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| The $7 price was incorrect. |
I said something to the effect that "by the end of the show I was so impressed with the sheer energy coming off the stage." I always seek to be truthful and sincere. That said, I must share some less positive comments. Perhaps the primary one is how the ticket price was misrepresented on the official poster. Isn't this a rather glaring mistake?
I must be careful because any time I share constructive (i.e. possibly critical) thoughts about any aspect of our school, I can get shot down. There has always been a "Peyton Place" aspect to life in Morris in which there is considerable pressure to follow a party line about many things.
Just lucky
It is very possible I could have left my house Saturday with just $7 in my wallet, seven one-dollar bills. I only put an extra $20 in there in the spirit of "just in case," like just in case I decided to make an impulse purchase at Willie's on the way home. A Three Musketeers candy bar? I shouldn't have that because I'm a diabetic. I have not yet been given firm marching orders on my diet but I have an appointment Tuesday. Sort of dreading it.
I have been close to getting prescribed blood pressure meds and maybe the word will come down on this tomorrow. That would make three daily pills.
Anyway, I arrived at MAHS - the auditorium and not the concert hall - and immediately noticed the announced price of $10. Well that's strange. The elaborate color poster which I had reproduced on my blogs had $7 for admission for adults.
I knew the two people at the admission table. I immediately expressed some distress at the contradiction with the price. Wasn't this the normal human reaction on my part? Was I just being an irritating complainer? The two acknowledged it was a mistake or let's say a foul-up. At a certain point I sensed they didn't want to hear me talk about it any more.
Who wants to be a pain? If they say ten bucks well then I guess it's ten bucks.
I handed them my $20 and I got $10 back. Should I have just shrugged as if this was no big deal? What will the price be next year? Fifteen dollars? Or heck, just shoot it up to $20? It's for the kids, right? So how can anyone make an issue about it? People still stream in.
The person seated next to me in the auditorium informed me that people had to be turned away for the Friday night performance. A full house. The people who took the trouble to come to the school Friday would be upset, I feel, finding out there's no room for them. Would the concert hall have been an option? I learned Sunday morning at church coffee that no, it was not. There is no curtain there, for one thing. But it's a much larger place.
By the end of the weekend, the discouraging aspects of the musical stuck in my head, so I have concluded: the people who arrived with the understanding that tickets would cost $7, based on misinformation from the school, should have been charged just $7.
Also, the people who got turned away Friday night should have gotten vouchers for free admission Saturday. Now, I don't know if the voucher thing was actually done but I doubt it. Just my senses. If it was done, then I'm sorry for making a point about it. I am considerably less "in the know" today, compared to when I was with the Morris newspaper.
Attending the school musical is a real highlight in my life these days. I'm just thankful I put the $20 bill in my wallet or I would have had to turn around and go home.
It's the singing
What criticism might I have of the musical performance? I wish I had none. I think too much of the singing was off-pitch. I think the lead character might have been cast differently. Her singing did not impress me. I would have suggested an alternate student for the role but I won't name names here.
The song "Part of Your World" could have been done as a real show-stopper. I was familiar with this song through Faith Hill's country-style interpretation. Such a dramatic air to it. I was put off by the bare midriff, real surprised actually. Did you know that on the old TV show "I Dream of Jeannie," Barbara Eden was not allowed to show her belly button?
A friend informed me that it was not a real bare midriff and that it was simulated, you might say. But it looked real to me. Have you seen the Clint Eastwood movie "Gran Torino?" You might be prompted to remember it here with my comments on the midriff thing.
I assume that the guy who went onstage just before the performance was the overall director. IMHO he should have dressed more formally. But alas I might just be behind the times on these matters. I watch people entering and exiting Willie's and realize there's no sense of fashion any more. Just throw on clothes that fit, possibly a size too large just for comfort. As long as it doesn't smell it's just fine.
I grew up when different standards were understood.
As far as the off-pitch singing, could the casting have been done better? Could the kids have been "pushed" on this a little more? Could higher standards have been applied? Being on pitch for singing does not strike me as a daunting thing. Are standards just set lower for kids on everything as with the "honor rolls?" My there is no comparison between now and then.
I actually think it's nice that grading has gotten more generous. But when it comes to singing, well there is a right way and a wrong way.
Wouldn't you all rather see my honest opinions rather than have me just gush positively? What do we learn when someone just sugar-coats? Well nothing.
There is only one student who I know to any extent. That is Thea Kolden and I was so happy to run into her in the hallway after the Saturday afternoon performance. So I certainly said positive things. The program tells me she was stage manager. Congrats Thea.
Corrective action
Once the price of $7 for adults was announced through the color poster, it should have been honored. The fact that it was not strikes me as unethical.
How to avoid a sell-out? That's kind of tough but maybe schedule one additional performance?
It was nice to see my friend Wanda Dagen the band director directing the pit orchestra for "The Little Mermaid." I'll bet her arms were tired by the end of the day Saturday. She without a doubt sets high standards for her students.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
Hi Brian,
ReplyDeleteI'm Joe, the director of "The Little Mermaid." I appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback about the show. I understand your points and want to offer some further information and context.
Regarding ticket prices, those are determined by the school district, not by the theater department. Musicals are very expensive to produce. For example, the licensing rights alone for "The Little Mermaid" cost nearly $2,000, plus over $500 per performance! Adding another performance simply wasn't financially feasible.
As for turning people away on Friday night, our theater has a maximum capacity of 499 people. For fire safety reasons, we cannot exceed that number. We reached capacity shortly before the performance began and unfortunately had to turn some people away. We always encourage people to arrive early to ensure they get a seat, and I'll reiterate that with our students and families.
I apologize for the incorrect poster price. That was my mistake entirely. I handle the marketing materials and listed the price without confirming it with the district. Our other productions are typically "donation only" because they are less expensive to produce (though last year's "The Play That Goes Wrong" was a notable exception!).
Finally, regarding the singing, please keep in mind that these are high school students. They are incredibly dedicated and work very hard. Our casting process involves a rigorous three-hour audition where students demonstrate their acting, singing, and dancing abilities. We do give some preference to seniors over seventh graders, as they have more experience.
It's also important to remember that these students have many other commitments, including sports, academics, and other extracurricular activities. They rehearse approximately 10 hours per week over three months, while professional actors in a Broadway musical dedicate themselves full-time for a similar period. Many of our actors are also involved in sports (for instance, our Triton and Sebastian were both football players, and Ariel participates in several sports and is a beauty queen!).
I believe it's important to have realistic expectations for a high school production. You're seeing a show for $10, compared to $200+ for a Broadway performance. Our students are incredibly talented and passionate, and I'm proud of the work they put into this production.
Thank you again for your feedback. We are always striving to improve, and your comments will help us as we plan for future productions.
Sincerely,
Joe
Morris Area High School