Z I L K H A H A L L

2 4 - 2 7 , 2 0 1 5M A R C H

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2 0 1 4 / 1 5C O N T E N TG U I D E

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THEATRE UNDER THE STARS · 2014/ 15 CONTENT GUIDEAbout 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 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 2014/15 season.

THEATRE ETIQUETTE

Save snacks for intermission.

Turn your cell phones and electronics off completely.

No texting!

Arrive about 30 minutes before the show starts.

Applaud at the end of songs and scenes. Otherwise, shhhhh!

......... 7-8

......... 9-13WHO’S WHO: CREATIVE TEAM

EDUCATOR’S GUIDE

5 ......... DETAILED SYNOPSIS6 ......... CHARACTERS AND MUSICAL NUMBERS

11 .........12 .........

12 .........13 .........

A BRIEF HISTORY PUTTING ON A SHOWTHEATRE ETIQUETTEABOUT TUTS

CURTAIN CALL: LEARNING ACTIVITIES

BACKSTAGE: ABOUT MUSICAL THEATRE

CENTER STAGE: JAMES & THE GIANT PEACH JR

TABLE OF CONTENTSTUTS 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.

COMI

NG U

P IN

THE

2014

/15 M

AINS

TAGE

SEA

SON

VICTOR VICTORIA

RADIO CITY

KINKY BOOTS

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT

THE MUSIC MAN

CINDERELLA

September 16 - 28, 2014

December 5 - 28, 2014

February 10 - 22, 2015

March 17 - 29, 2015

May 5 - 17, 2015

May 26 - June 7, 2015

TUTS 2014/2015 STUDENT MATINEESBRING IT ON PG-13Sept. 12, 2014at 10AM, Zilkha Hall

JAMES & THE GIANT PEACH JR GMarch 24-27, 2015at 9:30 & 11:15AM, Zilkha Hall

SCROOGE GDec. 2-5, 2014at 9:30 & 11:15AM, Zilkha Hall

PARENTAL

ADVISORY

OR LESS$8

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THEATRE UNDER THE STARS · 2014/ 15 CONTENT GUIDESummary & Characters

James and the Giant Peach Jr. is the story of a young boy who escapes an abusive

home in a magical peach. Along the way, he makes new friends, and discovers the

joys of freedom and friendship, which had previously been alien ideas to him.

TUTS gives this show a movie equivalent rating of G.

Adult Language: The word bloody (British curse word) is said four times.

Violence: Rhino murders James’ parents. The wretched aunts are squashed to death by the peach.

Drugs/Alcohol: N/A

Sexual References: N/A

For a more detailed synopsis, see page 5 of this content guide.

PARENTAL GUIDELINES

Please visit http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/ for more information.

TEKSTexas Essential Knowledge and Skills State of Texas Assessment of Academic ReadinessReading/Comprehension 7.5 and 7.5A and 8.5 and 8.5A

Science Grade 1: 112.12 (b) (6, 7, 9, 10)Grade 2: 112.13 (b) (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)Grade 3: 112.14 (b) (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)Grade 4: 112.15 (b) (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)Grade 5: 112.16 (b) (8, 9, 10)Grade 6: 112.18 (b) (12)Grade 7: 112.19 (b) (5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)

EnglishGrade 1: 110.11 (b) (21, 22, 23)Grade 2: 110.12 (b) (7, 8, 9, 27, 28, 29)Grade 3: 110.13 (b) (6, 7, 8, 9, 28, 29, 30)Grade 4: 110.14 (b) (5, 7, 8, 9, 28, 29, 30)Grade 5: 110.15 (b) (3, 4, 5, 6, 27, 28, 29)Grade 6: 110.16 (b) (3, 4, 5, 6, 27, 28, 29)Grade 7: 110.18 (b) (3, 4, 5, 26, 27, 28)

