Children's Theatre musicals
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Play Suggestions
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URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3167
Printed Date: 11/25/24 at 10:31am
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Topic: Children's Theatre musicals
Posted By: Nanette
Subject: Children's Theatre musicals
Date Posted: 5/08/08 at 10:22am
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As many of you know, I run a children's theatre ... the cast, the crew, the whole lot is made up of kids (aged 8-19).
It's great fun, but lately they have been begging me for a musical. I've recently started a poll among them and it seems they have very specifics about musicals they want to do (Now realize that the only "musical" they've seen is HSM on the Disney channel!).
1. MOST of them will not sing a solo (uh ... hello ... don't most musicals have solos?!). I think two have said they'll sing a solo.
2. It must be something MODERN (meaning no "costumes" ... give 'em jeans and a ratty t-shirt).
3. Nothing too serious.
Our theatre was developed so that our productions would be based on literature (to help promote reading) ... that leaves out HSM (THANK GOD!).
We've done Best Christmas Pageant Ever! in the past (modern attire and not too serious) and will be staging Gooney Bird Greene this fall (again, modern attire and not too serious). Neither is a musical, however. :o(
Some of us on the board are seriously thinking about writing something like Rent, JR and have the kids suffer from ADHD and unpopularity. LOL
My question ... anyone know of a musical, based on literature, that would have few solos, be modern, and not serious?! Any off-the-wall suggestions (like Rent, JR) would be great comic relief! ------------- In a world of margarine, be butter! |
Replies:
Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 5/08/08 at 12:19pm
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How about a heavily staged "reading" of any musical, with the musical numbers sung by various groups of people. It could all be done in modern dress - with minimal costuming and set design - and everybody on stage throughout the entire thing with focus pulled with lighting and staging. You can probably get some great arrangements for chorale bits (BTAS school sort of things) for most musicals - and get a different sound than just trying to copy the original cast album. It also means that your "leads" in the musical wouldn't have to be the best singers - which is often a very good thing LOL> |
Posted By: LabRat
Date Posted: 5/08/08 at 4:27pm
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West Side Story? (ok.. some solo's.. but definitely modern (ish)) ------------- --- The part isn't yours, until it is offered to you. |
Posted By: belle
Date Posted: 5/08/08 at 11:19pm
| Try Pioneer Drama Services (google it). It has several musicals based on literature. They come with a performance/accompaniment CD. You can peruse the script and piano score and buy (cheaply) a CD with parts of all the songs. I looked at their Tom Sawyer. There are several duets and chorus numbers with a few solos. Hope this helps. |
Posted By: spikesgirl
Date Posted: 5/09/08 at 10:20am
We did "Once on This Island jr.", "Honk Jr", "Dear Edwina Jr.",in modern dress and will tackle "Seussical the Musical Jr", which would work for the literature tie in. There is always "Frog and Toad" (for your two solo folks), We did it all in modern dress with small face masks. Sold plush frogs in the lobby and sold over 4000 in a four week run. Anything by the Paperbag Players is easy(all set pieces are made of paper/cardboard, etc) and in regular clothes. No literary tie-in though. "SkupperDuppers" and "Golliwhompers" (I think that's their titles) acknowledges literature from around the globe. There's always "Tales of Hans Christine Anderson" (we did it with modern dress and four large books).
Hope that helps a little!
Charlie
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Posted By: Lazy Bee
Date Posted: 5/10/08 at 4:02am
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Some of the following might work for you (the links will take you to an overview of each, from which you can get to the full script on-line):- http://www.lazybeescripts.co.uk/cgi-bin/Search_Results.asp?iSc=49 - Romeo Loves Juliet - based on literature, obviously, but a modern setting. http://www.lazybeescripts.co.uk/cgi-bin/Search_Results.asp?iSc=545 - A New You - not based on literature - set in the TV studio of a make-over show! Otherwise, http://www.lazybeescripts.co.uk/cgi-bin/Search_Results.asp?iAR=4&iC%281%29=2&iC%284%29=1&iC%2820%29=1&sSp1=All_Scores - skim through this list , though I think that many are too far from your spec - lots of solos (Big Shot), costumes (A Grimm Night for Hans Chistian Andersen) or both (Dracula - A Pain in the Neck)... ------------- Stuart Lazy Bee Scripts http://www.lazybeescripts.co.uk - http://www.lazybeescripts.co.uk read complete play scripts on-line |
Posted By: JoyExcellence
Date Posted: 5/13/08 at 10:44pm
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No Costumes?! Children's Theatre??? I don't think you can actually call it "theatre" if your actors are not willing to go into a show with 100% dedication... which means costumes. You might call it a "revue" or "show".... but I don't think you can call it "musical theatre" if it lacks solos, choreography, props and costumes. Your theatre bases itself on classics and literature, so I am sure you want high quality productions, and you should not expect less from musicals. Sometimes doing something right means stepping out of your comfort zone. You may think they do not want costumes or solos, but if you demand excellence and commitment... meaning YOU lay out the rules and tell them what you expect, you will realize your creativity is able to soar and your brightest, most talented children will step up to the plate and make you proud. Honestly, if you empower them with leadership, they will follow.I wouldn't let them tell you how to run your theatre. You are the boss... you are the director... you should decide what kind of quality you want from the kids, and watch them rise to the occassion.
