Why High School Theater is Just as Hard as Sports

I started doing theater when I was in the fifth grade and continued it throughout high school.

When I got to high school, the theater department was always shunned in favor of the various sports teams we had.

This made me very angry because us theater kids were busting our butts just as hard as the atheletes and yet we received no acknowledgment.

So here are a few reasons why theater in high school is just as hard as being on a sports team.

1) Theater is usually more completitive than sports

The first show I auditioned for my freshman year of high school had 10 people in it: five women and five men.  Around 40 people auditioned.  Cuts have to be made and we are just as if not more competitive than sports teams because we are fighting for a very small number of spots.  Plus, these roles are not equal.  You have lead roles, secondary roles, walk-on roles and ensemble roles.  Of course, we want the lead role so we are going to fight tooth and nail for it.

2) We put in long hours, too

Rehearsals were usually two to two and a half hours long, but we would also come in on the weekends to build and paint sets or use our free period during the day to rehearse or put something together for the show.  When it got close to tech week and opening night, we could be rehearsing until eight or nine o' clock at night, sometimes later.  Then during performances, the show wouldn't be over until around 10 at night so we were always exhausted.

3) We get hurt, too

Many atheletes may consider theater to be a "sissy" thing, but it can actually be dangerous.  My drama teacher would always tell us of how a set caught on fire during one of her shows and the whole auditorium had to be evacuated.  I sprained my foot during a rehearsal and then performed the show on it two days later.  I've seen people fall and hit their heads and then go on performing.  Playing sports is dangerous, but theater has its risks too, and we usually perform through the pain.


Break Legs,
Sydney

Musical to Movie Adaptations

Let me preface this by saying that I do like how movie musicals expose audiences to the wonderful world of theater and can get them interested in a particular show.  I had that experience with the movie version of "Grease".

I would watch "Grease" every night before bed from the time I was two.  It wasn't until I was in high school that I watched the Broadway show and realized how different it was from the movie.

This is the problem I have with movie adaptations.

Apparently, the Broadway musical is good enough to be made into a movie, but not good enough to be kept the same.

I've seen this happen with pretty much every movie adaptation, like "Hairspray", "Rock of Ages", "Into the Woods" and "Little Shop of Horrors".

I have been in, seen or read the script for each of the shows above and I can confidently say that the movies are horrible adaptations.

I saw the movie "Hairspray" when it first came out in 2007.  I watched in over and over again because I loved it so much.

Seven years later, I did a project on the show in my technical theater class and read the entire script.  The writers and director changed so much for the movie that it did not seem like the same show.

I was in Into the Woods in high school and played Cinderella.  I was literally bouncing in my seat in the theater waiting to watch the movie in 2014.  I was very disappointed.

I later counted the songs that were cut out and reached the number of 14.

The show is popular because of the beautiful music written by Stephen Sondheim and the movie cuts out 14? Ridiculous.

I saw a high school production of Little Shop of Horrors and noticed that the movie completely changed the ending of the stage show.  I understand that the movie team wanted a happier ending to the movie, but it changes the entire story.

I think I am most upset about the movie version of Rock of Ages.  I was obsessed with the movie when it first came out and thought it was hilarious.  Then during my senior year of high school, I went to New York to see it on Broadway.

I left the theater feeling disgusted about the way the movie handled such an amazing show.

Plots were changed, characters were deleted and added and songs were altered.

It made me so bad that people were praising this movie when it was completely different than the show it was based on.

There are multiple musical adaptations in the process of being made so all I have to say is Hollywood needs to step up its game.

Break Legs,
Sydney

Why You Should See "The Last Five Years"

The Last Five Years.
Photo Credit: Sh-K-Boom Records

When I say that you should go and watch The Last Five Years, I do not mean the movie with Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan.  While good, the movie does not capture the true essence of the show.  I mean to find a live production and experience the theater.  If all else fails, just listen to the original or revival cast album, or both.

The Last Five Years tells the story of Cathy and Jamie's failed relationship that spanned five years.  The cool thing is that Cathy starts from the end of the relationship with the couple's divorce and moves backward while Jamie starts at the beginning of the relationship and moves forward.  The two intersect at their wedding.

I love getting asked what my favorite show is because I do not have to think about it.  I quickly say The Last Five Years.  This show is so special to me and here is why it should be to you, too.

1) Jason Robert Brown is amazing

Jason Robert Brown wrote the entire show and based it off of his own divorce, giving it true feeling and emotion.  Ending a relationship is not easy, but Brown makes it heart-wrenching for even the audience.  His lyrics show us how in love this couple really is, making their demise even harder to watch and to listen to.  He is also a piano prodigy, providing us with amazing music.

2) It Takes You on a Journey

The show takes audiences through Cathy and Jamie's entire whirlwind romance with its highs and lows.  It is something that not a lot of shows do.  I had the opportunity to see the revival of this show in New York in 2013 and I was completely blown away.  I already knew the show like the back of my hand and could recite every song lyric verbatim, but there is something about seeing it live that is different.

3) It's Real

Almost all of us can relate to having our hearts broken and not knowing what to do next.  This show does not present a fantasy world where everything is perfect and the two leads end up with each other and live happily ever after. Spoiler: They both end up very unhappy. While it is nice to be taken away from the real world for a couple of hours, sometimes audiences need something that they can immediately relate to.

4) It's Intimate

The Last Five Years cast is only comprised of two people: Cathy and Jamie.  This is not some big show with 50 cast members and big, flashy dance numbers and costumes.  It is usually a bare set with two people singing about real things.  No glitz, glamor or sparkle.

If you see a local production of The Last Five Years or if it (hopefully) comes back to New York, I highly recommend seeing it.

Break Legs,
Sydney