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Nothing makes a theater child’s coronary heart flutter greater than the announcement of the varsity musical. Will it’s enjoyable and fabulous or critical and somber? Who will get the lead components, and what is going to the costumes appear to be?
Earlier than you possibly can reply their questions, you’ve acquired to choose the musical! Discover inspiration with these musicals for highschool to showcase their expertise, hone their craft, and really feel the flush of pleasure when that curtain goes up. You’ll additionally discover high-quality, low-prep instructing sources to introduce new actors to the fundamentals of musical theater, simply in time for them to step into their very first audition!
Excessive College Musicals for Starting Actors
Whether or not you’re beginning a model new theater program or all of your star seniors simply graduated, some musical years are made for constructing expertise. Select one among these exhibits to carry out when your solid has a extra restricted vary or dimension, or whenever you don’t have entry to a choreographer.
Magnificence and the Beast
Forged Dimension: 20 roles, plus ensemble
Run Time: 2.5 hours (with intermission)
Greatest for: Colleges with robust costume departments and at the least one robust feminine lead
Magnificence and the Beast is without doubt one of the hottest musicals and performs for highschool for a cause. It’s enjoyable, it’s acquainted, and it’s a terrific alternative for theater packages trying to develop new expertise or foster singing and dancing of their ensembles.
Cinderella
Forged Dimension: 9 roles, plus ensemble
Run Time: 2 hours
Greatest for: Colleges with a big orchestra division
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella is a perfect alternative for theater departments trying to construct (or rebuild) a robust ensemble. With its well-known story, pleasurable songs, and alternatives for bigger refrain casting and orchestras, this musical might be a terrific stepping stone in a rising program.
Honk!
Forged Dimension: 14 roles, plus ensemble
Run Time: 90 minutes-2 hours
Greatest for: Colleges searching for a basic story with a contemporary twist
Primarily based on The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen, Honk! is a enjoyable musical for highschool college students to strengthen their chops whereas studying new materials and strategies. It’s cute sufficient to carry out for native elementary college students, whereas enjoyable sufficient to maintain excessive schoolers engaged with the fabric.
The Wizard of Oz
Forged Dimension: 8 roles, plus ensemble
Run Time: 2 hours
Greatest for: Colleges with a small variety of robust leads (one feminine, three male) and lots of up-and-coming ensemble members
Though The Wizard of Oz movie is almost a century previous (and the ebook is even older than that!), it’s nonetheless a musical theater favourite. Introduce college students to performing arts with this basic present, which incorporates a number of alternatives for results in shine with their very own songs.
You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown
Forged Dimension: 6 roles
Run Time: 2 hours
Greatest for: Colleges with small theater departments and casts
Should you’re searching for a enjoyable musical that’s relatable and simple to carry out, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown is an effective possibility. It’s acquired characters that stand the take a look at of time and possibilities for everybody within the (small) solid to shine. Plus, dad and mom within the viewers will benefit from the nostalgia!
Zombie Promenade
Forged Dimension: 10 roles, plus ensemble
Run Time: 60 minutes
Greatest for: Colleges with adventurous actors who’re nonetheless creating their singing and dancing expertise
Once you’re searching for a title that fills up seats on opening night time, Zombie Promenade is a winner! This fantasy rock n’ roll musical is a good alternative for college students who need to attempt one thing new on stage and love that Halloween, zombie-apocalypse vibe.
Musicals for Superior Singers and Dancers
Should you’ve acquired some critical expertise in your theater program this yr, it’s time to take the present up a notch with exhibits that put them by means of the paces (actually). Select one among these musicals for highschool college students to develop these triple-threat expertise they’ll must placed on an unforgettable present.
Hadestown
Forged Dimension: 8 roles, plus small ensemble
Run Time: 2 hours
Greatest for: Colleges with a robust female and male lead, plus a gifted jazz band
Hadestown combines Greek mythology, dystopian fiction, and unimaginable singing and dancing to create a very distinctive present. Whereas the teenager model accommodates youthful voices and a much less versatile stage setup, it’s nonetheless a full-length present that may make your college students really feel like they’re performing in a Broadway theater.
Legally Blonde the Musical
Forged Dimension: 7 roles, plus ensembles
Run Time: 2.5 hours
Greatest for: Colleges with a number of robust feminine singers and dancers
Mix the enjoyable of pop-rock musical theater with energetic dance numbers whenever you placed on Legally Blonde the Musical this yr. When you’ve solid Elle Woods and the opposite feminine leads, the remainder of your manufacturing will fall into place and problem younger performers to hone their choreography expertise.
Mamma Mia!
Forged Dimension: 13 roles, plus ensemble
Run Time: 2.5 hours
Greatest for: Colleges with wonderful choreographers, stagecraft, and costume departments
Right here we go once more! Mamma Mia! is a contemporary basic for highschool musical theater departments with a number of gifted feminine and male leads. It retains performers on their toes and challenges them with a wide range of ABBA numbers that stretch their vary, all with quite a few costume adjustments and staging calls for.
