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Musical Revues for High School

  • 1.  Musical Revues for High School

    Posted 04-22-2015 12:03

    I am a High School Speech and Theatre teacher who currently teaches 10-12.  Next year, the 9th graders will be joining us in our building so, the department will be expanding! Yay!

    Here is my dilemma:

      Our musical normally falls on the weekend before Thanksgiving.  Well, we had a surprise earlier this semester and I found out I am expecting a little one in October.  Great timing, right? haha  After conversations with my principal (really supportive of our program), we came up with the idea of producing a musical revue to put a bulk of the responsibility on the vocal and instrumental teacher. I am looking at musical revues and having a hard time picking one.  I am not as familiar with musical revues as I am with other musicals.

    Just some background on our community:  We live in a low-income/poverty rural area.  We have a lot of families who parents are factory workers, nonexistent, not involved in their students lives etc.  The students who are involved in my program, luckily, have parents who are involved and supportive but, it is the community that I want to bring in to see the shows.  The last two years we have done "Wizard of Oz" and "Shrek" and they were hits. 

    I worry that the title of the revue will not bring in the crowds.  Anyone have any ideas to send my way? 

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    Teri Turner

    Sedalia MO
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  • 2.  RE: Musical Revues for High School

    Posted 04-23-2015 09:37

    What about the MTA route?

    I'm in a similiar demographic as yours, with a community that doesn't see or seek out much theatre, so I just wrote my own! It was a lot of fun and the rights are way more affordable per song rather than breaking the bank with a full blown pre-fab show.

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    Corinna Rezzelle
    Education Director
    The Jewel Conservatory Theatre
    Savannah, GA
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  • 3.  RE:Musical Revues for High School

    Posted 04-23-2015 12:02
    A few years back, my group created their own show around the theme of Broadway/New York. I brainstormed with the kids about characters and then they wrote the scenes. It all came together really well and was a great lesson in playwriting as well. As someone else said, rights to individual songs are cheap and you can pick stuff they really like.

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    Heather Brandon
    Bakersfield CA
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  • 4.  RE: Musical Revues for High School

    Posted 04-27-2015 15:30
    Did you find it was difficult for the band to play several different types of music?  Sounds like a weird question but, our band teacher is concerned with having a bunch of different types of music and having to find band members to, for instance play one song, etc.  I know he has concerns with doing it that way as compared with going with a packaged deal.


  • 5.  RE: Musical Revues for High School

    Posted 04-24-2015 13:02

    Hi Teri,

    I'd suggest looking at FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: GREATEST HITS, http://www.theatricalrights.com/forbidden-broadway-greatest-hits. You can do as many of the scenes/songs as you have time for and there are many solo opportunities. If you or anyone else in the discussion would like a complimentary perusal script, let me know, jimh@theatricalrights.com.

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    Jim Hoare
    Vice President, Licensing & Accounts
    TRW
    New York NY
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Musical Revues for High School

    Posted 07-17-2024 08:54

    I would love to look at FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: GREATEST HITS and receive a complimentary perusal script -

    my school email: ccronin@greenburghcsd.org

    or clairecronin110@gmail.com

    Thanks!!!



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    Claire Cronin
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Musical Revues for High School

    Posted 04-23-2015 09:53
    We had a blast doing School House Rock.  Very much a recognizable title with good draw for us. Creating your own around a theme like Rock n Roll, Elvis, Motown, Broadway, etc... is fun. It's a lot of work, and you have to secure rights to most anything you place in a show format, but you can customize to your kiddos and audience that way.

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    Amy Learn
    Ballwin MO
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  • 8.  RE: Musical Revues for High School

    Posted 04-24-2015 12:04

    The reviews that we have done in the past are A Grand Night for Singing and All Night Strut.

    Grand Night has at least one song from each of Rogers and Hammerstein's musicals and Strut has a lot of 30's and 40's music with the opportunity for some swing dancing and the like. 

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    Helen Dixon
    Oakley CA
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    Original Message


  • 9.  RE:Musical Revues for High School

    Posted 04-24-2015 12:24
    I wholeheartedly second "Schoolhouse Rock Live!" We had a great time with that show, and our audiences loved it. It can be done with as few as 6 kids, or as many as you can put on your stage. The story is simple, and the music is recognizable and terrific! We did the show as a fall musical ourselves, in the slot where we usually do a straight show, and it worked quite well for us. I'd also agree that The All Night Strut is a good show if you're comfortable doing songs that are 70 or 80 years old. That one can also be done with as few or as many as you'd like. And I will add The 1940s Radio Hour to the discussion (if someone has suggested it already, I missed that) as it's pretty simple to stage and has some fun moments. It doesn't lend itself to expansion quite as easily, though, so that may be something to consider. Good luck in your selection process, and break a leg with your show!

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    Jeremy Williams
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  • 10.  RE: Musical Revues for High School

    Posted 04-23-2015 14:20
    What about Smokey Joe's Cafe? Not sure about title recognition, but you might promote the songs in the show.

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    Rob Duval
    Theatre Teacher/Director
    'Iolani School
    Kaneohe HI
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  • 11.  RE: Musical Revues for High School

    Posted 05-06-2015 11:46
    Hal Leonard (halleonard.com) has lots of eight to ten minute medleys that we use for revues all the time.  We do three or four medleys, with solos (by audition) in between.  Motown the Musical was very popular, we were Newsies, Pippin, Tommy, etc.  You can choreograph them as much or as little as fits your group.

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    Bonnie Fraker
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  • 12.  RE: Musical Revues for High School

    Posted 05-06-2015 17:26

    Hi there,

    Musical Revues can be a lot of fun to produce. One must be careful, however, in making certain that all song rights are cleared for individual songs if the revue is an original work utilizing published, copyrighted works.

    I believe that ASCAP has a created a way for schools to create musical revues and for the songs to be performed in a revue-type setting and it also outlines what may and may not be performed in relationship to the published works. If copyrighted works are performed before an audience (paying or not paying) then there needs to be a license in place. 

    To make it easier, you should check out all of the licensing/publishing agencies websites. There are a lot of great revues that have already been created: BEEHIVE (all girls, thought); 2 X 5 (SF and is Kander & Ebb songs); LEADER OF THE PACK (SF with a book but is sort of a music revue in a way......); CLOSER THAN EVERY (MTI. fabulous revue); THE WORLD GOES ROUND (MTI) and many, many more at the different agencies.

    My suggestion - find an existing revue that is already available for licensing and leave the song right clearances to someone else!

     All the best,

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    Brad Lohrenz
    Vice President
    Playscripts
    New York NY
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    Original Message


  • 13.  RE: Musical Revues for High School

    Posted 05-08-2015 09:28
    Edited by Ginny Butsch 05-11-2015 13:55

    There are several revues out there with varying vocal demands.  All Night Strut  is really difficult - lots of tight harmonies and tricky passages.  However, A Grand Night for Singing is great, lots of Rodgers and Hammerstein with varying vocal demands.  The Rodgers and Hart revue, Beguiled Again, is even better.  Best of all is the Kander and Ebb revue The World Goes Round it's great with both famous and not-so-famous tunes.  Like the previously mentioned revues, the vocal demands vary, and certain songs can be simplified (harmony wise).  I've done all three and they were great successes. 

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    Robert Byrnes
    Milltown NJ
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