Annie Study Guide

THEATRE THEA TRE UNDER THE STARS STARS • 2011/12 STUD ST UDY Y GUIDE

RATED

ANNIE • MARCH 20– APRIL 1, 2012 • THE HOBBY CENTER

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THEATRE UNDER THE STARS • 2011/12 STUDY GUIDE

TEXAS ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS English Language Arts and Reading

Kindergarten: 110.11 (21) Grade 1: 110.12 (17, 18, 27) Grade 2: 110.13 (17, 18, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28) Grade 3: 110.14 (17, 18, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29) Grade 4: 110.15 (15, 16, 19, 24, 25, 26, 27) Grade 5: 110.16 (15, 16, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27) Grade 6: 110.18 (14, 15, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26) Grade 7: 110.19 (15, 15, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26) Grade 8: 110.20 (14, 15, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)

Social Studies

Grade 5: 113.16 (5, 24, 25) United States History since Reconstruction: 113.41 (2, 16, 19, 29, 30)

Music

Grade 1: Grade 2: Grade 3: Grade 4: Grade 5: Grade 6: Grade 7: Grade 8:

117.6 (6) 117.9 (6) 117.12 (6) 117.15 (6) 117.18 (6) 117.33 (6) 117.36 (6) 117.39 (6)

Theatre

Kindergarten: 117.4 (5) Grade 1: 117.7 (5) Grade 2: 117.10 (5) Grade 3: 117.13 (5) Grade 4: 117.16 (5) Grade 5: 117.19 (5) Grade 6: 117.34 (5) Grade 7: 117.37 (5) Grade 8: 117.40 (5)

Please visit

http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/ for more information.

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A Brief Summary

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Annie decides to run away from Miss Hannigan, the mean orphanage director, to nd her parents. She gets caught and sent back, but then is invited to billionaire Oliver Warbucks house for Christmas. The two become friends, and he agrees to help Annie nd her parents by putting up a reward. Miss Hannigan’s brother, Rooster, and his girlfriend, Lily, pretend to be Annie’s parents. At the last minute, President Roosevelt intervenes to announce that Annie’s parents died when she was a baby. Miss Hannigan, Rooster and Lily are arrested, and Annie is adopted by Warbucks. For a more detailed synopsis, see pages 6 and 7 of this study guide.

RATED

G

PARENTAL GUIDELINES Annie is considered a family show and suitable for all ages. TUTS gives the show a movie rating of G.

Adult Language The word damn is said once. Violence The orphans sing about getting their faces slapped and their knuckles rapped in Hard Knock Life. Drugs/Alcohol Miss Hannigan drinks from a pocket flask and tells Molly it’s medicine in the first scene. Molly mimics her drinking later in Hard Knock Life . Sexual References Miss Hannigan flirts with Mr. Bundles the laundry man. Miss Hannigan listens to Helen Trent’s radio show, whic h is about women finding love over the age of forty. Lily, Rooster’s girlfriend, wears slightly revealing clothes.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS FRONT ROW : Hard Knock Life STORY BEHIND THE STORY ......... 5 MOVIE VS MUSICAL ......... 5 CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS ......... 6

CENTER STAGE: Tomorrow 7/8 ......... DETAILED SYNOPSIS

CURTAIN CALL : Learning Activities ENTERTAINMENT: ANIMALS IN MUSICALS HISTORY: HOOVERVILLES AND F.D.R. TIME LINE: THE GREAT DEPRESSION LEARNING ACTIVITIES

......... ......... ......... .........

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

BACKSTAGE: About Musical Theatre ......... ......... ......... .........

A BRIEF HISTORY RECIPE FOR CREATING A MUSICAL THEATRE ETIQUETTE ABOUT TUTS

TUTS STUDY GUIDE TUTS creates online study guides for use by educators and parents in an effort to enhance and build upon students’ theatrical experiences. These study guides contain background information, historical facts, discussion questions, project ideas and learning activities to encourage students to engage in analysis, research and personal reection that will hopefully create life long appreciation and enjoyment of musical theatre.

