Inappropriate The Musical

The musical this week is a bit different than any of the others that have been written about here before. Inappropriate is a hidden gem in the musical theatre world. It is an extraordinary pop-rock musical based on the journal entries, poetry and true stories of teenagers. The musical is full of tension but is also very touching. The production never made it big on Broadway but it is often used in high school productions. The show touches base on the real issues students suffer nowadays. The cast is relatively small and each character has their own story to share. For example, one character is homosexual and is receiving an unbelievable amount of disapproval from his family and an even more hateful reaction from his peers in high school. The show documents the struggle and his journey throughout the course of the two acts. 

The wonderful and unique thing about Inappropriate The Musical is that each and every story told is an actual story sent in an experienced by real people. The show is a tear jerker and touches the hearts of all whom are able to witness it. The production is honestly a mystery. The composers are unknown and the dialogue was all written by students. It is unfathomable to think that this show was hardly edited. People actually experience these things everyday and there are ways you can stand up and show you care because it may actually save someone. 

Some of the songs include:

Growing Dimmer

Inappropriate

Real

For more information on Inappropriate The Musical, visit:

https://www.facebook.com/InappropriateTheMusical

https://www.kickstarter.com/

To show you care and spread awareness and love, visit: 

https://gaycenter.org/

http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

Show someone you care and have a great week. 

Heathers The Musical

According to their homepage, "Heathers The Musical is the darkly delicious story of Veronica Sawyer, a brainy, beautiful teenage misfit who hustles her way into the most powerful and ruthless clique at Westerberg High: the Heathers. But before she can get comfortable atop the high school food chain, Veronica falls in love with the dangerously sexy new kid J.D. When Heather Chandler, the Almighty, kicks her out of the group, Veronica decides to bite the bullet and kiss Heather’s aerobicized ass… but J.D. has another plan for that bullet. Brought to you by the award-winning creative team of Kevin Murphy (Reefer Madness, “Desperate Housewives”), Laurence O’Keefe (Bat Boy, Legally Blonde) and Andy Fickman (Reefer Madness, She’s the Man)." 

Heathers is a hilarious, heartfelt and homicidal new show full of teen drama, love, comedy, and angst. The musical is one I don't regret watching. The show is an upcoming hit and is taking the nation by storm. Ben Brantly from The New York Times says the show is "A rowdy and guilty pleasure."

Some of the songs from Heathers The Musical include: 

Beautiful

Candy Store

Fight For Me

Freeze My Brain

Dead Girl Walking

My personal favorite is Beautiful. It is hilarious and the harmonies are to die for. Here, check it out…

For more information on Heathers The Musical, check out:

http://heathersthemusical.com

http://www.playbill.com

"Have a beautiful frikin' day!"

BIG FISH

BIG FISH is one of my favorite musicals. It is a beautiful story featuring the music and lyrics by Tony nominee Andrew Lippa. BIG FISH focuses on Edward Bloom, a traveling salesman who lives life to its fullest. Edward's incredible stories thrill everyone around him, especially his wife, Sandra. But their son, Will, about to have a child of his own, is determined to find the truth behind his dad’s stories.

The show has received excellent reviews all around. BIG FISH is a crowd favorite for obvious reasons. It is based of off the novel written by John August. With its combination of humor, heart, and some great musical numbers, BIG FISH is sure to please audience members of all ages. 

Songs from the musical include:

Every Day

All Shook Up

Pictures

Underwater

Big Fish

The musical originally opened in 2013 and starred Norbert Leo Butz, Kate Baldwin, Ben Crawford, and Ryan Andes. 

For more information, dive into:

http://www.theatricalrights.com/big-fish

http://www.bigfishthemusical.com

Until next week, dream big. 

A Very Potter Musical

A Very Potter Musical is a parody based on several of the Harry Potter novels.The musical follows the same plot line as the book. A Very Potter Musical is a musical with music and lyrics by Darren Criss and A. J. Holmes and a book by Matt Lang, Nick Lang and Brian Holden.

The musical was first performed in 2009 and immediately became a show adored by many. The popularity of the Harry Potter novels increased ticket sales like nobody's business! 

The production has more of a comedic feel than anything else. It highlights the most popular pieces of the novels within the two acts of the show. 

