The Top 10 Most Performed Plays & Musicals in High Schools
- Thread starterderekleffew
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Toss in Anne of Green Gables in all its adaptations and that probably sums up English-speaking Canada too.
I'm a bit surprised that none of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals made the list (South Pacific, Oklahoma, etc.).I guess they are out of fashion at the moment what with MTI dominating the market these days.
I'm a bit surprised that none of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals made the list (South Pacific, Oklahoma, etc.).I guess they are out of fashion at the moment what with MTI dominating the market these days.
DuckJordan
Touring IATSE Member
The high school i went to has only done 2 of these, they are about to make that 3 with The Crucible. Personally, I think they are still great shows, with a few exceptions, Wizard of Oz seems to have been beat to death. and so has Beauty and the Beast. Personally I would rather do a show no one has heard of and teach them something new than the standard, "fairy tales" with the exception of The Crucible. Since the Crucible is taught at a freshman level in our English classes it helps to see a different adaptation of it as well as what is on the film.
My high school has done a few of the musicals, but it was before I went there. I think they are good shows, but it does get sort of annoying to the audience when so many schools do them, you want to go see stuff, but you've already seen or worked on it. In the last few years, my school has been doing some slightly different stuff, like Cats, and Curtains, and this year we're doing Metamorphoses as our winter play and Titanic as our spring musical. Its a lot more fun for us students when we get to work on stuff that has either never been widely heard of, or is considered hard for a high school to do.
Now my high school didn't do a single one of these (of course, many hadn't been written yet),.
Not all of us got to see the original production of A Midsummer's Nights Dream **ducks**
My high school is doing Seussical in the spring and the other high school that I'm welcomed to help out at is doing SeussOdyssey (neat show, btw) in January and both will be in the same venue. Everyone I've talked to thinks that this is odd.
Within the last couple years between three schools and four directors, there has been YCTIWY, Alice in Wonderland, Our Town, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Footloose, YAGMCB, The Music Man, and The Wiz (in the spring).
Surprised that Fiddler didn't make the list and that Christmas Carol is on the list.
Within the last couple years between three schools and four directors, there has been YCTIWY, Alice in Wonderland, Our Town, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Footloose, YAGMCB, The Music Man, and The Wiz (in the spring).
Surprised that Fiddler didn't make the list and that Christmas Carol is on the list.
We, too, had only done one of those (Christmas Carol) during the time I was in HS. And of course, not all of them were written yet, but I'm also surprised that Sound of Music wasn't on the list. I was (ahem) fortunate enough to do that in HS, college, and as a Broadway revival.
masterelectrician2112
Active Member
I've seen 12 Angry Men done several times with varying degree's of success with a mixed gender cast. (from incredible to horrible)
In fact, the best performance I saw had an incredible actress as the lead juror. She was so good, that I didn't even realize she was a she until I referenced the playbill and realized that I knew the actress in real life!
In fact, the best performance I saw had an incredible actress as the lead juror. She was so good, that I didn't even realize she was a she until I referenced the playbill and realized that I knew the actress in real life!
Sayen
Active Member
I've seen a couple of 12 Angry Jurors, to solve the casting issue.
Schools wouldn't keep doing the same shows, particularly musicals, if there was more variety available on the market for school friendly, balanced casts. I read plays and review scripts constantly for each season, and the reject pile is much higher than the "possibly" pile, which dwarfs the "oh yes, this is a good script to produce pile." Do you hear me playwrights? Turn out quality HS scripts!
Other than in small towns, I don't notice a shared audience with other schools, so the repetition doesn't bother me. It is, as Derek pointed out for me once, important for each generation to be exposed to the shows, even if those of us who have been in theater for a while feel burned out on some of these. For example, as a director, I chose to do Crucible one year because I had a (relatively) unique idea for it, and I was able to tie it in to our sophomore English curriculum. While it might be a tired show, it was new to those students.
Schools wouldn't keep doing the same shows, particularly musicals, if there was more variety available on the market for school friendly, balanced casts. I read plays and review scripts constantly for each season, and the reject pile is much higher than the "possibly" pile, which dwarfs the "oh yes, this is a good script to produce pile." Do you hear me playwrights? Turn out quality HS scripts!
Other than in small towns, I don't notice a shared audience with other schools, so the repetition doesn't bother me. It is, as Derek pointed out for me once, important for each generation to be exposed to the shows, even if those of us who have been in theater for a while feel burned out on some of these. For example, as a director, I chose to do Crucible one year because I had a (relatively) unique idea for it, and I was able to tie it in to our sophomore English curriculum. While it might be a tired show, it was new to those students.
Anonymous067
Active Member
My school does not do many plays but we have done 7 of the 10 musicals since our auditorium opened. Our extent of plays has been limited to Arsenic and Old Lace, Pillow Talk, Up the Down Staircase, and a couple more.
Speaking of plays, Almost, Maine is one of the best written plays I have ever read/worked on. It is so cleverly written so I can see why it is #1 on the list.
Speaking of plays, Almost, Maine is one of the best written plays I have ever read/worked on. It is so cleverly written so I can see why it is #1 on the list.
patlienemann
Member
My high school did perform a few of these but I would have to say shows that should go on that list
Death By Chocolate
Harvey
and
South Pacific
West Side Story
Anything Goes
Guys and Dolls
the reason I say these is because when I was in high school/part of college (2000-2006ish) there were a large amount of high schools in my area that did these shows. I saw Anything Goes three years in a row lol.
Death By Chocolate
Harvey
and
South Pacific
West Side Story
Anything Goes
Guys and Dolls
the reason I say these is because when I was in high school/part of college (2000-2006ish) there were a large amount of high schools in my area that did these shows. I saw Anything Goes three years in a row lol.
it included Midsummer, that wouldn't be under copyright.
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I want to see the expanded list, I wonder where Guys n Dolls and Arsenic and Old Lace rank. I bet High School Musical was at the top of a few yearly rankings.