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F R O N T R O W : Hard Knock Life Story Behind the Story P h o t o c o u r t e s y o f c o m i c v i n e . c o m

Annie is based on Harold Gray’s syndicated comic strip Little Orphan Annie . Gray’s comic strip debuted in the New York Daily News on August 5,

1924, and new strips ran until his death in 1968. The comic strip featured the adventures of Annie, her dog Sandy and Oliver Warbucks. Other supporting characters included Punjab, the Asp and Mr. Am. In the comic, Annie had no established age and her distinguishing features were a mop of curly red hair, a red dress and empty circles for eyes. The comic was often used for political commentary, especially on topics such as the Great Depression, the New Deal and even communism. The comic strip was so popular among adults that a radio show was created about the comic in 1930, and two different film adaptations were made in 1932 and 1938. The comic strip was adapted into the musical with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin and book by Thomas Meehan in 1977. The characters of Miss Hannigan, Grace, Rooster, Lilly and the other orphans were added while the supporting characters from the comic strip were excluded. The first production opened in New York on April 21, 1977 and won 9 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and 9 Drama Desk Awards before closing on January 2, 1983. Annie has been revived numerous times internationally and on and off Broadway. TUTS has produced Annie three times before, in 1984, 1985 and 1996. Lyricist Martin Charnin attempted to make a sequel to the m usical in 1990 called Annie 2: Miss Hannigan’s Revenge , but it was not well received. Charnin reworked Annie 2, took out Miss Hannigan completely, and turned it into off-Broadway’s Annie Warbucks in 1993, which was mildly successful and ran for 200 performances.

Little Orphan Annie Comic

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Andrea McArdle, Broadway’s first Annie

Movie vs Musical P h o t o c o u r t e s y o f p l a y b i l l . c o m

Although there are several different movie adaptations of Annie , the most well-know known version was created in 1982. The film version was directed by John Huston and starred Carol Burnett, Bernadette Peters, Ann Reinking and Tim Curry among others. The movie opened with mixed reviews, but still managed to earn $57 million in the U.S., several Golden Globe nominations and several Academy Award nominations.

P h o t o c o u r t e s y o f m a t t t r a i l e r . c o m

The movie featured four new songs: Dumb Dog, Let ’s Go to th e Movies, Sign and We Got Annie . However, several songs from the stage version were cut from the film: We’d like to Thank You, Herbert Hoover, N.Y.C, You Won’t Be an Orphan for Long, Something Was Missing, Annie and A New Deal for Christmas . There were also some plot changes for the movie. In the stage version, Lilly, Rooster and Miss Hannigan are caught and arrested at Warbucks’ mansion. In the film version, Annie is kidnapped and Warbucks organizes a city-wide searc h for her involving helicopters, the Baltimore and Ohio Bridge, and Annie nearly getting killed before being saved by one of Warbucks’ bodyguards. Warbucks’ bodyguards are the characters Punjab and The Asp from the comic strip Little Orphan Annie . In addition, the movie version shows a possible romance between Grace and Warbucks, whereas the stage version does not.

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F R O N T R O W : Hard Knock Life Characters Character Descriptions

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Grace Farrell Warbucks’ faithful secretary, who chooses and loves Annie from the start.

P h o t o c o u r t e s y o f T U T S

Oliver Warbucks Billionaire businessman who opens his home to Annie and ends up adopting her.

Photo courtesy of TUTS

Annie An 11-year-old girl who is optimistic, caring and spunky. She escaped the orphanage to find her parents, but ends up getting adopted by Oliver Warbucks.

Sandy An abandoned dog Annie rescues from the dog catcher. He becomes her faithful companion.



Rooster Miss Hannigan’s brother who contrives the plot to pretend to be Annie’s father, Mr. Mudge, to get Warbucks’ reward money. He is arrested at the end.

Miss Hannigan


Lilly St. Regis Rooster’s girlfriend who pretends to be Annie’s mother, Mrs. Mudge, to get Warbucks’ money. She is arrested at the end.

The orphanage matron who hates children, especially Annie. She helped Rooster and Lily with the plot to get Warbucks’ money, but is arrested with them.

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CENTER STAGE:

Tomorrow

Detailed Synopsis ACT ONE

In 1933, 11-year-old Annie is in the Municipal Girls Orphanage with Molly, Kate, Tessie, July, Pepper and Duffy. Molly, the youngest, awakes from a bad dream and looks to Annie for comfort. Molly asks Annie to read her the note Annie’s parents gave her when she was left on the doorstep of the orphanage in 1922. The note says that her parents will come pick her up, so Annie has always been hopeful that they will still come for her (Maybe).


