community theatre

The Youth Theater Musical Process: What You Need to Know

The youth theater musical process: what you need to know is one of those subjects you figure anyone who has acted at least once will know. Not so. This is a two part post. Here is the first post. The Steps in a Play Rehearsal in Youth Theater. 

Lately, I’ve read several posts from newbie teachers with no idea about the steps of the rehearsal process for a musical.  That seems odd to me, but maybe they are teachers whose focus is Language Arts or Social Studies? I know that sometimes the administration will ask a non-theater teacher to direct the school play or supervise the drama club, so that could be the reason for the unfamiliarity.

Regardless, I will take you through the process for a musical.  You can depend upon this process to prepare your young actors because I’m an expert in directing youth theater.  Having directed over 350 plays and musicals with both adults and children, I know the process like the back of my hand. Looking for a free lesson?  Go Here.

Step One: Selecting the Script

Before you, the director, do anything you of course must read several scripts and select the one you like the most. This needs to occur at least six months in advance–don’t wait on this decision. (Why?  Because everyone and their dog is getting rights to productions.) I suggest you check out: Music Theater International or  Concord Theatrical, but there are many more just as good. 

First, I’d look over the music and make certain you have students who can sing the roles. Check vocal ranges, too.  Musicals are notorious for having many scene and costume changes, so be on the look out for those needs.  All that will matter when you begin to mount the production.  I have a lot of experience with Music Theater International.  Check out this post concerning my opinion of them:  MTI Junior Musicals– A Dream Come True!

After you’ve chosen the musical, you may want to announce it to your students.  When?  It depends upon when you plan to announce it and when the production is to be performed.  Me?  I announce a month ahead of the auditions and no sooner. You need to decide whether you want your students to audition with songs for the musical.  If so, have photocopies of those songs available to the students.

The Youth Theater Musical Process: What You Need to Know

Step Two:  Auditions

Auditions for musicals contain three parts–singing, dancing and acting.  They will take several days to complete.

In the singing audition, will you audition students individually or in groups?  Make sure you have thought about if a non singer can be cast in a singing role and vice versa.

How important is it to you that the cast be able to dance?  Is it a tap show?  Are you going to require all dancers have tap dance experience? Will they need tap shoes?  Who will pay for those shoes, your department or the student?  Trust me, you can not learn to tap dance in just six weeks–you can do a few steps in a combination, but that’s asking a lot of non-dancers. This decision is very important.

The Youth Theater Musical Process: What You Need to Know

All School Production

Here is something else–will you accept everyone who auditions to be in the production?  Musicals allow for this much more than a play.  This question could be answered by your mission.  If your mission is to give everyone an opportunity to be on the stage, then auditions will go more quickly than if you are having a set amount of cast members.

In the call backs, you will want to hear the students sing and read again. Will these be cold call backs where by the students do not see the script ahead of time?  Or will you provide script sides for the callbacks?

Casting Tips

After the production is cast, at the first cast meeting I encourage students who did not receive the role they wanted to take dance classes and private singing lessons. This is a general statement and not directed to any one student.  Those who are serious about being cast will probably take some lessons before the next set of auditions.

Post the cast list either on a Friday afternoon  (when you can leave the school or theater for the weekend and give students time to unruffle their disappointed feathers) or post on-line on your website. Handling emails from parents on Monday is another blog post….someday.

The Read Through

Step Three:  Cast and Crew Read-Through

Usually, at the first meeting I ask the students to stand and say their name and what role they are playing. This is especially important to do for the chorus.  In fact, I have them introduce themselves first.  It’s a psychological boost for them if you think about it.  You focused on them first.  It may never occur again during the rehearsal process.

Next, we sing thru the music in the show.  I share my concept for the production as the songs progress.  Usually, I have a collage of photos, textures, colors or I might just talk about my thoughts.  If I have a model of the set, I share the model with them so they have a good idea of what the production will look like.

Just as with a play, the stage manager hands out a rehearsal schedule. I make it clear to the cast and the crew that their attendance matters.  They all ready know the absence policy because I gave it to them at the auditions.

Step Four:  Music Rehearsals

The first two weeks of rehearsals are planned for singing only.  The rehearsals are no longer than two hours and I begin with the large numbers first.  As the first week progresses, I call smaller group numbers and then solos.  Students only attend the rehearsals when they are included in the music.  I give them as much as of their free time back as I can at the beginning of the rehearsal, because I know that there will come a time when I need them more than what I originally planned.

The Youth Theater Musical Process: What You Need to Know

Step Five:  Choreography and Staging Rehearsals

The next two weeks are for choreography and staging of songs. Musical Staging is the choreographic elements that make a song or performance look more “theatrical” but doesn’t necessarily include intense dance choreography. Sometimes my choreographer will stage the numbers and sometimes I do them–frequently we split them up with both taking an equal amount.

