Some good choices listed so far.
I'm a retired theatrical designer, and one of the things that's always bugged me is companies that try to mount productions that they don't have the resources for, and then want to make the set "realistic," or, worse yet, try to copy a professional production. Then they end up with a few painted flats and little else. There's no need for this.
The audience will always see what's up there, not what we think is up there.
For instance, one of my favorite musicals is Man of La Mancha. The original Howard Bay set was ginormous as far as the logistics, but all the audience saw was a platform, a grille, and the staircase that came down. That's it. The rest was black; it was a brilliant design. Everything else was props, costumes, and lighting -- plus fabulous acting. Yet there have been numerous productions that had these intricate, Piranesi-like "dungeons" on stage: platforms, doorways, the whole bit. And, if the stage wasn't high enough, a tiny little staircase that probably took up half the budget and looked silly.
I paid homage to (or maybe I was inspired by?) Howard's set when I designed An Inspector Calls some years ago. It could have been a forty-two foot wide Edwardian dining room where all the action, to speak of, takes place at and around the dining table. Instead, the focus was on the action:
https://georgefledo.net/Inspector%20Calls.htm
Yes we put a lot of work into the details on that back wall, but it didn't need to be forty-two feet wide. The acting filled in the rest.
Any of the musicals listed above, and, yes, even Man of La Mancha, can be staged very simply, using imagination and focusing on the story and the characters. Theatre is not about the sets: it's about the stories.
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George F. Ledo
Set designer
www.setdesignandtech.wordpress.comwww.georgefledo.net------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 03-07-2024 12:01
From: Greg Newman
Subject: Low Maintenance musical
I would recommend for small cast musicals Youre a Good Man Charlie Brown, They're Playing Our Song, 2 characters that each have backup singers, or with a few more people 25th Putnam.
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Greg Newman
Drama Teacher
Heritage High School
CA
Original Message:
Sent: 03-06-2024 12:58
From: John Rowe
Subject: Low Maintenance musical
Hello,
I am starting to plan next year and need to find a musical that has a relatively small cast with little choreography and music that is not too challenging.
It is a rebuilding year for us and we are just coming off the beast that was MEAN GIRLS.
I have a small mix (roughly six) with two strong males (tenor and baritone).
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
John
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John Rowe
Theatre Teacher, Advisor Washington Street Players
Boise High School
ID
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