Imply Ladies
Forged Dimension: 10 roles
Run Time: 2 hours
Greatest for: Colleges with robust feminine leads and comedic male leads
A number of the greatest musicals for highschool are those set in highschool. Imply Ladies is a bitingly humorous musical with all-too-familiar strains that your college students are certain to know (even when they’ve by no means seen the unique film). Choose this musical in case your performing arts division is up for a costuming, choreography, and comedic problem.
Singin’ within the Rain
Forged Dimension: 10 roles, plus ensemble
Run Time: 2.5 hours
Greatest for: Colleges that may accommodate massive set items and stage results, and casts with distinctive male dancers
Should you’ve acquired college students who love to bop (or a dance staff who likes to act), contemplate placing on Singin’ within the Rain this college yr. Whereas it requires at the least two robust male dancers who may sing, this present has a lot of moments for all solid members to shine in entrance of elaborate set items and results — together with rain!
Excessive College Musicals For All Audiences
Your highschool performers could play adults on stage, however not each theater division is prepared for adult-level materials or subject material that’s not acceptable for all audiences. Make sure that your musical is parent-approved and accessible for any member of the viewers with these exhibits that want little to no censoring.
Excessive College Musical
Forged Dimension: 11 roles, plus ensemble
Run Time: 2 hours
Greatest for: Colleges with massive casts to type huge, energetic ensembles
It’s proper within the title! Disney’s Excessive College Musical is without doubt one of the hottest G-rated musicals for highschool due to its dynamic characters, catchy songs, and optimistic messages. It’s a terrific present to carry out for native elementary colleges and doesn’t embody profanity or inappropriate subjects.
It’s a Hen…It’s a Airplane…It’s Superman
Forged Dimension: 7 roles, plus ensemble
Run Time: 2 hours
Greatest for: Colleges with performers who can study stage fight and choreography shortly
Do your excessive schoolers love superheroes, campy theater, and singing their hearts out? It’s a Hen…It’s a Airplane…It’s Superman is the proper alternative for a theater program searching for a present that’s acceptable for all audiences, plus participating sufficient to really feel like a musical problem to your performers.
The SpongeBob Musical
Forged Dimension: 16, plus ensemble
Run Time: 2 hours
Greatest for: Colleges with many gifted performers who all need a lead half
Whether or not they’re on stage or within the viewers, all excessive schoolers love SpongeBob. The Spongebob Musical options a wide range of musical genres, making it simple to characteristic a number of singers in numbers that go well with their voices, in addition to inventive costumes and a cute story that’s positive to finish in a standing ovation.
Seussical
Forged Dimension: 6 roles, plus ensemble
Run Time: 2 hours
Greatest for: Colleges with time and sources to create massive, colourful set designs
Dr. Seuss could also be a favourite in elementary colleges, however Seussical is a superb musical for highschool, too! Shiny and delightful, this homage to the favored kids’s writer brings delight to youthful and older viewers members alike, and it offers many alternative performers the possibility to sing some significantly catchy songs.
Shrek the Musical
Forged Dimension: 7 roles, plus ensemble
Run Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes
Greatest for: Colleges with nice costume departments and powerful male leads
Shrek the Musical is a type of exhibits that college students like to carry out, audiences love to observe, and administrators like to direct. Whereas it’s acquired some demanding costuming and make-up necessities, it’s a terrific alternative for a theater division with a number of comedic leads and nice singers and dancers.
Excessive College Musicals That Really feel Extra Grownup
If subject material isn’t a significant difficulty to your division, or your college students need to really feel extra like Broadway stars than excessive schoolers, you might need to select musicals that handle extra grownup points and messages. Homicide mysteries and suggestive themes have been abridged to make them extra acceptable for highschool performers and audiences, however the exhibits nonetheless really feel very grownup {and professional}.
Curtains: College Version
Forged Dimension: 13 roles, plus ensemble
Run Time: 2 hours
Greatest for: Colleges with a robust choreographer and nice dancers
This tribute to previous Broadway and movie noir is a good possibility for colleges that need to dabble in a homicide thriller with out getting too grisly. With robust components for each female and male leads, components for dance staff members within the ensemble, and plenty of possibilities for intrigue, Curtains is an underrated alternative for musicals for highschool.
Les Misérables: College Version
Forged Dimension: 12 roles, plus ensemble
Run Time: 2.5 hours
Greatest for: Colleges with very robust vocalists and stage crews
One of the vital beloved musicals of all time can also be one of many trickiest exhibits to placed on, regardless of whether or not it’s on Broadway or in your highschool theater program. However for those who’ve acquired a number of male leads with nice vary, feminine leads in each soprano and alto ranges, and the flexibility to create and transfer massive set items, Les Misérables: College Version might be an unimaginable feat to placed on this college yr.
Six: Teen Version
Forged Dimension: 6 roles, plus ensemble
Run Time: 75 minutes
Greatest for: Colleges with very robust feminine vocalists and dancers
Should you can identify six feminine performers in your program who can belt any tune in entrance of them, contemplate placing on the teenager version of Six. This tribute to the six wives of King Henry VIII has been scaled down for the highschool stage, but retains the entire stage magic and energy which have made it a contemporary Broadway hit.
