All-singing, all-dancing, grade-school edition
April 10, 2023 12:11 PM Subscribe
Please help me create a list of theatrical shows that are suitable and appropriate for my kid's elementary school theater program. Criteria within.
The recent production of The Lion King managed to surmount multiple problems, but only just. A group of parents is looking to create a list of shows from which we can pick next year's production. Ideally, the show would satisfy all of the criteria listed below. Does such a theatrical unicorn even exist?
- adaptable to a bilingual (English- and Spanish-speaking; this is a Spanish-immersion school) cast and audience. Even better, this show would include bilingual elements and multicultural themes.
- thematically appropriate for grade-school kids
- unlikely to offend (good) / anti-racist (better)
- is a musical
- easy enough for kids to understand and perform
- not necessarily adapted from another goddamn Disney (eg) movie. This is tricky, because the show should have some relevance to the kids, who of course mostly know mainstream pop culture.
- doesn't cost an arm and a leg in licensing fees.
Anything is potentially fair game, from classic Broadway to modern adaptations. Any ideas?
The recent production of The Lion King managed to surmount multiple problems, but only just. A group of parents is looking to create a list of shows from which we can pick next year's production. Ideally, the show would satisfy all of the criteria listed below. Does such a theatrical unicorn even exist?
- adaptable to a bilingual (English- and Spanish-speaking; this is a Spanish-immersion school) cast and audience. Even better, this show would include bilingual elements and multicultural themes.
- thematically appropriate for grade-school kids
- unlikely to offend (good) / anti-racist (better)
- is a musical
- easy enough for kids to understand and perform
- not necessarily adapted from another goddamn Disney (eg) movie. This is tricky, because the show should have some relevance to the kids, who of course mostly know mainstream pop culture.
- doesn't cost an arm and a leg in licensing fees.
Anything is potentially fair game, from classic Broadway to modern adaptations. Any ideas?
I recently watched an elementary production of The Amazing Adventures of SuperStan. The kids thought it was hilarious and the subject matter was totally appropriate; the only awkward note for me as a viewer was that it really made a trio of old-lady characters the butt of a lot of jokes about bodies growing less capable as they age. But ultimately they turned out to save the day.
I have to imagine this show cost less to license than Disney and it could have a cast of anywhere from 25 to like, maybe 40? You don't mention whether gender balance is an issue in your cast, but basically all the roles except Stanley and his grandmother could have been played by any gender. Well, if your audience is offended by the implication of a long-ago same-sex relationship I guess you might also need a male Candy King. Kids love superhero stories and the plot isn't hard to understand. It includes references to a bunch of pop culture that children will feel very cool and savvy for picking up. It's unfortunately not hitting your first bullet point at all though.
However, be careful with plays that aren't familiar cultural properties; if you weren't in the front four rows there were parts of the show that were utterly incomprehensible (for all I know there were offensive jokes I just didn't understand), and we couldn't lean on prior knowledge as we could with a Disney show or one of the classics.
posted by potrzebie at 12:39 PM on April 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
I have to imagine this show cost less to license than Disney and it could have a cast of anywhere from 25 to like, maybe 40? You don't mention whether gender balance is an issue in your cast, but basically all the roles except Stanley and his grandmother could have been played by any gender. Well, if your audience is offended by the implication of a long-ago same-sex relationship I guess you might also need a male Candy King. Kids love superhero stories and the plot isn't hard to understand. It includes references to a bunch of pop culture that children will feel very cool and savvy for picking up. It's unfortunately not hitting your first bullet point at all though.
However, be careful with plays that aren't familiar cultural properties; if you weren't in the front four rows there were parts of the show that were utterly incomprehensible (for all I know there were offensive jokes I just didn't understand), and we couldn't lean on prior knowledge as we could with a Disney show or one of the classics.
posted by potrzebie at 12:39 PM on April 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
Music Theatre International has a whole catalog of Broadway Jr shows, that have been crafted specifically for young people.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 1:03 PM on April 10, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 1:03 PM on April 10, 2023 [3 favorites]
You can also check out Dramatic Publishing for more original works (non-Broadway) that are suitable for a variety of audiences and performers.
And please pay the royalties, writers and composers have to eat!.
posted by brookeb at 4:34 PM on April 10, 2023
And please pay the royalties, writers and composers have to eat!.
posted by brookeb at 4:34 PM on April 10, 2023
My kids' school 5th grade did Dear Edwina which probably meets all those criteria. They shortened it to mostly just the songs, and less stageplay. The kids really love Fork Knife Spoon song , which also teaches them the proper table setting. It also has a sort-of bilingual song Hola Lola
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:57 AM on April 12, 2023
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:57 AM on April 12, 2023
My grade school did You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, somewhat abridged (I think we cut "Book Report", for one thing). It was a lot of fun. I don't know what the licensing costs. It looks like it's been done in Spanish, although I don't know if those materials are available anywhere.
posted by kristi at 8:10 AM on April 12, 2023
posted by kristi at 8:10 AM on April 12, 2023
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Melismata at 12:37 PM on April 10, 2023 [3 favorites]