High School Musicals of the future

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 5/8/05 at 4:03pm

I was just thinking about this yesterday. It's interesting what shows have been deemed "good for high schools" lately and which ones are really popular with schools. For example, Seussical got really jumped on this year, and I'll be Millie will be all over next year.

What shows that haven't released their rights yet do you see for a big ol' future in the high school market?

I say Mamma Mia!, All Shook Up, Good Vibrations, and Little Women for sure.

Hairspray would be popular too, but the guys are all pretty tenor-y (rare for high school guys), the dancing is very demanding, and the multi-ethnic cast would probably be a limit to a lot of high schools.

The Lion King will be popular too, but limited, for the same reasons as Hairspray, not so much the budget. I'll bet some high school director could do the Lion King on an pinch=penny budget.

Oh, and the Mulan and Newsies musicals that MTI is developing will be a smash too.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 5/8/05 at 4:04pm

Thoroughly Modern Millie

[BWayBoy88]

Posted: 5/8/05 at 4:11pm

I fear the day when the rights to Wicked are released. You know every high school is going to do that show, and I have yet to find a high school girl who can vocally handle Elphaba or Glinda.

[Elizabeth_DeBris]

Posted: 5/8/05 at 4:15pm

Would Millie really be suitable for a high school? It's a pretty dance-heavy show, isn't it?

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 5/8/05 at 4:18pm

High schools can handle Millie. My junior year of high school we did "Crazy For You" and used all of Stroman's choreography. And that is MUCH harder than Millie.

[Madame X2]

Posted: 5/8/05 at 4:23pm

"I fear the day when the rights to Wicked are released"
Can you just imagine the end of "Defying Gravity"? Oh goodness.

I can see Hairspray, but not as a musical, but as a musical review.
What do you think about some colleges possibly doing RENT in the future?

[KMF_NYC]

Posted: 5/8/05 at 4:26pm

I fear some regions/towns might frown upon a show where a young girl is attempting to find out who her mother had a one night stand with....

Wicked -- High School -- ***shudders***

Rent would be a perfect college show

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 5/8/05 at 4:31pm

WIcked rights will probably never be available to High Schools, and if they are, well, hopefully the director has enoigh sense to know that it would be a distater...

[ShuQ]

Posted: 5/8/05 at 4:32pm

Definitely All Shook Up.

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 5/8/05 at 4:33pm

Bye Bye Birdie rights are already available...

Posted: 5/8/05 at 4:46pm

Were doing DEFYING GRAVITY for Chorus... its gonna be so bad.


I say HAIRSPRAY n GOOD VIBRATIONS

[Ourtime992]

Posted: 5/8/05 at 5:02pm

I remember reading a comment by one of the Hairspray creators, maybe even John Waters, shortly after the show opened. He said he was so excited about the success of the production because it meant that someday it would be made available to high schools, and for once a fat girl and gay boy would get the leads. I think that assures us that the creators will want to license it.

And of COURSE Wicked will be made available. Everything else in the Schwartz catalog is. In fact, almost everything gets licensed these days. The only exceptions I can think of are a few Andrew Lloyd Webber shows he doesn't want touched, and he doesn't need the money.

Millie has already been acquired by MTI -- it's just a matter of the tour closing before rights are available generally.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/8/05 at 5:03pm

Even if Wicked become available, that doesn't mean it's going to be smart for high schools to try it. Hopefully they'll realize that.

[KMF_NYC]

Posted: 5/8/05 at 5:10pm

unfortunately there are far too many Corky St. Clair's out there directing high school and community theater...

Updated On: 5/8/05 at 05:10 PM

[EganFan2]

Posted: 5/8/05 at 5:14pm

LOL! Corky St. Clairs. That's perfect!

[zoran912]

Posted: 5/8/05 at 5:46pm

My high school just pulled together a highly impressive Black Box production of "Side Show" in two-and-a-half weeks. That show works well with talented high schoolers. The key word being talented.

[LightMyCandle125]

Posted: 5/8/05 at 5:59pm

emcee's right about wicked...why would any high school director want to set him/herself up for failure like that?

[catstagestud]

Posted: 5/8/05 at 6:14pm

I think that Side Show would be extremely vocally demanding for two high school girls but who knows. I've always thought that Hairspray would be a wonderful show for high schools and John Waters did say that in the book "Hairspray The Roots." Now that Aida and Beauty and the Beast rights are available I've heard of a bunch of high schools doing productions.

Rent would be great for some colleges; my college wouldn't be able to pull it off at this point because we don't have the right people for it. But if you've got the talent that's a great show for colleges; keeps the actors in their age range and is an exciting show.

