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Family Friendly with a large cast

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Play Suggestions
Forum Discription: Need help finding a show that's right for your theater? Ask here.
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2200
Printed Date: 11/25/24 at 10:35pm
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Topic: Family Friendly with a large cast
Posted By: SpazzingSM
Subject: Family Friendly with a large cast
Date Posted: 1/06/07 at 12:45pm
I am involved in a church summer theatre program and we are currently looking for a musical with large chorus (we don't turn any of the children away) that is family friendly and will sell. We've done Oliver, Fiddler, Music Man, Peter Pan, Camelot, and the Wizard of Oz.  Does any one have any suggestions? 
 
Also I was wondering if any one knows of a stage version of Newsies.
 
Thanks
 
Allie


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"Imagination is more important than knowledge" ~Einstein



Replies:
Posted By: mikejmurray
Date Posted: 1/06/07 at 1:10pm
Bye Bye Birdie is always fun...


Posted By: Nanette
Date Posted: 1/06/07 at 4:46pm
How about Seussical the Musical or Annie?

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In a world of margarine, be butter!


Posted By: charlz
Date Posted: 1/09/07 at 2:04pm
There's always the King and I and Oklahoma.


Posted By: jphock
Date Posted: 1/11/07 at 8:37am
We did The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (the Broadway Musical) this past summer with a cast of 15 adults and 45 kids and it was GREAT. Very family friendly....

Licensed through MTI


Posted By: SBshowstopper
Date Posted: 1/15/07 at 5:16pm
Big River is a wonderful show! All age groups are represented, fun music and a message. Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn and Roger Miller music. Costumes are do-able. Can be done on a unit set. The only negitives are you need a black actor who can sing for the part of Jim, and the "n" word (we took it out.)

Children of Eden is a good one. Not a lot for the kids -We had them be the animals going into Noah's arc and the children for the families at  Eve's death. The story is woven into beautiful music by Stephen Swartz. Well worth looking into for a church group.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is fun!  Children are a chorus and appear  at the begining and as an angel choir.

Seussical is a good show, costumes are a challenge. It has tons of music. We did it with teens, most of whom are involved with theatre year round. They spent a lot of time on harmonies.

Good luck with your production. It is wonderful that you do not turn away any kids. They are lucky to live in your community.


Posted By: Thespian_4_ever
Date Posted: 4/19/07 at 9:57pm

I second the Adventures of Tom Sawyer saw it at the New Theatre in Kansas City and it was wonderful...



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Posted By: B-M-D
Date Posted: 4/20/07 at 12:38pm
[QUOTE=SBshowstopper] The only negitives are you need a black actor who can sing for the part of Jim, and the "n" word (we took it out.)/QUOTE]
 
I assume you meant because it's tough to find actors of color.   As for taking the "n" word out I'd have advised against it: 1. beacuse you have no right to and have to perform the show as written and 2. It was part of the culture of the period portrayed whether for good or ill it's how people thought & spoke and is a reflection of THAT period of time and not contemporary sensibilites.   Political correctness yet again offends everyone.  It's a vain attempt to offend no one, kills intelligent discussion and doing thoughtful, moving & provocative theatre.
 
But I digress... how about  Meet Me in St Louis.   Large cast but late 1800's, early 1900's costuming and it's a four season show.   Annie is always a winner.   And of course there the musical du jour: Disney's High School Musical.


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BD

"Dying is easy, comedy is hard."


Posted By: Claud
Date Posted: 5/01/07 at 11:27pm
There is a musical version of Earl Hamner's "The Homecoming," the story on which TV's "The Waltons" was based.


Posted By: timokay
Date Posted: 5/02/07 at 6:41pm
We just did Meet Me In St. Louis, and it was a wonderful show. Large cast (lots of extras in dance numbers and crowd scenes).

But we did notice that younger audience members found it hard to follow. It has a smart script, with very little visual comedy, since the show is about a love relationship. Our matinees of 4th to 6th grade school children pretty much sat in silence until the musical numbers.

They loved the Cable Car though.. Approve


Posted By: trutter
Date Posted: 5/09/07 at 1:42pm
I second the nomination for Bye Bye Birdie.  It's a fun show, can have as many or as few "kids" in some of the scenes as you want.

You can even change Ed Sullivan to Ryan Seacrest! 

Well, you COULD... but I wouldn't. ;)


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Troy A. Rutter
Author, "Kids in the Biz: A Hollywood Handbook for Parents"
http://www.kidsinthebiz.com/ - http://www.kidsinthebiz.com/
A Heinemann Drama Publication


Posted By: donzolidis
Date Posted: 5/15/07 at 1:38am

You might want to try Beauty and the Beast. Lots of different roles--villagers, kids, wolves, spoons, etc...

Kind of tech heavy, but you'll definitely pull in audience.



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www.donzolidis.com


Posted By: Thespian_4_ever
Date Posted: 5/20/07 at 11:31pm
Scrooge, if your looking for a Christmas show...

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