In the meantime, Alice In Wonderland and Wizard of Oz are based from wonderful literature for children. Look into those... but they do require costumes! ------------- |
Posted By: Nanette
Date Posted: 5/14/08 at 9:53am
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Thanks for all of the suggestions. belle ... I've looked seriously at Pioneer's musicals and they look like an option for my space/budget. I've also looked at 'Bunnicula' and would love to do 'Honk, Jr.' if it was in my budget (MTI can be rather spendy).
spikesgirl ... do you have a website for 'SkupperDuppers and Golliwhompers'?
Joy ... I've been doing this for over 20 years. Trust me, I DEMAND and RECEIVE excellence from my actors. Remember, though, that they are mostly teens and tweens ... they live for jeans and t-shirts. Nearly everything I've done with this group (and others) have been strong costume shows. I've done 'Alice in Wonderland' TWICE (I never want to sew fur pants again!) and 'Wizard of Oz' but really don't want to continue beating a dead horse (Don't all theatres do those two shows at least once?!) Has anyone done 'Bat Boy'?
Keep the ideas coming and thanks to everyone who's presented suggestions, thoughts, and comments! :) ------------- In a world of margarine, be butter! |
Posted By: spikesgirl
Date Posted: 5/14/08 at 10:29am
Sadly, I don't, as the shows were like 15 years ago, but the artistic committee has a meeting this afternoon and I will ask the director if she remembers which company offered the scripts. She has really good recall as does most of the other folks on the panal. Perhaps one of them can thinkof something else - have you considered "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" or "Snoopy"? Vocally shouldn't be too tough and the book is cute.
Charlie
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Posted By: gaftpres
Date Posted: 5/14/08 at 10:35am
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http://www.mtikidscollection.com/default_HOME.asp - www.MTIKidsCollection.com
http://www.BroadwayJr.com - www.BroadwayJr.com
These two sites will be good to search for some ideas. ------------- Old volunteers never die, they just get recycled! |
Posted By: belle
Date Posted: 5/14/08 at 3:15pm
| Have you ever used Popplers. They have cute, simple musicals for elementary and middle school. |
Posted By: theatremonkey
Date Posted: 6/04/08 at 2:03pm
 doing a show without costumes is retarded------------- theatre monkey |
Posted By: mary051756
Date Posted: 6/12/08 at 8:13am
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I think Oliver! - has the literary tie in you're looking for and, for the most part, it's pretty easy to costume since the waifs can use their own jeans and such - you might even be able to modernize Fagin a bit! ------------- “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” EMERSON |
Posted By: kthuerbach
Date Posted: 6/24/08 at 10:19pm
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How about Tom Sawyer? It's lots of jeans, long cutoffs and ratty collared shirts! The girls are a little "prissier" but it's a place to start! Good luck. I, too, do children's theater, but ALL of ours are musicals! ------------- Kathy Thuerbach Executive/Artistic Director CYT Tucson 520-751-7510 |
Posted By: lmar12
Date Posted: 7/07/08 at 4:27pm
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I have worked in Children's Theatre and with high school students for 17 years now--as a director but mostly as a costumer (right now working on my 71st show) I am having a hard time understanding (believing?) that kids would prefer to wear jeans and tee-shirts. I can't keep the kids away from dressing up in everything they can get their hands on! We recently did The WIZ where the pit singers got to design their own costumes. (They were on stage nearly the entire show and I used them like a modified 'Greek Chorus') Anyway--I told them Urban and Edgy. One guy dressed as a sort-of Jack the Ripper. He said it was 19th century urban and edgy! NONE of them looked like regular every-day teenagers--they all created a character and dressed themselves accordingly. Hasn't everyone ever noticied the way your show gets soooo much better once the actors put on their costumes? They get 'away' from themselves and act like the character. I think a costume gives the student 'permission' if you will ---to be someone else and to sing and dance and be creative on stage.
Also, if you aren't doing musicals right now you are probably missing a lot of students who would like to perform with your group. Here is a short list--Seussical, The WIZ, The Wind in the Willow (divide the storyteller into a dozen parts--group storytelling--works really well) There are several Winnie the Pooh stories. (use sweatshirts or animal prints instead of fur--I NEVER use fur since I went through two sewing machines in five years!)
Really Rosie ( a very fun script) School House Rock, The Cat in the Castle, Alexander and the No Good, Very Bad Day, 4 Tales from Hans Christian Anderson (dress the ducks in rain slickers and have them wear in-line skates!) and if you are in Wisconsin or anywhere near it Packer Fans from Outerspace!
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Posted By: joanna
Date Posted: 8/27/08 at 12:16pm
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Charlie Brown and Snoopy could be done in light costume- perhaps with just some dog ears and feathers! the music is pretty easy...I think...it's been awhile. But you could always change solos to duets- or have a chorus + the cast of characters. But the cast size is small- and I'm not sure that comic stips count as literature! Tom Sawyer is a lovely musical as well:)
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