Why are all these kids around?

[bowtie7]

Posted: 4/27/17 at 11:30pm

Somewhat surprised that the Playbill article announcing the cast of The Muny's A Chorus Line (and The Muny's orginal press release) stated (and I quote) “The Company will also be joined by The Muny kid and teen youth ensembles.”

How does one possibly add a large number of kids and teens to this show?

Is it take your daughter to audition day?

Do the characters have ghosts that act out Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen?

Does the stage suddenly fill with a mass of gold clad high kickers at the end? (Which seems to be against everything that A Chorus Line is about.)

 

It takes me back to high school and a production of Once Upon a Mattress with a large kids chorus. All was going well until one little nine year old girl ask the director “If the Queen has decreed that no one can marry or have children, Why are all these kids around?”

 

http://www.playbill.com/article/munys-a-chorus-line-casts-its-zach

https://muny.org/news/ivan-hernandez-joins-munys-a-chorus-line-full-design-teams-announced/

[rawrali]

Posted: 7/31/17 at 11:42am

After seeing A Chorus Line at the Muny Saturday, I figured I would answer this long-buried question.

They do use kids as kind of flashback/ghost characters in a few songs - namely I Can Do That and At the Ballet. I thought this was handled very well.

They also have a small group of teens for acting class scenes in Nothing with Diana.

All of the dancers have a "ghost child" version of themselves standing behind them briefly during What I Did For Love. This is pretty loosely done - sex/race did not always match up with the character.

They also add the teens (but not the kids) to the gold clad line at the end. I thought this was the most unnecessary addition, it's about 5-6 additional people?

[RJ14]

Posted: 7/31/17 at 11:47am

what? this is not Follies. why are they adding those unnecessary flashback ghost characters?

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/31/17 at 11:58am

That sounds awful.

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 7/31/17 at 12:32pm

This kind of thing is what brought down the community theater where I used to be an actor.  We had a number of successful shows and then we did Wizard of Oz and invited the nearby grade school to be the munchkins.  There must have been 70 munchkins in that show.  In terms of ticket sales, it was a huge success.  Every one of those munchkins had family come from near and far.  However, for future shows, we had to find a way to add a reason to suddenly have 70 kids on stage.  Sound of Music?  70 kids join in Do Ri Me.  Carousel? 70 kids walk on stage for no reason.  Joseph?  Ok that one worked a lot easier. But still.  Our theater became a place to watch 5 year olds stand onstage screaming out a song in a home made costume.  And we couldn't get away from it.  The last straw was when we did Annie and the girl who played Annie had a mom who threatened to pull her daughter out of the show unless her family got in free and before the house opened.  So we ended the company after that.  

[Babe_Williams]

Posted: 7/31/17 at 1:23pm

Phantom4ever said: "This kind of thing is what brought down the community theater where I used to be an actor.  We had a number of successful shows and then we did Wizard of Oz and invited the nearby grade school to be the munchkins.  There must have been 70 munchkins in that show.  In terms of ticket sales, it was a huge success.  Every one of those munchkins had family come from near and far.  However, for future shows, we had to find a way to add a reason to suddenly have 70 kids on stage.  Sound of Music?  70 kids join in Do Ri Me.  Carousel? 70 kids walk on stage for no reason.  Joseph?  Ok that one worked a lot easier. But still.  Our theater became a place to watch 5 year olds stand onstage screaming out a song in a home made costume.  And we couldn't get away from it.  The last straw was when we did Annie and the girl who played Annie had a mom who threatened to pull her daughter out of the show unless her family got in free and before the house opened.  So we ended the company after that.  

 

"

I feel like this could be a really funny premise to a Netflix show or a skit on Portlandia

[Tag]

Posted: 7/31/17 at 2:17pm

Adding kids to a show builds in an audience of ticket buyers (family, friends, grandparents, kid's friends, teachers, etc.).  It's a cash grabbing gimmick.

[10086Sundays]

Posted: 7/31/17 at 2:20pm

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Really expected this thread to be about kids invading this message board and Broadway shows.

