[Lotte@}---]

I'm new here so bear with me for a long topic-

Every year, our music teacher puts together a spring musical with grades 1, 3, 5,(sometimes) 7, and 8th. I just finished our last performance of Annie (The only 7th grader in the show). This years spring musical was amazing; we had a very talented 8th grade and Annie.

Next year will not be the same.

We really don't have much to work with. In my class next year, we will have 1 singer, dancer, actor, and 3 dancers. The 6th soon-to-be 7th is full of girls who can...carry a tune. And, because it's a private K-8th school here, we don't have alot of options. We have a tight budget. We have to appeal to little kids, and keep it appropriate. All of the students are begging to do Hairspray, but (thank goodness) would never be allowed to do that. Are there any shows that we can do that is clean, simple, and appropriate to do?

We've done:

The Sound of Music
The Music Man
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
The Wizard of Oz
Annie

[BroadwayBaby0202]

Hm...since you didn't mention the genders of the actor/singer/dancer and the three dancers, I'll just put down some shows that would be suitable for an elementary school in general.

Beauty & the Beast (depending on your budget)
Bye Bye Birdie (great choice for a middle school)
R&H's Cinderella (also a great choice -- especially if there's minimal talent)
Oklahoma!
Once upon a Mattress
Seussical

Also, check out the junior versions of Guys and Dolls and Fiddler on the Roof.

[Lotte@}---]

Sorry, I forgot to add-they're all girls.
I was looking into R&H's Cinderella, that would probably be the best choice. Thanks!

[Luc]

I was thinking Cinderella too.

Don't even look into Beauty if you have a tight budget.

The Jr. shows are actually phenomenal for schools and youth theatres. I 100% guarantee that if you pick one of those, it will be one of your strongest shows.

[Patrick]

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

[star2ballie]

[rcs]

Maybe Pirates of Penzance or some other Gilbert and Sullivan?

[Lotte@}---]

Is Into the Woods Jr. bad? I heard some people say it was horrible...

[Set_Buildin_Dad]

[star2ballie]

[bway_lvr]

School House Rocks LIVE! Jr. (a bit of a mouthful...)

[Brock07]

I think the content of Mattress is questionable for the age group we're talking about....

[Luc]

I don't see anything wrong with the content. It'd be hard to pull off with such young people, but it's not contreversial or anything. If worse comes to worse, they can always cut Larken's pregancy. No big.

[Brock07]

That's a kinda big plot point isn't it?

I saw a production where they did that and I really didn't like it....there seemed like there was this huge hole missing (mainly because there was...and I didn't even know the show or what was missing at the time)

[LadyOfTheLake]

There's a junior version of Mattress; I was in it last year. They take out all of the pregnancy and anything and everything else that could be considered "questionable".

[Brock07]

[LadyOfTheLake]

It went over very well, IMO. They managed to keep most of the songs, eliminating "Very Soft Shoes", "Man to Man Talk", "Nomandy" (we put that back in), the Nightengale thing, and one of the Harry/Larken duets (can't remember which one.)

In the Junior edition, Larken is going to run away because she mistakes Fred for a servant, and Harry gets mad at her; there's nothing about her being pregnant.

All in all, I think it's a good show for a younger set of actors. Us older performers preferred the real version, but the younger kids all really had a blast.

[Brock07]

That sounds alright then. The version I saw was toyed with by the production staff.

I love Mattress...give that one a try.

[Lotte@}---]

Thanks star2ballie for giving me the link for the Jr. musicals! They were a big help for trying to see what we were allowed to do. So I've got:

R&H's Cinderella
Once Upon a Mattress Jr.
Alice in Wonderland Jr.
Into the Woods Jr.
Suessical
Oklahoma!
All the rest of the Jr. musicals

Anything else that might be added to the list?