 Some stage shows are mounted in large theaters with stages that are huge. Other shows seem perfect for small, intimate theaters with very small stage areas. Main Stage vs. Black Box. Well, it depends very much on how the show is written. And then, what happens when a stage production is reimagined for the big screen?  When I was a young teenager, my mother was asked to accompany a small production of "The Fantasticks" (by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt) at a local college. The show only had six characters, so it was perfect for a Black Box Theater. They weren't kidding when they called that little theater a "black box." Not only was it shaped like a box, the walls, ceiling, floor, even the seats were painted black. The seats for the audience were raised on three sides of the little square space for a stage. The piano was located off to the side into one of the aisles. This was a very small Little Theater indeed. But that didn't seem to affect the quality of the show. Though intimate, it was well done. And keeping with the Black Box idea, there was NO SCENERY, just black stage blocks to give a little variety to height and depth. The rest of the work was left to the acting abilities of the cast members and the imaginations of the audience. Costuming was simple but provided color. Inventive stage lighting managed the rest of the focus and ambience. However, I lately watched a movie of this show. The sweeping vistas of the open prairie (it was supposed to be prairie, but clearly was filmed near mountains), were so vast that this intimate tale got lost. The natural background scenery became a distraction, especially since the story was acted as if the cast members were playing on a small stage set. Comparing my experience watching the two different productions, I have to say that I enjoyed the little theater show much better. The songs and acting were the main attractions and I didn't worry about how bleak the characters lives were living such lonely lives out in that desolate location. So many theatrical productions can be successfully mounted very SIMPLY. And perhaps they should always be, especially in Children's Theater. Small, inexperienced performers can be so easily overwhelmed by TOO MUCH --- too elaborate of sets, overproduced accompaniment tracks, too many extraneous details and moving parts that get in the way of allowing the kids themselves to shine. As I have been planning my Summer Theater Camp shows for this summer, I have been imagining how best to set up the stage. I haven't looked in my shed yet, but I hope I saved the sets I used before. For the "Ants and the Grasshopper," they really only need an ant hill. For the "Country Mouse and the City Mouse," They need a representation of the base of an old oak tree and then something to represent where a City Mouse who thinks she's elegant might live. It would certainly save a lot of work if I don't need to paint new sets this year.  Deshi, from "The Empty Pot" or "A Successor to the Throne" "Shows like this are so great for our kids! The message is there but portrayed in such a way that it is not preachy. Just beautiful." "I was so glad that this show had such a good message. So many kids shows these days seem pretty dumb and the music isn't very good. I loved how the songs were so singable. I think we'll go home singing them for sure." "The show was lovely, and it had such a great message. So nice that it wasn't preachy." "We have gone to so many school productions and dance recital shows and have come away so unimpressed. In fact, it was really hard for us to sit through them. The stories were pretty dumb, and the production quality was not great. This show had a meaningful storyline and even though it was done simply (outside on the patio), it was so engaging. We actually heard the kids singing, and talking, and acting. You even got the 10-year-old boys to attempt choreography. So fun!" "You wrote this entire production, right? Do you have any idea how long it took you to write it? (My answer - No) The show was wonderful. We all have our mission in life, I think this must be yours. These kids will have something good that they will remember for their entire lives." The above comments were all given to me after seeing one or several of my Children's Theater Shows. That is my entire purpose, to give these children something good to remember their whole lives. Each show is picked from a story or fable that already had a good message. I hoped that I could expand the original tales into shows that showcased one main character trait or value, but without obvious PREACHING. I just want the children to go away uplifted and inspired to do and act with newfound knowledge or experience. Just as each show has a main VALUE represented, I try to include a song representing that value. For example, the story of Stone Soup is all about learning COOPERATION. So naturally, the main value song is "Cooperation."  The Emperor sings "Worthy to Admire" The other shows have overarching character VALUES represented, too, but they are less obvious. The value in "The Empty Pot" or "A Successor to the Throne" is INTEGRITY. "Worthy to Admire" is sung by the Emperor comparing the promise of a seed to the promise of a child.  While watching a Biopic about Rodgers and Hammerstein, the narrator commented how this duo was the first to break some hard fast rules of Broadway Theater. For years, the first rule on Broadway was that the show had to begin with a big chorus number. But when they mounted "Oklahoma," a big chorus number at the start did not serve the plot. Instead, the show opens with Aunt Eller sitting alone on stage churning butter. As the lights come up slowly, the voice of the cowboy Curly is heard singing "O What a Beautiful Mornin'." It's a quiet, but appropriate beginning to a ground breaking Broadway Musical. Another rule Rodgers and Hammerstein broke was by staying true to the setting of the story. There were no tap dancing songs with the chorus girls showing a lot of "leg." The play was about simple frontier folk, farmers and cowhands, out on the Oklahoma prairie. A high kicking chorus line would have been 'way out of the realm of believability. In fact, each song grew out of the situation or dialogue in a seamless fashion that moved the plot along and developed the characters or their relationships. None of the songs in that show were included just to give the ensemble something to do. Succeeding shows on Broadway took clues from this "new' way of writing shows. The best shows, even Children's Theater shows, follow this format. While there is nothing wrong with beginning a show with a big chorus number, theatrical shows are best when the songs all have a purpose --- to develop characters, or their relationships, or move the plot along. In Children's Theater, long "tour de force' solo songs for the lead characters are not common. For good reason. Rarely are such young children developed enough to be able to put over a showstopper solo song. So, most songs in a Children's Theater show written for young actors may have a few sections for a solo or two, but will necessarily be sung by the ensemble.  While writing "The Frog Prince," I knew the children who would be in the show several months before the Camp started. Because I knew their talents and abilities, I felt confident that I could write a few solo songs that they could pull off rather well. (And they did!) "To Be a Princess" and "A Promise Is a Promise" are two of those songs.  While writing "No Time for Monkey Business," I also had the luxury of knowing a few of the actors who would be in the show before camp started. So I felt confident I could write songs tailored for them, too. That's why the Fox, the Zebra, the Hyena, the Fancy Bird, the Rhino, and the Monkey all got their own solo songs with support from the ensemble.  Probably the closest to a tour de force song I ever wrote for a Children's Theater show is "As the French Say" from The Country Mouse and the City Mouse. This song is for the two lead character girls plus the City Mouse's French Maid. Not only do these young actors need to sing well, they should be also able to do the Can Can! Wow! |
AuthorMy name is Betsy Bailey. I have sung, written and taught music all of my life. I enjoy writing and directing Children's Theater shows. This blog will be directed to topics on creating the magic of Children's Theater. I would love to hear your comments! Archives
June 2026
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Copyright: Bailey Kids Musicals, 2015