Broadway Shows: Teaching Moments

One can't plan a tour of New York City without including a Broadway show!

Most groups opt for the musicals rather than the plays, which is a shame in many ways, as there have recently been some stunning productions of 'straight' plays, both comedies and dramas. In fact, I'm not sure that many people realize that the musical is just one part of Broadway. But for the purposes of this post, I shall concentrate on the big, brassy, Broadway musical. (For a wonderful site exploring the history of musical theatre, try John Kenrick's Musicals101.com.)

The first Broadway musical I saw was the original production of My Fair Lady when I was six years old! No, Rex Harrison and a very young Julie Andrews had since left, but the costumes, scenery, choreography etc. were still the same. I was 'hooked'! My mother and I used to see a show every two months. I remember the original productions of Camelot, Sound of Music, West Side Story, Oliver, Annie, and 42nd Street as well as star-studded revivals of the late '50's through the '80's.

Many of the musicals in those days were far less complicated productions as Andrew Lloyd Webber and a mature Sondheim had not emerged with what can only be termed as almost opera. And the simple song and tapdance numbers became Las Vegas spectacles.

For three years I apprenticed in theatre administration on and off Broadway with the Phoenix Theatre when actors such as Meryl Streep, John Lithgow, and Barry Bostwick were starting out with our company. Ah! The good old days!

Nowadays, the obvious musical choices have been Lion King, Beauty and the Beast (closing soon to make way for The Little Mermaid), Tarzan, The Color Purple, Wicked, Hairspray, Legally Blonde, Rent, and Phantom of the Opera . Only the first three are 'G' rated. Just because there's music involved, doesn't make it appropriate i.e. Avenue Q, Chicago, and Chorus Line.

Les Miserables, one of my favorites, has recently returned. Despite containing a scene in a brothel, Les Miz has extremely spiritual messages of transgression, charity, sacrifice, death, grace, and resurrection. This would certainly be my choice over the evil, embittered, stalker, kidnapper, murderer, and would-be seducer that is known as the Phantom of the Opera. Why people find him romantic is perverse to me. Most students, who remain awake, don't question the true message because they are so mesmerized by the production values and music.

Recently, I was taken to task by some students for not choosing The Color Purple (with Fantasia). I asked them if they had read the book or seen the movie? None of them had. I informed them that there was content related to incest and prostitution amongst other issues. I'm not sure that many parents would find that appropriate for their seventh or eighth graders. We simply have to play it safe. I told them that I expected it to tour their area and invited them to have their parents take them, if their parents found it acceptable.

Interestingly enough, Mary Poppins for many of my groups, was a hard sell. The same groups that requested Beauty and the Beast, shied away from Mary Poppins; I wondered why this was. Some teachers told me that they were concerned about seeing a new production because it was an unknown entity to the kids and not 'cool'. I personally feel that it is better to see a' first run' show and cast, than one that is on its fourth cast or has already toured. The musical Hairspray is now a movie. Besides, what can be more exciting than to say that one has been the first to have seen something?

I had heard wonderful reviews from friends who had seen Mary Poppins in London, so I was reasonably certain that it would be better than the disastrous Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang from two years ago. It was unfortunate that Mary Poppins won only one Tony Award for scenery and the musical Awakenings (unsuitable for most school groups because of the explicit nature of the book and material) swept the awards. Mary Poppins is nevertheless a feast for the eyes and the musical numbers are fantastic!

Mary Poppins, the theatre musical, has some elements of the Disney movie, but they have added a great deal from the original books by P.L. Travers.

The second act is riveting.

This show continually affects my students on several levels, and during intermission, there is generally much discussion and many questions concerning the family dynamics, business ethics, the life of servants, class system, differences from the movie, and the production itself. This show certainly touches the students on many levels and deep feelings are explored

During the most recent performance of Mary Poppins I attended, my group was intrigued by a musical number which was almost a horror story; the toys in the nursery came to life to taunt the Banks children. About a dozen students ended up talking amongst themselves about how children take out their frustrations on their toys. One student added that she used to tell all her secrets to one particular doll and she would never have treated that doll badly. There were similar revelations and exchanges of ideas.

The teacher, overhearing the discussion, was upset and requested that they not delve too much into the plot and just accept the show as pure entertainment. Well, she really missed the boat here, and a good opportunity for a teaching moment.

But theatre has never been just pure entertainment. The ancient Greeks used theatre to educate. On Broadway, musical theatre has always been known for its social messages and political agenda from the first performance of, Showboat, on to Wicked and Hairspray. One can find all sorts of messages in the so-called, family-friendly musicals of Rodgers and Hammerstein. I really can't think of a show currently playing that doesn't affect us in some way or another on the social level. (Hmmm, Spamalot?)