Annie decides to escape to nd her parents but is caught by Miss Hannigan, the orphanage supervisor. Angry at Annie’s attempted escape, Miss Hannigan forces all the girls to clean the orphanage ( It’s a Hard Knock Life). Mr. Bundles, the laundry man, comes in to pick up the sheets, and while Miss Hannigan is irting with him, Annie climbs into the laundry basket. The orphans cover her up with blankets, and she gets away. Once Miss Hannigan realizes Annie is gone she gets angry at the other orphans, and the girls express their frustration at being stuck ( It’s the Hard Knock Life Reprise). After escaping, Annie runs into a stray dog. She tells the dog of the better days that await her ( Tomorrow). The dog catcher is after the dog, so Annie pretends she is his owner and calls him Sandy. Although it takes a minute for the dog to respond, the dog catcher is satised, and Annie continues to Hooverville, a community created by people made homeless by the Great Depression ( We’d Like to Thank You, Herbert Hoover). Annie’s visit is cut short when a police ofcer sent by Miss Hannigan catches her and brings her back

to the orphanage. Grace Farrell, assistant to the billionaire Oliver Warbucks, comes to the orphanage asking for an orphan to come to Warbucks’ house for Christmas. Grace sees Annie in Miss Hannigan’s ofce and asks for her. After some arguing, Miss Hannigan agrees. Following the argument, she gets very angry about being stuck with the kids in the orphanage ( Little Girls ). At the Warbucks Mansion, the servants and staff welcome Annie (I Think I’m Gonna Like it Here ), but when Oliver Warbucks comes home, he is moody and unsure of what to do with a child. Annie persuades him to go to a movie with Grace and her. Annie and Warbucks begin to like each other, and the threesome enjoys a night in New York City ( NYC). At the orphanage, Miss Hannigan’s brother, Rooster, and his girlfriend, Lily St. Regis, visit Miss Hannigan. She tells them Annie is staying at Warbucks’ house, and Rooster and Lily immediately want to use the situation to get rich (Easy Street). After seeing the broken locket Annie wears around her neck, Warbucks buys her a new one from Tiffany & Co. Annie refuses his gift and gets very upset because it was the only thing left to her by her parents. Grace, Warbucks and his staff, promise to nd Annie’s parents no matter what it takes ( You Won’t be an Orphan For Long).


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CENTER STAGE:

Tomorrow

Detailed Synopsis Since Annie’s parents have not been found, Warbucks tells Annie he is going to adopt her ( I Don’t Need Anything But You). They decide to throw a Christmas party to celebrate and invite Miss Hannigan and the orphans. Warbucks’ staff is happy Annie is going to join them and tell her how she has changed their lives (Annie).


ACT TWO

Annie sings her song ( Maybe) on Bert Healy’s radio show where Warbucks announces he is offering a reward of $50,000 to the couple who prove to be Annie’s parents. Then Healy and the Boylan sisters sing a song for everyone (You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile ). Back in the orphanage, the girls are listening to the same Bert Healy show and have fun with their own rendition of the song (Fully Dressed Children). Miss Hannigan hears their singing and demands to know what’s going on. Molly tells her about Annie and the $50,000 reward for her parents. Right after, a couple named Ralph and Shirley Mudge come to the orphanage for the little girl they claim to have left eleven years ago. After shocking Miss Hannigan the Mudges reveal themselves to be Rooster and Lily, disguised as Annie’s parents so they can get the reward money. Miss Hannigan gives them information about Annie, including the details about her locket and the note, in exchange for one third of the money, and the three develop their plan (Easy Street Reprise ).

