Show Title:
Year:
Composer:
Lyricist:
Book Writer:
Venue:
What is the show about?:
What is the vibe of the show?:
How would you describe the music of the show?:
What characters are in the show? What do they demand of the actors who play them?:
What did you think of the show?:
Does the show have any roles or songs that might be appropriate for folks in the class?:
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Author first name:
Author surname:



Show Title:

Chicago 

Year:

1975

Composer:

john kander 

Lyricist:

fred ebb

Book Writer:

bob fosse 

Venue:

Broadway 

What is the show about?:

about criminals and their crimes. satire on corruption in the criminal justice system. 

What is the vibe of the show?:

flapper girl, jazzy, fun

How would you describe the music of the show?:

jazzy, upbeat, top hat 

What characters are in the show? What do they demand of the actors who play them?:

Roxie Hart- An aspiring vaudevillian who kills her lover after a fight and is sent to jail.

Velma Kelly- killed her sister after she caught her and her husband having an affair.

Amos Hart- Roxies devoted husband 

Billy Flynn- lawyer 

What did you think of the show?:

I think it's very edgy and provocative. 

Does the show have any roles or songs that might be appropriate for folks in the class?:

I think so if you can play a killer 

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Show Title:

Company

Year:

1970

Composer:

Stephen Sondheim 

Lyricist:

Stephen Sondheim

Book Writer:

George Furth

Venue:

Broadway

What is the show about?:

Robert is a single man living in NYC and all of his friends are married. It is his birthday and all of his friends are there. The musical follows the back stories of relationships through the lens of Robert and how most of the relationships are built on secrets. Robert is non-commital but through out the musical he finds that we want to be in a relationship. Deals with dating, marriage, and divorce. 

What is the vibe of the show?:
dark-comedy
How would you describe the music of the show?:

modern-musical theatre/traditional musical theatre

What characters are in the show? What do they demand of the actors who play them?:

Robert: Baritone

Sarah: Alto

Harry: Baritone

Susan: Mezzo

Peter: Baritone

Jenny: Soprano

David: Tenor

Amy: Alto

Paul: Tenor

Joanne: Alto

Larry: Tenor

Marta: Mezzo

Kathy: Mezzo

April: Mezzo

What did you think of the show?:

Very fun to listen to

Does the show have any roles or songs that might be appropriate for folks in the class?:

The females in the show range from the age of 21-65. So, yes there is a possibility of playing a role now or in 20-ish years. 

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Show Title:

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Year:

1949

Composer:

Jule Styne

Lyricist:

Leo Robin

Book Writer:

Joseph Fields, Anita Loos

Venue:

Opened Broadway at the Ziegfeld Theatre

What is the show about?:
I lady, Lorelei Lee, and her friend, Dorothy Shaw, board the ocean liner lle de France. Lorelei has a boyfriend, Gus, and the whole time she is afraid that he is going to find out about what happened to her in Little Rock. On the boat they meet a lot of men since they are very flirtatious and Lorelei is also given a tiara from one of the men, Sir Francis. In France, they go to a lot of night clubs and party while they are being chased by two detectives who are trying to recover the tiara.
What is the vibe of the show?:
The height of the 1920's, flapper, high society, comedic
How would you describe the music of the show?:

Full orchestra music, up tempo, could do the Charleston to. 

What characters are in the show? What do they demand of the actors who play them?:

- Lorelei

- Dorothy

-Gus

-Sir Francis

-Henry

-Lady Beekman

-Two detectives (Robert and Louie)

All of the roles require a lot of high intensity dancing. And require being very flirtatious on stage. A lot of raunchy humor. 

What did you think of the show?:

It seems like it would be a very fun show to be in. It is very high in glitz and glamour. The costumes are very extravagant with a lot of Lorelei's dresses being covered in diamonds. 

Does the show have any roles or songs that might be appropriate for folks in the class?:

Possibly if you are not afraid of being flirtatious on stage. 

