Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: State Fair

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mcplayers
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Topic: State Fair - Musical
Posted: 5/23/09 at 8:22am

Has anyone ever done the Musical State Fair? Tams has it and before we try to order I wanted to get some input.

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tristanrobin
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Posted: 5/23/09 at 8:00pm

I love it - but it's very old fashioned and the choral parts are not easy.

If you have a lot of young people, they might think it's quite corny - but it's sweet in that Oklahoma! kind of way.

http://tristanrobin.blogspot.com

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belle
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Posted: 5/24/09 at 2:23pm

It is lovely in an old fashioned way. The best known song is It's a Grand Night for Singing. I think one of the songs for the adult couple is also used on Cinderella--Boys and Girls Like You and Me.

There are lovely songs for a adult married couple and for two younger couples. There is a cute one for a barbershop quartet about the hog.

There is plenty of corny humor that older people will like.

I have directed it twice and is it was popular both times. I also saw it in DesMoines, which is where it is set. They had a huge set and a wonderful show.

I saw a wonderful production in downstate Illinois, also and stole many ideas on how to do the rather complicated set changes and how to "fake" the car and hog trailer.

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mcplayers
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Posted: 5/25/09 at 3:33pm

Thank you both! Old fashion works good for us. We have never done this one before. We've done Oklahoma, Seven Brides, Annie Get Your Gun, and all the other classics. We thought about doing My Fair Lady again but it is so long. Right now we are tossing State Fair and Oliver. We have some great kids for Oliver but we have done this before as well. Is State Fair a long one?

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tristanrobin
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Posted: 5/29/09 at 12:14pm

Well, LOL, it IS Rogers and Hammerstein - and they don't write a song that they dont think is worthy of an encore and a reprise at some point. But, it's not as long as My Fair Lady or Oliver.

http://tristanrobin.blogspot.com

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75director
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Posted: 5/29/09 at 1:31pm

We did it a few years ago. Corny but a crowd pleaser, esspecially in the Midwest. Aside from "Grand Night for Singing" and "Might as Well Be spring" the score is kind of forgetable. Wait strike that the tribute to hogs, ala barbershop is very funny if done right.

There's some dramatic structure problems with the book, in that Act I doesn't end on a real strong crisis. That's due to the fact the show was orginally written as a movie and as such didn't have to worry about sending you into an intermission wanting to come back to see what happens next.

Overall though a solid crowd pleaser and was a hit for us. Though our actors never want to waltz to "Grand Night for singing" again. HA!

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Goldberry
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Posted: 7/08/09 at 10:54pm

Hello all!

We are also considering State Fair. How many scene changes are there? We're concerned about that :-/

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belle
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Posted: 7/09/09 at 12:19am

The first and last scenes take place on the farm. You need to see the kitchen and outside, too.

At the fair there is the midway, place where jam is judged, a hillside where they camp.

We did it with two units that could be reversed with picket fence on one side and bench on the other of one. The other one had a bench and a kitchen counter.

We had a corn field backdrop that we removed to reveal the midway. The midway stayed the rest of the time until we went back to the farm.

It is fairly complicated but can be suggested.

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Goldberry
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Posted: 7/09/09 at 7:06am

That's what we had heard. I read there were something like 24 different scene changes. But I wondered if all the fair scenes could be done at the same backdrop.

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tristanrobin
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Posted: 7/09/09 at 12:29pm

STATE FAIR takes place over five days in late August of 1946 on the Frake farm in Brunswick, Iowa and at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines.

SPECIFIC LOCATIONS
The Frake Farm
On the Road to Des Moines
The Midway at the Hoop-La Booth
The Midway at the Temple of Wonder
The Beer Tent
Outside the Dairy Pavilion
The Starlight Dance Meadow
Camper's Hill
Exhibition Hall
A Nearby Hillside
Outside the Livestock Pavilion

http://tristanrobin.blogspot.com

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Author	Message
mcplayers Walk-On Joined: 3/21/09 Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Topic: State Fair - Musical Posted: 5/23/09 at 8:22am
	Has anyone ever done the Musical State Fair? Tams has it and before we try to order I wanted to get some input.

