Going Beyond the Script School of Rock Backdrops and Scenery Perspectives Written by: Melanie Simmons Rock musicals are nothing new to the Broadway scene. With the success of shows like Jesus Christ Superstar and Rent, it’s fair to say the genre is a modern phenomenon. However, no show rocks audiences quite like School of Rock. Based on…
Going Beyond the Script Dreamgirls Backdrops and Scenery Perspectives Written by: Melanie Simmons The key to creating a great period musical is finding that magic combination of characters, music, and, of course, an evocative era. Few Broadway shows do this better than Dreamgirls. With music by Henry Frieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen, Dreamgirls…
Going Beyond the Script You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown Backdrops and Scenery Perspectives Written by: Melanie Simmons Good grief! Take a trip down memory lane with Broadway darling You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. The daily travails of the six-year-olds featured in Charles M. Schultz’s comic strip, Peanuts, spring to life on the stage with song…
Going Beyond the Script The Color Purple Backdrops and Scenery Perspectives Written by: Melanie Simmons Few shows pack as raw an emotional punch as The Color Purple. The musical is based on the novel by Alice Walker, which previously spawned the Oscar-winning movie of the same name. The book was adapted for the stage by Marsha Norman,…
Going Beyond the Script Guys and Dolls Backdrops and Scenery Perspectives Written by: Melanie Simmons When it comes to choosing a crowd-pleasing show,Guys and Dolls is a safe bet! Since its debut on Broadway in 1950, Guys and Dolls has achieved enviable immortality. The show is a throwback to a simpler time, one of adventure, faith, and love.…
Going Beyond the Script Anything Goes Backdrops and Scenery Perspectives Written by: Melanie Simmons What could be better than a cruise on a luxury ship full of love, mischief, and mistaken identity? How about all that, plus the music of Cole Porter to boot? Anything Goes is one of the oldest and most cherished shows in the…
Going Beyond the Script The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Backdrops and Scenery Perspectives Written by: Melanie Simmons Is everybody ready for some P-A-N-D-E-M-O-N-I-U-M? Well, dust off your dictionaries. It’s time for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee! This rowdy musical – set in a long, single act – is ideal for the young…
Going Beyond the Script High School Musical Backdrops and Scenery Perspectives Written by: Melanie Simmons Nobody expected a Disney Channel movie to take the world by storm, but that’s exactly what happened with High School Musical! This pop musical sensation, directed by Kenny Ortega, captured the hearts of countless teens and tweens and spawned a franchise that…
Going Beyond the Script Little Shop of Horrors Backdrops and Scenery Perspectives Written by: Melanie Simmons Before they became the go-to team for Disney, Howard Ashman and Alan Menken took the theatre world by storm with their quirky story of a carnivorous alien plant bent on world domination. Little Shop of Horrors is based on a black-comedy film…
Going Beyond the Script Grease Backdrops and Scenery Perspectives Written by: Melanie Simmons If there’s any American musical that needs no introduction, it’s Grease! Written in 1971 by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, Grease came about as an ode to 1950’s nostalgia and the everlasting lure of youth and teenage drama. Despite its glossy veneer, Grease commands…