The Judge Louis Brandeis comes to the mansion to begin the adoption proceedings but is interrupted by Rooster and Lily pretending to be the Mudges coming for Annie. Grace and Warbucks are surprised the Mudges know about the note and the locket, but Warbucks still doesn’t believe them. He requests that Annie be allowed to stay another night for the Christmas party before being taken away to their home in New Jersey. The morning of the party, Annie wishes she could have been adopted by Warbucks and that her parents hadn’t come (Maybe Reprise). However, F. D. R. shows up at the mansion and revels that Annie’s parents died when she was a baby. They gure out that the Mudges are really Rooster and Lily, and the couple along with Miss Hannigan, are arrested. Everyone is pleased the bad guys are in jail and with F. D. R.’s New Deal for the economy ( New Deal for Christmas). Warbucks’ adopts Annie, and the other oprhans enjoy the Christmas party.

Hundreds of couples show up at Warbucks’ mansion claiming to be Annie’s parents, but Grace conrms they are all fake since they don’t know about the locket. Annie goes to Washington D.C. with Warbucks, and she meets president F. D. R. She starts to sing Tomorrow , but Roosevelt’s cabinet quiets her. Roosevelt, however, believes in optimism during tough times and soon has his whole cabinet sing (Tomorrow Reprise ). Warbucks and Annie return to his mansion, where he tells her how much he loves her ( Something Was Missing).


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C U R T A I N C A L L : Learning Activities Entertainment: Animals in Musicals When did animals start performing on stage?


Animals have been part of the enter tainment world since ancient civilizations kept exotic animals in cages to show off as symbols of wealth and power. Animal fights (like dog fights), zoos, horse and dog racetracks, circuses and other traveling animal shows have also been around for centuries. However, animals truly became a new form of American entertainment with the introduction of animal acts on the vaudeville stage. Vaudeville was a variety show form of entertainment and a predecessor to musicals that was popular until the 1920s. All kinds of animals, from monkeys to sheep to elephants, performed alongside their human trainers in vaudeville. From there, animals went on to take part in a number of Broadway productions and even star in their own TV shows, like Lassie and Rin-Tin-Tin, and movies, like Black Beauty .

William Berloni: The First Trainer William Berloni was an apprentice at the Goodspeed Opera House when a producer asked him to nd a dog who could be trained as Sandy in exchange for Berloni’s Equity card. Berloni rescued Sandy from an animal shelter the day before the dog was to be put to sleep and set about training the dog to play in Annie. This type of work had never been done before because it was so challenging. Animal performances in movies and television can be made by using different takes, camera angles and sometimes even different animals. On stage, however, animal actors have to be trained to ignore the distractions of the audience and respond to the same cues night-after-night. Berloni perfected his own humane training techniques using trial and error, patience and persistence to successfully train the rst Sandy and make Annie a hit. Berloni has since trained animals ranging from stallions to lambs to chihuahuas and numerous Sandys for stage shows. The majority of the animals have been rescued animals acquired from shelters. He was awarded a special recognition Tony in 2011 for his contributi ons to Broadway. Berloni also worked with the Sandy that performed in TUTS’ past production of Annie.

Which musicals feature animals? Sandy is just one example of a trained animal in a musical. Other famous m usical animal stars include The Wizard of Oz and The Wiz ’s Toto, Legally Blonde ’s Bruiser and Rufus, and Gypsy ’s Little Lamb. Of course furry friends can be found in many other musicals, including Oliver!, Anything Goes, Camelot, Pipin and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Animals have also taken the stage in a variety of non-musical plays, operas and ballets both on and off Broadway.

m o c . s e m i t y n f o y s e t r u o c o t o h P

Young Berloni with Sandy

m o c . s e m i t y n f o y s e t r u o c o t o h P

Berloni with Bruiser

Learning Activities Imagine and Write Imagine that you are in Berloni’s position and a producer offered you the chance to train the rst Sandy. Write about your experiences. Why did you decide to do it? Where would you nd the dog? What is the hardest part about the training? What kinds of training techniques would you use to get Sandy stage ready? Imagine you are the dog Berloni is training to be the next Sandy in Annie. What exactly are you being trained to do? What is hard about your training? What is fun about it? Do you like Berloni? How he is trainning you? Write about your experiences as a dog.

Research and Discuss Research what it takes to train an animal for a lmed TV show or movie. What techniques are used? How long does it take to train them? Is more than one animal used for each part? How is the training the same as training an animal to perform live? How is it different? Discuss your ndings. Animals can be trained to do more than just perform in shows and on TV. Some animals can be trained to help police ofcers and even save lives. Research other kinds of animal training and Discuss what you nd.