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Show Title:

Guys and Dolls 

Year:

1950

Composer:

Frank Loesser

Lyricist:

Frank Loesser

Book Writer:

Abe Burrows, Joe Swerling

Venue:

Broadway 

What is the show about?:
Set in New York, a con man named Nathan Detroit needs a new venue for hus crap game. 
What is the vibe of the show?:

old fashioned, very new york, romantic 

How would you describe the music of the show?:

ballads, good dance number music, classic Broadway. 

What characters are in the show? What do they demand of the actors who play them?:

miss Adelaide - female lead - alto

Sarah Brown - female lead - soprano

Sky Masterson - male lead - Baritone 

Nathan Detroit - Male lead - Baritone  

What did you think of the show?:

It was very comical and had cool dancing 

Does the show have any roles or songs that might be appropriate for folks in the class?:

I think that you could play Adelaide if you do better in a lower range and Sarah Brown if you do better in a higher range. 

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Show Title:

Gypsy 

Year:

1959

Composer:

Jule Styne

Lyricist:

Stephen Sondheim

Book Writer:

Arthur Laurents 

Venue:
Broadway 

What is the show about?:

Its about a striptease artist, Gypsy Rose Lee, and her mother Rose. The story follows Rose and her dreams whilst raising two daughters to perform on stage and the hardships of showbiz.

What is the vibe of the show?:

light, flamboyant, fun, cool

How would you describe the music of the show?:

big, triumphant, bold, upbeat, silly, jumpy

What characters are in the show? What do they demand of the actors who play them?:

Louise: female lead, mezzo soprano, late teen/young adult, dancer, high note: D#5 low note: C#4, belting

Rose: female lead, mezzo soprano, adult, mover, high note: C5 low note: F3, belting

June: female supporting, mezzo soprano, early teen/late teen, dancer, high note: D5 low note: G#3, legit 

Herbie: male supporting, baritone, adult/mature adult, mover, high note: B3 low note: G#2, legit 

What did you think of the show?:

I think it is a very entertaining and exciting show with great performances and great music.

Does the show have any roles or songs that might be appropriate for folks in the class?:

Louise would be appropriate for folks in this class because it's within the age range.

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Show Title:

Hair

Year:

1967

Composer:

Galt Macdermot

Lyricist:

Gerome Ragni

James Rado

Book Writer:

Gerome Ragni

James Rado

Venue:

Off Broadway

What is the show about?:

Hair follows a group of young countercultural hippies who are opposing the Vietnam War and the values of their conservative parents. Claude has to decide whether he should resist the draft as his friends have done, or betray his values and heed its call.

What is the vibe of the show?:

Rebellious, political, celebratory, irreverent

How would you describe the music of the show?:

It's all very reminiscent of the 1960s rock and roll movement, but more reflective and poetic than a Jimi Hendrix solo. At times the lyrics resemble a chant or a prayer more than what we usually consider a musical number. (For example, there are two songs which consist of chanting the names of drugs and sexual acts, respectively.)

What characters are in the show? What do they demand of the actors who play them?:

The show is very ensemble driven, there are only a few characters who are named and focused on. Nobody in the show seems to have very difficult vocal parts, the main demand placed on the performers is a consistent enthusiasm and energy directed toward what this "tribe" believes in.

What did you think of the show?:

I can appreciate what it did in its time to challenge conservative norms surrounding race, sex, and lifestyle. However, the emphasis on message over plot moves it outside of my usual taste in entertainment, not to mention that in my life these same issues have taken on much subtler character. All that being said, this is clearly a progressive and important piece of work.

Does the show have any roles or songs that might be appropriate for folks in the class?:

We'd all be perfectly at home in this cast, it is meant for young people with diverse identities.

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Show Title:

High Society

Year:

1956

Composer:
Lyricist:

Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra 

Book Writer:

John Patrick (?)

Venue:

?

What is the show about?:

This show is a musical remake of The Philidelphia Story (1940). It tells the story of a man trying to win back the love of his ex-wife who is set to marry another man. 