Theatre Grade 1: 117.10 (b) (5)Grade 2: 117.13 (b) (4, 5)Grade 3: 117.14 (b) (4, 5)Grade 4: 117.16 (b) (4, 5)Grade 5: 117.19 (b) (4, 5)Grade 6: 117.32 (b) 3, 4)

Musical TheatreLevel I - 117.319 (4, 5)Level II – 117.320 (4, 5)Level III – 117.321 4, 5)Level IV – 117.322 (4, 5)

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CENTER STAGE: JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACHDetailed Synopsis

Our story begins within the walls of the Painswick Orphanage in London, England. James Henry Trotter sleeps fitfully, dreaming of his parents. Suddenly his dream becomes a nightmare. He relives the tragic death of his parents, who were devoured by a rhinoceros which had escaped from the London zoo. He awakens clutching the only mementos left, a scarf and a pair of glasses. A ladybug and a grasshopper fly into his room and James reaches out to befriend them. The two insects are frightened away by the orphanage matron nurse who tells James to pack his bags. He carefully packs his prized belongings and is handed over to his only surviving relatives– his atrocious, pick-pocketing aunts Spiker and Sponge. Though not a fan of children, the miserly aunts welcome James’ arrival as a source of income and free labor.

From their cottage, where James is made to sleep in the cellar, he can see the seashore and asks to go down and play with his friends. Thinking that a trip to the beach would be a perfect, Spiker and Sponge trick James. They leave him behind, ordering him to chop down their old peach tree while they enjoy the seashore themselves. Preparing to chop the tree, James rescues an earthworm from a hungry centipede. Suddenly he encounters a mysterious old man. James is at first frightened but then becomes intrigued by the old man’s bag of spells and potions. The old man entices James to take a chance, change his fate, and pick a potion to brew. James chooses one made of slithering crocodile tongues. As he was running about gathering the other ingredients, James spills the bag of crocodile tongues around the peach tree just as the potion was gaining full power. A single peach begins to grow at an astounding rate. Distraught, he meets his two aunts returning from the beach in an even more sour disposition due to their sunburns. They marvel at the giant peach that has suddenly appeared on their once barren tree. Sensing financial opportunity, the two prepare to exploit the amazing fruit for as much money as they can get. James, knowing that his potion made the peach grow to its miraculous size, dares to ask that some of the profit be used to move to the seashore. To remind him who is in charge, Spiker and Sponge destroy his parents’ mementos and banish him from the house to sleep outside.

Saddened, James wanders the yard when he discovers a door into the giant peach. He reaches a hand into the opening and gets stuck. As he tries to free himself he is pulled inside the peach. There he meets Earthworm and Centipede, whom he encountered before, as well as other insects, all grown to human size- Spider,

SYNOPSISGrasshopper, Ladybug and Glowworm, who illuminates the interior of the giant peach. James fears becoming a meal for the group but his fears are laid to rest by all except Centipede, who threatened him. Spider, however, promises to protect him.

Suddenly, the peach lurches forward tossing the group to the floor. Its stem has broken, releasing it on a runaway course. It rolls over the Aunts, through fences, fields, through the village and finally over the chalky cliffs of Dover into the English channel. The peach proves seaworthy and all anticipate a pleasant voyage to France, except Earthworm who always fears the worst.

As the party sails on they realize they are not headed for France, but instead they are bound for the open ocean. Thirst and hunger pains bring fears of starvation, until James realizes they can eat the delicious, juicy flesh of the peach. Grasshopper plays his violin in celebration. The insects rejoice in being free from the cruelties of Spiker and Sponge. James shares his sorrow over the loss of his parents. Centipede remains on edge and doesn’t trust James because he is a human. The others comfort James, telling him that his parents will always be with him in the face of nature and in his own special character.

