Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Community Theater needs Holiday shows!

Message

   I work for a community theater in Minnesota, and every year we face the same issue: finding a show for the Holiday season. 

This year we are doing a non-musical adaptation of It's a Wonderful Life.

Past productions include: Scrooge: The Musical; Hello, Dolly!; A Christmas Story; Fiddler on the Roof; The Best Christmas Pageant Ever; The Sound of Music; Annie; and Cinderella (R&H).

That should give you a feel for what we're looking for. The ideal holiday show involves quite a bit of spectacle, music (although not necessarily a musical), a fairly large cast, and few or no children in the cast. It should be uncontrovercial, extremely funny and/or heartwarming, have universal appeal, and be appropriate for ages 5-95. An actual Christmas theme is not necessary, although it would help.

For next year we're looking at some old standbys, like Annie, Fiddler, and South Pacific (I would love to do that one, but it seems the impending national tour will interfere with our ability to secure the rights to perform it). But we're looking for something other than the same-old-same-old, every-community-theater-in-the-country-has-done-it-twice kinds of shows we have on our plate right now.

Any suggestions?

Thanks! --Patrick

Author	Message
patrickcolvin Player Joined: 12/11/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 7	Topic: Community Theater needs Holiday shows! Posted: 12/11/08 at 1:37pm
	I work for a community theater in Minnesota, and every year we face the same issue: finding a show for the Holiday season. This year we are doing a non-musical adaptation of It's a Wonderful Life. Past productions include: Scrooge: The Musical; Hello, Dolly!; A Christmas Story; Fiddler on the Roof; The Best Christmas Pageant Ever; The Sound of Music; Annie; and Cinderella (R&H). That should give you a feel for what we're looking for. The ideal holiday show involves quite a bit of spectacle, music (although not necessarily a musical), a fairly large cast, and few or no children in the cast. It should be uncontrovercial, extremely funny and/or heartwarming, have universal appeal, and be appropriate for ages 5-95. An actual Christmas theme is not necessary, although it would help. For next year we're looking at some old standbys, like Annie, Fiddler, and South Pacific (I would love to do that one, but it seems the impending national tour will interfere with our ability to secure the rights to perform it). But we're looking for something other than the same-old-same-old, every-community-theater-in-the-country-has-done-it-twice kinds of shows we have on our plate right now. Any suggestions? Thanks! --Patrick

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tristanrobin Celebrity Joined: 4/25/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 704	Posted: 12/11/08 at 6:08pm
	How about "Here's Love" - the Meredith Wilson's musical version of Miracle on 34th Street? ... it's even got Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade for spectacle! I've also seen (though never worked on) a really beautiful NON-ballet version of The Nutcracker...it was wonderful.
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KEB54 Celebrity Joined: 7/24/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 227	Posted: 12/12/08 at 10:10am
	"Here's Love" has been re-titled to "Meredith Wilson's It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas". FYI
	KEB
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tristanrobin Celebrity Joined: 4/25/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 704	Posted: 12/12/08 at 10:23am
	Really? When did that happen? And why?
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patrickcolvin Player Joined: 12/11/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 7	Posted: 12/12/08 at 12:47pm
	How is "Here's Love"? I've read mixed reviews. I'll send for a perusal anyway. I was actually looking for it on MTI's website the other day - thanks for the info that the title had changed! And do you know where I can find this version of "Nutcracker"? Is it a musical? Thanks! --Patrick
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KEB54 Celebrity Joined: 7/24/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 227	Posted: 12/12/08 at 4:33pm
	Yeah, I don’t know when but I think a couple of years ago. And I don't know why, but I bet a guess would be pretty close – “Here’s Love” has no recognition as a Christmas show and you have no idea what it’s about. Plus "Meredith Wilson's It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” not only tells you the author but also the only recognizable song in the show: http://www.mtishows.com/show_home.asp?id=000042 I’ve never seen it, but my bet is that it would be a draw. The music for the most part is reminiscent of Music Man, much of it Sousa-like without the Music Man appeal. I don’t imagine it is very good, but would still draw. I mean the musical version of "Miracle on 34^th Street" and by the same person that wrote "Music Man"! They’d flock in …. they may ask for their money back … but they’d flock in! :)
	KEB
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tristanrobin Celebrity Joined: 4/25/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 704	Posted: 12/12/08 at 6:00pm
	I've seen several productions of "Here's Love" - before the title change - and it was a perfectly nice musical. Not a smash hit type like "Hello Dolly" or "Annie" - but still, nice. It's got a nice message, of course - and I personally enjoyed the music (of course, it is Meredith Wilson). There is lots of color and dancing and CHristmas-y feeling ... and of course, the Natalie Wood role for that charming little girl. This is a review of the production I was thinking of ( http://chicagolandtheaterreviews.com/10.html ) ... I'm not sure where it's available, but you could probably contact The Steppenwolfe Company in Chicago for information. Good luck.
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patrickcolvin Player Joined: 12/11/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 7	Posted: 12/14/08 at 4:31am
	Thanks for the info... I work with someone who interned at Steppenwolfe, maybe she knows something?
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chelserin Lead Joined: 3/02/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 47	Posted: 12/14/08 at 11:13pm
	My new favorite holiday show is "A Christmas Carol: A traveling Travesty in two tumultuous Acts" (sorry for spelling errors). It is Hillarious! Non-musical (although there is an unforgetable caroling scene) and about 7 characters. The premise is a run down traveling troup putting on A Christmas carol, but they don't have enough actors so they all have several parts. The two divas are fighting for the lead role and the understudy doesn't know her lines so has to hide them on props. We did it last year and it was so much fun for those on stage and the audience.
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John Luzaich Celebrity Joined: 2/24/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 174	Posted: 12/17/08 at 1:07pm
	patrick, Inspecting Carol is a great show. great parts for actors, very funny, sold really well. There is more on the show in other posts in this forum. It was written by Tony Award winner Daniel Sullivan and started at the Seattle Rep. It's a spoof on a small regional equity theatre producing A Christmas Carol for the 12th year in a row. It's just a hoot. Also, look at Plaid Tidings. It's the Christmas version of the popular musical comedy Forever Plaid. I tried to get the rights several years ago and Stuart Ross pulled the show off the table because he went back and re-wrote the show. When he was happy with it, he directed two of the three equity productions (first being at the Passadena Playhouse). We were one of the firrst theatres in the midwest to get the rights to it and had a very successful run. I see many theatres are looking at it for next year now.
	John cfct@cfu.net http://www.osterregent.org http://www.facebook.com/osterregent
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