What is the vibe of the show?:

sensual 

How would you describe the music of the show?:

It is very orchestral 

What characters are in the show? What do they demand of the actors who play them?:

C. K. Dexter, Tracey Lord, Macaulay Connor, George Kittredge, Se Stesso, etc

What did you think of the show?:

I probably would not watch it but it seems like a good play. It reminds me of the movies I watched in my Art Cinema class my senior year of high school 

Does the show have any roles or songs that might be appropriate for folks in the class?:

no

Tags:


Show Title:

High Society

Year:

1956

Composer:
Lyricist:

Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra 

Book Writer:

John Patrick (?)

Venue:

?

What is the show about?:

This show is a musical remake of The Philidelphia Story (1940). It tells the story of a man trying to win back the love of his ex-wife who is set to marry another man. 

What is the vibe of the show?:

sensual 

How would you describe the music of the show?:

It is very orchestral 

What characters are in the show? What do they demand of the actors who play them?:

C. K. Dexter, Tracey Lord, Macaulay Connor, George Kittredge, Se Stesso, etc

What did you think of the show?:

I probably would not watch it but it seems like a good play. It reminds me of the movies I watched in my Art Cinema class my senior year of high school 

Does the show have any roles or songs that might be appropriate for folks in the class?:

no

Tags:


Show Title:

In the Heights

Year:

2021

Composer:

Lin-Manuel Miranda 

Lyricist:

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Book Writer:

Quira Alegria Hudes

Venue:

n/a

What is the show about?:

The lives of the Latinx residents in Washington Heights, New York. 

What is the vibe of the show?:
modern
How would you describe the music of the show?:

dancey, catchy, pop, 

What characters are in the show? What do they demand of the actors who play them?:

Usnavi de la Vega, Nina Rosario, Vanessa, Benny, Daniela, Cuca, Abuela Claudia, Graffiti Pete, Kevin Rosario, Gapo, etc

What did you think of the show?:

I thought it was a fun upbeat musical

Does the show have any roles or songs that might be appropriate for folks in the class?:

no

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Show Title:

Jagged Little Pill

Year:

2018

Composer:

Alanis Morissette, Tom Kitt, Glen Ballard

Lyricist:

Alanis Morissette

Book Writer:

Diablo Cody

Venue:

American Repertory Theater, Cambridge, Massachusetts 

What is the show about?:

The musical starts off with Mary Jane Healy, the mother, writing her Christmas cards and lying about how well she and her family is doing. In reality, her family is falling apart but she tries to keep up appearances to the public. No one knows that she is addicted to pain pills after a car accident and she and her husband are fighting. She has trouble understanding her daughter, Frankie, and her son, Nick, is slowly breaking under all of the academic pressure that he is under. Everyone has been keeping a secret life apart from their family. Jo, who is Frankie's partner, is struggling with their gender identity and how their mother is treating them. A girl, bella, comes forward about her sexual assault. Nick goes to his mom to tell her that he saw it happen. She tells him to keep it to himself because it could ruin his good-boy reputation. Frankie is caught cheating on Jo and she then runs off to New York. MJ has unresolved trauma from when she was sexually assaulted in high school and overdoses on pain killers. The play ends with a year being passed and MJ is writing her Christmas cards again and telling the audience how far her and her family have come. 

What is the vibe of the show?:

Very much teenage 2000's angst. 

How would you describe the music of the show?:

It is inspired by the music of Alanis Morissette. It is a mashup of all of her songs. 

What characters are in the show? What do they demand of the actors who play them?:

MJ, Steve, Frankie, Nick, Bella, Jo, and Phoenix. All of the characters have to deal with a lot of trauma. Having to live through experiences like this and then having to then portray those emotions on stage takes a huge emotional toll on a person. It would be tough performing this show multiple times a week. 

What did you think of the show?:

For me, it has a similar vibe to Spring Awakening. Teens that are struggling with how they express themselves. I would really like to see this show performed. 

Does the show have any roles or songs that might be appropriate for folks in the class?:

The show deals with a lot of deep subject matter. If someone is willing to perform a song from this show, I am sure it would be really good but it would be really difficult. 

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