Download D E C E M B E R 11-23, 2012 SAROFIM HALL

DECEMBER
11-23, 2012
SAROFIM HALL
AT THE HOBBY CENTER
THEATRE UNDER THE STARS · 2012/13 CONTENT GUIDE
About TUTS
Founded in 1968, Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS)
is Houston’s acclaimed non-profit musical theatre
company. Since its founding by Frank M. Young, TUTS
has produced more than 300 musicals including
many local, national and world premieres. As a way
to continue the tradition of musical theatre, TUTS’
Education provides barrier-free instruction and
stage experience, through the Humphreys School of
Musical Theatre and The River program for children
with special needs. TUTS also annually presents the
Tommy Tune Awards, honoring the best and brightest
in Houston’s high school theatre programs. TUTS is
now housed in the Hobby Center for the Performing
Arts. Glance towards the sky before you enjoy a
performance at the Hobby Center; the fiber-optic
ceiling keeps TUTS “under the stars” all year long.
TUTS is pleased to present the 2012/13 sensational
season From Camelot to Spamalot:A Lot to Love!
THEATRE ETIQUETTE
Arrive about 30 minutes
before the show starts.
Applaud at the end
of songs and scenes.
Otherwise, shhhhh!
Turn your cell phones and
electronics off completely.
No texting!
Save snacks for
intermission.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TUTS creates online content guides to further enhance students’ theatrical
experiences. The content guides contain various discussion questions, projects
and activities that encourage students to engage with parents and/or teachers
that will hopefully foster a love and appreciation of musical theatre.
CENTER STAGE: THE BOY WHO WOULDN’T GROW UP
5 ......... RATING GUIDE
6 ......... DETAILED SYNOPSIS
CURTAIN CALL: LEARNING ACTIVITIES
THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY
WHO’S WHO: CATHY RIGBY
WHO’S WHO: J.M. BARRIE
HOW TO FLY LIKE PETER PAN
......... 7
......... 8
......... 9
.........10
BACKSTAGE: ABOUT MUSICAL THEATRE
COMING UP IN THE 2012/13 MAINSTAGE SEASON
11
12
12
13
.........
.........
.........
.........
A BRIEF HISTORY
PUTTING ON A SHOW
THEATRE ETIQUETTE
ABOUT TUTS
TUTS 2012/2013 STUDENT MATINEES
JEKYLL & HYDE
October 9-21, 2012
PETER PAN
December 11-23, 2012
CAMELOT
January 22 - February 3, 2013
MAN OF LA MANCHA
February 26 - March 10, 2013
SPAMALOT
May 14 - 26, 2013
FLASHDANCE
June 4 - 16, 2013
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UNDER
$10
LEGALLY BLONDE PG-13
Sept. 14,2012
at 10AM, Zilkha Hall
SCROOGE G
Nov. 27-30,2012
at 9:30 & 11:15AM, Zilkha Hall
FLAT STANLEY G
March 19-22, 2013
at 9:30 & 11:15AM, Zilkha Hall
CAMELOT-MAINSTAGE G
Jan. 30, 2013
at 10AM, Sarofim Hall
THEATRE UNDER THE STARS · 2012/13 CONTENT GUIDE
Summary & Characters
All children grow up, except one.
Peter Pan is a boy who lives in Neverland, a magical island where children never
have to grow up. While visiting London, he befriends Wendy Darling and brings her
to Neverland, along with her two brothers Michael and John. Once there, Wendy
and Peter pretend to be the Lost Boys’ parents, and together they experience many
adventures involving Indians, fairies and even fighting pirates! However, Wendy
and her brothers eventually become homesick, and they realize they must return
home to their real parents. The Lost Boys decide to return with them, except for
Peter, who refuses to grow up. But before they can leave Neverland, Wendy, her
brothers and the Lost Boys are taken prisoner by the pirates. Learning of their
capture, Peter rushes to their rescue and saves the day. In the end Wendy, Michael,
and John return home, and the Lost Boys are adopted by the Darling family.