As for Wicked. There's only one person in high school that I ever knew that would be able to handle one of those roles. And that was just that she was absolutely amazing and would have made a marvelous Glinda. But I'm sure you'll have ambitious high school directors who want to make a buck since most arts programs at schools have to be practically self-sufficient and they know it'll bring in money. I might actually pay $10 to go see a production of it and get a healthy dose of laughter in.
:-P

[Derek]

Posted: 5/8/05 at 6:14pm

I know our school would be great if we did wicked now...i fear for it in a few years. We're a very tiny school...usually 20 people are in our shows, but I must admit, we're pretty good. But I have seen certain places where shows are just bad...and it mind boggles me when people are like "that was great"!! lol

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 5/8/05 at 6:40pm

I just saw SideShow at a local school and the only thing good about it WAS the sisters..... it made me sads cause i LOVE SideShow........

I AM SICK OF SEEING HIGHSCHOOLS TRYING TO DO SONDHEIM!!!!!!!

[ElphabaRose]

Posted: 5/8/05 at 6:45pm

wait until high schools start doing cabaret. i went to a production of it this year and it was unbelievable. the kids were incredibly talented. the only problem was that it was the 1967 script which i don't enjoy as much as the 1990s version.

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 5/8/05 at 6:47pm

I think Hairspray will actually be BETTER in highschools. It's one of those show that has pure energy, and a talented high school cast can do wonders with it. (I always hold that Joseph is way better at high schools than professional theatres).

Millie, All Shook Up, Mamma Mia will all become common.

As for Wicked...i think it would actually be better with high schoolers too, if done at a performing arts high school, or a school with a good talent pool. I think something that is lost in the Broadway version is the youth of the characters and the naivette. When 30 something actors play the role, you just dont see them as college students. Maybe that's one reason why Jenna Leigh Green struck a chord with the role.

And I know around 4 girls that could belt the hell out of Elphaba tastefully, and 2 girls that could hit Glinda's notes and still have the comedic timing.

And although I am not in high school anymore, I would have been the perfect Boq back then. (Now I am a little more Fiyero-ish)

Akiva
Updated On: 5/8/05 at 06:47 PM

[DreamFlyer22]

Posted: 5/8/05 at 6:56pm

It's hard with the rights for these HUGE shows coming out. Everyone seems to want to do them, even when common sense dictates that they shouldn't. I know the people I recently worked with at my old high school's production of "Beauty and the Beast" were amazed to learn that there were 15 OTHER B&tB productions running around the state throughout the month. Not to mention another district less than a half hour drive away putting it on, on the same weekend at the EXACT same times. I wasn't surprised, but they were.

This year it really seemed like everyone around here was either doing "Les Mis" or "Beauty". Now, while I respect the musicals of the late 80s and early 90s... it's really sad that that's ALL high schools think they can do anymore. I fear the end of the days of good, solid productions of older standards like "South Pacific" and "Hello Dolly" because they're deemed boring in comparison. When drama departments bite off more than they can chew, it makes them look schlocky.. even if they really aren't. Fact is, they could really do QUITE well with something less technically demanding. They just cave in to pressure. "Such and such a High School is doing WICKED!! (theoretical situation here. don't jump on me) What do you mean, you're putting on that old moldy show, "Guys and Dolls"?!. *sighs* Don't get me wrong. New shows are great. Just... new shows with level-headed directors are needed.

[dancindramadude]

Posted: 5/8/05 at 7:01pm

I just recently saw a high school performance of Beauty and the Beast and was shocked that it wasnt as horrible as I thought it would be (I am an incredibly critical person). The talent was great and the castle set was pretty cool (the town and out side of the castle sucked though). Next year a community college will be doing B&TB also and I hope it looks good because I wanna be in it.

If my old high school did Wicked right now, they have a perfect Glinda nd Elphaba, other than that I cant imagine anyone else who could be cast though. The technology at my high school is great so the technical aspect would be great but it would be hard to cast an entire show in high school.

Most high schools would be unable to pull of Millie because almost nobody is taking tap anymore, it is hard enough to find make dancers as it is much less tap dancers.

Hairspray would be hard to do because of trying to find that many Afrucan Americans. It would be great to give over weight girls that chance and gay boys, but the lack of racial diversity in most places would be hard. Although a local youth theatre company known for doing great shows will want to be doing it and I think it will be amazing.

I would love to do RENT in college. Next year my college is going to try to do Urinetown, and I think it is perfect for colleges and high schools.

I think the music reviews would be great too. All Shook Up and Mamma Mia and stuff like that would be great. Although I dont think Lennon the Musical (which I just saw and was amazing) could be pulled off by a high school.

Newsies would be so much fun in a high school, but so many of the roles would have to be played by girls because it is impossible to find guys in theatre, much less guys who can dance.

Sean

[EganFan2]

Posted: 5/8/05 at 7:14pm

I largely suspect that high schools don't want to do a classic musical because they're "old".