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I need help figuring out how to help my struggling program put on a musical this year, if it's possible.
I teach at a small school in a rural, remote part of Texas. I'm starting my 5th year of teaching and it will be my 2nd year teaching at this school. (I used to teach in a large suburban school in Florida- quite different!) 

Last year we did a musical-- the school's first in a decade. We did "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and while it came together in the end and turned out well, the process of getting there was... a struggle, to put it mildly. We began with a cast of 20 (we used an ensemble for the group numbers) but by the time we performed we were down to 10. We knew we might lose some kiddos along the way which is one of the reasons we chose YAGMCB but losing 50% is a lot, and if I could have, I would have removed several others for poor attendance. It was the stuff of nightmares. Also, we struggle with the lack of boys, as many schools do. Of the 10 who stuck it out, only 3 were boys. All 6 of the lead roles were played by girls except one (Schroeder).

On a different, but related note, we also had a very hard time selling tickets despite our best efforts. Sports are king here and getting people to come support anything that doesn't resemble a football game is really difficult. We had 4 performances and had less than 300 people in attendance across all 4 performances. Our old-school auditorium seats 800 people, so 75 people feels like 5. It's very disheartening for the kids.

Despite all of this, the students all loved it in the end, hugged and cried when it was over, and talked about how they couldn't wait for next year, etc. as kids do (ok adults too sometimes).

My music director (choir teacher) and I are willing to try again, but we both recognize that we need a new approach. We need to try to get more students involved in the musical and also get more people to come and see the show. We're going to try moving the performances to a different time of the year in hopes that it might help. We will also try to have a longer, more spread out rehearsal schedule (which is not my favorite thing, but probably necessary). But, we're a bit stuck on what else we need to do to be more successful.

One of the options that we're considering is doing a "Jr" show and inviting older elementary or middle school kids to be in the chorus too. There are other small schools in our region who have had great success with this kind of thing. 

The potential positives are that we could do a show with a really recognizable title (maybe Disney?) in the hopes of selling more tickets, also sell more tickets because of the larger (and younger) cast, and it would probably be easier to get away with having almost no boys. (No one cares if a cartoon fish is a boy or a girl whereas, at least in our town, no one will buy a male romantic lead played by a girl.) It could be a good way to try to build our program by sowing interest among the kids so when they get to HS in a few years, they will come join theatre and/or choir.  Also, the Jr. shows are shorter and less challenging (maybe?).  

The negatives are also plentiful. The thought of bringing younger kids on board scares me a bit. I've worked some with smaller children although it's been quite a few years. I worry that the commitment issues I have with the older ones will be the same with the younger ones, which would make it all worse. More people = more potential issues (sometimes). So, maybe it would be better to stay small and simple. Also, I worry that my HS kids won't respond well to working with younger kids or on a Jr version. I have never wanted to do the Jr shows at the HS level because I always felt that they would be too childish and too dumbed down. They seem to be designed more for Middle school (or even younger), although I have no direct experience with Jr version shows. But, now I recognize that it may be what we need and all we can handle right now. I'm just not sure. 

Does anyone out there have experience with Jr. versions at the high school level or with a mixed cast of HS and younger kids? What are the perils and pitfalls of such a plan? If you have done this with success do you have specific titles you would recommend over others?
Or, if you think Jr. versions are not the way to go, what other suggestions would you have for a very small-cast musical that would be easier for a struggling program to pull off?

Any advice or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!


#musicals #smallschool #strugglingprogram #juniormusicals

I need help figuring out how to help my struggling program put on a musical this year, if it's possible.
I teach at a small school in a rural, remote part of Texas. I'm starting my 5th year of teaching and it will be my 2nd year teaching at this school. (I used to teach in a large suburban school in Florida- quite different!) 

Last year we did a musical-- the school's first in a decade. We did "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and while it came together in the end and turned out well, the process of getting there was... a struggle, to put it mildly. We began with a cast of 20 (we used an ensemble for the group numbers) but by the time we performed we were down to 10. We knew we might lose some kiddos along the way which is one of the reasons we chose YAGMCB but losing 50% is a lot, and if I could have, I would have removed several others for poor attendance. It was the stuff of nightmares. Also, we struggle with the lack of boys, as many schools do. Of the 10 who stuck it out, only 3 were boys. All 6 of the lead roles were played by girls except one (Schroeder).

On a different, but related note, we also had a very hard time selling tickets despite our best efforts. Sports are king here and getting people to come support anything that doesn't resemble a football game is really difficult. We had 4 performances and had less than 300 people in attendance across all 4 performances. Our old-school auditorium seats 800 people, so 75 people feels like 5. It's very disheartening for the kids.

Despite all of this, the students all loved it in the end, hugged and cried when it was over, and talked about how they couldn't wait for next year, etc. as kids do (ok adults too sometimes).

My music director (choir teacher) and I are willing to try again, but we both recognize that we need a new approach. We need to try to get more students involved in the musical and also get more people to come and see the show. We're going to try moving the performances to a different time of the year in hopes that it might help. We will also try to have a longer, more spread out rehearsal schedule (which is not my favorite thing, but probably necessary). But, we're a bit stuck on what else we need to do to be more successful.

One of the options that we're considering is doing a "Jr" show and inviting older elementary or middle school kids to be in the chorus too. There are other small schools in our region who have had great success with this kind of thing. 

The potential positives are that we could do a show with a really recognizable title (maybe Disney?) in the hopes of selling more tickets, also sell more tickets because of the larger (and younger) cast, and it would probably be easier to get away with having almost no boys. (No one cares if a cartoon fish is a boy or a girl whereas, at least in our town, no one will buy a male romantic lead played by a girl.) It could be a good way to try to build our program by sowing interest among the kids so when they get to HS in a few years, they will come join theatre and/or choir.  Also, the Jr. shows are shorter and less challenging (maybe?).  