For a more detailed synopsis, see page 5 of this content guide.
Photo by Michael Lamont
TEKS
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills
English Language Arts and Reading
Music
Kindergarten: 110.11 (13,14,19,20,21, 22,23)
Grade 1: 110.12 (17,18,23,24,26,27,28,29)
Grade 2: 110.13 (17,18,24,25,27,28,29,30)
Grade 3: 110.14 (17,18,25,26,28,29,30,31)
Grade 4: 110.15 (15,16,23,24,26,27,28,29)
Grade 5: 110.16 (15,16,23,24,26,28,29)
Fine Arts
Grade 1:
Grade 2:
Grade 3:
Grade 4:
Grade 5:
117.6 (6)
117.9 (6)
117.12 (6)
117.15 (6)
117.18 (6)
Theatre
Kindergarten: 117.2 (2)
Grade 1: 117.5 (2)
Grade 2: 117.8 (2)
Grade 3: 117.11 (2)
Grade 4: 117.8 (2)
Grade 5: 117.11 (2)
Kindergarten: 117.4 (5)
Grade 1: 117.7 (5)
Grade 2: 117.10 (5)
Grade 3: 117.13 (5)
Grade 4: 117.16 (5)
Grade 5: 117.19 (5)
Please visit http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/ for more information.
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Photo by Michael Lamont
PETER PAN RATING GUIDE
Peter Pan is considered a family show and suitable for all ages. TUTS gives the show a movie rating of G .
ADULT LANGUAGE
CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS
The word “ass” is said twice.
•Peter Pan: A boy who lives in Neverland, where he never
has to grow up; captain of the Lost Boys
VIOLENCE
Captain Hook and the pirates often talk about
killing the boys. Captain Hook has a hook because
his right hand was bitten off by a crocodile.
Captain Hook tries to poison the boys. Tootles
shoots Wendy with his bow. Mermaids are
described as evil creatures. Captain Hook stabs
Peter. There are multiple battles between the
pirates, Lost Boys, and Indians. The Indians stab
and kill two of the pirates.
•Wendy Darling: The girl Peter brings to Neverland to be
the Lost Boys’ mother
DRUGS/ALCOHOL
•Smee: Captain Hook’s first mate
•Tinker Bell: Peter Pan’s fairy; feels threatened by Wendy’s
presence
•Mr. and Mrs. Darling: Wendy, John, and Michael’s parents
•Captain Hook: Captain of the Jolly Roger and Peter Pan’s
sworn enemy
•John and Michael Darling: Wendy’s brothers
Peter and Tiger Lily smoke a pipe.
•Nana: The Darling’s dog and the children’s nurse
SEXUAL REFERENCES
•Tiger Lily: The head of the Indians in Neverland
Wendy wants to kiss Peter. Peter and Wendy
pretend to be the parents of the Lost Boys. Mr.
and Mrs. Darling are married. When Wendy grows
up, she gets married and has a child.
•The Lost Boys: Nibs, Slightly, Tootles, Twin#1, Twin#2, and
Curly. They are boys who fell out of their cradle, were never
claimed, and sent to Neverland
•Liza: The Darling’s maidservant
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CENTER STAGE: THE BOY WHO WOULDN’T GROW UP
Photo by Michael Lamont
Detailed Synopsis
ACT ONE
In the Darling nursery, Wendy and John pretend to be their parents
going to the ball. Meanwhile, their dog Nana, who is also their nurse,
is rounding up Michael to take his bath. Mr. and Mrs. Darling enter
and begin discussing a boy she saw at the window and how she has
captured his shadow. Mrs. Darling tucks the children into bed and sings
them a lullaby (Tender Shepherd).
Tinker Bell enters the nursery and flies around. Peter Pan enters,
and Tink shows him where his shadow is being kept. His unsuccessful
attempts to reattach his shadow cause him to sob. When his cries
awaken Wendy, Peter stops his weeping and introduces himself. Peter
tells Wendy about his shadow problem, and she insists it must be sewn
on. Once Wendy is done sewing the shadow, Peter is overjoyed with
his cleverness. When Wendy calls him conceited, Peter disagrees (I
Gotta Crow).
