Open Forum

Hello everyone! I know there are a lot of posts asking about suggestions for musicals and I love reading them. I have not found a discussion addressing this particular aspect, but forgive me if it seems repetitive. 

Our school is planning to do a musical next year for the first time since the opening of the school 10 years ago (they did High School Musical in 2006). While I have quite a bit of musical theatre experience in performing, this will be my first time ever directing a musical. I’m very excited but also very nervous. My primary concern at the moment is the singing. (Yeah, I know, not a good concern to have if you want to do a musical.)  Unfortunately, we have no choir program and are not likely to get one anytime soon. We are a large school and there are students with natural talent, but I don’t have anyone with any kind of training. We’ve done a little musical theatre in some of my upper level theatre classes, but not a lot. We have a fantastic band program and dance program and I have been working very hard to build the theatre program since I arrived last year (we did one production last year and two this year). Despite our lack of trained singers, my colleagues and I all feel like it’s time to take the plunge and try a musical. We’ll never know if we can do it until we try.  

Right now we’re leaning towards “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” because it’s small, simple for tech, and seems like a good “first musical.” Personally, I love the show but it’s going to be a really hard sell to both my students and my audiences so I’m trying to at least explore other options. I also have some reservations about the cast size. I need to build my program and I’m a little worried that having a cast of 6 or 7 may have the reverse effect. It may be our best bet anyway, but I’d love to hear other recommendations. What musicals have you directed and had success with in the years that you didn’t necessarily have the most stellar group of singers or didn’t know your talent pool very well ahead of time?

Thanks!

Hello everyone! I know there are a lot of posts asking about suggestions for musicals and I love reading them. I have not found a discussion addressing this particular aspect, but forgive me if it seems repetitive. 

Our school is planning to do a musical next year for the first time since the opening of the school 10 years ago (they did High School Musical in 2006). While I have quite a bit of musical theatre experience in performing, this will be my first time ever directing a musical. I’m very excited but also very nervous. My primary concern at the moment is the singing. (Yeah, I know, not a good concern to have if you want to do a musical.)  Unfortunately, we have no choir program and are not likely to get one anytime soon. We are a large school and there are students with natural talent, but I don’t have anyone with any kind of training. We’ve done a little musical theatre in some of my upper level theatre classes, but not a lot. We have a fantastic band program and dance program and I have been working very hard to build the theatre program since I arrived last year (we did one production last year and two this year). Despite our lack of trained singers, my colleagues and I all feel like it’s time to take the plunge and try a musical. We’ll never know if we can do it until we try.  

Right now we’re leaning towards “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” because it’s small, simple for tech, and seems like a good “first musical.” Personally, I love the show but it’s going to be a really hard sell to both my students and my audiences so I’m trying to at least explore other options. I also have some reservations about the cast size. I need to build my program and I’m a little worried that having a cast of 6 or 7 may have the reverse effect. It may be our best bet anyway, but I’d love to hear other recommendations. What musicals have you directed and had success with in the years that you didn’t necessarily have the most stellar group of singers or didn’t know your talent pool very well ahead of time?

Thanks!

Hello everyone! I know there are a lot of posts asking about suggestions for musicals and I love reading them. I have not found a discussion addressing this particular aspect, but forgive me if it seems repetitive. 

Our school is planning to do a musical next year for the first time since the opening of the school 10 years ago (they did High School Musical in 2006). While I have quite a bit of musical theatre experience in performing, this will be my first time ever directing a musical. I’m very excited but also very nervous. My primary concern at the moment is the singing. (Yeah, I know, not a good concern to have if you want to do a musical.)  Unfortunately, we have no choir program and are not likely to get one anytime soon. We are a large school and there are students with natural talent, but I don’t have anyone with any kind of training. We’ve done a little musical theatre in some of my upper level theatre classes, but not a lot. We have a fantastic band program and dance program and I have been working very hard to build the theatre program since I arrived last year (we did one production last year and two this year). Despite our lack of trained singers, my colleagues and I all feel like it’s time to take the plunge and try a musical. We’ll never know if we can do it until we try.  

Right now we’re leaning towards “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” because it’s small, simple for tech, and seems like a good “first musical.” Personally, I love the show but it’s going to be a really hard sell to both my students and my audiences so I’m trying to at least explore other options. I also have some reservations about the cast size. I need to build my program and I’m a little worried that having a cast of 6 or 7 may have the reverse effect. It may be our best bet anyway, but I’d love to hear other recommendations. What musicals have you directed and had success with in the years that you didn’t necessarily have the most stellar group of singers or didn’t know your talent pool very well ahead of time?

Thanks!

