chicago isn't suppose to be a young production. I just don't think a show about murder, adultery, sex, etc should be in a high school.

[Aphexis]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 12:59pm

Unfortunately, High School is made up of a younger generation...but those who have the ability to develop a role and make sure the audience never thinks about how old they are has done their job...and many can.

[ShuQ]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 12:59pm

Well...sounds like you wouldn't be complaining if it was your high school. But I know the feeling...our school doesn't even have a theatre program but our rival school has crappy crappy crappy theatre and they think they can do any show and have it student-directed. But if a school can put on a good production of a good show...more power to them.

I do agree though that it's stupid for them to say the Broadway production is bad...and have doubts that they could do better....regardless of what high school it is.

[marincrazy11]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 1:00pm

No it wasn't inteded to be done with teenagers but that doesn't mean it can't be done well by teenagers. Abd really think about it, how many musicals were written with the intent to be performed by teenagers?

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 1:01pm

Don't think I'm jealous that their doing Chicago and we're not. I'm in a Catholic School, we'll never do Chicago, and I'm glad.

[Justice]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 1:14pm

When I was in High School, we weren't allowed to do shows like Jesus Christ Superstar or Godspell, due to the fact that it was in Florida, and many of our audience was of the Jewish religion. We also couldn't do shows like A Chorus Line or A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum or A Little Night Music due to the bawdiness of it all... But, shows we did do (Back in the early nineties) that were of "adult" material were:
Into the Woods
Dreamgirls
The Odd Couple (Female Version)
Sweeney Todd...

Chicago isn't really a bad choice, because when it first was on Broadway, it wasn't presented the way that it is today. What's a bad choice is a show like Ragtime, where younger kids can never understand the depth of the characters, or the symbolism of the music...

[GypsyRoseLee]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 2:18pm

High School Theatre gets a really bad rap, but I have seen a number of excellent shows done by other high schools. What's difficult about High School theatre is that often times, you do have to have 14-18 year olds play roles that are way out of their age range. Just because the actors are young doesn't mean that the characters that they portray will be too. In fact, I saw a great production of Chicago done in a Highschool about two years ago. I felt that the fact that the actresses playing Roxie Hart and Velma Kelley were teenagers did not affect their performances at all. Example, I played the Judge in Inherit the Wind this past fall, but I certainly did not play him as a 16 year old girl. That wasn't meant for a teenage girl, but I think I pulled it off alright.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 2:24pm

So you're really just bitter because you go to Catholic school...?

[Marlothom]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 2:30pm

Well while I agree that High Schools MUST do musicals and there is only so many out there perfect for their age range, I also think there are SOME extremes. For example my college did a production of Follies....and it was a disaster...when you have to make 3/4 of the cast use powder to whiten their hair, is just a sign that it should not be done.

[leefowler]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 2:34pm

I couldn't disagree more. My Junior High did "My Fair Lady" when I was in 8th grade. I adored our production, and I used to argue with everyone that our 14 year-old Henry Higgins was much better than Rex Harrison. These aren't commercial productions, but are put on for the students themselves, so it's silly to talk about whether a show is "too old" for students.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 3:07pm

MY FAIR LADY is very different from FOLLIES - for FOLLIES you need a very dramatic age difference between the older characters and their younger selves. If the entire cast is 17 years old, with the principles wearing eye liner for "wrinkles" and spray painted hair, it doesn't work and ruins the integrity of the show. MY FAIR LADY, however, is very very doable by a high school.

[wicked1]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 4:55pm

Maybe Chicago wasn't intended to be done by high school students, but I've seen high school students do it & they could really pull it off! I was actually impressed. There are some really talented high school students out there, they should get a chance to do different things.

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 5:28pm

Why would I be bitter I go to a Catholic School? We do some of the top productions in the area. My school has been nominated to represent the United States at the Musical Theater Festival in Scotland in 06! My school has a very positive reputation for our Theater & Music Departments. We were nominated for 9 Rising Star Awards last year for our production of "The King and I", along with 3 honorable mentions. The Rising Star Awards are for H.S in New Jersey and are done by the Papermill Playhouse. We got to perform on the Papermill stager, which was a big honor and excitement for me! Our TKAI sold out all of the 4 performances, and we sat about 600 people.

Trust me, I am not at all bitter I go to a Catholic School. With the Theater program we have, whew I'm not bitter.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 5:29pm

So why exactly are you so annoyed that a high school is doing CHICAGO? It's more than doable.

[umgeoboy]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 5:30pm

If you go with the idea that Chicago was not written for high school students to perform, then you would not be performing any musical. They were, almost all, written for older proffessional actors. So by the fact you are complaining that Chicago was not written for high schoolers, neither was the king and I or any other show mentioned on this board. I saw if the high school is that liberal go for it!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 5:31pm

Would love to see a high school try Oh Calcutta, Let My People Come or Bocaccio 70

Go on high schools - I dare you

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 5:34pm

I don't like the idea of a High School doing Chicago, beacuse it's my favorite show. I'm not mad because I'm not doing it. But because I don't want to see a bunch of 14 and 15 year olds dancing around stage in thongs, thinking they know everything Chicago is about. I know it sounds petty but it's how I feel. Just the fact that this school was ignorant enough to say the Broadway cast was too old and it was boring, shows they have little respect for the amazing production on Broadway.

Say what you want, but that is how I feel. I'm not bitter. Updated On: 2/13/05 at 05:34 PM

[umgeoboy]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 5:37pm

"I know it sounds petty but it's how I feel"

I think that sums up your argument properly. Just because they don't like the current cast of Chicago doesn't mean they disrespect the show. I have seen the current productioins a few times and sometimes I walk out loving the show, and sometimes I walk out hating the cast.

[LotsWife]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 5:40pm

so?

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 5:41pm

so?

Now that is what I call an educated and explanatory reply.

[Musetta1957]

Posted: 2/14/05 at 2:48am

"Do you take a check, or should I pay you pettiness, Mr. Petty, Tom Petty, Petticoat Petty, Peppermint Petty?"

[BWAYboi_yes]

Posted: 2/14/05 at 2:59am

yeah! I totally disagree! My high school is awesome! Like, better than Broadway. High school shows can totally rock, no matter what, because years and years of experience matched with commerical budgets matched with beautiful theatres attached to sharp management makes no difference. High school rules the world.

Oh yeah, and my elementary school totally did a production of Avenue Q- and we kept in all the language and everything- it was awesome. Lots of people were offended, but I was like "That's really unfair to generalize, because we're really mature enough to handle this."

And my preschool did La Cage- it wasn't very good because the leads were just TOO gay, you know? It was overdone, but the preschool across town did it the same year and it was AMAZING.