The Student News Site of the Latin School of Chicago

The Forum

The Student News Site of the Latin School of Chicago

The Forum

The Student News Site of the Latin School of Chicago

The Forum

To Mr. Baer, Concerning the Musical

Ana Pranger Dear Mr. Baer, With this one being a year for a musical, I wanted to share some of the students’ opinion for your consideration as you make the final decision about which musical to put on. I know the decision is yours, but I hope you will find this helpful. One student thought that South Pacific would be a good choice. It was a huge hit on Broadway, and it’s a story of love that would be a wonderful choice to grace the Wrigley Theater stage. A romantic war story, South Pacific follows American G.I.s in Japan as they fall in love with different women. It was made into a hit 1958 movie, so bringing this story back would be a very smart idea. Another thespian proposed Mamma Mia. This would be an exciting and popular musical that would appeal to almost every audience. Featuring the music of ABBA, Mamma Mia is about a young woman getting married and trying to find her father. In 2008, Mamma Mia became super popular again with the release of the film adaption, starring Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried, among others. If you’re feeling a bit edgy this year, you may want to know that two students thought Rent would be the best musical this year. The rock musical about AIDS and struggling to thrive in the big city, Rent is popular among many of the Upper Schoolers this year. With lots of characters, more of the actors can actually speak in this show. It was made into a movie in 2005. A darker story would be that of Sweeney Todd. A grim musical set in London about a homicidal barber, one student thought that this would be an awesome choice for this year. With quite a few parts for men and for women, this may be the perfect choice for a dark and scary musical. Singing in the Rain is another idea. A classic musical with lovable characters and catchy songs, this musical would be fun to put on and to watch. Made into a movie in 1952, Singing in the Rain is the story of movie stars in the 1920s, just as talkies were invented. It is truly an excellent musical, more than worthy to be this year’s musical. Personally, I think the musical should be Hairspray. Hairspray, the story of young men and women during the Civil Rights movement, is as relevant today as much as any other musical, if not more. With all of the issues regarding race relations prominent in the news today, Hairspray would be a perfect choice because of how it relates to the issues of 2014. In 1988 and 2007, it was made into a movie. If it’s good enough to be made into two movies, it should be good enough to be made into a Latin School musical. I hope this input and the students’ opinions are helpful to you as you make your decision. Best Regards, Ana Pranger]]>

Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Forum Awards Are Back!

Submit by May 1st

Comments (0)

All The Forum Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Activate Search
The Student News Site of the Latin School of Chicago
To Mr. Baer, Concerning the Musical