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  • 1.  Students creating their own musical theatre scenes

    Posted 03-06-2023 09:28

    Has any one ever done an assignment where students take existing popular music and treat it as a song in a jukebox musical? I'm toying with a project in which they write an original scene that leads into their chosen song and then perform it is if it's a musical theatre piece. Looking to see if there are existing resources for this kind of work. Always nice to not be starting from scratch.



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    Ryan Moore
    Theatre Teacher and Forensics Coach
    West Bloomfield MI
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  • 2.  RE: Students creating their own musical theatre scenes

    Posted 03-07-2023 05:18

    LOVE THIS!!!!  We do this exact thing as part of my Intro and Intermediate Classes' Final Projects.  I started it in the early 2000s, then the show "Glee" came out and allowed me to demonstrate the process much more elegantly.  We started calling this our "Glee Project."  Even though the show has been off the air for almost a decade, kids still get the reference.

    Here's the breakdown:

    1) We spend about a week or two studying clips, or entire shows and analyze the role different songs play in the narrative: (Opening Numbers, "I Want" songs, Production Numbers, "11 O'Clock" numbers, etc.).  We also study different composers and compare their styles.

    2) I show clips from "Glee" in which non-musical theatre songs are used as musical theatre scenes. ("Hate On Me" is a particular favorite).

    3) Each student must select a song from any genre (pop, country, hip-hop, or show tune) that they think would be their "I Want" song.

    4) Each writes a short monologue that contextualizes the song.  They rehearse and present this as a test grade.

    5) Kids then work independently, or in a group of no more than 5 to use either their "I Want" song from earlier, or another song to use for the final project.  They must write a short scene that leads into the song, and then perform it.  They can either use a karaoke track or, when possible, have live piano or guitar accompaniment.  Added points are given for choreography and creative staging.

    6) Students in the Tech Theatre track design the sound (mics, effects, etc.), lighting and simple sets (blocks, wagons, tables, benches, etc.).

    7) IF THEY CHOOSE TO DO SO: Some students have even written their own songs.  While I encourage this, my main focus with the project is playwriting with a bit of creative adaptation.

    I hope this helps.  Over the years, my kids say this is one of their favorite things we do.  Even my Advanced Drama students love to revisit their "Glee" projects from years past and revise and improve them.

    Break A Leg!!!



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    Josh Ruben, M. Ed.
    Fine Arts Head
    Northwest Whitfield HS (dba, The Northwest Theatre Co.)
    Tunnel Hill, GA
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  • 3.  RE: Students creating their own musical theatre scenes

    Posted 03-07-2023 10:07

    I did a similar project, but had two lists of songs: one list I created from popular musicals or broadway shows and the other the students created with current songs they liked.  I put them all on slips of paper and had two different containers.  They picked their groups and then someone from each group drew from each bin to find out which two songs they had to incorporate.  They could sing, dance, use as background, or any combination of those, but the song had to be meaninfully tied into the storyline.  THEY LOVED IT!  I got some crazy and creative scenes that year.  It is definitely something I use at the end of the year when they are all starting to mentally check out after the spring musical.



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    Amy MacCord
    Musical Theatre Teacher
    Westwood Middle School
    FL
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  • 4.  RE: Students creating their own musical theatre scenes

    Posted 03-08-2023 07:52

    The Lesson Plan library has a plan like this that I was literally going to start for the first time today! 



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    Rebecca Black
    Teacher/Director
    Wayland Union High School
    MI
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  • 5.  RE: Students creating their own musical theatre scenes

    Posted 03-08-2023 08:26

    Haha.  Timing.  For me, it's that we just concluded our big musical and I need that next big project.  Are you referring to the lesson plan called "I Want to Be a Producer"?



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    Ryan Moore
    Theatre Teacher and Forensics Coach
    West Bloomfield MI
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  • 6.  RE: Students creating their own musical theatre scenes

    Posted 03-08-2023 08:45

    That's the one. I'm modifying it to just focus on having students create a concept for a jukebox musical. We are going to take a look at some examples, and they will wither create a plan for a musical centered on one artist, or several contemporary artists centered around a theme. I am restructuring my Intro to Production course, so this is the year to try all of the new things! 



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    Rebecca Black
    Teacher/Director
    Wayland Union High School
    MI
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  • 7.  RE: Students creating their own musical theatre scenes

    Posted 03-09-2023 15:56

    Hello!  Yes! We do a project similar to this in our Middle School Musical Theatre class.  We discuss a song's rhythms, rhyming schemes, and syllabic emphasis. The students choose an existing MT song and rewrite the lyrics.  Oftentimes, we'll ask them to create a lead in scene (song into scene structure) to accompany the song.  Giving a theme or question helps guide their choices, too.  For example, we looked at "96,000" from In the Heights and asked the students what they would do if they won the lottery.  Their lyrics reflected those choices. We ask them to add  choreography and scenic elements to take it even further.  Pretty good results have happened.

     

     

    Kelly McCain  

     






  • 8.  RE: Students creating their own musical theatre scenes

    Posted 03-09-2023 15:55

    Hello!  Yes! We do a project similar to this in our Middle School Musical Theatre class.  We discuss a song's rhythms, rhyming schemes, and syllabic emphasis. The students choose an existing MT song and rewrite the lyrics.  Oftentimes, we'll ask them to create a lead in scene (song into scene structure) to accompany the song.  Giving a theme or question helps guide their choices, too.  For example, we looked at "96,000" from In the Heights and asked the students what they would do if they won the lottery.  Their lyrics reflected those choices. We ask them to add  choreography and scenic elements to take it even further.  Pretty good results have happened.



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    Kelly McCain
    TX
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