After Peter’s song, Wendy tells him she would like to give him a kiss.
However, Peter does not know what a kiss is, so Wendy gives him her
thimble. Peter returns the gesture by giving her an acorn button. After
their exchange, Peter tells Wendy a little bit about his life with the
fairies, in Neverland (Neverland). Peter invites Wendy to come with
him. He teaches Wendy, Michael, and John how to fly and they leave
for Neverland (I’m Flying).
Rock to die. Peter is too injured to fly, and the water is rising rapidly.
Peter manages to save Wendy by throwing fairy dust on her.
Wendy is back at home with the Lost Boys. The Indians burst in on them
followed shortly by a recovered Peter. Tiger Lily saved Peter’s life in
exchange for him saving hers. Everyone sits down and enjoys a peace
pipe (Ugh-a-Wug). Peter and Wendy are left alone, and Wendy asks
Peter what his feeling are for her. Peter is confused by the question.
The boys return and Wendy and Peter sing them a lullaby (Distant
Melody). Michael and John become homesick and ask to return home.
The Lost Boys express their interest in going with the Darling children.
Peter gives them permission, but refuses to join them.
As the children leave the house the pirates grab them. Hook sneaks into
the house, poisons Peter’s medicine and leaves. Tinker Bell returns to
the house to tell Peter what has happened. Peter says he will rescue
Wendy as soon as he takes his medicine. Tinker Bell tells him it is
poisoned, but Peter does not believe her. Tinker Bell drinks it for him
and is near death. She tells Peter that she may get better if children
believe in fairies. Peter instructs the audience to clap their hands if
they believe. Tinker Bell recovers, and they race to save Wendy.
ACT TWO
The pirates enter as the Lost Boys are chasing a bear through
Neverland. At the sight of them the boys hurry to hide. Hook and Smee
discover the Lost Boys home and listen in on their conversation. Upon
learning that Peter is away, Hook develops a plan to kill the Lost Boys
(Hook’s Tango). However, he starts to hear the ticking of the crocodile,
and the pirates retreat.
The Indians’ arrival sends the boys back into hiding. The Indians do
their chant (Indian Dance). The Lost Boys come out of hiding which
starts a tug of war between the Indians and Lost Boys. The fighting
stops when they see a white bird coming towards them and the Indians
leave. Tinker Bell convinces Tootles to shoot the bird. When it falls
from the sky they realize it is Wendy.
Peter returns to find Wendy lying on the ground. When Tootles admits
he shot her, Peter prepares to strike him. Wendy awakes and, they
discover that the arrow hit Peter’s “kiss” and saved her life. Peter
instructs the Lost Boys to build a house around her while she gets
better. While building, the boys rejoice at the excitement of having a
mother (Wendy). Wendy instructs Peter to give the boy’s their daily
lesson (I Won’t Grow Up). The Pirates return and Hook devises a plan
to make Wendy the pirates’ mother (Hook’s Tarantella).
Peter and Wendy are hiding when they see the pirates taking Tiger
Lily to Marooner’s Rock. Peter imitates Hook’s voice again and tricks
the pirates into freeing her. Hook discovers Peter, and a battle begins.
Peter and Wendy believe the battle has been won when Hook sneaks
up behind Peter and claws him with his hook. The crocodile appears
again and the pirates flee. Peter and Wendy are left on Marooner’s
ACT THREE
The pirates are celebrating the capture of their prisoners on their
ship, The Jolly Roger (Hook’s Waltz). Peter arrives with a clock and
distracts the pirates while the Indians hide in the cabin below. The
pirates think the ship is bewitched. Peter stops hiding, and a fight
starts. Hook realizes he may not be able to defeat Peter and decides
to blow up the ship. The crocodile appears and chases Hook overboard.
Everyone celebrates the victory and the hero, Peter Pan (I Gotta
Crow – Reprise).
Nana is turning down the children’s beds in the nursery while Mrs.