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C U R T A I N C A L L : Learning Activities History: Hoovervilles and F.D.R What were Hoovervilles? The stock market crash of 1929 started the Great Depression (see Time Line). Many people lost their jobs and did not have enough money to support themselves. Hoovervilles began popping up in the following years to give people who were suddenly down on their luck a place to live. These Hooverville communities consisted of poorly-constructed shacks where many suffering people came to live together when they ended up homeless. Also known as shantytowns, Hoovervilles were named after President Herbert Hoover, whom many blamed for causing the depression. Many of the people who lived in the shantytowns were very angry at their situation, since it was difficult to survive. Often their outlook on life was one of hopelessness, as they were cold, hungry and broke. The Hoovervillians that Annie meets share this sense of hopelessness, which is why they are so impressed and surprised at Annie’s ever persistent optimism.

Herbert Hoover vs. Franklin D. Roosevelt

P h o t o c o u r t e s y o f d e p t s . w a s h i n g t o n . e d u

H o o v e r v i l l e

Herbert Hoover was president when the stock market crashed in 1929, and he assured Americans that it was a “passing incident in our national lives” and would be over in 60 days. He refused to provide government assistance to those living in poverty conditions. He attempted to start a tric kle-down economic program, beginning with banks and businesses. However, most of the banks and businesses preferred to lay off workers, and Hoover did little to change their minds. Americans were extremely unhappy with Hoover, and soon, an empty poc ket turned inside out symbolized Hoover.

P h o t o c o u r t e s y o f f d r h e r i t a g e . o r g

Franklin D. Roosevelt ran for president in the 1932 election and used the campaign song Happy Days Are Here Again to convey his promise to help the nation recover from the despression. He supported a five day work week and federal aid for the unemployed, and he won the election by a landslide. In his inauguration speech he promised the American people a “new deal” package for the economy. He went on to win three more presidential elections, serving a total of four terms.

What was the New Deal? F.D.R’s New Deal was a series of programs created to improve the economy. The New Deal was divided in two phases, as many of the programs from the first New Deal in 1933 were changed or reconstructed by the second New Deal from 1934 to 1936. By March of 1933, there were 13,000,000 unemployed Americans, and almost every bank was closed. Within Roosevelt’s first hundred days, Congress enacted New Deal programs that brought reform, recovery to business and agriculture, and relief to the unemployed and to those in danger of losing their homes. Roosevelt’s New Deal then took the nation off the gold standard, reformed social security, placed heavier taxes on the wealthy, installed new controls over banks, and continued to create work relief programs that provided jobs. The New Deal programs changed the relationship the American people have with their government and several of the programs, like social security, are still in effect today.

F.D.R.

Learning Activities Think and Create

Research and Discuss

Think about what you would do if you were President Roosevelt trying to x the economy with the New Deal. Create your own New Deal program. Would your program be to help the unemployed? Would you want to help schools stay open or have something to help all the kids and teens suffering from the Depression? Look at some of Roosevelt’s New Deal programs to help you.

Research some of Roosevelt’s New Deal Programs. Discuss which ones had the greatest impact on the country. Which programs are still implemented today? Do you think any of the New Deal programs no longer implemented would work in today’s economy if they were restarted?

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C U R T A I N C A L L : Learning Activities Time Line: The Great Depression 1929

Black Tuesday The stock market crashes on Black Tuesday, October 29 and triggers

1931

Hoover: President Herbert Hoover vetoes the Muscle Shoals Bill We’d Like to because he is opposed to lending government help to business Thank You ventures, despite the economic collapse. Herbert Hoover Unemployment: 4 to 5 million individuals are unemployed by the end of the year.

the worst economic collapse i n the industrial world’s history. Banks fail, businesses close and more than 15 million Americans lose their jobs. The Great Depression does not end until World War II in the 1940s.

Wages: U.S. Steel, a large union company, cuts wages by 10% which ends the wage maintenance plan that had protected worker pay through the rst of the Depression. Hunger marches take place at the White House in attempt to petition for minimum wage employment, but the marc hers are turned away.

