[Apples2for10]

As many of you may know, my college is doing a production of "EVITA" in September, which I am very excited about (I'm probably not going to get a part, but maybe Ensemble; who knows?). While it is a wonderful show and I look forward to auditioning for it, I don't think it's appropriate for college productions. It's completely sung-through, which can be a good thing for professionals, but IMHO is not such a good thing for colleges. Plus, I also think that scorewise, it's much too challenging for colleges. With the exception of Superstar and Joseph, I don't think any of Webber's shows should be done in high schools/colleges. Again, this is only a matter of my opinion, but I also wanted to see what the rest of you thought.

[Glissando]

I think it would work, but then again, I don't know how you're theatre department is, whether you have talented enough people to carry the show, etc.

[mastachen]

If they can do Sweeney Todd or Les Mis in high school, then Evita is certainly doable for college.

[musikal_geek]

I just saw Evita done at a HIGH SCHOOL, and they pulled it off marvelously. It wasn't even a performing arts high school. It was just phenomenal.

[LittleRedLovesTheater]

I'm currently in a production of Evita at my high school...we're just a normal school, not a Performing Arts school and things are working out beautifully. Our Eva is an amazing singer, as is our Che. But our Peron had never done a musical in his life but he's learning.

We do have a very strong chorus of singers and dancers but I think it's very do-able for colleges. It is a challenge but if you have very commited people it can be done.

[operafantomet]

I haven't seen THAT many high school productions of musicals, but a couple. And... generally I think the area of failing is more often to be found in the orchestra pit than on stage...

Because many schools has 3-4 excellent solo singers/actors and a good choir, whereas the orchestra is often local amatheur musicials joining the school band. They seldom manage the symphonic sound the musical calls for, and they're not used to play together either so they don't achieve a unison sound.

There are exceptions, of course! But the times I've seen local and school productions of musicals, it's seldom the cast that bothers me (though I somehow expect it to be...).

Other areas of failure: choreography, costumes. The latter is rarely a problem in "Evita"....

[brizejellicle]

My high school did both Evita and Les Miserables. We had the talent and ability to pull of both shows and did very well (even lacking in male cast members). Reviews said that we sounded like a professional cast. Our only weak points were the sets because the school administration does not support the music department so the director pays out of pocket to get stuff for us.

[Beagle On Stage]

My only issue with having this show in high schools or colleges is that there are not many lead roles. Awesome if you happen to be one of the five people who get Eva, Che, Peron, Magaldi, and possibly the mistress, but no one else really gets to shine. If everyone is perfectly content being in the chorus, go for it....but I'm guessing that blood would be spilled over the role of Eva in most schools.

[tortallcit]

Beagle probably said it. It's fine for any stage with enough dedication, but it's kind of important to be able to ensure the actresses won't start a major fit for whoever gets Eva...

[bripct]

EVITA! is a challenging musical. If a high school or college has a talented cast and good support, they need to be challenged to grow and improve! I'd rather see them do a challenging production and learn from it rather than a "safe" one.

Last May, Bunnell HS in Stratford, Connecticut performed Miss Saigon - the 1st CT high school to perform the musical. It was clearly a "challenge" for a general (non-magnet) high school.

They cast and crew spent months working on sets, lighting, ticket sales, rehearsing and even built a helicopter! The experience they gained from producing the show - and doing the impossible - they will never forget. Seeing the cast grow and mature is far more important than being "safe".

They "pulled it off" to packed houses and reviews were amazing. Added to the challenge was knowing Richard Maltby Jr., the lyricist for the original Miss Saigon, was in the audience on Saturday night!

This weekend (May 1-4) they are doing EVITA! - a different challenge than Saigon. After last year's success we are looking forward to another outstanding show.

If anyone is in SW Connecticut, show information and links to Miss Saigon clips is at http://www.americantowns.com/ct/stratford/organization/bunnell-student-theater-arts-guild-of-entertainment-s-t-a-g-e