Singing Onstage

"Spelling Bee" a major hit!

2010-06-13T10:53:00.000-07:00

Overheard at the State Theatre: an usher telling a friend that she had seen the Broadway production of "Spelling Bee" and thought the kids in the Singing Onstage production were just as good! What a testament to the growth these 11 students made over the course of one semester and over the course of several years of performing.

The show was received with shouts and long burst of applause, not to mention HUGE laughs. There is no doubt about it, "Spelling Bee" is one funny show.

Congratulations to all on a wonderful show!

Next up: OLIVER!!

"13" a HUGE sucess!

2010-05-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

It takes a village to put on a show, no matter how "simple." On the face of it, "13" seemed like a fairly simple show to stage: the kids wear their own clothes, minimal to no scenery (use projections), and only a few props. How many shows do I have to do to understand that they are ALL hard.
There are seven (count 'em, SEVEN) production numbers in the show and I had the brilliant choreographer, Jill A. Brighton, who stage all seven with energy, variety, and story-telling genius.

Because we had no sets, we relied heavily (as we always do) on the superb lighting designer at the State Theatre, Greg Ray, who, once again, lit the show beautifully. Lance Royes's sound design, complicated by the fact that the actors switch roles throughout the show, allowed all to hear the very funny book and lyrics and made the kids sound great. Coming to save the day by assisting Lance backstage and organizing all the mic switches was Jasmine Molina who made sure everyone had their mic.

And of course, our stage manager par excellence, Karen Morris, who kept the entire show moving along with flair.

The band was nothing short of spectacular. Desiree Dennis, K.C. Hirth, Carter Freije, and Marshall Biever played with great ability and sensitivity.

And to the 18 middle school students who made up the cast of "13": you exceeded all expectations tonight. You gave a highly polished, hilarious, and touching performance that moved the audience to gales of laughter, gigantic bursts of applause (I've never heard applause last as long as tonight's did after the opening number!), and even tears.

Well worth the 4 months of rehearsals, don't you think?!

Bravo to all on a job very well done!

2010-05-14T07:42:00.000-07:00

Singing Onstage spring performances begin tonight!

Tonight! "Disney's The Aristocats" performed by kids ages 5-7. 7:30 pm @ Fairmount Auditorium, 411 S. Fraser. Adults $5, Kids $2.

Sunday! The Broadway Showkids will perform @ 1 pm @ Barnes and Noble! Mention Singing Onstage when purchasing, and we get a % for OLIVER!

Directing "13"

2010-05-11T09:31:00.000-07:00

I was skeptical of a show written exclusively for middle school kids. The reviews from the Broadway production were mixed to negative, but when I heard the show's cast recording, I knew this was something Singing Onstage needed to do.
Last October, I received notification that it was available to license and we decided that 13 would be the show for middle school students for the spring of 2010. (Yet another Singing Onstage premiere production!)
We've been working on the show for 4 months with a group of 18 very talented and enthusiastic students, the vast majority of whom are actually 13 years old! My partner in crime is our amazing choreographer Jill A. Brighton, and it was Jill who worked with the cast for the majority of the first two months as I directed my thesis project to complete my MFA. There are seven choreographed numbers, and none are particularly easy, but all look terrific.
The score by Jason Robert Brown (Parade, The Last Five Years, Songs for a New World) is excellent. There is a variety of pace and emotion and the music definitely rocks! More than that, the lyrics are smart and sophisticated and accurately capture what it's like to be 13. The songs are challenging and exciting to sing. The libretto by Dan Elish and Robert Horn is fast-paced and funny, if not exactly deep.
My job as director has been to keep the acting honest and real and keep the pace moving. Technically, young actors always need to be reminded to speak loudly and clearly and keep open to the audience. I've also tried to keep the staging simple but interesting, especially because we have virtually no sets, just chairs! We'll be using projections to establish the the settings.
I'm certain the audience, whether you are a student in middle school or can remember that time, will have a good time at this show!
13 will have one performance at The State Theatre, Sunday, May 23 at 7 pm. All tickets are $12 and can be purchased at the box office, 814-272-0606 or online at www.StateTickets.org.