The negatives are also plentiful. The thought of bringing younger kids on board scares me a bit. I've worked some with smaller children although it's been quite a few years. I worry that the commitment issues I have with the older ones will be the same with the younger ones, which would make it all worse. More people = more potential issues (sometimes). So, maybe it would be better to stay small and simple. Also, I worry that my HS kids won't respond well to working with younger kids or on a Jr version. I have never wanted to do the Jr shows at the HS level because I always felt that they would be too childish and too dumbed down. They seem to be designed more for Middle school (or even younger), although I have no direct experience with Jr version shows. But, now I recognize that it may be what we need and all we can handle right now. I'm just not sure. 

Does anyone out there have experience with Jr. versions at the high school level or with a mixed cast of HS and younger kids? What are the perils and pitfalls of such a plan? If you have done this with success do you have specific titles you would recommend over others?
Or, if you think Jr. versions are not the way to go, what other suggestions would you have for a very small-cast musical that would be easier for a struggling program to pull off?

Any advice or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!


#musicals #smallschool #strugglingprogram #juniormusicals

I need help figuring out how to help my struggling program put on a musical this year, if it's possible.
I teach at a small school in a rural, remote part of Texas. I'm starting my 5th year of teaching and it will be my 2nd year teaching at this school. (I used to teach in a large suburban school in Florida- quite different!) 

Last year we did a musical-- the school's first in a decade. We did "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and while it came together in the end and turned out well, the process of getting there was... a struggle, to put it mildly. We began with a cast of 20 (we used an ensemble for the group numbers) but by the time we performed we were down to 10. We knew we might lose some kiddos along the way which is one of the reasons we chose YAGMCB but losing 50% is a lot, and if I could have, I would have removed several others for poor attendance. It was the stuff of nightmares. Also, we struggle with the lack of boys, as many schools do. Of the 10 who stuck it out, only 3 were boys. All 6 of the lead roles were played by girls except one (Schroeder).

On a different, but related note, we also had a very hard time selling tickets despite our best efforts. Sports are king here and getting people to come support anything that doesn't resemble a football game is really difficult. We had 4 performances and had less than 300 people in attendance across all 4 performances. Our old-school auditorium seats 800 people, so 75 people feels like 5. It's very disheartening for the kids.

Despite all of this, the students all loved it in the end, hugged and cried when it was over, and talked about how they couldn't wait for next year, etc. as kids do (ok adults too sometimes).

My music director (choir teacher) and I are willing to try again, but we both recognize that we need a new approach. We need to try to get more students involved in the musical and also get more people to come and see the show. We're going to try moving the performances to a different time of the year in hopes that it might help. We will also try to have a longer, more spread out rehearsal schedule (which is not my favorite thing, but probably necessary). But, we're a bit stuck on what else we need to do to be more successful.

One of the options that we're considering is doing a "Jr" show and inviting older elementary or middle school kids to be in the chorus too. There are other small schools in our region who have had great success with this kind of thing. 

The potential positives are that we could do a show with a really recognizable title (maybe Disney?) in the hopes of selling more tickets, also sell more tickets because of the larger (and younger) cast, and it would probably be easier to get away with having almost no boys. (No one cares if a cartoon fish is a boy or a girl whereas, at least in our town, no one will buy a male romantic lead played by a girl.) It could be a good way to try to build our program by sowing interest among the kids so when they get to HS in a few years, they will come join theatre and/or choir.  Also, the Jr. shows are shorter and less challenging (maybe?).  

The negatives are also plentiful. The thought of bringing younger kids on board scares me a bit. I've worked some with smaller children although it's been quite a few years. I worry that the commitment issues I have with the older ones will be the same with the younger ones, which would make it all worse. More people = more potential issues (sometimes). So, maybe it would be better to stay small and simple. Also, I worry that my HS kids won't respond well to working with younger kids or on a Jr version. I have never wanted to do the Jr shows at the HS level because I always felt that they would be too childish and too dumbed down. They seem to be designed more for Middle school (or even younger), although I have no direct experience with Jr version shows. But, now I recognize that it may be what we need and all we can handle right now. I'm just not sure. 

Does anyone out there have experience with Jr. versions at the high school level or with a mixed cast of HS and younger kids? What are the perils and pitfalls of such a plan? If you have done this with success do you have specific titles you would recommend over others?
Or, if you think Jr. versions are not the way to go, what other suggestions would you have for a very small-cast musical that would be easier for a struggling program to pull off?

Any advice or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!


#musicals #smallschool #strugglingprogram #juniormusicals

I need help figuring out how to help my struggling program put on a musical this year, if it's possible. 
I teach at a small school in a rural, remote part of Texas. I'm starting my 5th year of teaching and it will be my 2nd year teaching at this school. (I used to teach in a large suburban school in Florida- quite different!) 

Last year we did a musical-- the school's first in a decade. We did "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and while it came together in the end and turned out well, the process of getting there was... a struggle, to put it mildly. We began with a cast of 20 (we used an ensemble for the group numbers) but by the time we performed we were down to 10. We knew we might lose some kiddos along the way which is one of the reasons we chose YAGMCB but losing 50% is a lot, and if I could have, I would have removed several others for poor attendance. It was the stuff of nightmares. Also, we struggle with the lack of boys, as many schools do. Of the 10 who stuck it out, only 3 were boys. All 6 of the lead roles were played by girls except one (Schroeder).

