tick, tick...BOOM! Is it suitable for a high school?

[Fabrizio2]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 11:22am

I am investigating musicals to do for my school this year and I was just wondering about the appropriateness of this show. It has great music. Is it suitable for a high school?

Thanks.

[Pippin]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 11:28am

yes. there is some sexual content, but overall, it would be appropriate if your school will let you get away with it.

it is only three people, though. will your school have a problem with a show that will only allow three people to do?

[Fabrizio2]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 11:30am

Our school is very small...it's independent...

The majority of kids there are involved with sports leaving us with about 30 thespians 15 of which show no intrest in singing and the majority of that group are girls.

I think our school could get away with it...we did Play it Again, Sam a couple of years ago...

[Mikey3]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 11:32am

"Louder than words"...so just do it!I think you won't regret.

[30/90 Playout]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 11:35am

The only "sexual" type song in the show is "Sugar". I have seen productions where it has been cut, and it still flows. It also depends what kind of management your school has. Our principal was offended with scenes of "Working", while a school a few towns over did "Cabaret"

[peach]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 11:36am

I think it's fine for a high school. I imagine a lot of high schools avoid it, since it only has a cast of three (so you need three strong actors/singers!). Hope it goes well!

[achancetofly]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 11:39am

I think it's totally appropriate, although there is some profanity, so you might have to .one it down a little bit if you're doing the whole show, depending on the strictness of your administration.

[timote316]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 12:03pm

While its fine when it comes to sexual content and that kind of stuff, it shouldn't be done by high schoolers. What high schooler knows what its like to be turning 30, not having accomplished anything? However, that doesn't really make a difference, as this is the problem with a vast majority of musicals that high schools produce.

Back to your question, I don't think itd be best for your school to do this show - you say that you have 15 or so singing actors, a majority of which are female. This show is 3 actors, majority male. Sure, you can break up the parts (have Susan ONLY play Susan, Michael ONLY Michael), but you are still majority male. There's probably a better option.

[ashley0139]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 12:19pm

What high schooler knows what its like to be turning 30, not having accomplished anything?
If you were going to go by this, the only show you could ever do is You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown seeing as all the characters are 5 years old. That's a little much.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 12:22pm

The only "sexual" type song in the show is "Sugar". I have seen productions where it has been cut, and it still flows.

No, Sugar is NOT sexual. It's about ACTUAL sugar. It's a joke. I'd call Green, Green Dress way more sexually provocative than that former.

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 12:32pm

This is a show that youth should stay away from in my opinion.

[30/90 Playout]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 12:39pm

For sugar, I know it's about ACTUAL sugar, but it's innuendo.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 12:42pm

I don't think it's inappropriate for high school, per se, but I still think it shouldn't be done in a high school, for the sake of preserving its dignity. It's best left out of the hands of people who likely won't do it well.

[MrSweetNAwful]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 3:28pm

HEY!
I'm thinking of doing ttB for my senior project!
Do you think I'm not ready to take on this show (that I love) cuz I'm only 17? I don't know what it's like to own my own place? pay my own bills?
Some feelings and predicaments are universal, I can relate to some of the stuff Jon's feeling.


Some high schools' drama depts are a bit lacking, it's true, but there are really a lot of amazing ones out there. Especially at art schools, like the one I go to. To name a few major shows, we've done Twelfth Night, Urinetown, Our Town, Tartuffe, 12 Angry Men, Civil War and Les Mis. And they all were very well done.

[gustof777]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 3:34pm

I think that it's appropriate but I agree with others that you'd have to have a really great department to tackle the show. Casting since there are only three people is obvioulsy crucial. If you have kids who will be amazing in it than go for it but I would cringe at the thought of seeing this show in the wrong hands.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 3:37pm

MrSweetNAwful, It has nothing to do with age, or how well high school students can relate to the material. Tons of young people relate very well to Larson's themes. Hello, RENT? Does that mean high schools should do RENT because the kids can relate to it? In my humble opinion, God, no. Lots of young people are able to relate to tick, Tick...BOOM! as well. It's not at all about that; for me, it's about the fact that this material belongs in talented hands, and while there are good high school drama programs, most of them are not what I would consider the right hands to be placing it in.

