What musical should I teach?

[sidneybruhl]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 12:48pm

For the first time since my tenure there began, the high school where I teach is offering a theatre class. Yours truly will be teaching. The first semester will be your basic overview class, while the second semester will focus on production, with students helping to put togther our production of "The Man Who Came to Dinner." I digress...my question is what musical should I use when we cover musical theatre? I already plan on showing them "Smokey Joe's Cafe" so they can get a feel for the revue/jukebox musical. As for a book show, I'm leaning toward "The Light in the Piazza." I have a copy of the PBS/Lincoln Center broadcast. I love the show, but am not sure how your typical high school student will respond to it. I really don't want to show them a movie version of a musical, though I have used Bette Midler's "Gypsy" in the past. "Into the Woods" is another possibility. I would appreciate any thoughts and comments.

[Just_John]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 12:52pm

I don't believe it's yet legal to do Piazza. But you should do Into the Woods.

[Pippin]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 12:53pm

personally, I would do into the woods. it is way more accessible to high schoolers than Piazza. meaning that they are familiar with the fairy tales, and will appreciate the interweaving of them all together. I think if it is an introduction course, piazza may be a bit to intermidiate for high schoolers, and may put them to sleep.

I love, love, love, piazza, but I would go with into the woods.

have you considered the george hearn sweeney todd video? they may like the blood and gore.

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 12:55pm

I don't think the original poster is asking for some suggestions for the musical that they're going to be doing in spring, but rather just teaching them the general idea of musical theatre.

I think Light in the Piazza would be great, in my opinion!

[Pippin]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 12:56pm

when you say overview, do you mean history from Gilbert and sullivan on through the decades?

if so, consider showing them that "Broadway: the american musical" documentary. it has some really great stuff.
great documentary for class.

[thevolleyballer]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 12:57pm

Definitely "Into The Woods." As a high school senior myself, I wouldn't think of ever paying attention to "Light in the Piazza," and I'm a hardcore theatre fan. There are many kids who enroll in theatre classes who aren't necessarily Broadway fanatics, and I can guarantee that teaching Piazza would lose them.

[Pippin]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 12:57pm

I didn't tell him to perform into the woods, kid. I suggested showing the video to the kiddies.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 1:02pm

To me I think it would be important to teach a "book" musical as that is the quintessential American musical. What about the stage versions of either "Kiss Me Kate" or "Oklahoma"?

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 1:06pm

"I didn't tell him to perform into the woods, kid. I suggested showing the video to the kiddies. "

Talk about being rude...

My post was directed to Just John who commented on the fact that Light in the Piazza is illegal...

[Pippin]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 1:09pm

my mistake, kid.

but that wasn't meant to be rude. just a fact. sorry if you took it that way.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 1:09pm

I would assume it would be legal to show Piazza in a classroom -- copyright law makes several exceptions for not-for-profit exhibition of a protected work if there's an educational purpose (though you might contact PBS to double check that).

Personally, though I think there are many other choices a high school class would find more appealing, Into the Woods, Little Shop, West Side Story, Chicago, 1776 et al

And you really should consider showing excerpts of the outstanding three-part PBS "Broadway -- The American Musical Series." It gives a concise yet entertaining history of the musical theatre from its origins to the present day, with special focus on the major composers, directors, and performers who were responsible for defining the genre. Also, the last episode is about Broadway today and includes a section on Wicked (with rehearsal footage of Chenoweth and Menzel) which would likely go over very well with the girls in the class.

Updated On: 7/24/06 at 01:09 PM

[Gothampc]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 1:14pm

Show a couple of clips from "Broadway's Lost Treasures" as well. It has some wonderful stuff: Grand Hotel, Evita, Ragtime, etc.

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 1:14pm

Perhaps cover a few musicals demonstrating the different types of musicals. Explain about the Golden Age Musicals and how they were writtena and then choose some modern pieces and contrast the two. Just an Idea. I recall observing a teacher covering a musical theatre unit in a class once and taught in similarly and it was quite effective.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 1:16pm

If you want to explain to the class what NOT to do, teach IN MY LIFE.

[PaintWordPictures]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 2:10pm

I think the Sweeney video would be a great choice though! A murderous barber cooking people into meat pies. Come on! I would have loved to watch that in high school.

[sidneybruhl]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 3:00pm

I knew I could count on you folks for some great suggestions! Keep them coming. I have considered at least showing my class part of the "Broadway" documentary. And to clarify, I'm looking for shows to expose them to the genre, not musicals we would actually perform. Thevolleyballer, thanks for giving me a student perspective. And to everyone else, thanks as well.

[show2n2]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 3:06pm

i agree with Into the Woods. MTI has some gr8 resources for their shows and there is an Into the Woods, Jr. version in the event you don't have time/resources to do the entire show.

How many students are you looking at having in class?

Best of luck.

MTI

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 3:14pm

Just so you know, I fell in love with The Light in the Piazza during my senior year of high school.

[way_to_spend_the_day]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 3:33pm

Ok, for everyone who thinks that "Light in the Piazza" is too boring or too hard for high school students to understand, I COMPLETELY disagree. As far as showing it over ITW, I would in a second. Light in the Piazza is one of my favorite shows, and I just graduated from high school. I fell in love with the show while I was in high school, and many many many of my younger friends love the show as well. There is more to think about, and more to discuss in regards to the storyline of Piazza than in ITW. When it is all over, I believe that students will appreciate Piazza and ITW, but please know that high school students do appreciate Piazza, and it is not too "intermediate" for them. Also, the movie version from PBS is done well, and there were glimpses into backstage and characterization which would also be beneficial to this type of class, just to show how much actually goes into a production of this type.

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 3:37pm

WEST SIDE STORY

[jasonf]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 3:39pm

Do Into the Woods -- I do it with my seventh and eighth graders and they LOVE it.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 3:48pm

I may be wrong, but my sense is that while kids who are already big musical theatre fans (like the ones who read this board) might be likely to embrace PIAZZA, kids who are more casual fans or non-fans or whose knowledge of the form is very limited might have a harder time getting into the show. Again I may be wrong, but I would think that something like West Side Story or Chicago or Little Shop or Into the Woods that has more action, high energy dance numbers and humor might be more accessible and easily enjoyed by all -- not just the hardcore fans.

[Marguerite Chauvelin]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 3:55pm

I agree that some higher energy, mainstream musicals may be best for teaching the kids so that they can maintain interest. Some people not as accustomed to the genre may need more of an introductory musical to study.

[alwy15]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 6:43pm

perhaps it might be better to teach two or three musicals, condense it a little bit. at the beginning of the semester, do a traditional book musical like oklahoma, carousel, etc. in the middle of the semester, something like company or a chorus line, and at the end of the semester, something like the light in the piazza.
those are just examples of shows, but then maybe this could show the kids that there's something in theater for everyone. and if you're talking about a class that covers an entire semester, i might worry that studying only one musical in that semester would get tiresome for the students.

[Pippin]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 6:52pm

I disagree with what way to spend a day said about piazza having more to discuss. into the woods, IMO would have a better follow up conversation because it would involve more symbolism and metaphor. all the kids could talk about what they think "the woods" symbolize to them.

they could talk about the baker's wife decisions, and how it helped and hurt her.

also, there are more characters in ITW the Piazza, so that just lends itself to longer discussions than the rather.

you can get into some great philisophical discussions with ITW that you just can't with piazza.



not bashing piazza, IMO, ITW would be better for discussions.