	IP Logged

tristanrobin Celebrity Joined: 4/25/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 704	Posted: 5/23/09 at 8:00pm
	I love it - but it's very old fashioned and the choral parts are not easy. If you have a lot of young people, they might think it's quite corny - but it's sweet in that Oklahoma! kind of way.
	http://tristanrobin.blogspot.com
	IP Logged

belle Star Joined: 9/12/06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 75	Posted: 5/24/09 at 2:23pm
	It is lovely in an old fashioned way. The best known song is It's a Grand Night for Singing. I think one of the songs for the adult couple is also used on Cinderella--Boys and Girls Like You and Me. There are lovely songs for a adult married couple and for two younger couples. There is a cute one for a barbershop quartet about the hog. There is plenty of corny humor that older people will like. I have directed it twice and is it was popular both times. I also saw it in DesMoines, which is where it is set. They had a huge set and a wonderful show. I saw a wonderful production in downstate Illinois, also and stole many ideas on how to do the rather complicated set changes and how to "fake" the car and hog trailer.
	IP Logged

mcplayers Walk-On Joined: 3/21/09 Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 5/25/09 at 3:33pm
	Thank you both! Old fashion works good for us. We have never done this one before. We've done Oklahoma, Seven Brides, Annie Get Your Gun, and all the other classics. We thought about doing My Fair Lady again but it is so long. Right now we are tossing State Fair and Oliver. We have some great kids for Oliver but we have done this before as well. Is State Fair a long one?
	IP Logged

tristanrobin Celebrity Joined: 4/25/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 704	Posted: 5/29/09 at 12:14pm
	Well, LOL, it IS Rogers and Hammerstein - and they don't write a song that they dont think is worthy of an encore and a reprise at some point. But, it's not as long as My Fair Lady or Oliver.
	http://tristanrobin.blogspot.com
	IP Logged

75director Celebrity Joined: 8/19/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 122	Posted: 5/29/09 at 1:31pm
	We did it a few years ago. Corny but a crowd pleaser, esspecially in the Midwest. Aside from "Grand Night for Singing" and "Might as Well Be spring" the score is kind of forgetable. Wait strike that the tribute to hogs, ala barbershop is very funny if done right. There's some dramatic structure problems with the book, in that Act I doesn't end on a real strong crisis. That's due to the fact the show was orginally written as a movie and as such didn't have to worry about sending you into an intermission wanting to come back to see what happens next. Overall though a solid crowd pleaser and was a hit for us. Though our actors never want to waltz to "Grand Night for singing" again. HA!
	IP Logged

Goldberry Walk-On Joined: 11/03/08 Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 7/08/09 at 10:54pm
	Hello all! We are also considering State Fair. How many scene changes are there? We're concerned about that :-/
	IP Logged

belle Star Joined: 9/12/06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 75	Posted: 7/09/09 at 12:19am
	The first and last scenes take place on the farm. You need to see the kitchen and outside, too. At the fair there is the midway, place where jam is judged, a hillside where they camp. We did it with two units that could be reversed with picket fence on one side and bench on the other of one. The other one had a bench and a kitchen counter. We had a corn field backdrop that we removed to reveal the midway. The midway stayed the rest of the time until we went back to the farm. It is fairly complicated but can be suggested.
	IP Logged

Goldberry Walk-On Joined: 11/03/08 Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 7/09/09 at 7:06am
	That's what we had heard. I read there were something like 24 different scene changes. But I wondered if all the fair scenes could be done at the same backdrop.
	IP Logged

tristanrobin Celebrity Joined: 4/25/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 704	Posted: 7/09/09 at 12:29pm
	STATE FAIR takes place over five days in late August of 1946 on the Frake farm in Brunswick, Iowa and at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines. SPECIFIC LOCATIONS The Frake Farm On the Road to Des Moines The Midway at the Hoop-La Booth The Midway at the Temple of Wonder The Beer Tent Outside the Dairy Pavilion The Starlight Dance Meadow Camper's Hill Exhibition Hall A Nearby Hillside Outside the Livestock Pavilion
	http://tristanrobin.blogspot.com
	IP Logged

Topic: State Fair - Musical( Topic Closed)
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