Sweeney Todd: College Version
Forged Dimension: 9 roles, plus ensemble
Run Time: 2.5 hours
Greatest for: Colleges with very robust male leads and elaborate stagecraft talents
Whereas Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Avenue will not be on the prime of most lists of musicals for top schoolers, the varsity version of the present brings its score from a stable R to a teen-friendly PG-13. It nonetheless has a lot of the unique darkish and graphic subject material, and brings the vocals into a spread that’s simpler for many highschool performers. (You’ll nonetheless want a really gifted bass-baritone to play Sweeney Todd, although!)
Urinetown
Forged Dimension: 14 roles, plus ensemble
Run Time: 2.5 hours
Greatest for: Colleges with numerous robust leads, plus a gifted stage crew and orchestra
When you get previous probably the most inappropriate a part of Urinetown (the title), you’ll discover that this PG-13 musical is a good alternative to showcase a bigger variety of college students than the common present. With massive ensemble numbers, intimate and humorous solo items, and a satirical subject material that’s positive to curiosity excessive schoolers, Urinetown might be a good selection for college students who’d wish to tackle extra grownup roles.
Excessive College Musical Educating Assets
You might have already got your spring musical in thoughts, however are your excessive schoolers prepared for the efficiency of the yr? Put together performing arts college students for the challenges and wonders of musical theater with educational sources that can be utilized with any musical present for highschool.
Introduce the fundamentals of musical theater and efficiency
How a lot do your college students already find out about musical theater? Give them a refresher (or train them the basics) with sources that handle the need-to-know parts of musical theater earlier than college students ever set foot on stage.
BROADWAY MUSICAL THEATRE | 2 Week Bundle | HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA
By Ms Okay’s English and Drama Store
Grades: Ninth-Twelfth
Topics: Drama, Music
Begin your musical theater class proper with a 2-week set of bell-to-bell classes. This thorough useful resource contains every thing you want for instruction, together with PowerPoint displays, video clips, guided notes, a pop quiz, challenge templates, and a movie information for Shrek: The Musical.
Musical Theater – Lesson & Undertaking for Google Slides™ | Distance Studying
By musicpluscoffee
Grades: 4th-Eighth
Topics: Instrumental Music, Music, Music Composition
For college kids who’re new to musical theater, this useful resource is a treasure trove! It covers the historical past of musicals, well-known composers, musical terminology, parts of musicals, and the number of jobs in musical theater. It contains Google Slides that make unbiased studying simple on the instructor and college students.
Overview the historical past of musical theater and Broadway
The exhibits your excessive schoolers carry out could span many a long time, however that’s nothing in comparison with the historical past of musical theater as an artwork type. Train college students the place musical theater started and the way it’s developed into the exhibits they know so nicely right now.
Historical past of Musical Theater/Broadway – PowerPoint/Google Slides and worksheet!
By Academics with Books and Cleverness
Grades: Eighth-Twelfth, Larger Schooling
Topics: Drama, Music
How did musical theater start? Hint the roots of your college students’ favourite efficiency type with an interactive useful resource on the historical past of musical theater. With musical excerpts, historic references, guided notes, and enjoyable Broadway details, this useful resource is an effective way to introduce a musical theater unit or start making ready for a college musical efficiency.
Put together for a profitable audition course of
You’ve picked the present and introduced the audition dates; now what? Take the following steps with sources that take you and your college students by means of every step of the casting course of for any musical for highschool.
Bundle: Play & Musical Manufacturing – Excessive College Drama Supplies
By Students On Stage
Grades: Sixth-Twelfth
Topics: Drama
Take the nervousness out of auditions with a useful resource that features every thing it is advisable run well-organized auditions. With each day rehearsal stories, directions on making a manufacturing calendar, actor audition varieties, callback evaluation varieties, and suggestions for manufacturing and staying below funds, this useful resource is a must have for academics trying to streamline their casting course of.
Convey musical theater video games into the classroom
Theater children like to act and sing, however in addition they like to win! Problem their expertise and aggressive sides with musical theater video games that draw on what they find out about varied exhibits, songs, and musical theater trivia.
Musical Theater End the Lyrics Singing Recreation for the MS & HS Choir Classroom
By Savvy Ellie Music
Grades: Seventh-Tenth
Topics: Drama, Music, Vocal Music
Are your college students musical theater specialists? Put their expertise to the take a look at with a enjoyable “end the lyrics” sport that makes use of a PDF presentation to immediate people or teams to sing the following a part of the chosen tune. Use the useful resource after a live performance or earlier than a college trip to chill out in probably the most musical theater method doable!
The way to Discover Extra Musicals for Excessive College
To carry out the proper musical, you’ll must receive the correct licensing. Discover the present you’re searching for at these widespread organizations that maintain the rights to any present obtainable for top colleges to carry out.
Make your musical a troublesome act to comply with
When the director’s excited for a present, the solid will get excited, and so does the viewers! Encourage younger performers to embrace the challenges of latest roles, develop expertise for unexpected components, and work as a staff to placed on the very best musical for highschool ever. Discover extra highschool performing arts sources that train particular performing expertise and remind college students that they’re a part of an esteemed custom (that simply occurs to be a number of enjoyable!).