On a different, but related note, we also had a very hard time selling tickets despite our best efforts. Sports are king here and getting people to come support anything that doesn't resemble a football game is really difficult. We had 4 performances and had less than 300 people in attendance across all 4 performances. Our old-school auditorium seats 800 people, so 75 people feels like 5. It's very disheartening for the kids.

Despite all of this, the students all loved it in the end, hugged and cried when it was over, and talked about how they couldn't wait for next year, etc. as kids do (ok adults too sometimes).

My music director (choir teacher) and I are willing to try again, but we both recognize that we need a new approach. We need to try to get more students involved in the musical and also get more people to come and see the show. We're going to try moving the performances to a different time of the year in hopes that it might help. We will also try to have a longer, more spread out rehearsal schedule (which is not my favorite thing, but probably necessary). But, we're a bit stuck on what else we need to do to be more successful.

One of the options that we're considering is doing a "Jr" show and inviting older elementary or middle school kids to be in the chorus too. There are other small schools in our region who have had great success with this kind of thing. 

The potential positives are that we could do a show with a really recognizable title (maybe Disney?) in the hopes of selling more tickets, also sell more tickets because of the larger (and younger) cast, and it would probably be easier to get away with having almost no boys. (No one cares if a cartoon fish is a boy or a girl whereas, at least in our town, no one will buy a male romantic lead played by a girl.) It could be a good way to try to build our program by sowing interest among the kids so when they get to HS in a few years, they will come join theatre and/or choir.  Also, the Jr. shows are shorter and less challenging (maybe?).  

The negatives are also plentiful. The thought of bringing younger kids on board scares me a bit. I've worked some with smaller children although it's been quite a few years. I worry that the commitment issues I have with the older ones will be the same with the younger ones, which would make it all worse. More people = more potential issues (sometimes). So, maybe it would be better to stay small and simple. Also, I worry that my HS kids won't respond well to working with younger kids or on a Jr version. I have never wanted to do the Jr shows at the HS level because I always felt that they would be too childish and too dumbed down. They seem to be designed more for Middle school (or even younger), although I have no direct experience with Jr version shows. But, now I recognize that it may be what we need and all we can handle right now. I'm just not sure. 

Does anyone out there have experience with Jr. versions at the high school level or with a mixed cast of HS and younger kids? What are the perils and pitfalls of such a plan? If you have done this with success do you have specific titles you would recommend over others?
Or, if you think Jr. versions are not the way to go, what other suggestions would you have for a very small-cast musical that would be easier for a struggling program to pull off?

Any advice or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!


#musicals #smallschool #strugglingprogram #juniormusicals

I need help figuring out how to help my struggling program put on a musical this year, if it's possible. 
I teach at a small school in a rural, remote part of Texas. I'm starting my 5th year of teaching and it will be my 2nd year teaching at this school. (I used to teach in a large suburban school in Florida- quite different!) 

Last year we did a musical-- the school's first in a decade. We did "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and while it came together in the end and turned out well, the process of getting there was... a struggle, to put it mildly. We began with a cast of 20 (we used an ensemble for the group numbers) but by the time we performed we were down to 10. We knew we might lose some kiddos along the way which is one of the reasons we chose YAGMCB but losing 50% is a lot, and if I could have, I would have removed several others for poor attendance. It was the stuff of nightmares. Also, we struggle with the lack of boys, as many schools do. Of the 10 who stuck it out, only 3 were boys. All 6 of the lead roles were played by girls except one (Schroeder).

On a different, but related note, we also had a very hard time selling tickets despite our best efforts. Sports are king here and getting people to come support anything that doesn't resemble a football game is really difficult. We had 4 performances and had less than 300 people in attendance across all 4 performances. Our old-school auditorium seats 800 people, so 75 people feels like 5. It's very disheartening for the kids.

Despite all of this, the students all loved it in the end, hugged and cried when it was over, and talked about how they couldn't wait for next year, etc. as kids do (ok adults too sometimes).

My music director (choir teacher) and I are willing to try again, but we both recognize that we need a new approach. We need to try to get more students involved in the musical and also get more people to come and see the show. We're going to try moving the performances to a different time of the year in hopes that it might help. We will also try to have a longer, more spread out rehearsal schedule (which is not my favorite thing, but probably necessary). But, we're a bit stuck on what else we need to do to be more successful.

One of the options that we're considering is doing a "Jr" show and inviting older elementary or middle school kids to be in the chorus too. There are other small schools in our region who have had great success with this kind of thing. 

The potential positives are that we could do a show with a really recognizable title (maybe Disney?) in the hopes of selling more tickets, also sell more tickets because of the larger (and younger) cast, and it would probably be easier to get away with having almost no boys. (No one cares if a cartoon fish is a boy or a girl whereas, at least in our town, no one will buy a male romantic lead played by a girl.) It could be a good way to try to build our program by sowing interest among the kids so when they get to HS in a few years, they will come join theatre and/or choir.  Also, the Jr. shows are shorter and less challenging (maybe?).  

The negatives are also plentiful. The thought of bringing younger kids on board scares me a bit. I've worked some with smaller children although it's been quite a few years. I worry that the commitment issues I have with the older ones will be the same with the younger ones, which would make it all worse. More people = more potential issues (sometimes). So, maybe it would be better to stay small and simple. Also, I worry that my HS kids won't respond well to working with younger kids or on a Jr version. I have never wanted to do the Jr shows at the HS level because I always felt that they would be too childish and too dumbed down. They seem to be designed more for Middle school (or even younger), although I have no direct experience with Jr version shows. But, now I recognize that it may be what we need and all we can handle right now. I'm just not sure. 

