Phantom in the schools

My focus on studying musical theatre and adaptation has spun a lot around 'The Phantom of the Opera" because of the many countries and forms that the story has taken on. Of course I've been studying other productions including the Kunze-Levay shows and their transformation over Europe and to Japan as well as adaptation of book to show and lyrical and book translation. Here's something I want to look into now and that's transformation from professional to non-professional. That's not to crticize the performances, but to know if the book has changed to accomodate the student environment.

Phantom is released to high schools and colleges across US and Canada

3rd June 2010

Press Release

Starting today, R&H Theatricals is accepting applications for performances of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical phenomenon by high schools and colleges across the USA and Canada, beginning September 2010.

R&H Theatricals, an Imagem Company and a division of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization (RHO), is proud to announce that high schools and colleges in the USA and Canada will soon be able to perform the most successful musical of all time, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Applications to perform Andrew Lloyd Webber's international musical phenomenon are being accepted starting today, June 3, for performances beginning September 1, 2010.

"Andrew's passion for bringing young people into the musical theater is so deeply felt," notes RHO President Ted Chapin, "that he has authorized us to release PHANTOM to schools even while it continues to thrive on Broadway and all over the globe. We always believed that school performances of PHANTOM would bring out the best in each and every student, and the pilot productions we saw across America more than confirmed that belief."

Anticipating the release of PHANTOM to schools, R&H Theatricals created a pilot project working closely with RUG (Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group). In the 2007-8 academic year, PHANTOM was presented -- in full productions and in its entirety-- by two colleges and four high schools: Baldwin-Wallace College, Berea, Ohio; Elon University, Elon, North Carolina; Carroll Senior High School, Westlake, Texas; Nyack High School, Nyack, New York; Fairfield Senior High School, Fairfield, Ohio; and Capital High School, Charleston, West Virginia.

PHANTOM was “a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Stacie Martinsen of Carroll Senior High School. “It helped our department’s recognition level go through the roof, and the number of kids who wanted to be involved in theater after PHANTOM nearly doubled.” PHANTOM was "more profitable and [received] far more media attention than any other show we've produced," said Mindy Reed of Fairfield Senior High School. "It helped gain respect from the community for our theatre program." It was a "wonderful opportunity" for Baldwin-Wallace College, said administrator Scott Plane. "There was a great deal of 'buzz' about this piece that generated a kind of energy we don't usually experience, which helped our program grow. I'd recommend PHANTOMto any school that wishes to push themselves; it's ultimately extremely rewarding."

R&H Theatricals has been representing North American performance rights to Lloyd Webber's musicals since 2001, with SUNSET BOULEVARD being the latest title to be released (for professional customers only at this time), joining CATS, JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, EVITA, ASPECTS OF LOVE, BY JEEVES, SONG & DANCE -- and now, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.

PLEASE NOTE, as indicated, the release of performance rights forThe Phantom of the Opera is at this stage restricted to high schools and colleges across the USA and Canada only.