Darling looks out the window. She has just given up on them when
the children return to the nursery. Mrs. Darling hugs her children and
calls for Mr. Darling. The Lost Boys appear, and Mr. and Mrs. Darling
agree to adopt them.
Many years later Wendy is in the nursery with her own daughter.
Peter returns and becomes upset that Wendy has grown up. When
Wendy is called away from the room, Peter meets her daughter,
Jane. Jane agrees to go with Peter to Neverland and be his mother
for spring cleaning time (Finale).
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CURTAIN CALL: LEARNING ACTIVITIES
The Story Behind the Story
THE STORY
BEHIND THE STORY
Peter Pan first appeared in J.M. Barrie’s 1902
novel The Little White Bird. The character was
inspired by Barrie’s brother’s tragic death at
a young age as well as Barrie’s relationship
with the Llewelyn Davies family. In 1904,
Barrie extracted the chapters about the Peter
Pan character from the novel and developed
them into a play titled “Peter Pan or The Boy
Who Wouldn’t Grow Up.” A novel called Peter
and Wendy was later published. The story
in the novel was adapted from the play with
additional material added. Peter Pan was first
seen as a Broadway musical in 1954. Edwin
Lester had the original American rights to
Peter Pan and added music to the production.
After a failed run on a pre- Broadway tour, the
director, Jerome Robbins, decided the musical
score needed some attention before the show
could be a success.
Comden and Green, along with composer Jule
Styne, were brought in to add musical numbers
to the production. In addition to the music
changes, Mary Martin was cast to star as Peter
Pan. The new cast and musical score paved
the way to Peter Pan’s success on Broadway.
Peter Pan went on to win three Tony Awards,
including Best Performance by a Leading
Actress in a Musical for Martin. The musical
has been revived many times on Broadway,
toured the country, and broadcast on television.
MOVIE VS MUSICAL
There have been many movie adaptions of the play and musical.
One of the most famous is the 1953 animated version from Disney.
The movie featured Bobby Driscoll as the voice of Peter Pan.
This is one of the only adaptions of the story where very few of
J.M. Barrie’s original lines are used. It is a musical, but none of
the songs used in the film were used in the Broadway musical
production. In 2003, the first live action sound film version of the
story was produced. This film starred Jeremy Sumpter as Peter
Pan, making him one of the few males to portray the character
live. Some of the plot was similar to the Disney version, but many
of Barrie’s original lines were included, as well as much of the
original plot.
In 2002, Disney released a sequel to Peter Pan called Return
to Never Land. In this story, Wendy’s daughter Jane has been
kidnapped by Captain Hook and Peter Pan must come to her
rescue. Steven Speilberg also directed his own sequel titled, Hook.
In his story, a grown up Peter Pan must return to Neverland to save
his children who have been kidnapped by Captain Hook. This film
had a star-studded cast that included Robin Williams as Peter Pan,
Dustin Hoffman as Captain Hook, and Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell.
Finding Neverland was released in 2004, and tells the story of how
J.M. Barrie created Peter Pan and Neverland. Johnny Depp starred
as Barrie alongside Kate Winslet as Sylvia Llewelyn Davies and
Freddie Highmore as Peter Llewelyn Davies. The movie does not
stay entirely true to history, but received wonderful reviews. It was
nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Performance
by an Actor in a Leading Role for Depp and Best Motion Picture of
the Year. The movie won one Oscar for Best Achievement in Music
Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score.
RESOURCES:
http://www.biography.com/people/jm-barrie-9200058
http://www.online-literature.com/barrie/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._M._Barrie
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Llewelyn_Davies
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Llewelyn_Davies
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Llewelyn_Davies
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CURTAIN CALL: LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Who’s Who: Cathy Rigby
Photo by Michael Lamont
CATHY RIGBY
Cathy Rigby was born in Los Alamitos,
California, on December 12, 1952. Her focus as
a child was on gymnastics, and she began her
training around the age of 12. Rigby competed
in her first Olympics in 1968 in Mexico City
and returned for the 1972 Olympics in Munich.
