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Is there any ideas or suggestions on how to perform Hairspray in our school that has very few minorities??? My drama kids love the show and the music and have no problem portraying characters of different ethnicities... but can this be done and NOT offend anyone????

Our district just opened a wonderful thrust stage in a space that will seat about 400. I will work with middle school plays and musicals in the space. I am looking for tips/resources for working on a thrust. We have either been on a large proscenium stage or a music classroom.Thanks!

Getting ready to MD a community theater production of Forum. I've seen the orchestration list online. Can anyone comment on the following questions: * are any of the books optional? * are the woodwind doublings cued for optional instruments (I live in a small community, and it's difficult to find folks that double as indicated) Thanks. Any other words of wisdom from a conductor that has done the show would be appreciated! -- ken

I was wondering if anyone has ever used projections as backdrops for Alice in Wonderland, Jr. If so, how did that work out?

Could someone provide me with the patches or sounds that are called for in the two keyboard books for Willy Wonka?Also, is there a Drumset book and a percussion book or are they in the same book?

The show lists 3 keyboards in the alternate arrangement. Could you provide me with a list of the differet sounds (i.e. Celeste, harp, piano, pipe organ, etc) that each book call for during the show?Also, how essential is the Horn 3 book? Assuming all of the other brass parts are covered, will this leave a huge hole?

I'm looking at starting a theater where I live. It's a big responsibility but I'm up to the task as I have always wanted to see one here. However, I'd like to know where I'm headed before I head there. I've gather some support and I want to know if we were to do a show, which MTI show would we do?I've been particularly attracted MTI's shows because: a) I'm a sucker for Disney and, b) they seem very well-put together and organized.I'm not sure how tight our budget will but from years of making costumes for some rather difficult and odd characters, I know how to work something out on a budget in that department.

Hello all...I am currently directing a production of Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. and I am wondering if anyone knows how to create the Super Titles for the Bun Foo and Ching Ho characters. I am looking to project the English words on something that would fly in. I just don't know what I would need to do to create this. Obviously I would need a projector, but where do I put the projector, what do I project the power point on to, and how big of a job would this be. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much :)

Can anyone who has worked on this tell me how long the running time is? Is it really short? Can it stand alone as a full production? If it is short, does anyone have any suggestions for combining it with something for a program that's at least 90 minutes?Thanks.

We closed Captain Louie, Jr. on Halloween day. The dynamic and contagious music of Stephen Schwartz is the star of this show and the book is often sweet and sometimes touching. I went into this project with 3 major goals. 1. I wanted to convey the vibe of Louie's neighborhood and friendships so that the audience could feel the pain of "goodbye" and the relief of "hello". 2. I wanted my kids to sing every note on the page - every single harmony! 3. I wanted to fit the whole show into a rolling dorm trunk.The first 2 goals were met with weekly vocal work and lots of Meisner technique! The third was just a matter of repeating the mantra, "if it doesn't fit - it doesn't fly!" In the end, I believe the audience felt the sadness of Louie trying to hold on to his old friends and the joy of new friends reaching out to him. And, I'm happy to report that with careful packing, all of the stuff fit into the trunk. (30 flashlights, a basketball, a stuffed snake, a sweater, ice skates, a tap light, purple fabric, 2 paper plates, and Louie's diarama.)The kids created the foam core flats in the style of the Ezra Keats book "The Trip" - the effect was charming. Their creativity was something to behold as the buildings came to life. The Chrysler Building was so fabulous that I'm saving it for Millie! When the curtain opened, it was like a peek inside the picture book. The only set pieces used were a red trunk for Louie's room (also the base of the Big Red Plane) and the old black dorm trunk for Julio's front porch step (filled with props for Spiffin' Up Ziggy's). "Strike" was an all time record coming in at under 20 minutes. I'm sure the incentive of "Trick or Treat" that evening helped the process along!In all, Project Louie taught us all some important lessons. The importance of friendship, working together to create something bigger than yourself, and that sometimes - less is more. The smiles on the kid's faces and their pride in accomplishment shined brighter than the Chrysler Building.