The waters grow rough. Centipede becomes seasick and vomits over the side, attracting a flock of hungry seagulls. Sharks start to appear and begin feasting on the peaches’ bottom. James thinks that they just might be able to fly out of danger. He gets Spider to spin enough strands to tie the seagulls to the stem of the peach. They have a tough time convincing Earthworm to act as bait to attract the seagulls. Earthworm overcomes his fears, flaunts his newfound courage and the plan succeeds. They harness the seagulls, who carry the peach high into the air. They all congratulate James on his successful plan.

Meanwhile, Spike and Sponge, having survived the rolling peach attack, are on a transatlantic cruise to escape from the contracts they signed for advances on the giant peach. They spot the seagull-powered peach flying into New York City.

Spiker and Sponge convince the military to attack the presumed hostile peach with helicopters and missiles. The web strands that connect the gulls are cut by an oncoming plane. The peach falls to the earth landing on the spire of the Empire State Building. Spiker and Sponge rejoice that the peach and James are almost firmly within their grasp. Suddenly, chunks of the peach fall from the spire squashing them once and for all.

James and his friends rejoice in the new family they have created together. Each finds a fitting and fulfilling occupation for their futures.

6

CENTER STAGE: JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACHCharacters and Musical Numbers

James Henry Trotter: An eleven-year-old boy who witnesses the horrible death of his parents, is abused by his wretched aunts, is lost at sea on a giant peach with a group of talking insects, and eventually overcomes all of this to triumph over evil

Mr. and Mrs. Trotter: James’ perfect parents

Spiker and Sponge: James’ wretched aunts

Ladahlord: Strange old man and narrator

Old Green Grasshopper: Leader of the insect troupe

Ladybug: She is comforting, kind and gentle. She eventually becomes James’ surrogate mother

Centipede: The pessimist of the group and hates humans

Earthworm: The timid member of the group

Spider: Kind and resourceful

Matron Nurse

Rhinoceros

Members of the media

Bobby Officers

Right Before Your Eyes

On Your Way Home

Property of Sponge and Spiker

Shake It Up

There’s Money on That Tree

Floating Along

A Get Away From Spiker and Sponge

Everywhere That You Are

I Got You

Plump and Juicy

Welcome Home

CHARACTERS MUSICAL NUMBERS

7

Who’s Who: Creative Team

CURTAIN CALL: LEARNING ACTIVITIES

ROALD DAHL Author (1916 - 1990)

BENJ PASEK AND JUSTIN PAUL Songwriters

Roald Dahl was born on September 13, 1916, in Llandaff, South Wales. Dahl’s parents were Norwegian. Dahl’s mother decided to enroll her rambunctious and mischievous child at St. Peter’s, a British boarding school. Dahl later transferred to Repton, a private school with a reputation for academic excellence. After Dahl graduated from Repton in 1932, he went on an expedition to Newfoundland. Afterward, he took a job with the Shell Oil Company in Tanzania, Africa, where he remained until 1939. Next, Dahl joined the Royal Air Force and became a World War II fighter pilot. While serving in the Mediterranean, Dahl crash-landed in Alexandria, Egypt. The plane crash left him with serious injuries to his skull, spine and hip. In 1953, he published the best-selling story collection Someone Like You and married actress Patricia Neil. He published the popular book James and the Giant Peach in 1961. In 1964, he released another highly successfully work, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which was later adapted for two films and a new musical version currently running in London. Over his decades-long writing career, Dahl wrote 19 children’s books. He died on November 23, 1990, in Oxford, England.

As performers, Benj & Justin have traveled throughout North America, Europe & Australia performing concerts of their own work. They also teach master classes in songwriting and performance at universities around the world. They are proud graduates of the University of Michigan BFA Musical Theatre program. The duo made their debut as songwriters with their widely-acclaimed song cycle Edges. Other theatrical works include James and the Giant Peach (Kennedy Center, Goodspeed Musicals, dir. Graciela Daniele, chor. Pilobolus), and Duck for President and If You Give a Pig a Pancake (Theatreworks USA). Their musical work for TV can also be seen on Sesame Street and Johnny & the Sprites (Disney TV series). Performances of their songs have been featured on The View, Good Morning America, CBS Sunday Morning, VH1 Morning Buzz, The Rosie Show, Fox & Friends, and more.

They wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musical A Christmas Story, which opened in November of 2012 and enjoyed a critically-acclaimed, record-breaking run at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Benj & Justin are also the composers behind the Off-Broadway musical Dogfight, which premiered in July of 2012 at Second Stage Theatre. Their original songs were featured on Season 2 of the hit NBC show “Smash”.

Benj & Justin are the recipients of the 2011 Richard Rodgers Award for Musical Theatre from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a 2011 Sundance Institute Fellowship, the 2011 ASCAP Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award, the 2011 ASCAP Songwriters Fellowship Award, and a 2007-2008 Dramatists Guild Fellowship. They are they are the youngest recipients of the Jonathan Larson Award (2007) in the foundation’s history. They have participated in ASCAP’s Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project and were named one of Dramatist Magazine’s “50 to Watch” in contemporary theatre. They are currently at work on a new original musical with playwright Steven Levenson.

8

CURTAIN CALL: LEARNING ACTIVITIES

TIM McDONALD Playwright

Tim Allen McDonald is originally from Northern California where he wrote his first of many musicals usually starring his sister and the neighborhood kids and featuring a score of whatever pop music was available in sheet music form. In 1990 after college, Tim and many of these very same neighborhood kids formed their own light opera company: “Chico City Light Opera” (CCLO) where they learned their craft the old fashioned way, by presenting show after show with Tim serving as producer, sometimes director, sometimes performer, often selling tickets and fixing toilettes and taking out the trash when necessary. This led Tim to be recruited by Freddie Gershon, CEO of Music Theatre International in 1997. Freddie tapped Tim to develop and create the first education division in a major musical theater licensing firm. This provided Tim with the perfect opportunity to further his craft as a playwright. During his tenure at MTI, Tim adapted many musicals for the educational markets, working side by side with the shows authors including Stephen Sondheim, Arthur Laurents, Stephen Flaherty, Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Schwartz, and Sheldon Harnick to name a few.

In 2003 Tim teamed with Disney Theatricals to lead the team adapting Disney animation titles for the stage. In two years 8 shows were released into licensing, virtually creating the “direct to licensing” musical theater market. Titles include Disney’s Aladdin, Disney’s The Jungle Book, Disney’s Cinderella and Disney’s Mulan.

During this same period Tim began work on Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory writing the book with Leslie Bricusse and adapting the score from the film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory by Leslie and Anthony Newley. This led to record-breaking productions at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and a three-year national tour as well as a special command performance for the President and First Lady at the Whitehouse.

In 2006, with Freddie Gershon’s blessing, Tim left MTI to form his own company: iTheatrics. iTheatrics continues the legacy of educational theater with an added focus of developing new musical theater works as well. Currently iTheatrics boasts both MTI and Disney as clients as well as MacMillan McGraw Hill publishing and the Jim Henson Company to name a few.

9

CURTAIN CALL: EDUCATOR’S GUIDE

EXPLORING THE THEMES OF GOOD VS EVILA. As a group discuss the differences between good and evil. What do they mean to you?

B. Then explore these themes as they appear within the show.

C. Who is good? Who is evil? Why?

D. How are the good rewarded? Evil punished?

E. Do you think anyone is completely good or evil? Why or why not?

PERSONIFICATIONA. Define personification.

B. Where do we see personification within the show?

C. Create a t-chart to document the differences between actual insects and the insect characters.

D. What are the similarities and differences?

E. Were the character’s portrayal accurate? If not what would you change and why?

INSECTS

A. Choose an insect not seen in the show and write five to ten descriptive facts about the insect.

B. Create a new insect character to add to the show.

1. How does your character act?

2. What do they look like?

3. What do they sound like?

4. And how do they contribute to James’ adventure?

INSECTS WITHIN THE SHOW

A. Choose an insect within the show - grasshopper, ladybug, spider, earthworm, centipede, and glow worm

1. Describe it to the best of your ability.

2. Discuss your insect with the rest of the class

FLOATING OR BUOYANCY The giant peach floats across the Atlantic from England to New York just as a ship would.