She never medaled in the Olympics, but in 1970
she was the first American finalist at the World
Championships. Her beam routine won her the
silver medal and a great amount of attention
from her fellow Americans. Rigby’s success
brought popularity to the sport of gymnastics for
the first time in the United States.
Rigby ended her gymnastics career after the
1972 Olympics and began to focus on a career
as an actress. She studied singing and acting for
seven years and ballet for twelve. She appeared
in her first musical in 1981 as Dorothy in The
Wizard of Oz. Rigby was also seen in musicals
such as Annie Get Your Gun, Meet Me in St.
Louis, South Pacific, and The Unsinkable Molly
Brown. In addition to her theatre work, she also
appeared in a few TV movies and headlined in
Las Vegas.
She is most famous for her role as Peter in the
musical Peter Pan. She debuted as Peter on
Broadway in 1990. This performance earned
her a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a
Musical. She reprised the role in 1991, 1998,
and 1999. She toured off and on starting in
2004 and will appear on the TUTS stage as part
of the current Peter Pan national tour.
Establishing her acting career assisted in her
segue to producing. Rigby and her husband, Tom
McCoy, developed McCoy Rigby Entertainment
in 1994. Their shows can be seen at the La
Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts and on
tour in theatres across the country. In addition
to Peter Pan, they also produced the tour Jesus
Christ Superstar.
Please Visit
www.cathyrigbyispeterpan.com
Cathy Riby is Peter Pan
Learning Activity
THINK & WRITE
Rewrite a scene of the story from a different point of view. For
example, write about Hook’s death from the point of view of the
crocodile, or meeting Wendy from point of view of Tinkerbell.
8
CURTAIN CALL: LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Who’s Who: J.M. Barrie
J. M. BARRIE
James Matthew Barrie was born in Kirriemuir, Angus,
Scotland on May 9, 1860. His parents were David Barrie
and Margaret Ogilvy, and he had three brothers and six
sisters. When his brother, David, was fourteen, David was
killed in a skating accident. Their mother became extremely
upset about his death, and this greatly affected Barrie.
David’s death as a child is said to be one of the inspirations
for Barrie’s idea of children who do not grow old.
From a young age, Barrie knew he wanted to be a writer.
He enjoyed reading and organizing plays for his siblings to
act in. When he was older he attended Edinburgh University
and graduated with a Masters of Arts. After graduation he
found a job as a journalist and eventually moved to London,
England. After his journalist work, he proceeded to write
novels and then plays in the 1890s.
Barrie made frequent visits to Kensington Gardens in
London, and it was there where he met the Llewelyn
Davies family. There were five brothers in the Llewelyn
Davies family; George, Jack, Peter, Michael, and Nico. His
time spent with the boys was his inspiration for his most
successful work, Peter Pan. When the boy’s mother, Sylvia,
passed away in 1910 Barrie became guardian to the boys
along with their nurse, Mary Hodgson. Barrie first met
George and Jack in 1897. George was the main influence
on the actual character Peter Pan, and was one of the boys
Barrie was closest to. George is accredited to have first said
the famous line from the play, “To die will be an awfully
big adventure.” The character’s name comes from the third
oldest brother, Peter. However, Peter eventually grew to
have mixed feelings about this, since the association was
with him for the rest of his life. After Peter, Michael was
born in 1900 and therefore did not initially have a great
influence on the play. However, he was a great influence on
the novel, Peter and Wendy, that was published in 1911.
Michael was very close to Barrie, and would still write to
Barrie every day when he left for boarding school and college.
J.M. Barrie
Learning Activity
BRAINSTORM
Peter Pan refuses to grow up. Brainstorm some
pros and cons of growing up, and decide if you
agree or disagree with Peter’s choice. Discuss your
point of view with your classmates.
Barrie found success with some of his other works as well.
A few of his works after Peter Pan were The Twelve Pound
Look, Mary Rose, What Every Woman Knows, and his last
play, Dear Brutus. He received many honors during his
life time. He was knighted in 1913, became Rector of St.