Does anyone out there have experience with Jr. versions at the high school level or with a mixed cast of HS and younger kids? What are the perils and pitfalls of such a plan? If you have done this with success do you have specific titles you would recommend over others?
Or, if you think Jr. versions are not the way to go, what other suggestions would you have for a very small-cast musical that would be easier for a struggling program to pull off?

Any advice or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!


#musicals #smallschool #strugglingprogram #juniormusicals

I need help figuring out how to help my struggling program put on a musical this year, if it's possible. 
I teach at a small school in a rural, remote part of Texas. I'm starting my 5th year of teaching and it will be my 2nd year teaching at this school. (I used to teach in a large suburban school in Florida- quite different!) 

Last year we did a musical-- the school's first in a decade. We did "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and while it came together in the end and turned out well, the process of getting there was... a struggle, to put it mildly. We began with a cast of 20 (we used an ensemble for the group numbers) but by the time we performed we were down to 10. We knew we might lose some kiddos along the way which is one of the reasons we chose YAGMCB but losing 50% is a lot, and if I could have, I would have removed several others for poor attendance. It was the stuff of nightmares. Also, we struggle with the lack of boys, as many schools do. Of the 10 who stuck it out, only 3 were boys. All 6 of the lead roles were played by girls except one (Schroeder).

On a different, but related note, we also had a very hard time selling tickets despite our best efforts. Sports are king here and getting people to come support anything that doesn't resemble a football game is really difficult. We had 4 performances and had less than 300 people in attendance across all 4 performances. Our old-school auditorium seats 800 people, so 75 people feels like 5. It's very disheartening for the kids.

Despite all of this, the students all loved it in the end, hugged and cried when it was over, and talked about how they couldn't wait for next year, etc. as kids do (ok adults too sometimes).

My music director (choir teacher) and I are willing to try again, but we both recognize that we need a new approach. We need to try to get more students involved in the musical and also get more people to come and see the show. We're going to try moving the performances to a different time of the year in hopes that it might help. We will also try to have a longer, more spread out rehearsal schedule (which is not my favorite thing, but probably necessary). But, we're a bit stuck on what else we need to do to be more successful.

One of the options that we're considering is doing a "Jr" show and inviting older elementary or middle school kids to be in the chorus too. There are other small schools in our region who have had great success with this kind of thing. 

The potential positives are that we could do a show with a really recognizable title (maybe Disney?) in the hopes of selling more tickets, also sell more tickets because of the larger (and younger) cast, and it would probably be easier to get away with having almost no boys. (No one cares if a cartoon fish is a boy or a girl whereas, at least in our town, no one will buy a male romantic lead played by a girl.) It could be a good way to try to build our program by sowing interest among the kids so when they get to HS in a few years, they will come join theatre and/or choir.  Also, the Jr. shows are shorter and less challenging (maybe?).  

The negatives are also plentiful. The thought of bringing younger kids on board scares me a bit. I've worked some with smaller children although it's been quite a few years. I worry that the commitment issues I have with the older ones will be the same with the younger ones, which would make it all worse. More people = more potential issues (sometimes). So, maybe it would be better to stay small and simple. Also, I worry that my HS kids won't respond well to working with younger kids or on a Jr version. I have never wanted to do the Jr shows at the HS level because I always felt that they would be too childish and too dumbed down. They seem to be designed more for Middle school (or even younger), although I have no direct experience with Jr version shows. But, now I recognize that it may be what we need and all we can handle right now. I'm just not sure. 

Does anyone out there have experience with Jr. versions at the high school level or with a mixed cast of HS and younger kids? What are the perils and pitfalls of such a plan? If you have done this with success do you have specific titles you would recommend over others?
Or, if you think Jr. versions are not the way to go, what other suggestions would you have for a very small-cast musical that would be easier for a struggling program to pull off?

Any advice or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!


#musicals #smallschool #strugglingprogram #juniormusicals

I need help figuring out how to help my struggling program put on a musical this year, if it's possible.
I teach at a small school in a rural, remote part of Texas. I'm starting my 5th year of teaching and it will be my 2nd year teaching at this school. (I used to teach in a large suburban school in Florida- quite different!) 

Last year we did a musical-- the school's first in a decade. We did "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and while it came together in the end and turned out well, the process of getting there was... a struggle, to put it mildly. We began with a cast of 20 (we used an ensemble for the group numbers) but by the time we performed we were down to 10. We knew we might lose some kiddos along the way which is one of the reasons we chose YAGMCB but losing 50% is a lot, and if I could have, I would have removed several others for poor attendance. It was the stuff of nightmares. Also, we struggle with the lack of boys, as many schools do. Of the 10 who stuck it out, only 3 were boys. All 6 of the lead roles were played by girls except one (Schroeder).

On a different, but related note, we also had a very hard time selling tickets despite our best efforts. Sports are king here and getting people to come support anything that doesn't resemble a football game is really difficult. We had 4 performances and had less than 300 people in attendance across all 4 performances. Our old-school auditorium seats 800 people, so 75 people feels like 5. It's very disheartening for the kids.

Despite all of this, the students all loved it in the end, hugged and cried when it was over, and talked about how they couldn't wait for next year, etc. as kids do (ok adults too sometimes).

My music director (choir teacher) and I are willing to try again, but we both recognize that we need a new approach. We need to try to get more students involved in the musical and also get more people to come and see the show. We're going to try moving the performances to a different time of the year in hopes that it might help. We will also try to have a longer, more spread out rehearsal schedule (which is not my favorite thing, but probably necessary). But, we're a bit stuck on what else we need to do to be more successful.

