rossji

OK, I MIGHT be directing a play/musical for my 7-8 school. Does anyone know of a good COMEDY that requires few sets/easy costumes for about 20-25 (raging hormonal) kids? I know some companies provide background tracks for musicals, also, but I'm not sure I want to tackle a musical since it's my first time directing. Thanks for any advice!

DR3mtAZ

I have helped my son (I am the poster's mom; he is a junior at OCU in MT.) direct a sixth grade musical for the past two years. He was able to do it because OCU used to end its school year the first week in May. Last year we used Disney material and did a review. Disney has so many karaoke CD's that it was easy to put it together and not involve accompaniment. We looked at some of the MTI Junior productions, but the teachers wanted a show that did not involve one or two leads, but rather involved the whole class with some solos, duets, and small group numbers. The year before, we did a review with a theme of songs from shows adapted from books, but we had to have taped accompaniment for rehearsals, which was a little more difficult. If you have an accompanist, then there is so much more to choose from.

alwaysamom

What's your budget, rossji? For a non-musical, with the parameters you've set, The Adventures of Huck Finn might be one to consider. A musical with that number of kids, especially of middle-school age, with a first time director, may be a real challenge! So I'd look at plays if I were you, although there are lots of musicals that would probably be okay, if you have lots of help. If Huck doesn't interest you, have a look at Samuel French's site and listing of plays. It's organized so that you can plug in the number of characters you need to accomodate and the site will show you the plays that fit the bill. Silas Marner is another possibility. Best of luck!

onstage

I have directed many shows for this age group. One of the best sources I have found is www.clarusmusic.com. They offer many options -- I especially like some of their musical revues such as "100 Years of Broadway", "Dateline U.S.A", etc. Some even offer suggestions for choreography. They also offer original plays and musicals especially targeted for this age group, as well as "junior" versions of better-known Broadway shows.

srw

"Honk!" is a good one it's has been done in a area a couple of times, and is well recieved, lots of parts, I am pretty sure they have a Jr. version.

rossji

You guys are so awesome. I knew I could get a lot of help on this forum! Thanks so much, and I'll keep you posted on what I decide!

alwaysamom

onstage, I'm curious about Clarus. How are they able to sell showkits for which MTI holds the license? Do they arrange the license through MTI or does the school do it prior to ordering the showkit from Clarus?

soozievt

On the Clarus site, for the Broadway Junior Collection, it states:

MusThCC

If you're new to directing, the MTI Jr. shows (as well as the Rodgers & Hammerstein Getting2Know... series) both come with very specific director's guides, a choreography DVD, and of course, great CD tracks. They also have cross-curricular learning guides which make them popular for schools.

Some shows are more ensemble than others -- (ex. - Schoolhouse Rock, Godspell) Even in others, ensemble members can be used in ways to "enhance" their parts. And, while there are "leads" in the shows, the leads and supporting players are probably more even in length and importance in the shortened versions of the shows than in their full-length counterparts.

One suggestion to even things out, and emphasize the importance of "ensemble" - some of the shows have separate scripts for principals, and ensembles. At an extra $10 a script (as I recall - I could be off a bit), I would suggest buying enough copies of the full script for all the actors, so there isn't that delineation. The full ones have a brightly colored cover - the ensemble books are (or were) the same, but in black and white. A year or so ago, I heard a kid describe knowing they'd "made it" when they moved up to a colored book. I think the price is small enough that every performer in the cast should feel like they "made it" if they got in the show!

One other consideration - depending on your budget, the MTI and R&H shows are not cheap - if they exceed your budget, there are several sources for free or cheap plays. In addition to the standard Sam French, Dramatists, etc., Google "royalty-free plays".

deenierah

I did Honk when I was younger and it's a GREAT ensemble show, because there are so many parts but also opportunities for featured dancers and such. I don't know much about it, but for a play you might want to look into Phantom Tollbooth? My old middle school did it after I'd left, and I know the book has a million characters.

alwaysamom

Susan, I didn't see that statement on the Clarus site, but it still makes me wonder how they manage the licensing issue. Do they have some special arrangement with MTI?

soozievt

^^^I think you raised good questions and I honestly don't know the answer but figured I would post what I read on the Clarus site as it partly answered your initial question.

MusThCC

Several sources who deal with music used in education sell the Jr. series and R&H Getting 2 Know series. The licensing is different from the normal licensing procedures for full-length shows. The part Soozie quoted (which is there if you click on a link to a specific show) is correct.

I'm also a big fan of Honk

marianne406

I too have directed many shows for this age group. One that is often overlooked and really fun for this age group is Dear Edwina. you can get it full length or the Jr. version through MTI. It also has more girl roles than boys!

I love Honk! too.

P.S. How to Eat Like a Child is also a lot of fun and there are roles for singers and non-singers. Is through Samuel French.

Have fun!

alwaysamom

MusThCC, thank you for clarifying that. So, in essence, the license is granted to multiple sources for those shows?