Andrews University in 1919, and received the Order of
Merit in 1922. He died on June 19, 1937 from pneumonia
and is buried in Kirriemuir with his family.
DRAW
Draw a picture of what your Neverland (your
perfect, unchanging world) would look like.
9
CURTAIN CALL: LEARNING ACTIVITIES
How to Fly Like Peter Pan
HOW DO THEY MAKE PETER PAN FLY?
Peter Pan’s flight onstage has always been one of the most
magical parts of the performance. The Kirby Company was the
first to take on this challenge in the 1904 premiere of the play.
This flying was so realistic to the audience that the idea of
fairy dust assisting in flight had to be added to the script. This
addition prevented “children from launching themselves out of
the nearest window” thinking they could fly just the same.
Flying systems were used way before Peter Pan took flight.
They were first seen in Ancient Greek drama and later in
Shakespeare’s performances at the Globe. The flying device
that supports Cathy Rigby today is, of course, more advanced
and makes her flight as Peter Pan even more effortless and
convincing to audiences.
There are many different types of fly systems depending on
the kind of movement needed for the performance. It can be as
simple as using a single “winch” to provide vertical movement
to having an automated system for complex three dimensional
movement. To add additional movement, additional winches or
traveling winches may be used. Three dimensional systems can
also include a travelling bridge which provides the greatest
amount of movement of any flying system.
Once you choose your system all you need is a professionally
trained actor and fly crew to create the magic of Peter Pan’s
flight for audiences to enjoy!
Boslin’s Chair Flying System
Learning Activities
IMAGINE AND WRITE
Imagine that you can fly. Where would you go? What
would you see? What would it feel like? Write a
composition with a clear beginning, middle, and end
describing one of your flying adventures.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
Research a famous pirate or indian from history.
How does the historical figure compare to the
fictional characters in the musical? How are they
the same or different? Use a graphic organizer to
display your findings.
Examples:
Multiple Winch Flying System
10
Pirates
Indians
•Captain Kidd
•Sacajawea
•Black Bart
•Sitting Bull
•Edward Teach
•Geronimo
•Mary Read
•Crazy Horse
•Anne Bonney
•Squanto
BACKSTAGE: ABOUT MUSICAL THEATRE
A Brief History
Live theatre is a unique experience that engages the audience
much more than movies or TV. Musical theatre is the only
genre of performance that fully utilizes acting, singing and
dancing together to further the development of the plot.
ORIGINS &
FOLLIES
Musical theatre’s roots
can be traced back to
ancient times, where
the Greeks used music and dance in their tragedies and
comedies. Next, fast forward to the 1700s where comedic
operas were popular in Europe. In 1866, the first “musical”
by modern definition, The Black Crook, opened in New
York City. In the 1920s, Florenz Ziegfeld’s famous Follies
showcased star actors and actresses with extravagant sets and
costumes but was mainly a musical revue of popular songs.
EARLY YEARS &
THE GOLDEN AGE
In 1927, Jerome Kern and Oscar
Hammerstein II’s Show Boat
premiered, which featured complete
integration of book, music and score
to tell a story. During “The Golden Age of Broadway,”
famous composers and lyricists churned out hits, like George
& Ira Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess (1935), Rodgers &
Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! (1943), Irving Berlin’s Annie
Get Your Gun (1947), Leonard Bernstein and Stephen
Sondheim’s West Side Story (1957), and Cole Porter’s
Kiss Me, Kate (1948).
CONTEMPORARY
& MEGA-MUSICALS
The end of the 1960s saw changes
in Broadway, like HAIR, one of
the first rock musicals. Unusual
concept musicals such as Marvin
Hamlisch and Edward Kleban’s
A Chorus Line and Sondheim’s
cynical Company led to big-budget musical operettas
like Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil’s
international hit Les Miserables and Andrew Lloyd
Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera. Well known movie and
literature favorites like Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
(which premiered at TUTS in 1994) and Stephen
Schwartz’s Wicked have been adapted into family-friendly,
special effect spectaculars. At the same time, in reaction
to the rising ticket cost and flashy spectacle of Broadway,
shows like Jonathan Larson’s RENT aim for a less
polished, more personal theatre experience. TUTS was
a part of the production enhancement team that moved
RENT from off-Broadway to Broadway, and continues
to benefit from that association, presenting the original
Broadway and film leads in a special engagement in 2009.
