[dramamommy]

does anyone know if the rights are available for high school productions?
thanks!

[MBoy]

I know they're not out yet . . . not sure when they'll be out.

[(aerial)]

how would a high school do the helicopter?

[Jordan]

[Alanna]

At the risk of sounding like Chicago boy, I'm not sure schools should be performing this show anyway...

[act4ever]

[spyk_]

I don't think Miss Saigon would be very good performed by an amiture company or school. They'd have to cut it down waaaaayyyyy to much.

[Alanna]

[(aerial)]

The tours don't have a helicopter? Aww, gee, I'll never get to see it.

[Jordan]

[spyk_]

GB's right. They did on the London Production UK tour which toured the 6 biggest venues in the country. Then they did the smaller tour, going to more venues which couldn't hold the complexity of the oringinal production. That was when they got rid of the helicopter.

If you wanna see it, you can kind of see bits of that scene on the The Heat Is On: The Making of Miss Saigon (If you don't already own it).

[BellaSpirita]

If it's a question of subject matter, I agree that alot of younger actors couldn't handle it. Or, alternatively, the audiences/parents couldn't handle it. If, however, it's a question of young actors being unable to tackle the roles, I disagree completely. Also, the student production of Les Mis only loses about 20-30 minutes of recitative, so they shouldn't have to chop much from Miss Saigon either.

And the production I saw didn't have the actual helicopter, either. It was a projection, and that was just fine. The show should be carried by the acting, not the special effects, anyway.

[Triplethreat1187]

I've inquired about this in past posts...in terms of 'Miss Saigon' being performed by amateurs, I don't think that it is practical at all, but it is not so much a matter of finding young talent to match the vocal stamina each of the principle characters (and even the chorus) in this show requires...I know for a fact that there are vocalists of high school age who can sing this show, though they may be far and between. It is more a matter of the actual material...'Miss Saigon' involves mature concepts that aren't entirely practical for amateur, and more specifically, high school theatre (I am not a prude I swear!)...my director has repeatedly enticed my class by bringing up the possibility of doing 'Miss Saigon' at our school (I know this is virtually impossible as the rights are only being released to regional companies last I heard). 'Miss Saigon' is borderline outrageous, and I highly doubt the community would receive positively ('Lovely Ladies' in my school's 'Les Mis SE' offended few--imagine what 'The Heat is On in Saigon' would do...). I also think it is impossible to compare 'Miss Saigon' to the licensed 'Les Miserables Student Edition' (which by agreement can only be performed by performers under the age of 19). Not to imply that the 'Les Mis SE' is "easy" to perform because it has been severely dubbed down to accomodate to amateur talent (it really hasn't--there are very few transpositions), but 'Miss Saigon' is not a student edition of any kind. In regards to the helicopter, I also saw a regional production that used a projection...it was nothing in comparison to Broadway's helicopter, but it was still highly effective. 'Miss Saigon' would literally "work" at a high school, but it's still not practical.

[bway 4 jesus]

actually, a theatre near me just did the high school concert version of Miss Saigon. i was away at college, so i was not able to see it, but i heard it went really well. apparently they had some set and costumes, but it was more of a concert than a real staged production since the rights to the show are not available yet

[(aerial)]

wasn't that illegal?

[bway 4 jesus]

i'm not sure. i thought it was legal. i don't think they would do an illegal show, but i don't know all the details.

[GlamorousGriz]

[javertsw]

I don't get peoples problem with having the rights available.
Its not like if the rights become available schools have to do it. Obviously they will consider whether it will be acceptable in that paticular school, and whether they would be able to actually pull it off before they go for the rights.
In my school, for example, we have enough girls to fullfill the needs, with the right voice ranges, but we don't have the right boys (we have two lad singers in our school, one is a fantastic tenor, the other's voice is only just breaking). So we would never do it. But in the local community theatre, they would easily pull it off. They have 5 or 6 girls with stunning voices, one of which I suprised is not on the West End yet, and 5 or 6 boys with stunning dance and vocal skills. They would also have a wonderful ensemble, and the dancing would be good enough.

[fluffybaby]

hey..have to agree with griz...there are some big numbers there for a young cast. think of the "The Movie in my Mind". the emotion is all so intense and the songs are hard to pull off convincingly.as for rights...the owners tend to keep close reigns over who gets hold of the scripts unless its pro theatre but i dont really know how it all works. gud luck if u go ahead anywayz

[mannfann714]

I agree, high school's doing Miss Saigon does require a stretch of the imagination. I go to a private school who puts an obscene budget into our spring musical but I don't think we would have the talent especially for the complicated roles of Kim, Chris, John, Ellen, etc. nor do most high schools.

[javertsw]

I think the hardest role for a high schooler to pull off would be the Engineer. Very complicated character...
However, who'd have thought High Schoolers could pull off roles as complicated or emotional as Javert, Valjean or Fantine?

I think it would be hard for a school to do, but probaly do-able.
However, I think it would be much more successful in a Community Theatre, were you can include older people.
I don't desperately want the rights to be available, but I'm not dead against it.

[small faces]

I was sure it was released, a local high school was planning on it, but now they have changed their spring musical to Evita, so perhaps not.

[ADistantMoonAgo]

[LisaKitty]

My first reponse when I read this thread was very similar to that of many of you -- "WHAT?!? Are they smoking CRACK?!?! This is not a show for high school!!!!"

Then I thought about it for a minute.