 

Updated On: 7/31/17 at 02:20 PM

[Messytheatregirl]

Posted: 7/31/17 at 3:08pm

Phantom4ever said: "This kind of thing is what brought down the community theater where I used to be an actor.  We had a number of successful shows and then we did Wizard of Oz and invited the nearby grade school to be the munchkins.  There must have been 70 munchkins in that show.  In terms of ticket sales, it was a huge success.  Every one of those munchkins had family come from near and far.  However, for future shows, we had to find a way to add a reason to suddenly have 70 kids on stage.  Sound of Music?  70 kids join in Do Ri Me.  Carousel? 70 kids walk on stage for no reason.  Joseph?  Ok that one worked a lot easier. But still.  Our theater became a place to watch 5 year olds stand onstage screaming out a song in a home made costume.  And we couldn't get away from it.  The last straw was when we did Annie and the girl who played Annie had a mom who threatened to pull her daughter out of the show unless her family got in free and before the house opened.  So we ended the company after that."

 

I am laughing my ass off. 

[SharksVsJets]

Posted: 7/31/17 at 3:42pm

I also thought what 10086Sundays thought. Don't know why they needed to spoiler it though.

[rawrali]

Posted: 7/31/17 at 4:44pm

There were no homemade costumes and no screaming kids. There have certainly been shows where I rolled my eyes at all of the children that the Muny stuffed onto the stage but this wasn't one of them.

I thought the concept was overall handled well. The dancers are telling stories of their childhood, the visual representation of the story paired well and was used sparingly. I will certainly admit that I have not seen another production of A Chorus Line to compare this to, but I enjoyed what I saw, knowing going in that this would be an unusual production. These characters are telling their stories about how they fell in love with dance in childhood/adolescence, and a new generation of dancers/actors are getting their first taste of dancing/acting on the big Muny stage before the audience's eyes - to me, it made for a powerful moment in What I Did For Love.

Just as an additional note, the Muny presented this without intermission, as it should be. I was pleasantly surprised.

[starcatchers]

Posted: 7/31/17 at 5:16pm

rawrali said: "There were no homemade costumes and no screaming kids. There have certainly been shows where I rolled my eyes at all of the children that the Muny stuffed onto the stage but this wasn't one of them.

I thought the concept was overall handled well. The dancers are telling stories of their childhood, the visual representation of the story paired well and was used sparingly. I will certainly admit that I have not seen another production of A Chorus Line to compare this to, but I enjoyed what I saw, knowing going in that this would be an unusual production. These characters are telling their stories about how they fell in love with dance in childhood/adolescence, and a new generation of dancers/actors are getting their first taste of dancing/acting on the big Muny stage before the audience's eyes - to me, it made for a powerful moment in What I Did For Love.

Just as an additional note, the Muny presented this without intermission, as it should be. I was pleasantly surprised.

 

"

I've never seen the show done WITH an intermission. That seems weird. 

[rawrali]

Posted: 7/31/17 at 5:32pm

starcatchers said: "I've never seen the show done WITH an intermission. That seems weird. "

Apparently some productions put an intermission in, most likely to bolster concession sales. With the Muny being an outdoor theatre, they do A LOT of concession sales so I was nervous before the show that they might try to squeeze an intermission in. Thankfully they did not.

 

[NYadgal]

Posted: 7/31/17 at 5:32pm

"Can we smoke?  Can the adults please smoke?"

[blaxx]

Posted: 7/31/17 at 5:47pm

Jut like with the song "Cabaret', I feel that no one reads ACL before putting it on. How is this a show to have children around?  The whole point of the interviews was to dig deep in the performer's personal and professional experiences. How uncomfortable for the children to be around these very adult stories. 

Biggest fail of the year.

[TheLadyoftheWood]

Posted: 7/31/17 at 6:08pm

blaxx said: "Jut like with the song "Cabaret', I feel that no one reads ACL before putting it on. How is this a show to have children around?  The whole point of the interviews was to dig deep in the performer's personal and professional experiences. How uncomfortable for the children to be around these very adult stories. 

Biggest fail of the year.

 

"

Speaking from experience (of being one of those teens in multiple Muny shows), I love that they allow the kids a chance to join in on show that aren't normally accessible to them until they are older. It is also a great experience to meet some really extraordinary actors and watch them (during certain rehearsals) work their stuff.

With this being said, most of the show (if there is adult material) is not heard by the children. They are kept in a large space (normally the dance room or practice space) with a child wrangler, who lets them know when it is time for them to go on for their scene. They are then escorted by multiple employees to the stage and back to the their respective waiting areas. The Muny is a very large space and the kids are kept very much to themselves.

[SweetLips]

Posted: 8/1/17 at 2:26am

We have a company here in Australia that specialises in just that---and is very successful.

They have done a big arena style production of Cats,Hairspray,Grease and others I can't remember.

They CHARGE approx $300.per child to appear in these musicals which is supposed to train and expose the little darlings to 'show biz'.