One of my favorite shows for teaching moments is Annie. Not only does it have snappy tunes, toe-tapping dance numbers, and tugs at the heartstrings, but it is a good starting point for a discussion of the Great Depression and the rise of President Franklin Roosevelt. Annie is a metaphor for the state of this nation during the 1930's.

Additionally, as I have stated before, one of the residual benefits of No Child Left Behind, has been the development of curriculum and standards-based materials by museums, tour sites, and theatre.

Mary Poppins is no exception. The Disney organization, as well as other producers of shows, have developed study packets for groups for pre and post classroom study. Some shows send 'trunks' of materials to the classroom as well as the option of having someone visit the class to introduce the show. Then there is Camp Broadway. All one has to do is ask.

I can always tell the groups that have been prepared, they're the ones not restless in their seats nor talking throughout the show. (Believe it or not, I have actually seen students sitting in the theatre listening to IPODS and MP3's during a show!)

The ephemeral nature of theatre and the experience of a live show stays with us and affects us for our entire lifetime. The concept that the performance one is attending is unique, is not lost on the theatregoer. I have attended the same show many times, only to find that the performances vary in one way or another. (During a recent performance of Legally Blonde, the character of Elle literally lost her blonde wig before the Bend and Snap musical number! Though hysterical to see hair fly across the stage and how they dealt with it, I doubt there will be a repeat of that in future performances! I was glad to have been there for that!) The memories of individual performances by Richard Burton, Sir Alec Guinness, Katherine Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman and Ethel Merman, will forever stay with me; in actuality, they were but brief moments in time.

While arguably a revue is meant to be pure entertainment, the Broadway show is not and it should be explored and discussed. It is the way young people learn to thoroughly appreciate theatre.

Never underestimate your students, they are far sharper and perceptive than you can imagine!

The Greeks knew what they were doing.

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The next time you plan on taking your students to a theatre performance, inquire of the theatre if they have any educational packets for your groups. Chances are that they will have something as most shows in the past six years have developed materials and lesson plans. Many theatre companies have education departments; talk to them. There might also be resources online that one can download.

You might also ask about specific adult content, themes, and age appropriateness when booking. Most sales people connected with student tour operators don't know about the individual shows, so it is best to go right to the source. Don't book a show because of pressure from your students or the popularity of the show, one must face parents, administration, and school boards! What is acceptable for some of my public schools, may not be for my private, and parochial. ( Incidentally, my personal opinion is quite different from my professional opinion!)

I haven't yet seen Curtains (next on my list) and I can't wait to see if Young Frankenstein will be suitable for school groups.

This Broadway Baby makes it her business to see all the shows and give an honest assessment to my groups. It's a hard job, but somebody's got to do it!

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Interested in Mary Poppins?
Disney Group Sales Email - inquire about educational materials
Group Sales Telephone: 800-439-9000 or 212-703-1040
Newsweek Review of Mary Poppins
New York Times Review
About Camp Broadway
Panasonic has teamed with Camp Broadway to create distance learning materials
Disney Cyber Lesson Plans
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, can give your students a Q&A session with cast members immediately after the show (in the same theatre) for a small fee which goes to the charity.

How-To Tuesday # 2 - Teaching to the Trip

For over twenty years, while I was conducting tours for several student tour operators, it never failed to amaze me that the students on my tours had no idea of where they were going, no background on the sites, or appreciation of the significance of many places. I thought it was inexcusable that eighth graders visiting the Capitol in Washington, DC in April didn't know how a bill was passed, what cases were considered by the Supreme Court, or who Franklin Roosevelt was! While I didn't feel it was my responsibility to teach this, I was obliged to in order for them to understand what they were seeing.

There had been no preparation or reference to their classwork!

It is precisely for this reason that there are so many unruly groups running around Washington, Williamsburg, etc.! One can see them at the Smithsonian and the various memorials literally going wild - especially during Easter and spring break)! They are unfocused and unsupervised and totally disinterested in the educational value of the trip, focusing only the social aspects.

As I lamented in a previous post, "They are unable to label their photos!".

When I decided to change tack and become an Educational Travel Program designer rather than a full- time tour guide, one of the questions I initially asked the teachers concerned the ways they expected to prepare their students for the ETP. Some of them never considered this! They were under the impression that all they were to do was sit back and see the sites! That's not educational, that's sightseeing!

