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| Censored high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up for kids?) | |
| Posted by: TheBroadwayMaven (DavidBenkof@gmail.com) 12:03 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
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| Excerpt from today's Broadway Maven Weekly Blast: ESSAY: Recent news stories have highlighted school cancellations of productions of shows like Indecent and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. But there’s another kind of censorship that’s been happening for decades — Broadway shows losing “adult” content in the official “Jr.” versions — or just being changed (illegally) by individual directors. Avenue Q: The song “The Internet is for Porn” becomes “My Social Life is Online,” which makes a completely different point. Given that schoolchildren are fully aware — too aware — or the existence of internet pornography, I’m not sure the change is necessary. A Chorus Line: Instead of “Tits and Ass” in the song “Dance 10, Looks 3” Val sings “This and That.” It’s awfully prudish but actually works pretty well. Anything Goes: In “I Get a Kick Out of You,” Reno Sweeney sings of getting “no kick from cocaine,” which is sometimes changed to “perfume from Spain.” It’s strange to cut a lyric in which a character disdains a dangerous drug, but the particular “fix” is quite nice, because it allows the song to keep the rhyme in the lyric “I’m sure that IF I took even one SNIFF” — since cocaine and perfume are both things that you sniff. Rent: Two interesting changes in “La Vie Bohème.” In that list song, “to leather, to dildos” becomes “to leather, to latex,” which at least adds some alliteration. And the original’s line about Mark Cohen’s inability to “hold an erection” on the High Holy Days becomes the denuded “make a connection.” Annie: In “It’s a Hard Knock Life” there’s a quick reference to making Mrs. Hannigan “drink a Mickey Finn” — essentially a date-rape drug. In the age of #MeToo that’s not OK, so some productions replace that line with “throw her in a looney bin” — thus replacing one problematic lyric with another. (Do we really need to mock mental heath facilities?) Grease: The original lyrics to the song “Greased Lightnin’” were quite naughty, including phrases like “You know it ain’t no shit, I’ll be getting lots of tit” (becomes “You know without a doubt, I’ll be really making out”); “the chicks’ll cream” (becomes “the chicks’ll scream”) and “pussy wagon” (becomes “dragon wagon”). Chicago: In “Cell Block Tango,” the lyric “You’ve been screwing the milkman” gets adjusted in various ways (like “messing around with” or “seeing”). Whether licensers should adjust the content of a Broadway show has to rely on several factors, including the age-appropriateness of the references, the ability of contemporary youth to handle challenging material, and possible solutions that stay in the spirit of the original work. I don’t love any of the changes, but I must say I appreciate the élan behind the above changes for A Chorus Line and Anything Goes. |
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| re: Censored high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up for kids?) | |
| Posted by: Scottofscott 02:24 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
| In reply to: Censored high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up for kids?) - TheBroadwayMaven 12:03 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
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| The changes in "I Get a Kick Out of You" have been around since the 1930s. They were made so it could be heard on the radio. Another substitute lyric was something about the "be-bop refrain" and "I'm sure that if I heard even one riff." | |
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| re: Censored high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up for kids?) | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 04:25 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
| In reply to: re: Censored high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up for kids?) - Scottofscott 02:24 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
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| Similar changes were made to songs like "Bewitched" among others. There was also a time where "Love For Sale" could only be played as an instrumental on the radio - the lyrics were not allowed. | |
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| Text substitutions in high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up when performed by kids?) | |
| Last Edit: Chromolume 01:41 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 01:32 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
| In reply to: Censored high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up for kids?) - TheBroadwayMaven 12:03 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
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| Avenue Q: The song “The Internet is for Porn” becomes “My Social Life is Online,” which makes a completely different point. Given that schoolchildren are fully aware — too aware — or the existence of internet pornography, I’m not sure the change is necessary. The change is absolutely necessary (though I think "My Social Life Is Online" is a terrible rewrite, and just not funny enough as a replacement). Just because kids are aware of pornography doesn't necessarily mean that in any given situation they can comfortably sing about it in front of parents, teachers, adult guests, younger children, etc. Sometimes it's not so much what they know or don't know as it is about how it's presented, and to whom. Perhaps there are schools that would feel they can do it - but I would suspect that many don't. I think one mere mention of cocaine may pass much easier - but a whole song about porn? I think it's wise that the option is there. And sometimes, references are left alone. With Les Miserables being the show that started the official "school edition" series, it should be noted that "even stokers need a little stoke" is still there, as is Madame T calling her husband a "lifelong shit" (even though I've known of productions where that word has been changed or left out, though without an option provided by the authors to do so). And, sometimes, lyrics are changed for the worse, presumably without the writer's input. Some of us will remember the amazing "Wall To Wall Sondheim" presented in 2005, which opened with a performance of Into The Woods Jr. At the time I was unaware that the Witch's Rap was not part of that version - but they did present it - assumedly with permission?? But when it came to "he was robbing me, raping me," it became "he was robbing me, harassing me." And my mind immediately went to the idea that that was a terrible word choice, and that Sondheim certainly hadn't suggested it. (I still don't know who did.) The use of "rape" in conjunction with the stealing from the garden (the root of the word from "rapere" - to steal) does not really involve anything sexual, at least on the surface - it's not what Sondheim was getting at. So the automatic substitution of "harassing" just has the wrong sense. I have to think it was substituted without a real look at the lyric's context. (I might have gone with "ruining me" - which can fit rhymically and also has the "r" alliteration intact. I don't know what Sondheim might have suggested, but I'd like to think he might have considered that one.) I'm currently doing a production of Head Over Heels - School Edition. (Really fun, btw.) I have to say, the funniest substitution I've found isn't in the spoken/sung text, but in a tempo marking in the score. There's a running joke in the show with the recurring hook of the song "Skidmarks On My Heart." In the school edition, the tempo marking is "Really Fast Punk." In the Broadway version, that marking is "Really Fucking Fast Punk." Gotta love that change. :-) |