One of the options that we're considering is doing a "Jr" show and inviting older elementary or middle school kids to be in the chorus too. There are other small schools in our region who have had great success with this kind of thing. 

The potential positives are that we could do a show with a really recognizable title (maybe Disney?) in the hopes of selling more tickets, also sell more tickets because of the larger (and younger) cast, and it would probably be easier to get away with having almost no boys. (No one cares if a cartoon fish is a boy or a girl whereas, at least in our town, no one will buy a male romantic lead played by a girl.) It could be a good way to try to build our program by sowing interest among the kids so when they get to HS in a few years, they will come join theatre and/or choir.  Also, the Jr. shows are shorter and less challenging (maybe?).  

The negatives are also plentiful. The thought of bringing younger kids on board scares me a bit. I've worked some with smaller children although it's been quite a few years. I worry that the commitment issues I have with the older ones will be the same with the younger ones, which would make it all worse. More people = more potential issues (sometimes). So, maybe it would be better to stay small and simple. Also, I worry that my HS kids won't respond well to working with younger kids or on a Jr version. I have never wanted to do the Jr shows at the HS level because I always felt that they would be too childish and too dumbed down. They seem to be designed more for Middle school (or even younger), although I have no direct experience with Jr version shows. But, now I recognize that it may be what we need and all we can handle right now. I'm just not sure. 

Does anyone out there have experience with Jr. versions at the high school level or with a mixed cast of HS and younger kids? What are the perils and pitfalls of such a plan? If you have done this with success do you have specific titles you would recommend over others?
Or, if you think Jr. versions are not the way to go, what other suggestions would you have for a very small-cast musical that would be easier for a struggling program to pull off?

Any advice or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!


#musicals #smallschool #strugglingprogram #juniormusicals

I need help figuring out how to help my struggling program put on a musical this year, if it's possible.
I teach at a small school in a rural, remote part of Texas. I'm starting my 5th year of teaching and it will be my 2nd year teaching at this school. (I used to teach in a large suburban school in Florida- quite different!) 

Last year we did a musical-- the school's first in a decade. We did "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and while it came together in the end and turned out well, the process of getting there was... a struggle, to put it mildly. We began with a cast of 20 (we used an ensemble for the group numbers) but by the time we performed we were down to 10. We knew we might lose some kiddos along the way which is one of the reasons we chose YAGMCB but losing 50% is a lot, and if I could have, I would have removed several others for poor attendance. It was the stuff of nightmares. Also, we struggle with the lack of boys, as many schools do. Of the 10 who stuck it out, only 3 were boys. All 6 of the lead roles were played by girls except one (Schroeder).

On a different, but related note, we also had a very hard time selling tickets despite our best efforts. Sports are king here and getting people to come support anything that doesn't resemble a football game is really difficult. We had 4 performances and had less than 300 people in attendance across all 4 performances. Our old-school auditorium seats 800 people, so 75 people feels like 5. It's very disheartening for the kids.

Despite all of this, the students all loved it in the end, hugged and cried when it was over, and talked about how they couldn't wait for next year, etc. as kids do (ok adults too sometimes).

My music director (choir teacher) and I are willing to try again, but we both recognize that we need a new approach. We need to try to get more students involved in the musical and also get more people to come and see the show. We're going to try moving the performances to a different time of the year in hopes that it might help. We will also try to have a longer, more spread out rehearsal schedule (which is not my favorite thing, but probably necessary). But, we're a bit stuck on what else we need to do to be more successful.

One of the options that we're considering is doing a "Jr" show and inviting older elementary or middle school kids to be in the chorus too. There are other small schools in our region who have had great success with this kind of thing. 

The potential positives are that we could do a show with a really recognizable title (maybe Disney?) in the hopes of selling more tickets, also sell more tickets because of the larger (and younger) cast, and it would probably be easier to get away with having almost no boys. (No one cares if a cartoon fish is a boy or a girl whereas, at least in our town, no one will buy a male romantic lead played by a girl.) It could be a good way to try to build our program by sowing interest among the kids so when they get to HS in a few years, they will come join theatre and/or choir.  Also, the Jr. shows are shorter and less challenging (maybe?).  

The negatives are also plentiful. The thought of bringing younger kids on board scares me a bit. I've worked some with smaller children although it's been quite a few years. I worry that the commitment issues I have with the older ones will be the same with the younger ones, which would make it all worse. More people = more potential issues (sometimes). So, maybe it would be better to stay small and simple. Also, I worry that my HS kids won't respond well to working with younger kids or on a Jr version. I have never wanted to do the Jr shows at the HS level because I always felt that they would be too childish and too dumbed down. They seem to be designed more for Middle school (or even younger), although I have no direct experience with Jr version shows. But, now I recognize that it may be what we need and all we can handle right now. I'm just not sure. 

Does anyone out there have experience with Jr. versions at the high school level or with a mixed cast of HS and younger kids? What are the perils and pitfalls of such a plan? If you have done this with success do you have specific titles you would recommend over others?
Or, if you think Jr. versions are not the way to go, what other suggestions would you have for a very small-cast musical that would be easier for a struggling program to pull off?

Any advice or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!


#musicals #smallschool #strugglingprogram #juniormusicals

I need help figuring out how to help my struggling program put on a musical this year, if it's possible.
I teach at a small school in a rural, remote part of Texas. I'm starting my 5th year of teaching and it will be my 2nd year teaching at this school. (I used to teach in a large suburban school in Florida- quite different!) 