First in State College to do HAIRSPRAY!

2010-05-09T21:36:00.000-07:00

     Licensing musicals seems to be a mysterious business. Most people think we get a script and some music and then we put on a show. Oh, were it that simple! Every work for the stage is protected by copyright and only the authors may give permission for their work to be performed. Almost every author assigns the rights to license their plays to a specific licensing house and that company then becomes the "permission giver" to theatre companies, from community theatres to professionals. There is a royalty fee, based on the ticket prices and number of seats in the auditorium and a rental fee for the rehearsal materials: scripts/vocal books, piano/conductor scores, and orchestrations.This is a lucrative business, especially with very popular titles.
     HAIRSPRAY is such a title! The amateur licensing rights to do this show were released on Wednesday, May 12. Although we had already selected a summer camp show for our July-August camp (BYE BYE BIRDIE), once we received the notification that HAIRSPRAY was available, we had to jump on it.
     On Thursday, May 13, I applied online for a license for HAIRSPRAY with the licensing company, Music Theatre International. With most shows, I receive a license agreement via email within 60 minutes. This one didn't come. By noon the next day, I emailed our representative with MTI and he informed me that four professional companies and a tour of the show had to give MTI permission to allow little us to do the show. He said it may take a few weeks to hear back. (Professional companies get first dibs at new shows and they don't want competition for tickets from anyone!) I emailed our rep to say that we were doing this with middle and high school students and doing only one performance for mostly the parents, friends, and families of the students.
     Within 10 minutes of my sending that email, I received the license for the show! Now the work begins! The plot of HAIRSPRAY takes place in the early 1960s in Baltimore, and centers around a high school girl who is determined to see a popular dance television show become integrated. That means the cast of the show must include several African American performers. THAT means we are actively looking for black students to join us. 4 years ago, Singing Onstage produced the musical DREAMGIRLS, which had a cast of 25 African Americans, so I know we can do it!
     Help us spread the word!!!

"We're Getting Ready" for 13 the musical, and MUCH MORE!

2010-05-09T20:41:00.000-07:00

Singing Onstage has an amazing spring and summer slate of shows! Two premieres: 13 and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. From Beginning Broadway to The Aristocats to a fully staged production of OLIVER! at The State Theatre, we're extremely proud of the shows we produce and very happy to bring them to the audiences of Centre County!
     This blog post is all about the brand new musical 13. All eighteen middle school students starring in this production, Jill A. Brighton our amazing choreographer, and yours truly are thrilled to be bringing this brand-new show to State College. Although 13 had a short 3-month run on Broadway, it is having an amazing after-life with school and community groups across the nation. Singing Onstage is very excited to be one of the first to license the show!
     Written by respected composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown, with a very funny and insightful libretto by Dan Elish and Robert Horn (based on Elish's book with the same title), 13 tells the story of Evan Goldman, just about to turn 13 and preparing for his bar mitzvah, who must move from his great life in New York City to a VERY small town in Indiana. He has one mission: get all the cool kids in school to come to his Bar Mitzvah, or else spend the rest of his academic career banished to the land of the Geeks. 13 is a show about finding out who you are, finding out what you need, and finding out what's really important.
     Because the show hits home with the students, the acting in the show comes pretty naturally. However, the music is not easy, nor is the involved and wonderfully intricate choreography. But, oh!, how these kids can sing! One of the most exciting moments in our 7-year history of Singing Onstage was the day we rehearsed the group song "A Brand New You"! There are some great choral moments, as well as wonderful solos for both the women and the men. Highlights include "Lamest Place in the World," "All Hail the Brain," "What It Means to Be a Friend," and of course the title song "13".
     And while the show emphasizes the comedy of young teens trying to be "in" and get dates, there is a deeply poignant finale when the main character, Evan, sings to those at his bar mitzvah that even though kids make a lot of mistakes, they are doing the best they can. He asks the adults in his life to have a little more patience in the moving song "A Little More Homework."
     We know both parents and students will have a great time at 13. Please join us on Sunday, May 23 at 7 pm at The State Theatre. Click here for tickets!