I was involved in this production in high school, and would like to offer up the following advice:

1. We had SO many people unfamiliar with the play leave at the end of the first act beacuse they thought it was the end (and some companies only do the first act). Do whatever it takes to keep people in their seats. After the first two nights, we had the Narrator carry out a large sign with "Intermission" painted in fantasy-ish script" while the clapping was still going on.

2. Don't leave anythings until the last minute. Somethings, like Rapunzel's hair and Cindarella's birds, seem rather simple until you actually try to work them out.

3. It's a comedy, so don't be afraid of a little "ham." We couldn't find a good wooden Milkey White, and ended up having two people play her, with great success! If you can't do something the way you'd like to, try to make the most of it rather than hoping no one will notice.

4. We had an angled stage with the center hollowed out for the orchestra, and had real saplings nailed all around the edge of the stage (making a real "woods"). This was a beautiful idea, but made the acoustics rather difficult, and had the effect of focusing a lot of the sight lines on the orchestra. In other words, what is attractive is not always practical.

Have fun, and good luck!

1.) cannot agree more with the above post of having an extremely talented & patient MD. sondheim, though repetitive is tricky tricky stuff.

2.) rehearsal for this one is intergral in the staging, music, characters.. definitely allow enough for this one.

3.) have fun.. it can be hammy.. not over the top, in that the story and writing itself should sell it.

4.) keep some ice packs on hand for poor cinderella ;)