Tag Archive for teens

Brian Lee | March 23, 2012
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Selecting a High School Musical

‘Tis the season for high school musicals here in the suburban Washington DC area. I have students right now rehearsing or performing in “The Drowsy Chaperone”, “Cabaret”, “Les Miserables (School Edition)”, “Cinderella”, “Into the Woods”, and “Legally Blonde”. The schools and private theatre programs around here aim big – often too big.

Tonight I had the pleasure of attending “The Drowsy Chaperone” at Einstein High School in Kensington, MD. It was thoroughly delightful. It was my first exposure to this show, but I thought it worked extremely well for the deep and wide talent pool of Einstein’s Academy of Visual and Performing Arts.

And then there’s “Cabaret” across town, also cast with high school students. Why, oh why? I can understand wanting a challenge, I can understand being attracted to a show of very high quality, I can understand picking a show you love – but recent high school productions of this, “Sweeney Todd”, “Parade” and “Chicago” just seem wrong to me.

There are themes that young people can fully grasp and realize in dozens and dozens of musicals, both old and new. Then there are shows that that young people may understand on many levels as an audience member as well as older people, but which THEY ARE NOT YET READY TO PERFORM.

Contrasts: We had a production of “Spring Awakening” here last fall that was really excellent. The somewhat melodramatic plot is actually about teens, as raw and sexual as it is. Those young people were able to convincingly portray those characters and tell that story. Then there is “Cabaret”. What teenager is ready to fill out the character of Sally Bowles, the hardened, 30ish world-weary show girl bound for ruin? And are they really going to have high school girls humping chairs as Kit Kat girls? And is a boy playing Emcee (lead and cover both 16) really going to give us the polymorphous perversity required, both sexual and political?

It’s not just about “adult themes”. It has to do with a progression of theatrical repertoire that takes into account maturity, complexity, and dramatic skill level. We would never have a 15 year old soprano sing Wagner arias, but there may be masterpieces by Handel or Rodgers and Hammerstein that would suit her just fine. She may have the range, musicality, and language skills for Wagner, but not the gravity, vocal maturity, and life experience that an excellent performance would require. Is it not the same in theatre? I am no expert in musical theatre production for high schools, but I wish that the very cynical, bitter, decadent, or hopeless themes would be left to the college and pro crowd, while high school performers hone their craft on repertoire that is appropriate for their age and level of understanding.

I’m not saying that we should make the kids do only juvenile material. There is darkness in “Oklahoma” or “The Sound of Music” or even “The Drowsy Chaperone” which I think high schoolers can do a great job with. But these do not have the crushing gloom of a “Sweeney Todd” or “Chicago” or “Cabaret” that encourage a student to imitate a professional performance rather than understanding the depth of the character that they need to pull out of themselves.

 

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Brian Lee | March 24, 2010
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Helping Students to Pick Repertoire

As a teacher of teens I have to work somewhat cooperatively with the students’ choral directors, musical theatre directors, and various other coaches. I had a situation today that got me thinking about how important we are to young people as repertoire consultants. They cannot possibly know yet about all the possibilities of things that they can sing and are generally willing to try whatever we suggest. The student who came today is a 16 year old boy and trying out for a performing arts scholarship for college. He needs two contrasting pieces. One of his pieces is “Tu lo sai”, one of the old Italian songs, which is always a good choice. He needed something to contrast with that, preferably in English. At his last lesson he had enjoyed exploring “Ching a ring chaw” (Copland setting). Today he came and said his other teacher (who is handling the paperwork for his application) had another student doing that song so gave him “Skip to my Lou” instead.

This student has sung in choirs since he was a small boy and has been in high school musicals and madrigal choirs. He has sung in Latin, Italian, and German. He is extremely intelligent and highly talented. I patiently suggested that we might look at something else (than Skip to My Lou with a boom-chuck accompaniment) that might have a bit more lyric interest. We looked at several things, and settled on “O mistress mine” by Quilter. I have found that most young people enjoy the Shakespeare texts very much. They are usually exposed to them in high school and they like the bit of thinking that goes into deciphering the older English, and then working with the delightful literary devices such as simile and metaphor.

Now, “Ching a ring chaw” is no Shakespeare setting, but it’s spritely and clever and fun, and Copland is a terrific composer. Why would someone replace that with “Skip to my Lou”? He was willing to sing whatever was suggested, but he was very energized by the Shakespeare text and Quilter’s vigorous, interesting rhythms and 20th century harmonies. Young people may not know what’s available, but they do respond to quality when they encounter it. It’s important that we remember that ignorance does not mean that they don’t deserve the “good stuff” yet. There is good rep for singers of all ability levels.

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