Suggestion for a musical?
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=5207
Printed Date: 11/22/24 at 8:57pm
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Topic: Suggestion for a musical?
Posted By: jayzehr
Subject: Suggestion for a musical?
Date Posted: 11/18/11 at 3:39pm
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We're looking to do a musical after a very long hiatus--basically starting from scratch. We need something smaller, not too many male roles and with name recognition--like Nunsense for example. Any other suggestions?
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Replies:
Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 11/24/11 at 6:12pm
The Fantasticks
Dames At Sea
The Man With A Load Of Mischief
I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change
I Do, I Do
Jacques Brel Is Alive And Well And Living In Paris
The Last Five Years
Celebration
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Posted By: jayzehr
Date Posted: 11/26/11 at 4:28pm
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Thanks! Someone else has also mentioned the Fantasticks to us.
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Posted By: Scott B
Date Posted: 11/26/11 at 10:02pm
The Taffetas is only 4 gals. It doesn't measure up to Forever Plaid, but if the gals sing well (and you've got a good director) then the song list will bring in a lot of the older theatre crowd ... which in most cases does well at the box office.
Grand Night For Singing has 3 f / 2 m and the music is wonderful. There is no speaking but the show really has a nice flow to it.
My Way is a tribute to Frank Sinatra with two guys and two gals.
Dames at Sea was mentioned earlier ... very fun show.
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Posted By: David McCall
Date Posted: 11/27/11 at 12:31pm
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I dearly love the Fantastiks and always wanted to do it. They did it as the first show the summer that I did stock, but my mom made me stay for graduation, so I only got to see it. I saw it in the 60s during it's long off Broadway run in New York, and in stock in New Hampshire.
Two things though. Read through the script to see if it fits the sensibilities of your community. There are a few items tn the show that aren't as politically correct as some people require these days. In particular the song that describes the many types of "rapes" that can be performed. The other is that the score just doesn't sound right without a harp. In the show I saw in New Hampshire they used a synthesizer with a musician that was able to simulate a harp pretty well and it worked, but I'm betting that there are not a lot of keyboard players that can pull it off.
The set really wants to be very simple. A smallish platform with 2 poles that can be used to hang a couple of rags (one is a sign with the show's name). There is a trunk that is used as an entrance for a couple of actors as well as a source of props and you need a ladder to represent a tree to climb. That is about it. Everything else is left to the mute or the imagination.
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David M
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Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 11/27/11 at 5:13pm
A recent "Fantasticks" that I saw had lyrics pertaining to a "raid", rather than a "rape". It was my understanding that the song had been re-written by the original authors in order to be more politically correct. So I don't think that particular number would be an issue.
It's a magical show about young love and lost innocence; but if it's played too arch or coy by the actors or the director, it's turns downright irritating. It's one of my favorites, but it can be a minefield in all but the most competent of hands. I highly recommend it, but don't let it get too "cute". You'll wreck it. And Mr. McCall is absolutely correct. Keep it simple, simple, simple. That's part of its charm.
By the way - you'll have great built-in advertising. "The Fantasticks" is the longest running off-Broadway show in history. The original production ran for 42 continuous years (17,162 performances).
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Posted By: TonyDi
Date Posted: 11/28/11 at 7:28am
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I co-directed and music directed The Fantasticks at a local college here that was a Christian based institution and in a town that is very conservative when it comes to certain things. The main director is the head of the theater department at the college - and HE made the decision to leave the rape scene in, with it's dialogue and all the music as written and there was absolutely no fall-out, no comment, no issue at all. I think in part this show is so very well established, people KNOW what it is from it's long, long history, many who would see it - have already seen it someplace and sometime before - so they know going in what it involves....and seemed to not have any problem with it. The "rape" scene if done right is more comical than rude or in-your-face and is the essence of suggestion more than anything at all - including any sexual references or anything of the like. It seemed to me to be more about "taking from someone, something that they value" more than any sexual innuendos or such EXCEPT that it is romance based.
It's a great show and as Edh has said - simplilcity is key to making it work. I will grant that it IS a little dated musically but incredibly difficult to play. Actually I couldn't play it - rather I sequenced the whole show for rehearsals and we had a hired pianist and bassist. Sadly couldn't get a harpist - they ARE few and far between. But during rehearsals of course I had the harp midi'ed so they at least got to hear that element. I think this is a great show to do and involves a small enough cast to make it an enjoyable show for everyone involved. And as Edh said also, it's an ADULT show - conceptual in nature and shouldn't be "too cute" otherwise it becomes an hour and a half joke. And for the singers it's NOT a cakewalk either. There are a couple of the songs for the boy and the girl - plus El Gallo - which are relatively difficult to perform well. If you let it get too cute then it becomes something that looks juvenile. And keeping in the rape references quickly moves it out of that juvenile category into the more adult vein. And then with a good director, from that can come a great show - that while very "conceptual" in nature, has enough of a through line as to not be TOO heady or cosmic. Conceptual shows DO have a way of doing that - think Roar of the Greasepaint....THAT show it great, but way dated and it's all about playing games where the creator of the game makes the rules up as he goes and always wins against the poor lacky who always loses until he or she gets enough courage to compete to win against SIR - and then the idea of the games fall apart into chaos. It's VERY conceptual and some people just don't like that. But Fantasticks is concept light to a degree since it's far and above more romantic and sweet with the blossoming love of the boy and the girl - interrupted by conniving (and feuding fathers) and El Gallo who is hired to bring them together by being the jealousy element - only he falls for the girl too or has pre-contrived other intentions just to take the money AND the girl....but in the end really has enough guilt that he redeems himself by not acting on his intentions.