A. Why did it not sink?

B. What is buoyancy?

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CURTAIN CALL: EDUCATOR’S GUIDE

EXPERIMENTIn this experiment you will explore the concepts of buoyancy and displacement.

MATERIALS2 sheets of aluminum foil (same size)

1 piece of clay

1 tub or bowl

Water

SET UPA. Fill your tub halfway with water

B. Form a tight ball out of one sheet of aluminum foil

C. Form a ball out of your piece of clay, equal in size to the aluminum ball

D. Form a boat shape from one sheet of aluminum foil with a flat bottom and upturned sides.

HYPOTHESIS(Answer on a separate sheet of paper)

A. Which objects will sink?

B. Which objects will float?

PROCEDUREA. With a ruler, measure and record the depth of your water: ____________in

B. Place foil ball in the water and measure the depth of the water: _____________in

C. Remove foil ball and measure the depth of the water: ____________in

D. Place foil boat in water and measure the depth: ___________in

C. Remove foil boat from water and measure the depth of the water: ___________in

D. Place clay ball in water and measure the depth: __________in

OUTCOMES(Answer questions on a separate sheet of paper)

A. Which objects sank?

B. Which objects floated?

C. What caused some objects to float and some to sink?

D. How much water did each object displace? (ex: 1a. minus 1b.)

Foil Ball _______________

Foil Boat _______________

Clay Ball _______________

E. Compare the foil ball and foil boat results from Question 3. Why did this happen?

F. Compare the foil ball and clay ball results from Question 3. Why did this happen?

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CURTAIN CALL: EDUCATOR’S GUIDEWHY DO WE LOVE ORPHAN CHARACTERS?Orphans are some of the most famous characters in fiction, but why do we love them? It is our ability to relate to these characters that makes

them so popular. Orphans show us that the impossible is possible. They are truly alone in the world and have no family to help them through

difficult times, but orphans always succeed in the end. Orphan tales allow us to root for the underdog and teach us that children are powerful and

don’t always need adults to become strong and independent people.

NAME THE ORPHAN STORYCan you name the famous orphan characters in the pictures below?

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CURTAIN CALL: EDUCATOR’S GUIDE

SCIENCE FOCUSInsects

Activity 4: Spider Web Maze

Find your way through the maze to get to the center of Spider’s web.

DID YOU KNOW...

• Three out of four creatures on the planet are insects. They outnumber all other creatures.• If all insects vs. all other animals were placed on a scale, the insects would weigh more.• There are more species of insects than any other kind of creature.• Fossil records prove that insects began to inhabit the earth 150 million years before dinosaurs.• Insects have adapted to live and survive among all groups of organisms and in all types of

habitats except for the ocean.• An ant can lift over 50 times their weight.• Fleas can jump the equivalent length of a football field.• The mayfly has one of the shortest life spans. Adults only live for a few hours after emerging

from the water.• The queen termite has the longest life span and lives for 10-15 years.

Check It Out!For more information about spiders visithttp://www.kidzone.ws/lw/spiders/facts.htm

START

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SPIDER WEB MAZE Find your way through the maze to get to the center of the spider’s web.

13

CURTAIN CALL: EDUCATOR’S GUIDEWHAT IS THAT??? FUN AND GAMESWord Search

15

composer: the person who writes the melodies and music of the songs.

lyricist: the person who writes the words that go with the composer’s music.

playwright or librettist: the person who writes the story and the dialogue of a play, as well as many of the stage directions that the actors and director follow, to tell a story for the stage.

director: the person in charge of everything that happens onstage. The director provides the vision of how a show should be presented, works with the actors on their roles, develops the blocking, and is in charge of the rehearsals.

choreographer: the person who creates dances and arranges movements for a musical.