1932

Failed Attempt Hoover: The Hoover administration creates the Reconstruction Finance

1933

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Corporation in attempt to restart th e economy. The Corporation does little to help the situation.

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P h o t o c o u r t e s y o f t e a c h a b l e m o m e n t . o r g

FDR: Franklin D. Roosevelt is elected president and announces plans for the New Deal in his acceptance speech. Unemployment: 200,000 teachers are unemployed, and more than 2.3 million children are not in school; some colleges and universities are also forced to close.

1934

The First New Deal

P h o t o c o u r t e s y o f w o r k f o r a l l . n e t

FDR: Roosevelt begins to put many of his New Deal programs into effect. He asks for $10,500,000,000 to advance the recovery program for the next 18 months. New Deal: The Gold Reserve Act is passed, which gives the president the power to regulate the value of the U.S. Dollar.

1935

The Second New Deal

New Deal: Businessmen and banks attack F.D.R.’s New Deal program and claim it is unconstitutional. They do not like the Gold Reserve Act, the budget deciencies Roosevelt allows for his concession to labor. Even though 80% of the population decides to endorse the Republican Party, FDR wins reelection in 1936. New Deal: The Social Security Act establishes old-age retirement insurance and a federal payroll tax in order to nance federal and state unemployment insurance. New Deal: The work relief program is put into effect and gives unemployed workers temporary work on government projects, mostly in the construction industry.

1937

Strikes

Strikes: More than 4,000 labor strikes, the most strikes of any previous year, occurr. The strikes cost the country 28.4 million days of work.

1938

Fair Labor Act

New Deal: FDR signs the Fair Labor Standards Act that raises minimum wage per hour, limits the work week and prohibits manufacturing and mining businesses from employing anyone under the age of 16.

P h o to c o u r te s y o f e n g li s h . i lli n o i s . e d u

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C U R T A I N C A L L : Learning Activities Activities Research and Discuss

Compare and Contrast

Annie grew up in an orphanage that had poor living conditions and a harsh authority gure. Thankfully, there are no longer any orphanages like Annie’s in the U.S. However, there were orphanages like hers and some with even worse living conditions in the 1900s. Orphanages in Europe and overseas were usually just as bad. Research orphanages in the 1900s and compare them to orphanages today. Discuss what a modern day U.S. orphanage looks like. Has foster care replaced orphanages entirely? Have the conditions of the remaining orphanages improved? How many kids today live in orphanages in the U.S.?

Compare and Contrast the characters Annie meets in Hooverville with the orphans (Molly, Pepper, etc.) in Miss Hannigan’s care. How are these two groups the same? How are they different? Does either group really have control over their living situation? Whic h group do you think is worse off?

Oliver Warbucks adopted Annie, even though it was rare for a single man or woman to adopt a child in the 1930s. Research what kind of people or families adopt kids today. Discuss what the modern adopted family look like. Do celebrities who adopt orphans, like Angelina Jolie and Madonna, adopt for the same reasons that Warbucks adopted Annie? How do you feel wealthy individuals, like celebrities, adopting orphaned children has impacted the idea of adoption in the U.S.?

Read and Compare

P h o to c o u r te s y o f p c h s w .i o r g

An American orphanage in the 1930s.

Online Resources Websites:

Watch and Compare Watch the 1982 movie version of Annie and Compare it to the musical. How are they alike? How are they different? What are the biggest differences between them? Which do you like better? Read a Little Orphan Annie comic strip and Compare it to the musical version of Annie. What is the same? What is different? Does the character of Annie have the same traits in both? Which do you like better?

Imagine and Write Imagine that you lived during the Great Depression. What is your life like? Many times kids and teens would get a job if they could to help their families. Would you get a job? Do you think the New Deal programs will help you and your family? Where do you live? Write about your experiences.

Think and Create Think about all the adventures Annie had in the musical. Create a comic strip, like the original Little Orphan Annie comic strips, that depicts one of Annie’s adventures in the musical. It could be when she escapes the orphanage, when she meets the people in Hooverville, when she meets Warbucks or your favorite part of the musical.