Last year we did a musical-- the school's first in a decade. We did "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and while it came together in the end and turned out well, the process of getting there was... a struggle, to put it mildly. We began with a cast of 20 (we used an ensemble for the group numbers) but by the time we performed we were down to 10. We knew we might lose some kiddos along the way which is one of the reasons we chose YAGMCB but losing 50% is a lot, and if I could have, I would have removed several others for poor attendance. It was the stuff of nightmares. Also, we struggle with the lack of boys, as many schools do. Of the 10 who stuck it out, only 3 were boys. All 6 of the lead roles were played by girls except one (Schroeder).

On a different, but related note, we also had a very hard time selling tickets despite our best efforts. Sports are king here and getting people to come support anything that doesn't resemble a football game is really difficult. We had 4 performances and had less than 300 people in attendance across all 4 performances. Our old-school auditorium seats 800 people, so 75 people feels like 5. It's very disheartening for the kids.

Despite all of this, the students all loved it in the end, hugged and cried when it was over, and talked about how they couldn't wait for next year, etc. as kids do (ok adults too sometimes).

My music director (choir teacher) and I are willing to try again, but we both recognize that we need a new approach. We need to try to get more students involved in the musical and also get more people to come and see the show. We're going to try moving the performances to a different time of the year in hopes that it might help. We will also try to have a longer, more spread out rehearsal schedule (which is not my favorite thing, but probably necessary). But, we're a bit stuck on what else we need to do to be more successful.

One of the options that we're considering is doing a "Jr" show and inviting older elementary or middle school kids to be in the chorus too. There are other small schools in our region who have had great success with this kind of thing. 

The potential positives are that we could do a show with a really recognizable title (maybe Disney?) in the hopes of selling more tickets, also sell more tickets because of the larger (and younger) cast, and it would probably be easier to get away with having almost no boys. (No one cares if a cartoon fish is a boy or a girl whereas, at least in our town, no one will buy a male romantic lead played by a girl.) It could be a good way to try to build our program by sowing interest among the kids so when they get to HS in a few years, they will come join theatre and/or choir.  Also, the Jr. shows are shorter and less challenging (maybe?).  

The negatives are also plentiful. The thought of bringing younger kids on board scares me a bit. I've worked some with smaller children although it's been quite a few years. I worry that the commitment issues I have with the older ones will be the same with the younger ones, which would make it all worse. More people = more potential issues (sometimes). So, maybe it would be better to stay small and simple. Also, I worry that my HS kids won't respond well to working with younger kids or on a Jr version. I have never wanted to do the Jr shows at the HS level because I always felt that they would be too childish and too dumbed down. They seem to be designed more for Middle school (or even younger), although I have no direct experience with Jr version shows. But, now I recognize that it may be what we need and all we can handle right now. I'm just not sure. 

Does anyone out there have experience with Jr. versions at the high school level or with a mixed cast of HS and younger kids? What are the perils and pitfalls of such a plan? If you have done this with success do you have specific titles you would recommend over others?
Or, if you think Jr. versions are not the way to go, what other suggestions would you have for a very small-cast musical that would be easier for a struggling program to pull off?

Any advice or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!


#musicals #smallschool #strugglingprogram #juniormusicals

I need help figuring out how to help my struggling program put on a musical this year, if it's possible.
I teach at a small school in a rural, remote part of Texas. I'm starting my 5th year of teaching and it will be my 2nd year teaching at this school. (I used to teach in a large suburban school in Florida- quite different!) 

Last year we did a musical-- the school's first in a decade. We did "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and while it came together in the end and turned out well, the process of getting there was... a struggle, to put it mildly. We began with a cast of 20 (we used an ensemble for the group numbers) but by the time we performed we were down to 10. We knew we might lose some kiddos along the way which is one of the reasons we chose YAGMCB but losing 50% is a lot, and if I could have, I would have removed several others for poor attendance. It was the stuff of nightmares. Also, we struggle with the lack of boys, as many schools do. Of the 10 who stuck it out, only 3 were boys. All 6 of the lead roles were played by girls except one (Schroeder).

On a different, but related note, we also had a very hard time selling tickets despite our best efforts. Sports are king here and getting people to come support anything that doesn't resemble a football game is really difficult. We had 4 performances and had less than 300 people in attendance across all 4 performances. Our old-school auditorium seats 800 people, so 75 people feels like 5. It's very disheartening for the kids.

Despite all of this, the students all loved it in the end, hugged and cried when it was over, and talked about how they couldn't wait for next year, etc. as kids do (ok adults too sometimes).

My music director (choir teacher) and I are willing to try again, but we both recognize that we need a new approach. We need to try to get more students involved in the musical and also get more people to come and see the show. We're going to try moving the performances to a different time of the year in hopes that it might help. We will also try to have a longer, more spread out rehearsal schedule (which is not my favorite thing, but probably necessary). But, we're a bit stuck on what else we need to do to be more successful.

One of the options that we're considering is doing a "Jr" show and inviting older elementary or middle school kids to be in the chorus too. There are other small schools in our region who have had great success with this kind of thing. 

The potential positives are that we could do a show with a really recognizable title (maybe Disney?) in the hopes of selling more tickets, also sell more tickets because of the larger (and younger) cast, and it would probably be easier to get away with having almost no boys. (No one cares if a cartoon fish is a boy or a girl whereas, at least in our town, no one will buy a male romantic lead played by a girl.) It could be a good way to try to build our program by sowing interest among the kids so when they get to HS in a few years, they will come join theatre and/or choir.  Also, the Jr. shows are shorter and less challenging (maybe?).  

