State Fair - Musical
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Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Play Suggestions
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URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4034
Printed Date: 11/26/24 at 11:40am
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Topic: State Fair - Musical
Posted By: mcplayers
Subject: State Fair - Musical
Date 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. |
Replies:
Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 5/23/09 at 8:00pm
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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 |
Posted By: belle
Date Posted: 5/24/09 at 2:23pm
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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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Posted By: mcplayers
Date 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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Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 5/29/09 at 12:14pm
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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 |
Posted By: 75director
Date Posted: 5/29/09 at 1:31pm
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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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Posted By: Goldberry
Date Posted: 7/08/09 at 10:54pm
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Hello all!
We are also considering State Fair. How many scene changes are there? We're concerned about that :-/
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Posted By: belle
Date Posted: 7/09/09 at 12:19am
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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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Posted By: Goldberry
Date 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. |
Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 7/09/09 at 12:29pm
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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 |
Posted By: Scott B
Date Posted: 7/15/09 at 6:25pm
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Oddly enough, the soundtrack for State Fair is in my CD player in the car and has been for a long time. Belle mentioned having one song that is in Cinderella. I had never seen Cinderella till this year and was really surprised when I heard it. I love the music from that show, but we've never had the opportunity to do it. I'm guessing most of the kids around here wouldn't want to do it anyway. Still ... I did see it performed once I think the simpleness of the show works. |
Posted By: musikman1
Date Posted: 8/04/09 at 3:54pm
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Fun music! A buddy of mine (Scott Woolley) scored the dances and Overture/Entracte type stuff..
R&H HATED him, because he's always sticking in little musical "jokes," and they attempted to excise them all, but didn't manage..
When listening to the overture, you'll hear a homage to "The Magnificent Seven," and if you listen carefully, you'll hear the bass line lilt to "Marian the Librarian" hiding in there..
If you have to cut orch members, try to keep at least 2 tpt, tbn, and 3 Reeds (1-2-3), to do the numbers justice!
Oh (blush) and if you'd like to hear some track samples so that you might do a combination of live/tracks to get the full sound, drop me a note and I'll email you a few! :)
(NOTE: Pity the poor dawg that won't wag his own tail..)
------------- Rick http://www.bway2.com/tracks |