Picking the Right Musical for Your School, Church, or Community Group
Picking the Right Musical for Your School, Church, or Community Group
At some point you may find yourself tasked with choosing (or helping to choose) a musical to be performed by a group with which you are involved. It could be a school group, a church, or a community theatre organization.
There are some very practical steps you should take when selecting a musical.
Survey the Talent
If your favorite all-time musical is West Side Story but nobody in your likely group can dance a lick, look elsewhere.
Make a list of the members of your group and their strengths. Include singing ability, dancing, general acting, ability to communicate humor, anything that might help you in the decision-making process.
Consider the Audience
As with your potential cast members, consider the folks who will probably attend your production. Parents, students, congregation, and community members — all these groups have general likes and dislikes.
Although it’s always good to help people expand their horizons, going too far from “home” can cost attendance, ticket sales, and that all important opportunity to make a difference.
Check the Budget
No matter what musical you end up selecting, you can likely make some budget-related adjustments in the way it is staged. There is, however, a limit to what is either possible or wise. Don’t take on a production that will require extensive, elaborate scenery and costumes if there is literally no hope of providing them.
Scope Out the Facility
Here’s another area where adjustments have their limit. If your venue has a tiny stage, a show that requires lots of space — for dancing for example — is not a good idea. If lighting is limited and there is no budget to rent lights, avoid a show that might demand complicated light cues throughout the production.
If you are thinking about a musical with many solos and your sound system or available microphones are limited, consider alternatives.
Go With What You Know
Although you shouldn’t choose a show based only on the fact you like it and know it — don’t choose one simply because it fits all the other categories but is one you have no knowledge about whatsoever.
If you love musicals, you have probably seen quite a few. All else being equal, it’s better to choose from a known universe of possible productions than to go with somebody else’s suggestion if it is completely unknown to you.
Weigh the Competition
This includes other local groups putting on musicals — especially at the same time as your production. Don’t be the third group in your community to stage Fiddler on the Roof unless you are looking for smaller than usual crowds or people showing up, comparing your show with the one down the road, and telling you why that one is superior.
Another type of competition has to do with scheduling. Don’t stage your show the same week as a big basketball tournament or some other community event that is likely to cost you ticket sales or create bad feelings.
Look for a Take Away
Whether you work with a school group, a church, or in a community theatre, the best art is art that goes beyond the entertainment aspect. When you consider the amount of time required to rehearse and prepare a musical, if it can also provide some education or other enlightenment, it will be a much better investment on your part and of your organization.
Some examples would include The Sound of Music for a school group to encourage study of World War II and the rise of Nazism in Europe. Godspell, of course, is a natural for church groups. And, although community theatre is wide open, a show like Wizard of Oz would have widespread community appeal and provide an opportunity to link with the local library for a discussion of the book or with a local movie theatre for a special showing of the 1939 film.
Try Before You Buy
Most major licensing firms offer free (or small deposit) perusal copies. Take advantage before making your final decision. This step is very important and should not be skipped — no matter how well you think you know the show.
In many cities, the local public library may have copies of scripts and scores for well-known musicals. It might be worth your while to check — just in case.
Decision Time
Once you have made your selection, check out Musicals101’s Show List to find out which licensing company holds the rights to the show you have selected.
That’s all there is to it. Put in a little time and effort and your show will be a success.
Oh and, “break a leg!”
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