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| re: Text substitutions in high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up when performed by kids?) | |
| Posted by: KingSpeed 06:34 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
| In reply to: Text substitutions in high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up when performed by kids?) - Chromolume 01:32 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
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| I directed a high school production of THE FANTASTICKS in 1991. We did “The Rape Song” as originally written and no one complained. | |
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| re: Text substitutions in high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up when performed by kids?) | |
| Posted by: Singapore/Fling 07:26 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
| In reply to: re: Text substitutions in high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up when performed by kids?) - KingSpeed 06:34 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
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| You could also smoke in McDonald’s back then. Times change. | |
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| re: Censored high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up for kids?) | |
| Posted by: HunterHailey 12:55 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
| In reply to: Censored high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up for kids?) - TheBroadwayMaven 12:03 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
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| Umm . . . nothing you talk about is "censorship" in the slightest. These are officially licensed versions created with the input of the authors or other rights holders to give schools and other groups a choice to use a version they feel more appropriate for the age group. Every single example you give are very reasonable adjustments for youth productions. | |
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| re: Censored high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up for kids?) | |
| Posted by: KingSpeed 06:26 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
| In reply to: re: Censored high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up for kids?) - HunterHailey 12:55 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
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| “looney bin” is reasonable? | |
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| re: Censored high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up for kids?) | |
| Posted by: HunterHailey 08:52 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
| In reply to: re: Censored high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up for kids?) - KingSpeed 06:26 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
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| Yes. That’s change I’d think was just as much sbout that reference being so outdated that it would mean nothing in a jr production | |
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| re: Censored high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up for kids?) | |
| Last Edit: EvFoDr 04:13 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
| Posted by: EvFoDr 04:12 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
| In reply to: re: Censored high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up for kids?) - HunterHailey 12:55 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
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| The OP does say "or just being changed (illegally) by individual directors." But if all of the examples given are from versions officially approved by the authors/rights holders, then there isn't much of a story here. One could dislike any of those official changes. But I am glad they exist to give schools the chance to present these shows in a legally altered way. Of course not all shows are created equal. Avenue Q is so packed with adult, dirty, and prurient content it does seem to veer into "is this really a strong choice of a show for kids", even if there are author sanctioned changes. On the other hand, sometimes you have one word or one line in an entire show that would cancel it for kids, and it seems especially worthy to have an alternative. In high school we did (mostly plays) with scattered dirty words and had to sub them for softer words. I suppose this was done illegally. Neil Simon's Rumors comes to mind. This was such a fun farce for the cast and the audience that really doesn't have any questionable content, except one of the characters says "Fuck a duck" as a sort of tossed off exasperation. So we took that F bomb out. |
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| re: Censored high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up for kids?) | |
| Posted by: Ncassidine 01:53 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
| In reply to: re: Censored high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up for kids?) - HunterHailey 12:55 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
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| This person literally only advertises here. They don't post anything for discussion. | |
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| re: Censored high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up for kids?) | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 04:26 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
| In reply to: re: Censored high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up for kids?) - Ncassidine 01:53 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
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| But that doesn't mean we can't discuss. This is actually a viable topic, unlike some of the dreck they post. | |
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| It's not "censorship" when licensed by the rights holders. C'mon. (nmi) | |
| Last Edit: MockingbirdGirl 01:20 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
| Posted by: MockingbirdGirl 01:19 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
| In reply to: re: Censored high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up for kids?) - HunterHailey 12:55 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
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| Sorry, HunterHailey, that should have been threaded under the so-called "Maven"'s post. | |
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| re: Censored high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up for kids?) | |
| Posted by: Zelgo 01:08 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
| In reply to: re: Censored high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up for kids?) - HunterHailey 12:55 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
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| Having seen many a grade school version of Bway shows, ALL shows that want to have a life after Bway need to do this. School productions are extraordinarily lucrative. The authors tone down the language and cut the dialogue so the shows don't run more than an hour (thankfully!). Character development goes out the window, but at least grade school kids get to perform. |
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| re: Censored high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up for kids?) | |
| Posted by: HunterHailey 08:55 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
| In reply to: re: Censored high school musicals (should shows be cleaned up for kids?) - Zelgo 01:08 pm EDT 05/18/23 | |
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| There are tons of schools out there that just don’t have the time or resources to do a 2+ hour musical. While I obviously prefer the full length version in nearly every case (Seussical, being an exception – I think the 70 minute version is far better) these really expand the reach of theater in many circumstances. | |
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