The negatives are also plentiful. The thought of bringing younger kids on board scares me a bit. I've worked some with smaller children although it's been quite a few years. I worry that the commitment issues I have with the older ones will be the same with the younger ones, which would make it all worse. More people = more potential issues (sometimes). So, maybe it would be better to stay small and simple. Also, I worry that my HS kids won't respond well to working with younger kids or on a Jr version. I have never wanted to do the Jr shows at the HS level because I always felt that they would be too childish and too dumbed down. They seem to be designed more for Middle school (or even younger), although I have no direct experience with Jr version shows. But, now I recognize that it may be what we need and all we can handle right now. I'm just not sure. 

Does anyone out there have experience with Jr. versions at the high school level or with a mixed cast of HS and younger kids? What are the perils and pitfalls of such a plan? If you have done this with success do you have specific titles you would recommend over others?
Or, if you think Jr. versions are not the way to go, what other suggestions would you have for a very small-cast musical that would be easier for a struggling program to pull off?

Any advice or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!


#musicals #smallschool #strugglingprogram #juniormusicals

I need help figuring out how to help my struggling program put on a musical this year, if it's possible.
I teach at a small school in a rural, remote part of Texas. I'm starting my 5th year of teaching and it will be my 2nd year teaching at this school. (I used to teach in a large suburban school in Florida- quite different!) 

Last year we did a musical-- the school's first in a decade. We did "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and while it came together in the end and turned out well, the process of getting there was... a struggle, to put it mildly. We began with a cast of 20 (we used an ensemble for the group numbers) but by the time we performed we were down to 10. We knew we might lose some kiddos along the way which is one of the reasons we chose YAGMCB but losing 50% is a lot, and if I could have, I would have removed several others for poor attendance. It was the stuff of nightmares. Also, we struggle with the lack of boys, as many schools do. Of the 10 who stuck it out, only 3 were boys. All 6 of the lead roles were played by girls except one (Schroeder).

On a different, but related note, we also had a very hard time selling tickets despite our best efforts. Sports are king here and getting people to come support anything that doesn't resemble a football game is really difficult. We had 4 performances and had less than 300 people in attendance across all 4 performances. Our old-school auditorium seats 800 people, so 75 people feels like 5. It's very disheartening for the kids.

Despite all of this, the students all loved it in the end, hugged and cried when it was over, and talked about how they couldn't wait for next year, etc. as kids do (ok adults too sometimes).

My music director (choir teacher) and I are willing to try again, but we both recognize that we need a new approach. We need to try to get more students involved in the musical and also get more people to come and see the show. We're going to try moving the performances to a different time of the year in hopes that it might help. We will also try to have a longer, more spread out rehearsal schedule (which is not my favorite thing, but probably necessary). But, we're a bit stuck on what else we need to do to be more successful.

One of the options that we're considering is doing a "Jr" show and inviting older elementary or middle school kids to be in the chorus too. There are other small schools in our region who have had great success with this kind of thing. 

The potential positives are that we could do a show with a really recognizable title (maybe Disney?) in the hopes of selling more tickets, also sell more tickets because of the larger (and younger) cast, and it would probably be easier to get away with having almost no boys. (No one cares if a cartoon fish is a boy or a girl whereas, at least in our town, no one will buy a male romantic lead played by a girl.) It could be a good way to try to build our program by sowing interest among the kids so when they get to HS in a few years, they will come join theatre and/or choir.  Also, the Jr. shows are shorter and less challenging (maybe?).  

The negatives are also plentiful. The thought of bringing younger kids on board scares me a bit. I've worked some with smaller children although it's been quite a few years. I worry that the commitment issues I have with the older ones will be the same with the younger ones, which would make it all worse. More people = more potential issues (sometimes). So, maybe it would be better to stay small and simple. Also, I worry that my HS kids won't respond well to working with younger kids or on a Jr version. I have never wanted to do the Jr shows at the HS level because I always felt that they would be too childish and too dumbed down. They seem to be designed more for Middle school (or even younger), although I have no direct experience with Jr version shows. But, now I recognize that it may be what we need and all we can handle right now. I'm just not sure. 

Does anyone out there have experience with Jr. versions at the high school level or with a mixed cast of HS and younger kids? What are the perils and pitfalls of such a plan? If you have done this with success do you have specific titles you would recommend over others?
Or, if you think Jr. versions are not the way to go, what other suggestions would you have for a very small-cast musical that would be easier for a struggling program to pull off?

Any advice or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!


#musicals #smallschool #strugglingprogram #juniormusicals

I need help figuring out how to help my struggling program put on a musical this year, if it's possible.
I teach at a small school in a rural, remote part of Texas. I'm starting my 5th year of teaching and it will be my 2nd year teaching at this school. (I used to teach in a large suburban school in Florida- quite different!) 

Last year we did a musical-- the school's first in a decade. We did "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and while it came together in the end and turned out well, the process of getting there was... a struggle, to put it mildly. We began with a cast of 20 (we used an ensemble for the group numbers) but by the time we performed we were down to 10. We knew we might lose some kiddos along the way which is one of the reasons we chose YAGMCB but losing 50% is a lot, and if I could have, I would have removed several others for poor attendance. It was the stuff of nightmares. Also, we struggle with the lack of boys, as many schools do. Of the 10 who stuck it out, only 3 were boys. All 6 of the lead roles were played by girls except one (Schroeder).

On a different, but related note, we also had a very hard time selling tickets despite our best efforts. Sports are king here and getting people to come support anything that doesn't resemble a football game is really difficult. We had 4 performances and had less than 300 people in attendance across all 4 performances. Our old-school auditorium seats 800 people, so 75 people feels like 5. It's very disheartening for the kids.

Despite all of this, the students all loved it in the end, hugged and cried when it was over, and talked about how they couldn't wait for next year, etc. as kids do (ok adults too sometimes).