Hi Emily,

Building a Musical Theatre program is difficult. Our program has no feeder programs from the elementary or middle school levels so we are the first experience with Musical Theatre for our students, which means we have a lot of skill building to do with every musical. My suggestion is to select a musical with a large chorus, so that you can begin to lay a foundation with a larger group of students. Music Theatre International has several show that are geared for beginning programs in their Broadway Jr selections (Broadway Junior). You can also purchase orchestration, OrchExtra® that is can be your entire orchestra or support for the musician you need. You can work with it from the start of rehearsal so that your kids can jump right in with the learning the music for vocals and choreography. If you have an orchestra, then I have found the RehearScore®Plus a great tool for rehearsals,no need for a piano accompanist, students can have a copy of the show and you can modify the music as needed, you can even make the melody line louder so inexperienced singers can follow their part easily. However, the resources are not cheap - that is a consideration as you try to budget for a new project...

A small show has it's advantages! It may be easier for a new group to manage. A large show has more "moving parts," but it also gives you more to build with for the next year - also more audience :). Either way my suggestion is to give yourselves extra time, it is better to feel over prepared and confident than to feel under-prepared and end up with a negative experience. 

Good Luck to you and your students!!!!

My suggestion is HONK! Jr. Lots of resources are available, the cast can be small or large, not a lot of complicated choreography and the sets can be minimal or elaborate, the costumes can be quirky or simple.

Hi Emily,

Building a Musical Theatre program is difficult. Our program has no feeder programs from the elementary or middle school levels so we are the first experience with Musical Theatre for our students, which means we have a lot of skill building to do with every musical. My suggestion is to select a musical with a large chorus, so that you can begin to lay a foundation with a larger group of students. Music Theatre International has several show that are geared for beginning programs in their Broadway Jr selections (Broadway Junior). You can also purchase orchestration, OrchExtra® that is can be your entire orchestra or support for the musician you need. You can work with it from the start of rehearsal so that your kids can jump right in with the learning the music for vocals and choreography. If you have an orchestra, then I have found the RehearScore®Plus a great tool for rehearsals,no need for a piano accompanist, students can have a copy of the show and you can modify the music as needed, you can even make the melody line louder so inexperienced singers can follow their part easily. However, the resources are not cheap - that is a consideration as you try to budget for a new project...

A small show has it's advantages! It may be easier for a new group to manage. A large show has more "moving parts," but it also gives you more to build with for the next year - also more audience :). Either way my suggestion is to give yourselves extra time, it is better to feel over prepared and confident than to feel under-prepared and end up with a negative experience. 

Good Luck to you and your students!!!!

My suggestion is HONK! Jr. Lots of resources are available, the cast can be small or large, not a lot of complicated choreography and the sets can be minimal or elaborate, the costumes can be quirky or simple.

Hello everyone! I know there are a lot of posts asking about suggestions for musicals and I love reading them. I have not found a discussion addressing this particular aspect, but forgive me if it seems repetitive. 

Our school is planning to do a musical next year for the first time since the opening of the school 10 years ago (they did High School Musical in 2006). While I have quite a bit of musical theatre experience in performing, this will be my first time ever directing a musical. I’m very excited but also very nervous. My primary concern at the moment is the singing. (Yeah, I know, not a good concern to have if you want to do a musical.)  Unfortunately, we have no choir program and are not likely to get one anytime soon. We are a large school and there are students with natural talent, but I don’t have anyone with any kind of training. We’ve done a little musical theatre in some of my upper level theatre classes, but not a lot. We have a fantastic band program and dance program and I have been working very hard to build the theatre program since I arrived last year (we did one production last year and two this year). Despite our lack of trained singers, my colleagues and I all feel like it’s time to take the plunge and try a musical. We’ll never know if we can do it until we try.  

Right now we’re leaning towards “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” because it’s small, simple for tech, and seems like a good “first musical.” Personally, I love the show but it’s going to be a really hard sell to both my students and my audiences so I’m trying to at least explore other options. I also have some reservations about the cast size. I need to build my program and I’m a little worried that having a cast of 6 or 7 may have the reverse effect. It may be our best bet anyway, but I’d love to hear other recommendations. What musicals have you directed and had success with in the years that you didn’t necessarily have the most stellar group of singers or didn’t know your talent pool very well ahead of time?

Thanks!

I think the music for Charlie Brown is hard to sing.  It is not familiar and the tunes are not "catchy or memorable"  If I were you, I would choose a musical that you love.  Maybe even one that you did yourself when you were in high school.  Is there a voice teacher in town that would volunteer her talents to help you?  Or a parent with a passion for music that can help?  I am a voice teacher, and I have volunteered helping with musicals for years.  The plus for me, is that I picked up a few private students after volunteering, plus, I like to do community service.