William Berloni (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/

Creation Challenge

theater/theaterspecial/a-tony-honor-to-william-berlonianimal-trainer.html) and (www.theatricalanimals.com) The Great Depression (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/ americanexperience/features/general-article/dustbowlgreat-depression) Franklin D. Roosevelt/The New Deal (http://www. whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/franklindroosevelt)

Think about all the adventures you have had in your own life or even just all the things you do during a typical day. Create a comic strip, like Annie’s, starring you and depicting an adventure or favorite moment from your life.

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B A C K S T A G E : About Musical Theatre A BRIEF HISTORY OF MUSICALS THE BEGINNING The origins of musicals can be traced back to 500 B.C. when the ancient Greeks rst performed shows with song and dance. Looking forward into the 19th century, European operas and operettas began to inuence American musical culture. In 1860, Laura Keene starred in the rst musical “burlettz” (burlesque) The Seven Sisters. Six years later (1866), the rst show to resemble a modern day musical, The Black Crook, premiered in New York City. In 1907, Florenz Ziegfeld’s rst revenue of popular songs, Follies, was born with lavish costumes, ornate sets and a display of star performers.

Photo courtesy of musicals101.com

THE 1920s & 1930s

Photo courtesy of valdosta.edu

The 20s and 30s introduced famous composers such as Ir ving Berlin and George Gershwin, among others, to the musical scene. The collaboration of Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II and Ziegfeld led to the ground-breaking Show Boat in 1927, which integrated a book, score and songs to tell a narrative. In 1934, Cole Porter and Ethel Merman teamed up for Anything Goes. Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart opened The Boys from Syracuse in 1938, which was the rst Broadway show to be adapted from a work of Shakespeare.

THE GOLDEN AGE The Golden Age stretched from 1940 to 1960. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! was the rst musical to incorporate dance and music into the plot in 1943. The hits kept coming in the following years with: Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun in 1946, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacifc in 1949, Harold Prince’s The Pajama Game in 1954, Lerner and Loewe’s My Fair Lady in 1956 and West Side Stor y in 1957 with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and choreography by Jerome Robbins. Highlights from the 1960s include: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying in 1961, Fiddler on the Roof in 1964 and Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon’s Sweet Charity in 1966.

Photo courtesy of theatremania.com

CONTEMPORARY MUSICALS Beginning with Hair ‘s rock music score in 1968, the age of Contemporary Musicals focused on unique concepts and ideas. Stephen Sondheim and director/producer Harold Prince became the musical leaders of their generation with the revolutionary Company in 1970. Andrew Lloyd Weber opened his controversial Jesus Christ Superstar in 1971. Michael Bennett’s acclaimed A Chorus Line debuted in 1975, its success even overshadowing Bob Fosse’s Chicago, which opened the same year. 42nd Street opened in 1980 and the adaptation of Victor Hugo’s novel, Les Miserables opened in 1987. Walt Disney’s animated lm favorites were welcomed onto the stage with Beauty and the Beast in 1994 and Lion King in 1997. Meanwhile in 1996, Jonathan Larson’s Rent , broke all barriers and was put in a class of its own.

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MODERN MUSICALS Revivals of old shows have been frequent since 1977 , but there has been a host of new shows in the past decade. Mel Brooks’ musical about making a musical, The Producers opened in 2001 and Hairspray debuted with big haired Tracy in 2002. The extravagant version of OZ, Wicked premiered in 2003 and Avenue Q brought its puppet cast to life in 2004. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee allowed audiences into the minds of preteens in 2005 and Spring Awakening told the tale of teenagers in 2007. Most recently, Bono created the expensive and dangerous, yet thrilling Spider-Man in 2011. The Book of Mormon by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone swept the 2011 Tonys with its fresh and funny story.

Photo courtesy of nytimes.com

,

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B A C K S T A G E : About Musical Theatre RECIPE FOR CREATING A MUSICAL Ingredients STEP 1 : Gather the Ingredients Combine the writer’s script with the composer’s songs and the lyricist’s lyrics to create a show that tells a story. The show itself should include several of the following elements: c haracters, conict, humor, romance, costumes, sets, singing, dancing, animals, puppets and/or special effects. Meet with the producer to determine budget and the target audience.

