Weirdest Show ever done by a high school- Page 3

Posted: 8/31/04 at 6:56pm

This year my school will be doing Bat Boy the musical, YAY!

But next year our school will be doing Jekyll and Hyde and that is very controversial for a highschool considering Lucy is a whore.

[Guido Contini]

Posted: 8/31/04 at 7:00pm

how the hell are high schools getting the rights to these shows? Urinetown, Bat Boy...etc etc? When we were in high school, we were denied rights to any shows still in production.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/31/04 at 7:07pm

Let me say this:

The Urinetown tour ended, and the show closed in February. It is not in production, so wouldn't the rights be available?

Also, this isn't a high school, but the Pinewood School's production of Thoroughly Modern Millie.

[Guido Contini]

Posted: 8/31/04 at 7:09pm

well I guess that makes Urinetown okay...but I've read others being done that I'm sure shouldn't be. Bat Boy, TBFO...??

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 8/31/04 at 7:15pm

Has anyone ever heard of a high school doing Nine...hah...that would be quite the site. It sould solve the problem of not enough males though...only one male role (maybe 2 if Young Guido is a different actor). The site of a 16 year old pulling of a midlife crisis, or singing "A Call from the Vatican" would be hilarious.

Akiva

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/31/04 at 7:20pm

A middle school in my town did Grease. As people walked into the "theater," students were passing out notes saying how GREASE contains drinking, cigarettes, sexual themes, etc., but the school doesn't reinforce that kind of behavior. I see nothing wrong with doing that musical in high schools, as it is a good, fun show for young adults. And if the school wrote a letter saying it doesn't support that behavior in the show, even better.

Updated On: 8/31/04 at 07:20 PM

[TheaterGeek91]

Posted: 8/31/04 at 7:20pm

An all-girls school in the St. Louis area did:
2001: Secret Garden
2002: Les Mis (first high school in the nation)
2003: Jane Eyre (first high school in the nation)

While they are way way way far and beyond any other school around here, it's odd to do those three shows in a high school without doing anything light in between. A note: they're doing Seussical this year, the other end of the scale.

And another all-girls school around here is doing Oliver! this year. Apparently it was chosen by their crazy old drama teacher no one liked, and when she bought the rights, that was the last straw and she was fired.

[Guido Contini]

Posted: 8/31/04 at 7:20pm

I think I'd actually like to see that, Link. Or maybe a high school production of The Last 5 Years. I'm considering directing a production of it, in our community theatre(of course starring me, LOL).

[CurtainUp]

Posted: 8/31/04 at 7:21pm

It was a theatre camp (Stagedoor Manor) so it was the creme of the crop, but I saw a 16 year old Guido and he was absolutely incredible. He played Valjean last year, to get an idea of his talent. His voice was gorgeous, he looked 22, he was charming and his midlife crisis was believable. About all the women were great too; including Guido's Mother and Luisa, which are probably the most difficult parts in the show theatrically for teens. LeFleur stole the show, female-wise. For the average high school it's a risk, but it can be done WITH high schoolers just maybe not AT a school.

Updated On: 8/31/04 at 07:21 PM

[theaterfan194]

Posted: 8/31/04 at 7:24pm

my school did return to the forbidden planet it was a horrible production. nobody understood what the hell was going on the show was a mess and this year we did damn yankees which was even worse i wish my director would buy the rights for more dark musicals. with that said i would love to urinetown. also our school did hair a few years back

[Guido Contini]

Posted: 8/31/04 at 7:27pm

what made them so bad? lack of talent...drive....direction??

[jezzebelle]

Posted: 8/31/04 at 7:35pm

Bat Boy. I adore the show, but for high schoolers ??? Hmm, a bit odd, don't you think ?

[OhSoWicked]

Posted: 8/31/04 at 7:38pm

"Into the Woods - It wasn't the junior version, either. What the HELL??? High schools CANNOT DO THAT. Not only is it sexual, it's SONDHEIM. It's not easy stuff."

My high school did that when I was a freshman (I wasn't in it)...it was wonderful. We had such AMAZING vocalists.

A Chorus Line - Lots of sex talk and a song about how breast implants can get you jobs. Not to mention the fact that high schoolers generally cannot dance well.

My friend's performing arts school in the city did this two years ago...but I guess since its a performing arts school thats different. And cannot dance well? Since when? lol *has been a principle dancer in all her HS musicals* :)

Little Shop of Horrors - Murder to get fame, fortune, and love. But in the end it all backfires, so I suppose it's not that bad. Abusive relationships. Sadistic dentist. Eh, I think this is probably the mildest thing on this list.

haha, agreed, but its still done...my friends did it when they were juniors...except they changed it and Audrey didn't die at the end, ha.

Flowery, you also eliminated Grease and West Side Story....are ANY musicals appropriate? lol

[~FloweryFriend~]

Posted: 8/31/04 at 7:42pm

I think that's the third time that "Return to the Forbidden Planet" has been mentioned, and I'm kinda surprised. I've seen two productions of it (one high school, one college), and both were great. I was not confused by it at all, and I thought it was a very fun show.