If you choose a high school musical from Musical Theater International, they offer some nice helps.  I do not know if they allow high schools to do the Junior show, but that would be a nice way to start. I agree with "Once Upon a Mattress"  Cute show and lots of kids can participate.  You can find 2 leads that can sing for sure.  Look at the list on Musical Theater International and I bet something will just pop out at you.  I would not double cast anything, that is double the work.  "Bye Bye Birdie" is also a great show for teens, but it is not MTI.

Our Shows

Get help from parents after you have cast.  I suggest that you have a committee of 3 to help you with the casting.  Not parents, but other teachers or people from the community that you know are musical or go to the theater often.  You have the final say on the cast, but in the end, if parents complain, you can say that the committee helped with the casting. 

My biggest suggestion is to get help from anyone who is willing to help with singing and dancing.  Call the local dance studio and ask if any students can help you.  It looks great on their resume for college.  Usually the best dancers dance 5 nights a week, but there might be another dancer or teacher willing to help you.  Get the word out that you need volunteers.  There might even be a teacher at your school how danced up a storm in high school and can do the choreography for you.  At our local high school the special ed teacher does the choreography for all the musicals and she LOVES doing it.  

You can do it.  Email me if I can help with questions.  I am in France on a mission, but I have lots of experience. <maskemail>CorinneWalk4@...</maskemail>

I would think more about finding the cast to fit the parts for the musical you would like to do-- not so much that you pre-cast the musical-- I would never do that-- but do you have within your school likely candidates for the roles you need filled?

That being said, a lot of musicals can be simplified, so in that sense, I wouldn't worry about the experience too much-- rather "do I have the cast for this show".

Charlie Brown is pretty simple, but difficult to sing.  The simplicity of the show might allow you to focus on vocal work as well.  The Addams Family, also comes to mind as pretty simple-- albeit technically pretty demanding--- can be a lot of fun, too-- with a large ensemble of ancestors.

Good luck finding a show you are passionate about.

Hello everyone! I know there are a lot of posts asking about suggestions for musicals and I love reading them. I have not found a discussion addressing this particular aspect, but forgive me if it seems repetitive. 

Our school is planning to do a musical next year for the first time since the opening of the school 10 years ago (they did High School Musical in 2006). While I have quite a bit of musical theatre experience in performing, this will be my first time ever directing a musical. I’m very excited but also very nervous. My primary concern at the moment is the singing. (Yeah, I know, not a good concern to have if you want to do a musical.)  Unfortunately, we have no choir program and are not likely to get one anytime soon. We are a large school and there are students with natural talent, but I don’t have anyone with any kind of training. We’ve done a little musical theatre in some of my upper level theatre classes, but not a lot. We have a fantastic band program and dance program and I have been working very hard to build the theatre program since I arrived last year (we did one production last year and two this year). Despite our lack of trained singers, my colleagues and I all feel like it’s time to take the plunge and try a musical. We’ll never know if we can do it until we try.  

Right now we’re leaning towards “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” because it’s small, simple for tech, and seems like a good “first musical.” Personally, I love the show but it’s going to be a really hard sell to both my students and my audiences so I’m trying to at least explore other options. I also have some reservations about the cast size. I need to build my program and I’m a little worried that having a cast of 6 or 7 may have the reverse effect. It may be our best bet anyway, but I’d love to hear other recommendations. What musicals have you directed and had success with in the years that you didn’t necessarily have the most stellar group of singers or didn’t know your talent pool very well ahead of time?

Thanks!

Hello everyone! I know there are a lot of posts asking about suggestions for musicals and I love reading them. I have not found a discussion addressing this particular aspect, but forgive me if it seems repetitive. 

Our school is planning to do a musical next year for the first time since the opening of the school 10 years ago (they did High School Musical in 2006). While I have quite a bit of musical theatre experience in performing, this will be my first time ever directing a musical. I’m very excited but also very nervous. My primary concern at the moment is the singing. (Yeah, I know, not a good concern to have if you want to do a musical.)  Unfortunately, we have no choir program and are not likely to get one anytime soon. We are a large school and there are students with natural talent, but I don’t have anyone with any kind of training. We’ve done a little musical theatre in some of my upper level theatre classes, but not a lot. We have a fantastic band program and dance program and I have been working very hard to build the theatre program since I arrived last year (we did one production last year and two this year). Despite our lack of trained singers, my colleagues and I all feel like it’s time to take the plunge and try a musical. We’ll never know if we can do it until we try.  

Right now we’re leaning towards “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” because it’s small, simple for tech, and seems like a good “first musical.” Personally, I love the show but it’s going to be a really hard sell to both my students and my audiences so I’m trying to at least explore other options. I also have some reservations about the cast size. I need to build my program and I’m a little worried that having a cast of 6 or 7 may have the reverse effect. It may be our best bet anyway, but I’d love to hear other recommendations. What musicals have you directed and had success with in the years that you didn’t necessarily have the most stellar group of singers or didn’t know your talent pool very well ahead of time?

Thanks!