The stage is then awash with group activity-colour and movement and as said above,all kids have x number of guaranteed ticket sales attached.

Many minor/major Australian singers[Dami Im-Eurovision] have attached themselves to these productions.

One was enough for me.

[10086Sundays]

Posted: 8/1/17 at 3:07am

NYadgal said: ""Can we smoke?  Can the adults please smoke?""

Those halcyon days when the Off-Topic board got more traffic than the Main board...

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 8/1/17 at 10:04am

As someone who joined less than three months ago, you know this how? 

[10086Sundays]

Posted: 8/1/17 at 10:20am

Magic.  Or maybe I've been around a lot longer than that date indicates.

[RJ14]

Posted: 8/1/17 at 12:31pm

OMG this looks like a huge mess. What's with the ugly choreography, the set, the costume, the kids AND the projections? Baayork should sue

 

 

 

[blaxx]

Posted: 8/1/17 at 9:57pm

TheLadyoftheWood said: "blaxx said: "Jut like with the song "Cabaret', I feel that no one reads ACL before putting it on. How is this a show to have children around?  The whole point of the interviews was to dig deep in the performer's personal and professional experiences. How uncomfortable for the children to be around these very adult stories. 

Biggest fail of the year.

 

"

Speaking from experience (of being one of those teens in multiple Muny shows), I love that they allow the kids a chance to join in on show that aren't normally accessible to them until they are older. It is also a great experience to meet some really extraordinary actors and watch them (during certain rehearsals) work their stuff.

With this being said, most of the show (if there is adult material) is not heard by the children. They are kept in a large space (normally the dance room or practice space) with a child wrangler, who lets them know when it is time for them to go on for their scene. They are then escorted by multiple employees to the stage and back to the their respective waiting areas. The Muny is a very large space and the kids are kept very much to themselves.

 

"

What do you mean? I saw the children perform during 'At the Ballet', do they cover their ears while they're performing? I bet they sing 'When I was five I remember my mother dug earrings out of the car. I knew they weren't hers, but it wasn't something you'd want to discuss' during their lunch breaks. 

There are shows where this is appropriate, this isn't one of them.

 

[TheLadyoftheWood]

Posted: 8/2/17 at 6:17pm

@blaxx

I must admit that I am not very versed with the libretto from A Chorus Line, being that I've only listened to the album once or twice. Does that song include anything really grotesque or vulgar beside the mentioning of an affair? I doubt many children in this day and age would be shocked by the thought of hearing about someone having an affair. With that being said, the parents of "Muny kids," are allowed to come and sit in on many rehearsals. They have the right to pull their children out if they feel the material is too adult.

I am not stating that this show is a good show for them to be in. Quite the contrary, especially with some other well known lyrics, "tits and ass." I was just giving an insight into what goes on backstage and how and where the children are kept compartmentalized in the case of some extremely raunchy material. Being a part of the Muny kids and teens is a great experience that allows these children the chance to perform in professional summer theatre, with very well known actors in the business. If I were a parent of a child who wanted to do theater, I'd gladly allow them to perform in a show with them.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 8/2/17 at 6:26pm

I have seen a few shows at the Muni while on business trips, unfortunately in the past.  I have generally enjoyed the shows more than I normally would because I just loved being there, and I lucked out: in the four times I can recall attending, the weather was great, not 95/95.

The theater is humungous (11,000 seats) and the stage is enormous.  In at least 2 of the productions that I have seen there, they have added to the cast; I think this was as much to fill the stage out as anything, i.e., to give the audience a little more to look at.  I am serious.  The kids could also have served that purpose because the Muni usually sells out most performances without gimmicks.  Of course, St. Louis could be tired of yet another production of ACL, in which case the addition of kids could be driven at least partially by box office considerations.

[bowtie7]

Posted: 8/2/17 at 7:07pm

The Muny will do just about anything to fill all those seats. Remember the 2013 production of Nusense (with Dee Hoty, Terri White, Beth Leavel, Phyllis Smith not to mention Lara Teeter as Father Virgil and Ken Page as Sister Mary Wilhelm but wait also a 36 member youth ensemble plus a dozen "St Louis Strutters" and finally eight "St Louis High Catholic School Models'

https://www.muny2.org/programs/2013/NUNSENSE/files/assets/basic-html/page28.html

https://www.riverfronttimes.com/stlouis/what-the-hell-nunsense-gets-the-muny-style-treatment/Content?oid=2503703