The Most Produced High School Musicals 2008

I'm always fascinated by the shows that live on after Broadway. And by live on, I mean catch on in regional and community productions. Of course, high school shows are a subset unto themselves. Some shows, no matter how artistically strong or financially successful, just won't catch on in high schools. The Producers will likely fall into this category; the subject matter, and all that. And then there are other shows that catch on in schools despite their lack of quality: Footloose and Fame come to mind.

Each year, the Educational Theater Association surveys high schools around the the country asking them what plays and musicals they've performed. (But we only care about the musicals, right, dear reader? For the full list, see here. For my take on last year's list, see here.) This year, 830 schools responded, and here are the results:

1. Beauty and the Beast
2. Little Shop of Horrors
3. Guys and Dolls
4. (tie) Seussical
4. (tie) Thoroughly Modern Millie
6. (tie) Bye Bye Birdie
6. (tie) Into the Woods
8. (tie) High School Musical
8. (tie) Once Upon a Mattress

The thing that struck me was that four of these shows have had recent, financially under-performing revivals: Guys and Dolls, Little Shop of Horrors, Once Upon a Mattress, and Into the Woods. Could it be that a major factor in the lack of success for these revivals is that everyone has already seen or done these shows again and again? I mean, why pay $100+ for something you could see at your local senior high? Of course, one data point in the other direction is the current smash-hit revival of West Side Story. That show is done all over the place, and that doesn't seem to be stopping people from shelling out an average of $100 at the Palace.

Which brings me to Bye Bye Birdie, which the Roundabout will be mounting in the fall. Pro: This will be the show's first-ever Broadway revival. Con: Frickin' everybody has done this show. Pro: Talented director/choreographer Robert Longbottom is due for a hit. Con: The book is creaky as hell. Pro: The score is charming, with lots of memorable tunes. Con: The book is creaky as hell. Pro: They've amassed a cast replete with Hollywood beauties (Gina Gershon, John Stamos) and Broadway stalwarts (Bill Irwin, Jayne Houdyshell, Dee Hoty). Con: The book...you get the idea. 

The Roundabout will run Birdie at the newly renovated Henry Miller, rather than the Studio 54, which is where they typically house their musicals. Perhaps this is because they've realized the Studio 54 is a cold, heartless barn of a venue, and that Birdie will do much better in a warmer, more intimate space. It could also be that they have high hopes for Birdie, and plan on running it for a while, while using the 54 for their rotating slate of shows.

Another indication that the Roundabout has grand plans for Birdie is the show's recently announced top ticket price of $136.50, which Roundabout managing director Harold Wolpert defends by pointing out that subscribers comprise half of the Roundabout's ticket sales, and pay about half the face value on the ticket. Well, all I can say is, after the Roundabout's lackluster 2008-2009 season (cf. Pal Joey, The Philanthropist, A Man for All Seasons, Waiting for Godot) you'd think that they'd be lowering their ticket prices. I'll definitely be seeing Bye Bye Birdie, but I'll have to take the rest of their 2009-2010 season on a case-by-case basis.

Comments

[Monica]

Out of curiosity, do you know if that's the "Junior" version of "Into the Woods" that is out there or the actual "Into the Woods"?

I was slightly surprised to see that "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" isn't on there because it seems as though every high school does that show in Iowa.

I have the problem that if I see a bad high school production of a musical and it's my first time seeing that show, I have a huge aversion the show for a long time. I have that current problem with "Bye, Bye, Birdie." And as the result of that, I would pay $10 for a ticket to the first preview, but not $136.50 for a ticket in the orchestra. Even though it has Bill Irwin and Jayne Houdyshell.

[Esther]

The interesting part of the story is how tailor-made musicals are becoming more popular than the classics, like Oklahoma.

It'll be nice to see Hairspray get on that list, though. It's got so many great roles for white and black students.

Also, I would almost think it would be the opposite, that people gravitate (sadly sometimes) to what they know. Mamma Mia and Phantom of the Opera tour everywhere but people still go in droves to see them on Broadway.

True, they're not done for free in a high school auditorium.

[Chris Caggiano]

Monica: I'm not sure, but I would imagine it's the regular version. ITW Junior is geared towards grammar schools.

Esther: Oklahoma was on the list last year, and was probably not too far below the cutoff for this year's top ten. And Hairspray will very likely be a big seller for high schools. Definitely more so than say Spring Awakening or Passing Strange.

[Geoff]

Chris: What exactly do you mean when you say the book of "Birdie" is creaky? Do you mean that the topical references are dated? That the characters are somewhat one-dimensional? That the plot is simply not credible?

I think these would all be valid criticisms of the "Birdie" libretto, and yet I have always considered it a model of tight, efficient construction which quickly, confidently, and effortlessly propels the viewer from one song to the next. It's almost giddy how rapidly that book moves.

I recently attended a very fine local high school production and I fell in love with the show all over again. I even laughed at every old joke that I know so well. Creaky? Maybe, but for my money, still great entertainment. I'm looking forward to attending in the fall and seeing the reopening of Henry Miller's Theatre.

[chris caggiano]

Geoff: Thanks so much for your comments and input. You're absolutely right in calling me on this: I didn't sufficiently define my terms here.

When I say creaky, I mean old-fashioned. And by old-fashioned, I mean mired in the practices of pre-Rodgers and Hammerstein musical theater. R&H raised the expectations for the integration of all of the elements of the show: the songs, the dance, the orchestrations, etc. After R&H, shows that contained elements that didn't further the plot, illuminate character, or establish time and place became increasingly archaic.

Birdie has songs that have scant relationship to the plot ("Honestly Sincere"), and songs that begin rather abruptly, without sufficient set-up ("Put on a Happy Face"). And you're right in saying the characters lack dimension, particularly Albert, who's really a thinly drawn cipher.

I didn't say that Birdie was a bad show. I just don't think it's a very good show. But I'll be very interested to see how it comes off in the Roundabout production, and I'll be the first to admit I'm wrong if it works. I was wrong about Hair: I used to dismiss it as a show with a great score but an overly fragmented book. I saw it as a quaint period piece. Diane Paulus's stunning revival proved me wrong.