She Loves Me!–recently revived on Broadway, fabulous book, wonderful score, terrific parts (chorus isn’t huge, but the shopping scenes can handle extras). The story ends on Christmas Eve–it’s funny and romantic, and (okay, I admit it) I saw the revival 6 times. It’s very witty. The original cast recording with Barbara Cook and Jack Cassidy is also worth a listen. For a complete synopsis of the plot and song list, see http://www.musicalheaven.com/s/she_loves_me.shtml
The story was swiped (badly, I’m afraid) for the recent movie, “You’ve Got Mail” starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. It was done so much better as “The Shop Around the Corner” starring Jimmy Stewart and Maureen Sullavan. It’s heavenly and highly underrated.
I have a wild and wacky idea – why not write your own? Do it as a revue, showcasing either a specific composer, era or perhaps just call it “Best of Broadway”. This way the good and/or familiar songs can be used, and the plot/dialog can either be done to suit, or done away with altogether.
Some may say this is a cop-out, but I’ve seen this kind of thing done VERY well. Alternate solos and duets, trios, etc. with chorus numbers and you’ll not only save on the set, but the costumes as well.
Well, I’ll put in a third vote for Little Shop of Horrors. My school did it last year, and it was hilarious. Simple set, except for the plant, which can be made or ordered from a prop shop, and as large a chorus as you want, depending on how many hobos and prostitues you want on stage at once, singing together.
Another one, though it doesn’t have a large chorus, is Godspee. VERY simple plot, and pretty much all of the staging is improvisation, so it can be really fun with the right people. Good music, as well.
My all time favorite is “Chess.” It doesn’t get done to often, and beleive it or not, most people know the songs. If you do “Chess,” myself and a whole bunch of people will come see it.
The problem with Chess is that apparently, (although a meeting between Rice and the Abba guys may have changed things), the people in charge of Chess productions make you use the crappy American version: dumbed down lyrics, lady-or-the-tiger non-ending and “Freddy Ruger” as the American.
Feh.
Try Blondel instead, if you can’t do the British version (if you can, I wanna see it too!)
Ceejaytee, thanks for the link - it means I have to a lot less work than I expected. I think I might be able to push through some of the lees known suggestions - partly because the rest of the commitee is fairly open minded and slightly eccentric, so if I get the support of some people then everything should be fine.
It’s not unlikely that we might write our own - although I think ths might be a last resort, one of the girls last year wrote, directed and starred in her own 30 minute play which won most of the prizes in a competiton.
It should be pretty easy to get the British version of Chess as I went to see a year or so back but if it’s still on at the West End or touring, we can’t put it on. I’ll be sure to send out tickets if we do though.
Got to go to class so I’ll bring another update this afternoon.
#1) It’s by Galt MacDermot, the guy who did Hair, which you said you liked. #2) Most people are reasonably familiar with the story. #3) The songs are catchy. #4) It may give the Head a heart-attack, since it’s kind of…um…earthy…at points, but since it’s Shakespeare, he won’t be able to say much. #4) If anyone objects because it’s “too obscure”, you can look at them coldly, and with a superior tone in your voice inform them that “It wasn’t ‘too obscure’ to win the Tony for Best Musical in 1972 against Stephen Sondheim’s Follies and Grease.” Then you can tell them that if they’re not even informed about the history of the theatre, well… (Can you tell I’m in a confrontational mood today? :D)
Remember the Gilligan’s Island episode where the castaways staged a musical Shakespeare production? (It was an effort to impress a Hollywood producer to get him to rescue them. Ever notice what complete bastards visitors to the island were? They never helped them!)
Anyway, when I think of Polnius’s advice to Laertes (I think – I’m not a thespian) I can’t help thinking about the Skipper’s musical rendition of it.
How about the musical Planet of the Apes (from The Simpsons)? “I hate ev’ry ape I see / From chimpan-ay to chimpanzee / They’ll never make a monkey out of me!”
“Little Shop of Horrors” is great and not too hard to set up if you have a great girl trio to do the doo-wop narrative.
