Recently, I was invited to a junior drama club’s production of Disney’s My Son Pinocchio.
Then even more recently, a thespian actually asked me what is the difference between a regular show and a junior production.
Therefore it got me thinking a lot about the differences for those who don’t know. A junior production of a show (it doesn’t have to be just a musical, it can also be a play) is when you get an existing musical and censor material out until the show is kid-friendly. Shows like Legally Blonde, Little Mermaid, Hairspray, and even shows like Into the Woods and Thoroughly Modern Millie have been remade to have a junior production…and so many more! To be rewritten into a junior production, one could remove songs, rewrite lyrics or even remove scenes. These productions are often used it in schools, drama clubs, and performance spaces. Additionally, some junior productions are rewritten to be a more suitable choice for young people to perform– the show is often pared down to a shorter version with more emphasis on company numbers, making them perfect for schools or camps.
Personally, I have noticed that there is a pros/cons side to a junior production. The good side is that is obviously tailored towards kids, but more importantly, it allows directors and even the cast to have a wider selection to choose instead of choosing from this little pond of “true kid-friendly” musicals. It allows productions to interpret musicals that seem not so fitting for kids and pre-teens to have a challenge of trying to mold it into something they can call their own. It’s also cute to watch, that’s a plus!
From what I’ve noticed, I think many people who watch these junior productions (especially people who are frequent theater-goers) kind of forget the fact that it’s a kid’s production. It’s extremely difficult to not subconsciously compare the original and the new “altered” version you see. I’m also guilty of doing this. We do have to give consideration to the fact that kids, ages 5-13 are putting on this production. Like with a film adaptation of a beloved book, often you tend to focus on the parts that are taken out, rather than realizing the reasoning behind what’s left in.
Next, since junior productions are just re-edits of existing shows, what I’ve found is that over the course of the dozen junior shows I’ve seen, there is definitely a sweet spot when it comes to editing. I find that some shows who get the junior treatment which are over-edited. In many cases, the main jest and some of the most memorable scenes are taken out or completely written differently so that the joke isn’t funny anymore. Then there is the flip side that a musical doesn’t have enough stuff changed despite the fact that it had the word “junior” right beside the show title. Perhaps this means that there are certain types of shows that are worthy of the junior treatment, or maybe it’s a call for a more careful editing process.
Overall, though, the idea of junior productions is a good one. It allows for a new level of access for younger performers in different contexts. If anything, we simply hope that there are more and more titles added to the “junior” repertoire, giving us more of a selection and perhaps leading us to finding that sweet spot– maintaining the charm of original productions while making things great for kids!
Here at Camp Broadway, we’re excited to include junior productions in this year’s repertoire! Learn more about Shining Stars, our program for 6 to 9-year-olds which, this year, will feature Disney’s The Jungle Book KIDS and Seussical Junior! Our signature summer program for 10 to 17-year-olds will feature Seussical Junior, and Once On This Island Junior!
Photo via artinfo.com.