What's The Next High School Musical Classic?

[WayWicked]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 11:20pm

What current hot Broadway musicals do you think will the the next high school musical favorite when it becomes available?

My bet.."Hairspray". A family friendly kinda show and, even though we have some cross dressing, parents will think it's fun to see the star quarterback in a dress!

My second choice..."The Producers". However, I think we'll see schools tone down the common partner thing. But overall an innocent show and ever girl who auditions can be cast as a Touch Me/Feel Me.

I don't see a high school future for "Rent". And gawd help us when they start to try "Wicked"!

[renthead92]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 11:28pm

I don't see The Producers being done in high schools. Hairspray, yes. I can actually see our school doing Rent. We have some incredible people. Sure, we'd probably have to change the script a little, but other than that it would turn out fine.

[Rentaholic2]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 11:37pm

I think the Producers would be a little too risque and offensive for high schools to do. I can see Hairspray. I think Thoroughly Modern Millie, maybe Spelling Bee...don't know how My Unfortunate Erection would go over though

[zzprincesskatt]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 11:41pm

Our school would never do Rent, although I suggested it jokingly to the drama teacher and he laughed.

This is a school that had parents getting really upset over our production of Grease last year. They all brought their little children to see it and then got upset about the material. They also allowed their children to walk up to the orchestra pit and try to climb in. Everyone backstage wanted to kill them because the kids did it multiple times.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 11:42pm

I think if they EVER put rent on a high school stage (although I would be EXTREMELY skeptical), they would have to do an abridged version or something.
But I highly highly highly doubt it.

Hairspray would seem very HS friendly, as would avenue q (....JUST KIDDING.)

[renthead92]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 11:50pm

Actually on the student board awhile ago, they said their was going to be a school appropriate Avenue Q.

[zzprincesskatt]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 11:55pm

Can a school get the rights to something that is currently running on Broadway? It took our school two years to get the rights to perform Grease because it was touring or something.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 12:04am

renthead - a) your icon makes me happy.
b) are you actually serious? Id like to see that. What with the puppets and all.

princess - It depends. I just did Chicago at a summer camp and we got the rights because we preformed the original show as opposed to the new one on broadway (which actually seemed a lot alike, but whatever). And I know of several schools in my area that did little shop when it was touring. I dont know what the deal is as far as that goes but yeah.

[halyiaganitefiz]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 12:12am

A high school in my area is doing Rent for their spring musical. Another area school is doing Cats.

*palmface*

I'd love to see Hairspray and Spelling Bee get put into a high school setting... they're both energetic, entertaining, and relatable, things that people like in a basic high school production. Although I could see good schools doing Light in the Piazza... My school, for example, has done Les Mis, and done it well; I could see it handling Piazza pretty damn well too.

[outovfashion07]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 12:18am

Where are you from? You need to report that school if they are really doing RENT because it is most certainly an illegal production.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 12:19am

"A high school in my area is doing Rent for their spring musical. Another area school is doing Cats."

Then they aren't doing it legally. RENT hasn't been released, and Cats is only available to regional theatres at the moment. I would say Spelling Bee. RENT and The Producers have too much foul language. I don't see why people get up in arms over Wicked. It's not like the high school will be trying to replicate the Broadway production. Oklahoma is more classical in singing style, yet no one ever seems to get in a tizzy over that show being done at the high school level.

[outovfashion07]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 12:24am

I think its more of a problem with "Defying Gravity" than anything else.

[halyiaganitefiz]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 12:26am

I don't know what the deal is with them doing Rent... from what I've been told they had to get special permission or whatnot. Needless to say the other area schools are relatively irked about it; judging off of what we know of their department, it won't be very good, legal or no. Either way. If it's not legal, we'll nail them for it. Also, this is all word of mouth; there has been no advertising from either school in any other form than student-to-student gossip. So maybe I'm wrong.

[rose&lark]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 12:28am

I think Hairspray and Thoroughly Modern Millie are the most fitting for a show. I agree that The Producers would be too risque--When You Got It, Flaunt It, for example.

[outovfashion07]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 12:36am

If you see any advertising for it you should deff nail them. Hard.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 12:49am

Cats you can definately get though...? Theres a school in the next town over that have started rehearsals for it, and I have a friend in the production...

[BelleKid]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 1:04am

A few things,

I know for a fact that it's inmpossible to get rights to Rent because when I was on the MTI Site (They own the rights to it) it said it was "restricted"

Second, I know that Thoroughly Modern Millie is being released in the next few years as a school version.

Third, what about Beauty and The Beast, I'm working on it for my school's musical and although its expensve as anything ($5000 for royalties, $5-10,000 for costumes), a lot of highschools seem to want to do it.

Updated On: 1/21/06 at 01:04 AM

[outovfashion07]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 1:07am

"Second, I know that Thoroughly Modern Millie is being released in the next few years as a school version."

So is RENT. The regular version of TMM will be released within the next yer- year and a half.

Beauty and the Beast is already a HS classic since alot of schools do it.

[dotvmike]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 1:15am

halyiaganitefiz- I know that Cat's rights were just released this past jan. The school I graduated from last year are doing Cats this spring (March 2,3,4). But I am thinking that school you mentioned doing Rent is puting it on illegally.

[edenespinosalover]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 1:16am

We were actually talking about this today in class, and we thought that "Thoroughly Modern Millie" would definately be added as one of the high school musical classics once it's released.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 1:17am

I don't see a highschool future for Hairspray at all. Its got a really diverse cast, I mean you'll have to have a "big girl" for the main role - though I guess you could just stuff her costume, but that would just be stupid. I don't see Producers or RENT working. You can't be 20somethings and be 16, it just doesn't work. Plus if you cut anything from RENT it would ruin the entire show, its meant to be performed as is. I doubt the rights will ever be out-right available. Spelling Bee would be my only choice. Maybe BKLYN - if they can do the vocals, though I'm sure they could drop down a few notes here and there. Little Women could probably work too.

[DramaDork925]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 1:18am

My only issues with Hairspray are that in casting Tracey (some girl who gets all teh leads b/c she's leading girl skinny will start being malicious and say that the girl who got Tracey only did b/c she's heavy. Sad but probably would happen) and that Edna won't be played by a man, most likely.

Updated On: 1/21/06 at 01:18 AM

[Magicupoursleeves]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 1:20am

Not a fan of Cats, but a fan of people I know in cat suits, personally. I don't think Producers, but I think Wicked will be done eventually.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 1:26am

Wicked on a school stage would make me nervous
..as would Rent.
..as would producers.


About the Hairspray thing...I know my director considers the people she has before picking a show. I think that if a director has a leading lady that is heavy, choosing hairspray would work. If not, then they wouldn't. School directors should always consider their available cast and I dont see why they would do hairspray if the leading lady wasnt bigger. The same goes for every other show. You dont do anything goes if your leading-lady type can't dance..

So Hairspray on a school stage? sure...but it needs to be chosen accordingly, as should every show
Updated On: 1/21/06 at 01:26 AM

[Mark Loves His Scarf]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 1:43am

As I was reading this thread, I thought of my high school doing a production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. I nearly peed my pants. Ruprecht...

I'm not seeing a lot of shows running currently on Broadway that would be able to fit the "high school" stage. For example, every musical you've stated including Rent, Producers and Avenue Q- even Wicked- probably won't go well with schools. I haven't heard any school, as far as I know, doing Mamma Mia! Is that released yet? I really wouldn't know, but I could imagine that to be one of the few that could be seen done by students.

I think the best high school musical (well best musical that could be done run by students) is Once Upon a Mattress. My school did that a year ago and a regional theatre is doing it this coming up April.