Worst Changes Made in an Amateur Production- Page 2

[Gothampc]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 11:02am

Our Town where the Stage Manger was a woman.

[Dover]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 11:08am

When I was in high school we did Carousel, which of course is a long show, and performed by students can be even longer. A lot of cuts were made to keep it to a reasonable length, some which might bother purists but ultimately don't effect the show too much (like cutting a large amount of the Carousel Waltz and the ballets).

But... for some strange reason, the director cut some of the bench scene and removed the part where Julie is explaining what she'd do if she loved Billy: "When I'd work in the mill, weaving at the loom..." etc. Which is the stupidest cut I've ever seen since that's the part that tells us that she is in love with Billy, since Carrie says earlier that she's doing all those things. I have no idea what was going through his head that he thought that was a disposable part of the score.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 11:10am

Not a "change" as much as a bad idea:
"Wizard of Oz" - High School Production - Emerald City was Pink and Orange, and they added the character of Melinda, Glinda's Witch-in-Training to add sarcastic comments to the action.

It really bugs me when they randomly change a male character to a female. I seriously saw a "Sound of Music" with an Aunt Maxine.

[Londonskyguy]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 11:17am

Years ago I did a horrible community theatre production of A Chorus Line,, the first number we rehearsed was hello twelve... and at the end of the number the coreographer said" and now everyone sit down on the line",, she wanted us to sit down on the line after every number cause she thought we would be tired , Ive never had such a fight in my life. I finally won the argument after pointing out that the name of the show is " A Chorus Line not A Chorus Sit Down"

[Neverandy]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 11:40am

Thank god for this post!
Unfortunately- I have one to add, probably a very popular one(if not the most popular)
Bringing Jesus back to life at the end of Superstar during a reprise of Hosanna. Jesus just walked out from the wings, hugged Mary and Peter, and then Waved to the audience.

[sparrman]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 11:43am

There's the famous case of a production of "The Fantasticks" where they were nervous about the frequent use of the word "rape"...so they substituted the word "snatch" instead.

[Horton]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 11:43am

"Look at me, I'm Sandra Dee, lousy with my dignaty"

[LittleFish8386]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 12:00pm

I've seen JCS with girls playing Simon Zealots, Kind Herod and Annus. Which I thought was a little odd.

I just watched that Mike and Ike clip. That might be the stupidest thing I've ever seen in my life. The kids we're even identical.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 12:04pm

"There's the famous case of a production of "The Fantasticks" where they were nervous about the frequent use of the word "rape"...so they substituted the word "snatch" instead."

Okay this one wins. Hillarious! "Snaa-aa-aaa-aaa-aatch. A pretty snatch. Such a pretty snatch..."

[LittleFish8386]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 12:08pm

Isn't "snatch" a derogatory term for the vagina? At least, I've heard people use it as that. Because if it is, that's probably the funniest thing ever.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 12:13pm

"The production of A CHORUS LINE where twin brothers both played the role of Mike."

Morosco, did one of them end up getting cut and the other getting the job? Maybe the director was giving them a tryout for a planned Side Show production.

[morosco]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 12:21pm

"Morosco, did one of them end up getting cut and the other getting the job? Maybe the director was giving them a tryout for a planned Side Show production."

Hahaha. Don't know. However it might be interesting to see a production of SIDE SHOW with males as the twins.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 12:23pm

"However it might be interesting to see a production of SIDE SHOW with males as the twins."

Only if one is gay and one is straight.

[darkmist115]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 1:04pm

in 'grease,' rizzo was 'in trouble,' not knocked up.
and fongoul became 'je drool.'

good times.

eugene also was a girl, eugenia.

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 1:10pm

Little Shop of Horrors---where the black girl trio was all white... and one of them was a guy.

Crystal, "Ronny" and Chiffon.

[Action2]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 1:22pm

1. A community theatre production of Tommy where, when the actress playing the mother was sick, they just eliminated the role!!!

2. High school production of Singing in the Rain. Director wanted a big opening number, so actress playing the gossip reporter at the movie opening did a medley of Another Opening, Another Show/There's No Business like Show Buisiness...and all the extras in the scene (like 40!) did a big production number.

3. A Chorus Line cast with a combined character of Richie with either Bobby or Gregory (can't remember which one). Then, moments after his I can't catch a football-he sings about playing basket ball.

4. A Chorus Line (different one) that TRIED to use Fosse-type character as Zach and the choreogrpahy was poor attempt at his style. Instead of gold lame top hats and tuxes, they work black and white leotards, white gloves, BOWLER HATS. Instead of precision kicks at the end, they did this sort of low leanback and stick your leg out thing (think Rich Mans Fruge from Sweet Charity).

[jbdc]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 3:20pm

Oh! Horrifying! I would actually like to see (please don't stike me down dead for saying this!) a production of A CHORUS LINE with new choreography--but only if someone genius is choreographing, of course. But until that genius comes along--you have to do the original!

Unless, of course you were lucky enought to be in or have seen the production where (and I didn't see this, but was told...) they used TRAMPOLINES in finale so that, as they all made their individual entrances to join the line, they sort of came flying in... and they clearly hadn't rehearsed enough with the trampolines and costumes, because people came crashing in and couldn't really stick the landings, so they were FALLING DOWN on their entrances in the finale, and scrambling into the line--all the while-- ONE is vamping underneath. Why?

[lildogs]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 4:28pm

"Jesus just walked out from the wings, hugged Mary and Peter, and then Waved to the audience. "

Did he then go to Disneyland?

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 5:00pm

I was in a production of "Assassins" and the director seriously wanted to do "Something Just Broke" as the opening number ("But it's what the show is all about....")

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 5:08pm

"StickToPriest, sadly it's true. The Greater Hartford Jewish Community Center's 1993 Children's Theatre Production of A CHORUS LINE featured a variety of alterations, the chief one being "Boobs & Tush" sung by a barely blooming 12 year old Val wearing a padded bra."

That sounds so wrong. Just doing A Chorus Line with children sounds just wrong.

And, sondheimboy2, I totally don't understand what your director was thinking. Did he win in the end? Because, if you do Something Just Broke as the opening number, you ruin the point of the show and the audience won't be able to connect with these characters. They'll just see them as the monsters they were perceived to be. I'm not saying I support these people. I'm just saying there's more to them than meets the eye.

"Isn't "snatch" a derogatory term for the vagina? At least, I've heard people use it as that. Because if it is, that's probably the funniest thing ever."

It IS a derogatory term for vagina.

Updated On: 4/24/07 at 05:08 PM

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 5:16pm

This is one of the funniest threads of all time

"We can do that", inserting random songs from another musical, etc. And to think that some of these people feel proud to be teachers and mentors, ha ha ha.

Please, keep them coming - one day I'll make a compilation to laugh for hours and hours.

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 5:17pm

I told him that would be like starting a production of "Fiddler on the Roof" with the song "Anatevka", but he just didn't get it.

Fortunately, there were enough serious Sondheim fans in the cast who balked at his suggestion and saner heads prevailed.

Though, it's then that he started complaining about working with "Divas"...

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 5:24pm

I did a production of Oklahoma! where Andrew Carnes was changed to Aggie Carnes.

[sondhead]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 5:47pm

"WE can do that..."

How about the pianist that can't play more than two notes at once?

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 6:02pm

"A church production of Godspell where instead of "We all need help to feel fine, let's have some wine" the lyric went "We all need help to feel fine. We feel so fine.""

Similar experience, execpt it was "We all need help to feel fine, our God's divine!"