Interesting show to look at - might not work for your group. But there are the Nunsense shows, Pump Boys and Dinettes - another small group but fun, fun show mostly music but strung together loosely with a through line (though not much).
Anyway good luck. Many things to consider.
Have fun.
TonyDi
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"Almost famous"
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Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 11/28/11 at 11:22am
Perhaps we should explain the whole "rape" situation. Within the context of the show, it isn't harsh and ugly, like a true rape would obviously be. You see, the story concerns two fathers, next door neighbors, who have always cherished the thought that their two children - one boy and one girl - will grow up, get married, and live happily ever after. In order to achieve that goal, they build a wall between the two houses and forbid the kids to see each other - because once you tell a child "no" it's almost certain that they'll disobey you.
As the play opens, the time is ripe for the next stage of the romance. The fathers hire an adventurer, El Gallo, to kidnap the girl so the boy can rescue her and then a happy ending won't be far behind. In discussing the abduction, El Gallo refers to it as a rape ("The proper word is rape, short and business like"). He then goes into an upbeat song about the different abduction/rapes the fathers can get depending on how much they're willing to pay.
"You can get the rape ecstatic,
You can get the rape polite.
You can get the rape with Indians,
A very charming sight.
You can get the rape on horseback.
They all say it's distingue.
So you see the sort of rape depends on what you pay.
It depends on what you pay.
- - -
The Gothic rape,
I play Valkyrie on a bass bassoon.
The drunken rape,
It's done completely in a cheap saloon.
- - -
The rape Venetian
Needs a blue lagooon.
The rape with moonlight
Or without a moon.
- - -
The military rape,
It's done with drummers and a band!"
(My apologies. I don't remember all of the lyrics.)
The abduction is successful. The boy rescues the girl and they all live happily ever after.
What makes the show remarkable is: this all happens by the end of the first act. The brilliance of "The Fantasticks" is that it carries the couple beyond "happily ever after." There are life lessons to be learned. All is not sunshine and roses. And a little bit of sadness hides behind most of the happiness in the world. The couple splits up. They each encounter sorrow and pain. Then they find their way back to each other - where they may not be safe from sorrow, but where they will be able to comfort each other if sorrow comes to either of them.
Four songs from the show became moderate hits in the 1960's. Ed Ames recorded "Try to Remember", and Barbra Streisand recorded three songs" "Soon It's Gonna Rain", "Much More", and "I Can See It".
Check out YouTube. You'll see some clips from the show (both good and bad, so you'll be able to see what to avoid). And if you don't do it this time, I hope you do it "some time" because it is a life-changing show when it's done well.
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Posted By: David McCall
Date Posted: 11/28/11 at 11:57pm
Such a wonderful description of the spirit of the show. I didn't mean to imply that I personally had any objection to the show, but I have heard at least one woman that felt that the show was disgusting in several ways and who would want to do a musical with a lengthy song about rape. This is certainly not my opinion though. I just like to warn people when I know about potential bumps in the road.
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David M
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Posted By: Oberon
Date Posted: 11/29/11 at 11:46am
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All of your comments hold true about the possible offense of the term "rape" except for one crucial note. If you look at a definition of the word an older meaning of the word "rape" means "abduction" which is exactly what the scene and song is about. As an analogy, to make my point clearer how about the word "gay." It once meant to be "happy" and now has a different more dominant meaning. The Gay 90's has nothing to do with sexual orientation and the song "It Depends On What You Pay" and The Rape Ballet have nothing to do with a sexual attack. The majority of audiences should understand that especialy due to the comic approach and the words of El Gallo.
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Posted By: jayteeFFP
Date Posted: 11/30/11 at 4:15pm
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Small cast musicals that I really like are :
I Love You, Your Perfect. Now Change
25 Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Godspell
Forever Plaid
Company
I also recently saw a production of "Stop the World, I Wanna Get Off". I know its old and not very well known but it was fun and has great songs.
It's 1 man and 5 Women.
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REMEMBER ME IN LIGHT
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Posted By: David McCall
Date Posted: 11/30/11 at 6:06pm
Here's another of my favorites that is rarely sung. "The roar of the greasepaint, the smell of the crowd" Mostly 2 main characters and a few urchins.
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David M
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