Musicals that SHOULDN"T be done in high schools...but have...

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 2:10pm

I saw the most odd production of SWEET CHARITY at a high school this weekend. Maybe it was because I grew up in the south (we couldn't even do GREASE, it was considered so "raunchy") -- but I was kind of surprised that a high school would take on the show.

It got me thinking. What musicals have you seen performed at high schools, that simply -- shouldn't have been attempted.

This isn't limited to subject matter, but difficulty or just plain unsuitability -- (Has a high school even attempted MISS SAIGON yet? I shudder to imagine the makeup).

What's the worst of the worst?

[MagicToDo82]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 2:12pm

Everytime I see a high school doing Cabaret, I get a little queasy.

Hopefully, there will never be a Miss Saigon: School Edition.

[baddadnpa]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 2:13pm

Updated On: 5/2/05 at 02:13 PM

[Plum]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 2:27pm

Follies. And yes, it's been done.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 2:31pm

A friend of mine was in a production of FOLLIES and mentioned that when they got the rental scripts, hers had been marked with pencil edits from a CHURCH production! They had rewritten all this dialogue to make it appropriate -- she said it was hysterical.

Posted: 5/2/05 at 2:38pm

Sweeney Todd.

and this is one that I've often seen done but shouldnt. "Fiddler on the Roof"...for one reason only. There is no teenage boy that can play Tevya. Without a good Tevya that shopw just doesnt work.

Les Miserables. (Whoever came up with that school version idea...i have a bone to pick with you.)

[Plum]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 2:41pm

In the end, though, it's better to expose kids to really great theater this way than to restrict them to the Guys and Dolls of the world. Sure, we laugh, but I got my family into Sondheim only after our local high school did a nicely-executed production of Company.
Updated On: 5/2/05 at 02:41 PM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 2:43pm

COMPANY seems like a tough sell for a high school, though I can just hear the drama teacher making his case to the school board -- "But they're are lots of parts!"

[Plum]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 2:51pm

The town where I used to live had an excellent and well-loved musical theater program- the director can pretty much do what he wants.

Posted: 5/2/05 at 2:53pm

"In the end, though, it's better to expose kids to really great theater this way than to restrict them to the Guys and Dolls of the world."

Yes, god forbid they be forced to do "Guys and Dolls"-- one of the greatest shows ever written. They will learn a lot more doing "Taboo" I'm sure.

[marincrazy11]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 2:54pm

yeah I feel you Plum. My high school has done Chorus Line, Chicago, and Company to name a few. All of which have been excellent. I thought it was odd when my director announced they were doing Company but they pulled it off, quite nicely in fact. I never really had a problem with the fact that they were teenagers playing these very mature roles.

Posted: 5/2/05 at 2:56pm

I think what is meant by "The Guys and Dolls of the world" is that teens are being subjected to doing the same kinds of shows. For example: Grease, Bye Bye Birdie, Guys and Dolls, How to Suceed, etc. I dont think it was an attack on the show.

[Plum]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 2:59pm

Joe, not liking Guys and Dolls is just my personal taste. But in general, I've seen a lot of kids from other towns complain that all they do are those kind of fluffy shows- Damn Yankees followed by Anything Goes followed by 42nd Street. You get the idea. I think it's better to have a mix of those and more ambitious shows. Otherwise, kids' whose only exposure to musical theater is through their high school can easily dismiss the entire art form as old-fashioned and cheesy.

Full disclosure: I don't like 42nd Street, either, and I'm iffy about Damn Yankees, but I adore Anything Goes. And I've never been exposed to Taboo.
Updated On: 5/2/05 at 02:59 PM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 3:00pm

I've also see a HORRIBLE high school production of A CHORUS LINE, where they cut all the language, changed the lyrics of "T&A" to "Boobs and Buns" added three characters to the line, and cut Paul's references to being gay.

Now really, why do the show, if you have to make such cuts?

[Adam Chris]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 3:03pm

It would be tacky if they did THE LIFE.

[Broadwaylady]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 3:04pm

I saw Godspell at my alma mater. But, last year I heard they did Cabaret. This is a Catholic High School. I did not go but cannot imagine how they pulled it off.

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 3:10pm

I disagree about Les Mis. I saw a fantastic high school production of it.

Posted: 5/2/05 at 3:12pm

We did
One Flew Over the Cockoos Nest at a Jesuit High school.
I thought that was risky!

[robbiej]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 3:13pm

I'm with Plum...the only musical I wouldn't allow is OH! CALCUTTA...because there's nudity and it's BAD!!!

I mean...why not be ambitious? The only people who see it are friends, family and the community...and what do they charge these days, $10?

I saw a pretty impressive SWEENEY TODD, APPLE TREE and 1776 at a local public high school. And good for them, I say!

[buffyactsing]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 3:19pm

That stinks.

Our Sweeney was a high school cast, actually some of the chorus as well as our Toby and Judge were in 7th and 8th grade. Believe it or not it actually worked (aside from some of the chorus parts getting loss).

If you're going do do the show, do the show. We didn't change anything, including all the "split me muff mister, we'll go jig jig a little." It was all there. Mea Culpa was there too. Our judge was in 8th grade (mature for his age, but still) and he was actually great. He could sing Bass just fine.

Well we had a director who liked to challege us. When I was in 9th grade we did West Side Story at my school.

Now my Sweeney is at Tisch, so we know at least he didn't suck:)

I went to a very small private school, not a performing arts school, but they were very supportive of the theater department there. I think as long as you have the right cast, the show can really be done well.

[StephanietheStar]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 4:22pm

I would have rather done more racey stuff like Chicago, and Cabaret then Sound of Music, etc....

but that's me...on the other hand the thought of everyone else *who knew nothing about MT* doing Chicago and the other shows listed makes me throw up in my mouth a little.

[decotodd]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 4:28pm

Wow, I was going to say CAROUSEL until I saw that someone mentioned CABARET! I thought the former was kind of dark for a school show. More importantly for me, I doubt high schoolers could do justice to the demands of the music. CAROUSEL requires trained voices in my opinion to do it justice, and I've never heard better than Shirley Jones and Gordon MacRae in those roles.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 4:31pm

I think there are certain shows where the talent you have has to be evaluated, because certain shows just can't be pulled off in some cases without inadequate voices, leads, dancing, etc. My high school did West Side Story my senior year, and although many people were apprehensive of such a difficult show, I personally think it ended up really nice, we had a great choreographer, though it ended up funny that they purposely casted so the better girl dancer and singers would be Sharks and better boy dancer and singers would be Jets. The girls worked out, but ironically, the Sharks ended up being better in singing and dancing for the boys. Oh well.

They also did Aida this past year, which only really worked because they had 3 phenomenal leads with great voices, the Aida was just fantastic.

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 4:35pm

I've seen a kick ass version of Carousel done by a High School. But only really talented groups can do it well.

Miss Saigon was done at a youth theater near were I live. I was too terified to see it. I have no idea how it went.

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 4:38pm

CHICAGO. CHICAGO. CHICAGO. CHICAGO. CHICAGO, AND CHICAGO!

It makes me sick to my stomach High Schools are "trying" to put on this show.