Posted: 8/31/04 at 7:48pm

Guido Contini - Just a thought - not everyone accepts the bible as something they need to know anything about.

[OhSoWicked]

Posted: 8/31/04 at 7:48pm

"unless theres a synopsis in the program about the show. I mean, i did the show in middle school, and my parents said they loved the show, but they didnt understand.. i ended up asking EVERYONE if they understood, and they honestly answered no."

LOL my exact situation with Pirates of Penzance. It took the CAST a long time to fully grasp what it was about...the audience (well the teens and younger...some adults too, lol) was completely confused until the read the synopsis in the program. That was so much fun to do but SO NOT AGE APPROPRIATE FOR HIGH SCHOOL.

[~FloweryFriend~]

Posted: 8/31/04 at 7:53pm

OhSoWicked

• I'm glad that Into the Woods worked at your school.
  
• I did not say that ALL high schoolers could not dance. It's nice that you're a dancer, but do you honestly think that everyone that would be cast in A Chorus Line at a (non-performing arts) high school would be able to pull that off? I don't.
  
• Audrey didn't die in LSOH? Did Seymour die? WHAT? WHY? Wow. If the ending of a musical has to be drastically changed to make it work for a certain cast/audience, I think that's a pretty good indictation that the theatre shouldn't be doing it.
  
• The list of things that I thought could be considered inappropriate was a short one. Yes, I mentioned a few shows that are commonly done by high schools, but there are still plenty left. Besides, WSS, LSOH, and Grease are so over-done by high schools that avoiding them is not a bad idea, regardless of moral stance.

Please, if anyone has anything else to say to me regarding this thread, place it in a PM.

Posted: 8/31/04 at 8:34pm

This summer, I participated in a high school production of CHICAGO. We stuck to the script and didn't really change much. It was awesome! We were sold out every show! Here's a link to some pictures of it:
http://hometown.aol.com/candleshoe07/index.html
What do you think? Updated On: 8/31/04 at 08:34 PM

[WiCkEd4LyFfE]

Posted: 8/31/04 at 8:37pm

Last year my high school did a production of The Mystery of Edwin Droode. It was mostly improvised.

[musicalmjk]

Posted: 8/31/04 at 8:39pm

I dont mean to rock the boat, but 2 years ago at my HS we did ACL, with some minor cuts. but everyone danced fairly well, after doing the dances for the previous 3 months and Also there are some actors who get cut right at the top of the show, and they can be bad dancers, i must admit i was someone who got cut, but the dancing wasnt subpar, as you seem to expect, we had 2 really good dancers they were the Choreographer and Cassie. and they helped us all learn all the dances before the show was completely blocked.and i believe that they are the only characters that have to be phenomially great dancers, the rest dont have to supurb, but just mearly really really good.

[BroadwayBaby3]

Posted: 8/31/04 at 9:34pm

i think that little shop of horrors is a great show 4 a school play cuz its so much fun. my middle school did it last yr. and it was so fun! i played audrey:)

[dramafreak13]

Posted: 8/31/04 at 9:47pm

first of all, in the production i did of West Side, anita almost gets raped but Doc comes in just in time. (the boys have baby john held over her ready to go)

secondly, i was supposed to direct Most Massive Woman Wins (straight one act) and i had it cast and everything and then the school board wouldnt let me do it because it was too risque. i was extremely upset, but this comes from the school who had parents call them complaining about the strippers in Guys and Dolls.

[Elphie Pingleton]

Posted: 8/31/04 at 9:47pm

My friends high school did les mis! Les mis? Are you joking me i know amateur theatre companies (very good ones) that wouldn't even take on les mis! Any the guy who was the JVJ apparently only sang in the range of JVJ's sustained note in bring him home. EWWW!

[timote316]

Posted: 8/31/04 at 9:50pm

My school doesn't do too many wierd ones, but our rival high school does: their last two have been Candide and Les Mis (NOT the School version). I didn't see them, but I've heard they were great. They can pull them off, as I believe participation is required for their chorus. I've also heard that they have rehearsals at 9PM the go until the director (not a school teacher) is satisfied. That doesn't seem right to me...

Anyway, the oddest (and by that I mean not the normal, run of the mill) shows done around here would be:
Into the Woods
Les Mis
Candide
Joseph
Gypsy
Peter Pan

Not too daring here...

I've also heard of a mentally challenged school doing Little Shop last year. The main singing roles went to adults, it just gave the kids a chance to be on stage. And apparently, they altered the script so EVERYBODY gets eaten... The plant opened up so the kids in wheelchairs rolled themselves in. Sounds so odd that I wished I saw this lol

[OhSoWicked]

Posted: 8/31/04 at 9:57pm

"I've also heard that they have rehearsals at 9PM the go until the director (not a school teacher) is satisfied. That doesn't seem right to me..."

Ahh...When we did Footloose last year (high school), we had practice from 3-9 two times a week after school, and sometimes hadda stay later...and from 10-6 on Saturdays. I was at school more for rehearsal than I was for class.