The problem is, that too many people confuse the high school performing arts experience with that of professional and amateur community theater. The end result of the latter is to put on a fantastic show to entertain an audience. However, too many high school drama departments seem to think that should be all that they are concerned with as well. However, I think it is much more important for a high school (or middle school, or elementary school) performing arts program to educate the students, through the experience of putting on a musical production. That may mean that the group doesn't put on the most professionally polished show in the world, but maybe it will mean that the students get more involved and -- gasp -- actually learn something.

And I think a lot of high school students could learn a lot by participating in a show like "Miss Saigon". They could even tie it in to a U.S. History class lesson on the Vietnam War. Or a music history lesson on the development and evolution of musical theater as a genre. There really are a lot of possibilities.

That's not to say that it would be right for every group. If all the kids are going to learn is that the music is hard and they had to make too many compromises due to lack of appropriate talent and/or technical capabilities, then that does no one any favors.

I just think saying "the characters are too complex for today's youth to understand as actors" is not a valid reason for not doing the show. Think about it -- how many high schools produce "Fiddler on the Roof" each year? And does anyone here actually think that there is a 17-year old boy anywhere who has a clue about the myriad of emotions and experiences that make a man like Tevye who and what he is?

Anyway, that's my opinion. Getting off the soapbox now ...

[WillowFae]

Whilst I agree about it being too old for high schools to do I see no problem with good amateur groups doing it.

Of course it would be scaled down, but if the show couldn't withstand that and still be powerful, then it really isn't a good show.

Not all amateur groups perform at the local village hall.

I'm currently (opening night last night) in a production of Chess. Whilst this is a show that works well with a minimal set, it is also in the same epic style as shows like Miss Saigon, and requires a similar level of stamina from the company. Musically it is very difficult. And yet we were a huge success last night.

A previous poster was right - don't limit it to what you have seen. When I first saw Miss Saigon in London there was no helicopter. It had fallen during a technical test a few days earlier and one of the crew had ended up in hospital. They were keeping it out of the show until they were sure it was safe. So when it came to that scene the actors just ran into darkness at the back of the stage. With good lighting it worked. So it is definately possible.

People focus too much on the helicopter. A piece of set should not MAKE a show. The score and lib should do that.

[Eponine Poe]

[Eponine Poe]

[Fogeyman]

[filmmaker0]

"Hopefully, not anytime soon.... I love Miss Saigon, but I don't think a high school would have the talent needed to pull the show off.... "

With all due respect, you've obviously never seen a Cardinal O'Hara production. The directors take their shows extremely seriously, stating that it is to be - for all intents and purposes - professional, and that is how it appears (and how our audience reacts). As a testament to this, we have recently purchased the beautiful Aviom system. For anyone who does not recognize this name, it is a system for the Pit Band that allows all the music coming from the instruments to be taken in put out through the speakers by Cat 5 cables (I believe, though I could be mistaken). In this way, we can lower the sound of the pit so as to hear the actors better, we can raise certain instuments like flutes and lower others like drums. Also, the musicians have special headsets in which they can hear only those instruments they wish to hear.

Needless to say, that is a very professional peice of equipment, one no High School has ever purchased before (but one that has been purchased by Broadway and SNL, if I am correct). It is a brilliant peice of equipment.

Unlike other High Schools, who would normally take melody and teach that to every singer, O'Hara goes in depth to learn the sometimes extremely difficult harmonies.

The sets are also quite breathtaking and the special effects. Marley flying in "Alan Menken's A Christmas Carol: The Musical" or the Nile transforming into Radames' tent in "Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida" are just a few examples of the magic O'Hara has performed in the past.

As of right now, we are wrapping up "Aida," which had an extremely successful run. Next up is none other than Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" and then next year, the spring show is set to be "Miss Saigon." One of the first things our director told us when he let the cast of "Aida" in on this small secret was that we would, indeed, be putting a helicopter onstage. This, to me, was no big surprise.

So, professional is all a point of view, as it seems. I believe the only thing separating O'Hara from most professional productions is the age difference. Talent-wise, we are set for at least the next four years, though I doubt there will ever be a time when there is a dire need for that. Please, with the deepest respect, I have been attempting to dispel the stereotypes that enter people's minds about High School production. I know, I have taken the defensive and written a veritable novel here, but it is something I feel quite strongly about. Just one thing, please, please, please, do not judge before you see something. I understand wholeheartedly where you are coming from because I have seen many High School shows (and many professional ones as well), and they do seem to be more of a "fun time" rather than an entertaining experience. I'm sure there are some other schools out there that may feel the same, but speaking from one -- do not judge. You may be undecided on this matter, but make no specific judgments until after you have seen what magic can be had to offer.

Thank you for listening to my rant and I wish you the best of luck in all future performances. Have a good one!

-Mike

[The Very Angry Woman]

How 'bout a link, Mr. Pretentious?

[Moci]

[filmmaker0]

Thank you, Moci, yes that would be the site. Also thank you for reminding me something else about Les Mis -- when we put it on, we built the revolving stage for the barricade, just another neat little thing.

I don't know exactly the aviom site, but if you wish to check up on that to make sure it is all I said it would be, google is a fine search engine.

Also, if you'd like to see pictures of any other shows we have performed, they too are on the site, www.cohs.com -- the ones up on the site are: Cinderella, Jekyll and Hyde: The Musical, Les Mis, Footloose, Oklahoma, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Alan Menken's A Christmas Carol: The Musical, Godspell, Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida, (and soon Beauty and the Beast and Miss Saigon will also grace the site). The newer show pics will be found in the photo gallery while the older ones will be found in the "Theatre" section of the site.

Thanks,
-Mike