“Into the Woods” is incredibly amusing for the audience, easily done, and is full of bunches of familiar fairy tales only slightly fractured for humurous effect.
Both are good picks, but my favorite show to do on a shoestring is “Once Upon a Mattress”. There are hilariously funny moments, the chorus can be as large as you want, costumes are fairly easy to make up, the dancing can be simple and still hilarious (especially the Spanish Panic), and although the songs are not well known, messing with them only makes them funnier. The soundtrack from the Broadway production with Sarah Jessica Parker is available at Amazon.com and the last time I did this show I had the kids sold on it after listening to the show once. It’s a great show to do if you haven’t done one before.
OK—got out my books and did some research last night (the invoice is in the mail, dear). Here are some muscials of the 1910s–'20s with words and music by various combinations of P.G. Wodehouse, Jerome Kern, Guy Bolton and George Gershwin. They all have clever plots and dialogue, GREAT(recognizable) songs, and are fairly small and easy to stage (they were called “Princess musicals,” as they were written to fit into the cozy Princess Theater). One big advantage: they are rarely revived, so the audience won’t have seen them 28 times before!
Very Good Eddie
Oh, Boy!
Lady, Be Good
Oh, Kay!
Girl Crazy
Leave It to Jane
Sally
Funny Face
Or, you could go with the slightly naughtier sophistication of Cole Porter:
Gay Divorce (made into that great Astaire/Rogers film, with one extra “e”)
Anything Goes
Of course, I’m still boosting for The Parisian Model . . .
I haven’t seen anyone recommend “Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?”
Not my favorite musical, but it may be appropo given the conservative nature of the school. The music is catchy and simple.
As far as learning the music to whatever you choose, if you can find the soundtrack buy it. If your computer accidentally makes some copies of it onto CD-Rs, you might as well pass them around to others so they can listen and learn the words before rehearsals even start.
Styguy: I tried e-mailing you, but couldn’t get a connection. May I request a video of “Working” from you? How much would it cost me?
It amazes me that you mention two shows which feature my man, David Patrick Kelly. Have I found a kindred spirit? In any case, I’d like one of those videos! You, ah, don’t happen to have one for ITLAHS, do you ;)?
nadin, you’re Doper after my own heart. We’re going to do that for our show this year. If you’re in the chorus, you’re either a Nazi or a nun.
Anyway, I put in a vote for “Kiss Me Kate”. Only there aren’t many chorus parts.
If you have a lot of girls in the cast, “The King and I” is pretty good. Minimum set and costume changes. And there’s only one kiss. You do have to keep an eye out for at least 10 grade to middle school kids, but assign a kid to a wife and that takes care of that problem.
Good luck.
I’d like to toss in a mention for The Fantastiks as well. It was the first musical I ever saw and I still think it’s wonderful. The set (at least in the production I saw) was just a tree, with a person posed against it acting as the Wall.
As for a Sondheim musical ? I’d have to go with my favourite: Sunday in the Park with George.
I’ve always been fond of "Hello, Dolly’ myself. Am surprised no one has recommended it. I’ve seen a couple of high schools put it on, and it appears to be well within the capabilities of amateurs.
I also think there is a musical version of “Li’l Abner” which is pretty funny. However, the songs might be a tad obscure.
Since your school appears to be in the UK, nadin, have you considered anything by Gilbert and Sullivan?
My high school just put on this show in November. It’s a very funny show, and it has an improvised feel (good if you only have three weeks to rehearse). The audience picks the end because Dickens died before he finished the book. They get to choose the murderer, the secret detective, and the lovers. Only problem with this show is that you need a wonderfully talented actor to play the part of the chairman because he is about half of the show. The songs are definitely not familiar, but they are very catchy once you’ve seen the show or been in it (I’m still singing them).
Last year, my high school put on The Little Shop of Horrors, also a great show. We increased the number of urchins from three to eight, which actually worked. There are a lot of bit parts and townspeople parts, and I think the songs would be familiar to many people.