STEP 2 : Mix it up

• Writer •Composer •Lyricist

•Set Designer •Costume Designer •Prop Master

•Music Director •Producer •Director •Lighting/Sound Directors •Choreographer

•Stage Manager •Stage Hands •Musicians •Performers (singers/dancers/actors) •Audience

Add in the creative team, which includes the director, choreographer, music director, costume and set designers, stage manager, lighting and sound directors to the mix. Dene the vision of the show and decide what it should look like. Discuss and plan what needs to be done to make the show come to life.

T h e S t o r y

STEP 3 : Stir well Hold auditions or try-outs for mu sicians, dancers, actors and singers. Hold call-back auditions to invite qualied performers for a second round of auditions. Determine and hire the performers and musicians that are a best t for the show. Cast performers in appropriate character, ensemble and musical roles.

Musical Mixing Bowl STEP 4 : Bake at high temperature Teach the performers and musicians the show. Everyone should memorize their lines, know the correct notes to their songs and the rhythm and order of the choreography. Rehearse, rehearse and rehearse. Bring the performers, musicians, stage hands, lights, music, costumes, sets and all other el ements of the show together for a full dress rehearsal – otherwise known as a c omplete practice of the show, just without the audience. Work out all costume and set changes and really make sure everyone is comfortable in their roles, both on stage and backstage. Set the curtain call or bows.

Vocabulary Choreographer – the person who creates the dances and movement patterns for the show Stage Manager – the person who manages and takes care of the stage, sets and all special effects; directs the stage hands

STEP 5 : Serve with a smile Add in the audience on opening night and perform. Broadway shows are usually performed in the evening, multiple days a week and sometimes in the afternoon for matinee shows. Don’t forget to smile.

Stage Hands – technicians and trained individuals who work side stage and back stage before, during and after the show to make all special effects, scene changes and clean-ups happen. Prop Master – the person in charge of getting, storing, maintaining and sometimes creating the props used in the show.

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THEATRE ETIQUETTE 12 9

3 6

Applaud after scenes, songs, acts and at the end of the show. Otherwise try to keep quiet during the show.

D F O O

Arrive at the theatre at least 30 minutes before the show starts and try not to leave the theatre, except during intermission.

7 : 5 5 P . M. O F F

Don’t eat food inside the theatre. Save snacks for intermission. Turn off cell phones before the show or

put them on silent. Make sure not to text or use a ce ll phone during the show. Texting and the light from your cell phone are very distracting to both the performers on stage and the audience members around you.


Coming up in the 2011/12 Season Upcoming HSMT Shows RATED

RATED PG-13

April 24 - May 6, 2012

PG13 PG-13

June 5-17, 2012 RATED

G

March 28 - 30, 2012 9:30 & 11:15 a.m.

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ABOUT TUTS Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) is Houston’s acclaimed non-prot musical theatre company. Founded in 1968 by Frank M. Young, TUTS’ name originated from its rst performance venue, Miller Outdoor Theatre. Since its founding, TUTS has produced more than 300 m usicals including local, national and world premieres, making it a nationally renowned company. TUTS created the Humphreys School of Musical Theatre in 1972 as a way to provide stage experience and instruction to both students and professionals. TUTS expanded its education offerings in 2010 when The River, a program for children with special needs, became an aflite of TUTS. Since 2002, TUTS has presented the Tommy Tune Awards annually, which honor the up and coming stars of Houston’s high sc hool theatre programs. TUTS is now housed in the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts where the ber-optic ceiling keeps TUTS “under the stars” all year long. TUTS is pleased to present its 2011/12 season, “ Seeing is Believing!”

The Hobby Center. Photo by Leah Polkowske Photography.

Connect with TUTS! Theatre Under The Stars • 713.558.2600 800 Bagby Suite 200, Houston, TX. 77002 www.tuts.com • twitter.com/tutshouston www.facebook.com/TheatreUnderTheStars

TUTS thanks our Sponsors

Season Sponsor

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TUTS STUDY GUIDE Thank you! As a parent/educator, you are the only person qualied to determine what is appropriate for your child(ren)/student(s), but we hope the information and rating system in this guide were helpful. This was designed and written by Dana Lizik and overseen by David Greiss, Mandi Hunsicker-Sallee, Jacqueline Martin, Scott Howard, Katie Curry and Misty Robertson. Please feel free to copy and distribute. Printed in the United States of America. First Digital Edition: July 2011.

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