My music director (choir teacher) and I are willing to try again, but we both recognize that we need a new approach. We need to try to get more students involved in the musical and also get more people to come and see the show. We're going to try moving the performances to a different time of the year in hopes that it might help. We will also try to have a longer, more spread out rehearsal schedule (which is not my favorite thing, but probably necessary). But, we're a bit stuck on what else we need to do to be more successful.

One of the options that we're considering is doing a "Jr" show and inviting older elementary or middle school kids to be in the chorus too. There are other small schools in our region who have had great success with this kind of thing. 

The potential positives are that we could do a show with a really recognizable title (maybe Disney?) in the hopes of selling more tickets, also sell more tickets because of the larger (and younger) cast, and it would probably be easier to get away with having almost no boys. (No one cares if a cartoon fish is a boy or a girl whereas, at least in our town, no one will buy a male romantic lead played by a girl.) It could be a good way to try to build our program by sowing interest among the kids so when they get to HS in a few years, they will come join theatre and/or choir.  Also, the Jr. shows are shorter and less challenging (maybe?).  

The negatives are also plentiful. The thought of bringing younger kids on board scares me a bit. I've worked some with smaller children although it's been quite a few years. I worry that the commitment issues I have with the older ones will be the same with the younger ones, which would make it all worse. More people = more potential issues (sometimes). So, maybe it would be better to stay small and simple. Also, I worry that my HS kids won't respond well to working with younger kids or on a Jr version. I have never wanted to do the Jr shows at the HS level because I always felt that they would be too childish and too dumbed down. They seem to be designed more for Middle school (or even younger), although I have no direct experience with Jr version shows. But, now I recognize that it may be what we need and all we can handle right now. I'm just not sure. 

Does anyone out there have experience with Jr. versions at the high school level or with a mixed cast of HS and younger kids? What are the perils and pitfalls of such a plan? If you have done this with success do you have specific titles you would recommend over others?
Or, if you think Jr. versions are not the way to go, what other suggestions would you have for a very small-cast musical that would be easier for a struggling program to pull off?

Any advice or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!


#musicals #smallschool #strugglingprogram #juniormusicals

I need help figuring out how to help my struggling program put on a musical this year, if it's possible. 
I teach at a small school in a rural, remote part of Texas. I'm starting my 5th year of teaching and it will be my 2nd year teaching at this school. (I used to teach in a large suburban school in Florida- quite different!) 

Last year we did a musical-- the school's first in a decade. We did "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and while it came together in the end and turned out well, the process of getting there was... a struggle, to put it mildly. We began with a cast of 20 (we used an ensemble for the group numbers) but by the time we performed we were down to 10. We knew we might lose some kiddos along the way which is one of the reasons we chose YAGMCB but losing 50% is a lot, and if I could have, I would have removed several others for poor attendance. It was the stuff of nightmares. Also, we struggle with the lack of boys, as many schools do. Of the 10 who stuck it out, only 3 were boys. All 6 of the lead roles were played by girls except one (Schroeder).

On a different, but related note, we also had a very hard time selling tickets despite our best efforts. Sports are king here and getting people to come support anything that doesn't resemble a football game is really difficult. We had 4 performances and had less than 300 people in attendance across all 4 performances. Our old-school auditorium seats 800 people, so 75 people feels like 5. It's very disheartening for the kids.

Despite all of this, the students all loved it in the end, hugged and cried when it was over, and talked about how they couldn't wait for next year, etc. as kids do (ok adults too sometimes).

My music director (choir teacher) and I are willing to try again, but we both recognize that we need a new approach. We need to try to get more students involved in the musical and also get more people to come and see the show. We're going to try moving the performances to a different time of the year in hopes that it might help. We will also try to have a longer, more spread out rehearsal schedule (which is not my favorite thing, but probably necessary). But, we're a bit stuck on what else we need to do to be more successful.

One of the options that we're considering is doing a "Jr" show and inviting older elementary or middle school kids to be in the chorus too. There are other small schools in our region who have had great success with this kind of thing. 

The potential positives are that we could do a show with a really recognizable title (maybe Disney?) in the hopes of selling more tickets, also sell more tickets because of the larger (and younger) cast, and it would probably be easier to get away with having almost no boys. (No one cares if a cartoon fish is a boy or a girl whereas, at least in our town, no one will buy a male romantic lead played by a girl.) It could be a good way to try to build our program by sowing interest among the kids so when they get to HS in a few years, they will come join theatre and/or choir.  Also, the Jr. shows are shorter and less challenging (maybe?).  

The negatives are also plentiful. The thought of bringing younger kids on board scares me a bit. I've worked some with smaller children although it's been quite a few years. I worry that the commitment issues I have with the older ones will be the same with the younger ones, which would make it all worse. More people = more potential issues (sometimes). So, maybe it would be better to stay small and simple. Also, I worry that my HS kids won't respond well to working with younger kids or on a Jr version. I have never wanted to do the Jr shows at the HS level because I always felt that they would be too childish and too dumbed down. They seem to be designed more for Middle school (or even younger), although I have no direct experience with Jr version shows. But, now I recognize that it may be what we need and all we can handle right now. I'm just not sure. 

Does anyone out there have experience with Jr. versions at the high school level or with a mixed cast of HS and younger kids? What are the perils and pitfalls of such a plan? If you have done this with success do you have specific titles you would recommend over others?
Or, if you think Jr. versions are not the way to go, what other suggestions would you have for a very small-cast musical that would be easier for a struggling program to pull off?

Any advice or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!


#musicals #smallschool #strugglingprogram #juniormusicals