Songs from A Very Potter Musical include:

Goin' Back To Hogwarts

Harry

Pigfarts

Voldemort Is Goin' Down

Different As Can Be

It was performed in April 2009 on the University of Michigan campus. Later, the group posted the entire musical on YouTube. It was taken down to edit to make it appropriate for the younger audiences, but was posted again in late June. 

A clip of act one of A Very Potter Musical

Visit these sites for more information on A Very Potter Musical:

http://www.theguardian.com

http://www.imdb.com

http://www.teamstarkid.com/avpm.html

Until next week… Stupefy!!

High School Musical

High School Musical on Stage! is based off of the Disney Channel Original Movie, High School Musical. It is the story of high school students as they find themselves and come together in the theatre department. 




With music and lyrics by Matthew Gerred, Robbie Neval, and Ray and Greg Cham, HSM is a production that appealed to younger audiences. The songs in the musical are still well known years after the movie and musical were released. 

The most popular of the songs include: 

Start of something new

Together

What I've Been Looking For

Getcha Head in the Game

Status Quo

With music and lyrics by Ray and Greg Cham, Randy Petersen, Kevin Quinn, Andy Dodd, Adam Watt Bryan Louiselle, David N. Lawrence, Faye Greenberg and Jamie Houston, and a book by David Simpatico, it has quickly become a very popular choice for high school shows.


For more information on High School Musical, visit:
http://www.mtishows.com
http://disneytheatricallicensing.com

Until next week…
Keep your head in the game. Go Wildcats!

Flat Stanley

Flat Stanley is a musical based off of the Flat Stanley Children's Book Series. The children's book written by Jeff Brown in 1964 has become a literary and pop cultural favorite. Now, Timothy Allen McDonald has taken the book and turned it into an enjoyable musical for all.

Stanley Lambchop is your ordinary, every day ten-year-old with a normal mom and dad, normal little brother, normal life. That's just the problem. Life is too normal. He wants to travel the world, do something amazing, something no one's ever seen before. One night, the bulletin board on the wall above Stanley's bed comes loose and falls right on top of Stanley. The next morning, Stanley Lambchop wakes up flat. He is so flat that he is able to travel in the mail and visit places around the world!



Flat Stanley is a musical that targets younger audiences with its upbeat songs and lively choreography. Songs from the production include:

Meet The Lambchops

Magic Music

Through the Mail

Talent

Surfing the Mail

Flat Stanley has a wide range in cast. There are many featured roles as well as a large ensemble and many dancers. The production has many quick costume changes in between scenes and a large crew is needed backstage for this show.

For more information on Flat Stanley and his musical adventures, visit:

http://www.stubhub.com

http://www.mtishows.com

See you next week!

Pinocchio!

This week, the topic is a play rather than a musical. Pinocchio is based off of the 1940's film. It is a fun, exciting, and engaging play that teaches children the power of telling the truth. 

Pinocchio is usually performed by actors under the age of 18, or a junior cast. There are few people in this cast and there is no music because this, unlike the other blogs, is a play and not a musical.

A man named Gepetto creates a wooden marionette called Pinocchio. His wish that Pinocchio be a real boy is unexpectedly granted by a fairy. The fairy assigns Jiminy Cricket to act as Pinocchio's "conscience" and keep him out of trouble. Jiminy is not too successful in this endeavor and most of the story is spent with Pinocchio deep in trouble.

The play is two acts and musically directed by Bill Francoeur and the book was written by Patrick Rainville Dorn. Sadly, the production never made it big in box offices because it appealed more to younger viewers than to broadway critics,

For more information about the production, please visit:

http://www.classicsonstage.com/scriptspinocchio.html

http://www.pioneerdrama.com

http://playsforyoungaudiences.org

Until next week, tell the truth and believe!

Legally Blonde

"Elle Woods appears to have it all. Her life is turned upside-down, however, when her boyfriend dumps her so he can start getting serious about his life and attend Harvard Law. Determined to get him back, Elle uses her charm to get into Harvard Law. At school, she struggles with peers, professors, and Warner Huntington. With the help of Paulette and Emmett, though, Elle quickly realizes her potential and sets out to prove herself to the world." (http://www.mtishows.com)

Legally Blonde The Musical is based off of the award-winning movie. Legally blonde is a comedy that also manages to tug at your heart. Some of the musicals most popular songs include:

Omigod You Guys!