I work extremely hard with my teachers to provide some innovative Educational Travel Programs (ETP) reflecting their teaching plans, curricula, objectives, and some personal interests or requests. And all this effort would go to waste if their students were not prepared for the ETP.

But how does one do this?

Some of my teachers are faced with students traveling on the trip who had not been in their classes. Some schools combine two grades so the trip acts as both an introduction and reinforcement. Some school combine with another school (like my Alaska and Missouri schools) in order to be able to afford the program. (In this case the teachers need to be on the same page and communicate. I also like to suggest email /pen pals so the students can get to know one another before the ETP.)

These considerations as well as the inevitable sites along the way (i.e. FDR Memorial, 20th century war memorials etc.) that have nothing to do with the curriculum or state standards, make it necessary to prepare the students in advance of the ETP.

A few of my teachers have developed a Travel Club. All students who are traveling are required to attend one meeting of the club per month where the teachers and/or parents host activities relating to each day of the itinerary. So the first meeting would cover the first day of the itinerary... and so on. Additionally there are some (fun) research projects and reports that can be assigned to the students. My school in Alaska encourages the students to prepare Power Point Presentations before and after the trip. The winning one has his/her Power Point used to 'advertise' the trip for the next class.

To aid my teachers, I arrange to have curriculum materials forwarded to them by the educational sites we plan to visit. Almost all educational departments of museums and historic venues have curriculum materials free of charge for school groups who will be visiting. Occasionally, curriculum-based teaching plans as well as background information can be downloaded from the respective websites. Sometimes a teacher can be fortunate enough to receive a CD-ROM or a DVD. Posters are also popular.

One teacher that I had worked with for over ten years retired and her replacement had a totally different approach to the ETP. When I asked the new teacher what her objectives were, she indicated that she would like to include Annapolis since she was born in Maryland! During the discussion I learned that she also loved Edgar Allen Poe! We've decided to replace Williamsburg and Jamestown (a bold move) with Annapolis and Baltimore (of course, visiting Washington, DC) then head up to an Underground Railroad experience and culminating with a tour of Gettysburg battlefield. To make things more interesting, I have arranged an Edgar Allen Poe night tour to visit his grave and then have an historic character interpreter of Poe step out from behind the grave to recite, The Raven and have a Q&A with those students who are still alive.

Although this is not part of her school or state curriculum, she will be doing her part to introduce the students to Poe through his writings and biography, as well as some study concerning the history of Maryland, the U.S. Naval Academy, Washington, DC, and the Underground Railroad. She is also preparing a workbook/journal. (The necessity of journals and/or workbooks will be discussed in another posting in February.)

She also had her students research the various memorials and statues in DC for a wreath-laying in lieu of the one at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. Each student pulled a memorial or statue from a hat, researched it, and became an advocate for it. There was a vote, and I am pleased to say these students are going to lay the wreath this year at the Korean War Memorial because it was, the forgotten war and the forgotten veterans. She said they also related it to Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as current events surrounding North Korea. Not bad for eighth graders!

Another California public school is embarking on an all New York State ETP! Well, not all New York State as we have to fly into Cleveland, OH, because the flight logistics to Buffalo were too difficult. En route to our original starting place, Niagara Falls, we (yes, I'm on this one) will be breaking up our drive with a visit to the Erie Maritime Museum in Pennsylvania. I'm actually looking forward to my first visit to this museum as they have a recreation of Perry's USS Niagara and present the War of 1812 in depth.

Obviously, New York State history is not part of the California SOL's, but through New York State we can include everything from Native Americans; European explorers; French and Indian War; US War of Independence; War of 1812; Industrial Revolution; the Erie Canal; Water Power/electricity; Geology; the Civil War, yes, the Civil War; the Underground Railroad; Women's Rights; Labor Movement; Immigration; USMA at West Point, and all the usual New York City tour stuff including Mary Poppins on Broadway! The Principal of the school and another administrator or school board member normally accompany this group.

And the personal requests for this group? Cooperstown and a NY deli lunch at Katz's! The ETP Genie was able to grant all his wishes! (Cooperstown was the deal-maker!).

This particular teacher has also adopted the concept of the, 'Travel Club', and is currently busy creating workbooks for the students. he is overwhelmed by the quality of the curriculum materials he has received!

While some teachers might balk at the extra work, many have told me that it has enhanced the classroom work, help to bond the students, and made the actual experience far more meaningful to all.

Teachers with a tremendous workload or family obligations have enlisted the help of teaching assistants, interns, and parents to conduct the meetings.

All really enjoy their trip because they're totally into it!

Preparation is the key!

The Educational Tour Marm