X S P O N G E M F T Y N G G D C G M Q E C G JC H G F S A B N Q Y N A I M B Y V N Z N P J KV A S D X C V N F H C I A A Z J H S A E M L HB W E C V Z A V L U I E N A X K G D A B J K FN Q R E D F S C A A H W T D L L F C I R C U SP A T N N U B Z D Q Y U G S C P H I Z V H G FQ D Y T G I O L Y W T I O P V B O U X C G D SA F U I H J K M B E R G C L W N E Y Z X C H JQ G I P O P L M U U T H J K Q M E T L M F I NW H J E K M L E G R A S S H O P P E R T V B NS O I D I U Y D T Q C B S E A A E T K U I R UL P Z E X C V G R G D C G M Q E C G J G E G ML A R C S N B H E M B Y V N Z A S D H K A K QU J H G H L M L W N E J A M E S H F I E R L WG A S T D K N O A Q Z V B N M L K P S P T Y NA D T F G J B I V C X S R T D G S I U O Y N AE W E R U H C P G F N X O T D S A O Y T H C IS K V Y T I W E H K M Z H R S Q W E R R U I EO P H N G A S D B R R X G O E O E B L E A H WH Q E A R T H W O R M Z P T A C C S R F C D RN A M M N V B Q E S C C D T J H O H E D S O TY Q Y M N B V Y C X Z V O E A S T N D F G H NY W E R T Y U I O P O B N R D T F G I G H J YU T U Y U I K R A H S X C Q W E R U P H I W OE R E W Q M N B X C V Z S L K V Y T S J R G F

CENTIPEDECIRCUS

EARTHWORMGIANT

GRASSHOPPER

JAMESLADYBUG

MAGICIANPEACH

RHINOCEROSSEAGULLS

SHARKSPIDERSPIKER

SPONGETROTTER

WORD BANK

Activity 5: JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH Word Search

Find and circle the words from the word bank within the puzzle below.

Check It Out!To play games and learn more about Roald Dahl visithttp://www.roalddahl.com/orhttp://roalddahlfans.com/

Illust

ratio

n ©

Que

ntin

Bla

ke

Sponge and

Spiker

WORD SEARCH Find and circle the words from the word bank within the puzzle below.

14

BACKSTAGE: ABOUT MUSICAL THEATREA 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.

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.

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.

Innovative new musicalslike the rowdy productionof Matilda and the fresh take on Roger and Hammerstein’s Cinderellahave been attracting and pleasing younger audiences.The revival of the beloved classic Annie starred a Theatre Under The Stars alum, Sadie Sink, in the title role and successfully creating a new generation of musical theatre lovers. Broadway audiences have also fallen head over “heels” for the Tony Award winning Kinky Boots, the story of a struggling shoemaker and his unexpected new businesspartner. Between movie and book adaptations, revivalsof past favorites and contemporary boundary-breakers,there’s no doubt the Broadway musical is here to stay.

ORIGINS & FOLLIES

EARLY YEARS & THE GOLDEN AGE

CONTEMPORARY & MEGA-MUSICALS

WHERE ARE WE TODAY?

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).

15

Putting on a Show

BACKSTAGE: ABOUT MUSICAL THEATRE

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.

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.

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.

GATHERING THE CREATIVE TEAM

CASTING AND REHEARSAL

PERFORMING FOR AN AUDIENCE

•

•

•

•

FINDING THE PERFECT MUSICAL

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.

VOCABULARY 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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Thank you!

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

CONNECT WITH TUTS

TUTS CONTENT GUIDE

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 Christina Martinez, and supervised by Scott Howard. Please feel free to copy and distribute. Updated Digital Edition: November 2014.

Email any questions, concerns or comments to Christian Brown at Christian@tuts.com.

Theatre Under The Stars • 713.558.2600 800 Bagby Suite 200, Houston, TX. 77002

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