Advice: It is my opinion that you first choreograph the songs which are the most difficult and include the largest group of people.  It’s possible that the last song in act one is challenging, so begin with it.  That gives the students more time to cogitate on the music.  Look at the second act and see what else is difficult.  It’s probably a song near the end of the show or even the last song of the show.  That’s fairly typical.  Choreograph this number second.  Then go to the next most difficult musical number and choreograph it.

The Youth Theater Musical Process: What You Need to Know

Step Six:  Blocking Rehearsals

Blocking rehearsals take one week to complete. Large group scenes are murder to block.  You might want to block sections of a scene a bit at a time.  Generally, I block three scenes in one rehearsal and follow a building block method as I do with a play.  Check out my first post:  Ten Steps to a Play or Musical Rehearsal 

Step Seven:  Working Rehearsals

In working rehearsals, I often put the musical number of a scene with the lines leading in and out of it so we can all see how it flows together.  Working rehearsals take me at least a week or more to accomplish. I go slowly and rehearse each scene several times in a two hour stretch.

At this point, most of your cast will be in attendance at rehearsals.  Until now their rehearsals have been spotty–sometimes once or twice a week, others will have rehearsal every day and so forth. Don’t be surprised if the students are chatty at the first two rehearsals.  Why?  They aren’t used to being all together!  The enormity of the production becomes very real for them at this point.  They see it taking shape right before their eyes–that’s exciting and can be a little anxiety ridden.  That’s natural.

The Youth Theater Musical Process: What You Need to Know

Advice: It’s best to work the scene in numerical order so the cast begins to get a feel for the show’s through line.  What’s a through line?  The through line is the connecting theme or plot of the musical.  My guess is that you mentioned your through line at the first cast meeting, but that was several weeks ago and students forget.

Here’s another bit of advice:  If the show is technically challenging and my actors are going to help with scene changes, I have been known to block scenes changes during working rehearsals. Even if students don’t have the actual set pieces to place on stage, they can at least begin to think about them.  Again, it aids the students in becoming very familiar with the production.

Step Eight:  Polishing Rehearsals and Off Book

It’s not unusual for me to ask my cast to be off book early on the show.  However, similar to a play I allow them a blocking rehearsal and one working rehearsal but then they must be off book.  The sooner they can put down their script the better for a musical production.

You will want at least two rehearsals just for the orchestra as you focus on the orchestra’s needs during each rehearsal.  These rehearsals are an opportunity to sing through the show and work out any kinks which emerge.

The Youth Theater Musical Process: What You Need to Know

Step Nine:  Technical Rehearsals

Remember me discussing having your cast member practice scene changes if they are helping with them? You may have two to four technical rehearsals depending upon the complexity of the musical.  Each act needs at least one rehearsal of a two hour stretch.  This gives the students’ brain time to adjust to the challenges or their responsibilities in a scene change in that one act. When you add props, you will find that the acting goes out the window.  Suddenly, an actor is holding a prop and for many students this distracts them.  For several rehearsals it is not uncommon for the students to back peddle a bit. A lot of details are being thrown at them–never fear.  They will get it!  Your stage manager will need to help them figure out if they must strike the props after it’s used or it’s preset, etc.  Everything is planned ahead of time.  I always say, “We plan for perfection, but we expect mistakes.”

The schedule could be:

Act One  6:30 to 8:30 (scene changes included)

Act Two 6:30 to 8:30  (scene changes included)

Act One  6:30 to 8:30 (add props. )

Act Two 6:30 to 8:30 (add props.)

The Youth Theater Musical Process: What You Need to Know

Step Ten:  Dress Rehearsals

Recently, someone asked me if four dress rehearsals was enough for a cast.  That’s too many in my opinion.  If the students are having trouble changing then just rehearse the costume changes.

Be careful that you don’t over rehearse the show.  This can occur too.  It’s okay that your dress rehearsals have a few problems, provided you brainstorm how to improve them and practice the changes a couple of times. Here’s a wonderful video clip of a costume change in Mary Poppins.

The Youth Theater Musical Process: What You Need to Know

Your show does not need to be perfect (if it ever is) by the second dress rehearsal. Trust me, you want your cast just a little nervous but confident for opening night. Careful not to burn them out!

Advice:  Teach your cast how to handle off balanced unplanned moments is so important.  Viola Spolin book Theater Games  Games for the Classroom contains a game which really helps with this problem.  It’s called Kitty Wants a Corner.  You can find the game through this link to her book.  

Whew!  This was a lot of information.  I hope I’ve given you a comprehensive guide for your rehearsals.  You can always email me if you need extra guidance.  That’s what I’m here for.  Until next time.