BaileyKidsMusicals.com
Kid Tested and Parent Approved
  • Home
  • Betsy's Blog on Children's Theater |
  • Children's Musicals
  • Mini Classroom Musicals
  • Songs from Musicals
  • Featured Songs from Shows
  • Tips for Presenting Children's Musicals
  • What People Are Saying...
  • Video from Musicals
    • Never Cry Wolf 2007 Video
    • A Successor to the Throne Provost 2013 Video
    • Parizade's Quest 2015 Video
    • Momotaro Summer Camp Video 2015
  • Photos from Productions
    • Photos from A Successor to the Throne 2006
    • Photos from Successor to the Throne 2013
    • Photos from Never Cry Wolf 2007
    • Photos of Never Cry Wolf 2014
    • Photos from Stone Soup 2012
    • Photos from Chicken Licken Summer 2014
    • Photos from Parizade's Quest 2015
    • Photos from The Ants and the Grasshopper 2014
    • Photos The Adventures of Dick Whittington 2016
    • Photos from Momotaro 2017
  • About Me
  • Contact Info
  • Never Cry Wolf Hair Style Ideas and Tutorials

Endowing Characters with Unique Traits

5/7/2014

0 Comments

 
          One of the most enjoyable parts of expanding and retelling a story through Musical Theater is endowing the characters with fun and unique traits.  As I was thinking about how to expand the cast for my new show "The Tale of Chicken Licken," I pondered how to add length and meaningful parts for a larger cast, say 20 to 30 children.  The story itself only calls for six characters: Chicken Licken, Henny Penny, Loosey Goosey, Ducky Lucky, Turkey Lurkey and Foxy Loxy.  (I decided not to use Cocky Locky because I had something else in mind for Mr. Rooster.)  In order to get a performance out of young children, they really need to have their characters brushed with broad strokes.  That is to say that any drama or comedy has to be easily understood and modeled from some performance they would have acquaintance with. It helps to be able to relate their actions, vocal inflections, and attitudes to characters they already know or are familiar with.  Then you can help them dig deeper to bring out even more through their own gifts.  I decided to give each of these main characters alter egos from classic movies and TV characters - Lucy, Mae West, Maverick, the Scarlet Pimpernel, Sam Spade and the Keystone Cops. (Many of the mannerisms of these characters are much imitated in cartoons, and thus familiar when modeled for the children.) The children would not know these characters by name, but the director should and thus have a starting point upon which to base the coaching.

         The other difficulty with children's theater is creating a flexible cast with many parts that could fit either gender. Often, the girls outnumber the boys by a ratio of at least 2 to 1.  But occasionally, the boys will not only outnumber the girls, but outshine them, too, in talent and ability.  Since you never know exactly what the make-up of the cast will be for any given show, it is best to have a certain portion of characters that could be played by any age or either gender.  So, I decided that the population of this cast would consist of the common fowl found in the typical English barnyard - chickens, ducks and geese with their chicks, ducklings and goslings.  By using families of parents and children, that sets up familiar situation comedy to tap into.

          In the youngest age group there will always be the children who want to be in a show because they love to sing and dance, but do not necessarily understand how frightening it can be to be up in front of an audience.  Before actually casting a show for this population, I like to spend time doing acting games.  Through observation of the childrens' improvisation, movement and interaction with each other I can usually tell which children will ultimately be too shy to actually perform and which ones are good candidates to actually come through with a performance.  Then I can cast with confidence the main characters and put others into groups where they can feel more secure.

          I think my favorite new characters for this show are The Bluebirds - Dotty, Betty and Patty - loosely based on the trio singers of the 1940's such as the Andrews Sisters.  They have the songs that move the story along and provide the narration for the story within the story.  They always stand wing to wing.  They move together, sway together, sing together and finish each other's sentences.  They are jazzy and sophisticated and besides they are my favorite color.  I guess they are really based on my mother and her sisters (The Thompson Sisters), and me and my sisters (The Lee Sisters), as well.  If there are any characters that I happen to know well, it would be the Bluebirds!  It has been a delight writing for them!
0 Comments

    Author

    My 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

    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    July 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013

    Categories

    All
    Acting
    Acting Games
    Blocking
    Broadway And Movie Songs
    Chicken Licken
    Children's Chorus
    Children's Theater
    Children's Theater
    Chinese Dance Arts
    Classical Composers
    Common Core Objectives
    Edvard Grieg
    Elementary School Music
    Flexible Casting
    Funny Stories
    Lessons Plans
    Mini Musicals
    Mini-Musicals
    Paul Dukas
    Performance
    Production Notes
    Sets And Props
    Singing
    Songwriting
    Storybooks
    Summer Theater Camp
    Teaching Aids
    The Sorcerer's Apprentice
    Warm Ups
    Warm-ups
    Writing Children's Musicals

    RSS Feed

Copyright: Bailey Kids Musicals, 2015