[jasonf]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 3:43pm

People, it's called acting. Does that mean high schools shouldn't do Bye Bye Birdie because there are characters older than high schoolers in it?

Give me a break.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 4:05pm

Did you just equate TTB to Bye, Bye Birdie? Give me a break.

I don't think people are saying it's about looking the age, or that high school students shouldn't do it because they don't look old enough. Bluntly, I think, it's because high school students are not, in the majority of cases, talented enough not to f*ck it up. That's why high schools do things like Bye, Bye Birdie. You need less of it.

Updated On: 7/5/06 at 04:05 PM

[blaxx]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 4:10pm

I agree it is more about content than age, it is certainly heavy with messages for older adults, so I wouldn't consider it the best option for a high school either.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 4:29pm

There are messages in it that needs to be heard by High School students "Cages or wings, which do you prefer?" But, like Emcee said, it takes 3 VERY talented people to pull all the emotions off well. BYE BYE BIRDIE is a comical satire, so really any age group can do that. If you can get three really good actors and they take the material seriously, and you don't think that some of the themes will be shunned at your school . . . then I say go for it. If not, I would choose something else.

Updated On: 7/5/06 at 04:29 PM

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 4:36pm

I do not think this show should be touched by high schoolers.

There's also a difference between actually understanding each character, their motivations, the show's themes, etc. and being able to portray that on stage.

I understand everything clearly and could probably direct the show well...but I sure as hell couldn't get up on stage and do a convincing Jonathan.

It takes a certain maturity and understanding to pull it off. And I'm sorry, but an 18 year old afraid of his future at the ripe old age of 30? I'm sorry, it doesn't work. The material isn't strong enough to stand on it's own and surpass amateur acting antics.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 4:41pm

What high schooler knows what its like to be turning 30, not having accomplished anything?

It's not JUST about turning 30; it's the whole idea of growing up, and giving up your dreams for the sake of being practical. I related to this show more than almost everything I'd seen onstage and I was 18 when I saw it.

That being said, when I saw it, was done by musical theatre majors at a university with a highly respected theatre program. I have to agree that the talent of the vast majority of high schoolers is not appropriate for this show.

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 5:51pm

TTB has been done by many actors who are not 30. Several colleges have done this show. While I agree that every show deserves to be in the hands of talented actors, this is an impossibility if there are to be high school performances of ANY show. High school aged kids don't have the experience, nor do they know what it's like to play someone being persecuted by the Nazis but SOM is a popular h/s show. Same with Guys and Dolls, Les Mis, most Shakespeare plays, LSOH, Joseph, Titanic, Fiddler, The Music Man, The Crucible, YAGMCB, Once Upon a Mattress, etc. All are popular h/s shows and all require acting skills to portray roles which aren't the typical teenager's experience. If we're going to have high schools sticking to plays which are age appropriate for their students, then we'd rarely see anything other than Footloose and Grease.

[Ourtime992]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 7:03pm

In a way, we're lucky to even be having this debate. Remember the fuss Larson's family put up about getting the right talent before allowing the commercial staging of the show at all? Had it not been for someone like Raul Esparza it would still be locked up with the Larson estate.

That having been said, while you can certainly get the rights to do the show now regardless of your credentials, I think you owe it to Larson's family and his memory to seriously consider if you have a 17 year old boy who can embody Jonathan and do him justice. It's very genuine material that hasn't been polished to sound great coming out of just anyone's mouth, and the vocal demands are somewhat high too.

In other words, don't do it just because it's a really cool show about a guy most teenage theatre enthusiasts worship, do it because it's the best possible match for your program and performers.