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  • 1.  First Middle School Musical or Play with Music Ideas

    Posted 05-12-2021 14:44
    Our middle school theatre program (grades 6-8) is considering performing our first musical or testing the waters with a play that features music.

    While I've directed several musicals, this will be my first middle school one. Usually, we have between 30+ students involved. Due to COVID, we are had half that number this year, and half of those are moving on to high school. So, I'm not really sure how quickly numbers will bounce back. The most we've ever spent on a show is around $700.

    I am looking for suggestions for a first musical for a play that features music to serve as a transition that has a flexible cast and a manageable cost.


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    Christopher Pearcy
    Teacher
    Logansport Junior High School
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  • 2.  RE: First Middle School Musical or Play with Music Ideas

    Posted 05-13-2021 07:12
    Check out past discussion threads re: All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. It is flexible in many ways: there are numerous vignettes from which to choose, you may perform it with or without music, and the cast size can be as few as 5 or 30+.

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    Betsie Wotherspoon
    Broadway Players of FHS
    Director and Thespian sponsor
    Fairfield High School
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: First Middle School Musical or Play with Music Ideas

    Posted 05-13-2021 09:04

    I have directed Seussical, Jr. at two different middle schools.  The first time, with a small cast of about 15 and the second time with a larger cast of 40. Super flexible, the kids LOVE the music, the sets and costumes are as simple of elaborate as you want to make them. Plus, with Junior shows, MTI introduces both the students and parents to the world of theatre, in the scripts and with parent guides.

     

    Myndee Fleury Washington

    Music & Drama Teacher

    Union Park Charter Academy

    She/ Her/Hers

     




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  • 4.  RE: First Middle School Musical or Play with Music Ideas

    Posted 05-14-2021 09:17
    We did Delia Ephron's How To Eat Like A Child And Other Lessons in Not Being a Grown-up as our first 5th-8th musical a few years back.  Because of the way the script is structured (a collection of group scenes, monologues, whole cast songs, solo songs, flexible casting, etc.) it was easy to rehearse and stage.  You can also do as much (or as little) with costumes and scenery as you want.  We found the show to be funny (and fun) and audiences really liked it.  It is out of Concord Theatricals though- not an MTI show.

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    Joanna Lewton
    Arts Director
    Capital City Public Charter School
    Washington DC
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: First Middle School Musical or Play with Music Ideas

    Posted 05-15-2021 08:38
    In the past my high school theatre class has done children's plays in the spring that we performed for the elementary schools. When I had a group that had strong singers in it I've done some one act musicals ... a few they had fun with and were easy to stage were 
    The Stinky Cheese Man
    Do Wop Red Riding Hood
    The Universe and Other Stuff
    The Trial of the Wicked Witch

    They are licensed by some of the smaller companies for schools so they are more reasonably priced as far as royalties ... they would be good start up shows before moving on to Disney Jr shows at MTI as those are about $1000 to get the rights for. 


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    Toni Thomas
    Ogemaw Heights High School
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: First Middle School Musical or Play with Music Ideas

    Posted 05-15-2021 09:59
    As it Is in Heaven, about the Shakers



    Original Message


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