WHERE ARE
WE TODAY?
Innovative new musicals
like the PG-13 “student”
musical 25th Annual
Putnam County Spelling Bee and hip-hop musical In
the Heights have been attracting and pleasing younger
audiences. These often start off-Broadway and become so
popular they switch venues. There are also an increased
number of revivals, often driven with Hollywood star
power like A Little Night Music with Catherine ZetaJones and Angela Landsbury. But between movie and book
adaptations, revivals of past favorites and contemporary
boundary-breakers, there’s no doubt the Broadway musical
is here to stay.
11
BACKSTAGE: ABOUT MUSICAL THEATRE
Putting on a Show
Whether you’re a stage manager, actress,
director, costume designer or composer, when
it comes to putting on a musical, all roles are
important. Here’s a roadmap for getting a
musical to Broadway.
GATHERING THE CREATIVE TEAM
• FINDING THE PERFECT MUSICAL
Producers must find a show that their audience will enjoy and will
want to purchase tickets to. They also need to plan the budget for
the production. Producers rent a theatre and pay royalties to the
composer, lyricist and writer of the musical’s book for the rights
to perform the show. One resource for discovering new musicals
and connecting with the world of musical theatre is the National
Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT), which was founded by TUTS’
Frank Young in 1985. Please visit NAMT.org for more information.
•
The creative team includes the director, set
designer, costume designer, choreographer and
music director/conductor. Together with the
producers, they discuss their vision for the show
and how they will bring it to life on the stage.
PERFORMING FOR AN AUDIENCE
•
• CASTING AND REHEARSAL
The director and choreographer will hold auditions for the parts in the
show. For most Broadway shows and tours, actors must be a part of the
Actors Equity association and have an appointment, but sometimes an
open call will be held. After the cast has been chosen, rehearsals begin.
Actors must memorize their lines, songs and choreography before dress
rehearsals and the show’s opening. For information about auditioning
for shows at TUTS, please visit TUTS.com.
If the show looks good after previews, it will open.
Most Broadway shows perform several times a
week at night and usually have a few matinees as
well. Some shows have a specific closing date; other
shows will continue performing as long as people
are buying tickets.
VOCABULARY
Choreographer – the person who creates the dances
and movement patterns for the show
Stage Manager – the person who manages and
takes care of the stage, sets and all special effects;
directs the stage hands
Stage Hands – technicians and trained individuals
who work side stage and back stage before, during
and after the show to make all special effects, scene
changes and clean-ups happen.
Prop Master – the person in charge of getting,
storing, maintaining and sometimes creating the
props used in the show.
Audition: a tryout for performers.
Open call: a casting open to anyone without
appointment
Dress rehearsals: rehearsing in full costume
and full tech as though there is an audience.
Previews: performances before the show
opens for a limited audience to test public
opinion.
Matinee: an afternoon or early evening
show.
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TUTS CONTENT GUIDE
Thank you!
You are the only person qualified to determine what is
appropriate for your child(ren)/student(s), but we hope the
information and rating system in this guide were helpful.
This content guide was designed by Gaby Quintana, written
by Caitlin Donahoe, edited by Katie Curry, and supervised by
Scott Howard and Mandi Hunsicker-Sallee. Please feel free
to copy and distribute. Updated Digital Edition: June 2012.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
Email any questions, concerns or comments to
Mandi Hunsicker-Sallee at [email protected].
CONNECT WITH TUTS
Theatre Under the Stars • 713.558.2600
800 Bagby Suite 200, Houston, TX. 77002
www.tuts.com • twitter.com/tutshouston
www.facebook.com/TheatreUnderTheStars
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