Serious

What You Want

Bend And Snap

Legally Blond

Whipped Into Shape

Positive

Legally Blonde is one of my favorites! The musical covers every category. It shows the harder, more depressing parts of life that you can't always sugarcoat. It shows audiences how rough life can be sometimes. Then, in the next scene, the path will switch completely and a comedic dance number will occur. There are so many unexpected twists and turns throughout the plot of this dazzling musical. 

The score was composed by Laurence O'Keefe. O'Keffee won three Oliver Awards for the work done in Legally Blonde The Musical in 2011.  The script was written by Kristen Smith. Smith was an advocate of "girl power" and legend has it that this musical was a dream of hers for a long time. 

To read more about the show or to purchase tickets, visit: 
http://www.mtishows.com
http://www.legallyblondethemusical.co.uk/tour/
http://www.legallyblondethemusical.com

Until next week, stay positive!

The Phantom Tollbooth

The tale of Milo, Tock, and a certain magic tollbooth is brought splendidly to life on stage in The Phantom Tollbooth. Adapted from Norton Juster's beloved children's book, this musical features a score by Arnold Black and witty lyrics full of wordplay by Pulitzer Prize and three-time Tony winner Sheldon Harnick. Based on the children's book, a young boy's magical journey proves that life is the greatest adventure of all. The production is typically performed with a younger cast under the age of 19 years old. The show is lively and full of life.

The main character, Milo is a little boy who lives his life in a constant state of boredom. That all changes when Milo takes a trip through the mysterious make-believe tollbooth that appears in his bedroom everyday. 

Songs from the musical include:

Milo's Song

Word Market

Numbers Are The Only Thing That Count

Time Is A Gift

Rhyme and Reason Reign

The Phantom Tollbooth was written by Norton Juster in 1961. When Juster was reporting to NPR on his work, he said, "Today's world of texting and tweeting is quite a different place, but children are still the same as they've always been. They still get bored and confused, and still struggle to figure out the important questions of life. Well, one thing has changed: As many states eliminate tolls on highways, some children may never encounter a real tollbooth." Juster continues to crack his wit even after 50 years of the publishing of the book. 

For more information,

 visit: 

http://www.npr.org 

http://www.halleonard.com

http://www.musick8.com

See you next week… 

Godspell

Godspell is a contemporary musical with a rock-flavored score. Godspell is basically parables from the Gospel in song and dance. 

Music and lyrics were written by Stephen Schwartz and the book was directed and written by John-Michael Tebelak. Godspell opened on May 5, 1971 in New York. 

The show starts off when 12 free-spirited souls spot a man. This man turns out to be Jesus Christ and ends up teaching the wide-eyed kids about God and The Kingdom of Heaven. He does so through movement, poppy music, and comedic skits. The original twelve end up as Jesus' first twelve disciples. They follow Him through everything and learn a lesson through each step of the journey. Along the way, Judas, one of the disciples, is bribed and turns Jesus in. The story line provides a clear and fun way of understanding The Holy Word of Christ. 

The musical features several songs adored by many. These songs include:

All Good Gifts

Bless The Lord

We Beseech Thee

Prepare Ye

Turn Back, O Man

Day By Day

For more information on Godspell, check out:

https://www.mtishows.com

http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com

Have a great weekend! 

The Cocoanuts

With music and lyrics by Irvin Berlin and book by George Kaufman, The Cocoanuts was the second of the tree musicals that the Marx Brothers starred in on Broadway. The Marx Brothers also starred in I'll Say She Is and Animal Crackers. The Cocoanuts left a lot of room for the comedic brothers to play with improvisational work throughout the run of the two act show.

Besides the Marx Brothers, the show also featured Margret Dumont, John Barker, and George Hale. The show opened in the Lyric Theatre when it opened in late 1925. The Cocoanuts is full of comedic songs that you will surely remember after you hear. For example, how could you forget a song called "Monkey Doodle Doo"? The five main songs featured in the show are lively, upbeat, and very 20s. 


The story is set in Florida where a man runs a hotel and is a shady real estate developer who is trying to cash in on the Florida land boom. Complications rise when guests to the hotel start pointing fingers. The production is a light comedy and was given fairly good reviews within its time on Broadway. 

For more information, visit:

https://www.osfashland.org/productions

Have a great week, theatre nerds!