Announcing the Fifth Grade After-School Musical 2009-10 Getting to Know Oklahoma
Music by Richard Rodgers Book & Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
This fall and winter, our fifth graders have the opportunity to join a Chatsworth tradition, the fifth grade after-school musical. Getting to Know Oklahoma is a shorter version of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s first collaboration, Oklahoma, which played a record breaking 2,212 performances in 1943, the year it opened. Stage Director Meg Hosey and Music Director Jean Young have led 5th grade productions for our school for the past 14 years.
We can hardly wait to meet this year’s new cast and crew; all interested fifth graders are eligible. In our productions, every cast member has a chance to shine. We change cast for each scene, allowing many students to assume a character, learn lines, and be center stage for one scene. Using the abilities of everyone, we prepare a polished evening of theater, with dialogue, small ensembles, and singing and dancing by the entire cast
Because our shows are musicals and have little dialogue, some members of the cast may have few lines but will be featured in ensembles or dances. Every cast & crew member is important! We may invite interested students to help create original lyrics or dialogue.
Rehearsals are held Friday afternoons, 3:05 to approximately 5:15, beginning 11/13 and culminating in our performance3/5/2010. During performance week, we have additional after-school dress rehearsals. (see Performance Week Schedule)
Cast members must be at Friday rehearsal if they are in school that day. If your child is in the play, please schedule lessons and appointments on other days of the week. Extra rehearsals for dance choreography will be scheduled during lunchtimes as performance dates approach. Friday rehearsals times are dedicated to songs, scenes and large choruses.
Crew members, who create props and sets and who work with lighting, curtain, and scenery, will meet on Thursdays after school beginning 1/14. In addition, they attend all dress rehearsals and performances.
The hard work and creativity of parent volunteers provides us with costumes, props, and scenery to make our shows visually exciting. Volunteers also help with chaperoning, publicity posters, makeup and hair styling. Parents who work away from home during the day can be involved in “Star Board” creation, concessions, programs, videotaping, and our cast party. We encourage our volunteers to include students as much as possible in all aspects of production so that they have a chance to really create their own show.
We do not charge admission for our shows. Your tuition fee will cover the cost of fees for producing the show and providing scripts for each cast member, resources for our professional-looking costumes and sets, professional musicians who assist at performance, and salaries for the directors. If you are a family for whom the cost of tuition is a hardship, limited PTA scholarships are available; please speak with social worker Elissa Kolb.
We look forward to working with your children (and with you parents, too) and together we will create a wonderful show!
The Directors. Jean Young and Meg Hosey
The 5th Grade Musical is an After-school club open to ALL FIFTH GRADERS.
We welcome singers, dancers, actors, and writers!
Rehearsal Schedule
Cast: Fridays 3:05-5:15 11/13-12/18
3:05-5:00 1/8-1/29
3:05-5:30 2/5-2/26
Tech: Thursdays 1/14-2/25 (Not on Fridays)
Noontime ensemble rehearsals begin in January.
Projected Performance Week Schedule 3/1-3/5:
Dress rehearsals Mon, Wed 3/1, 3:00-6:00 3/3, TimeTBA
School performances, Tues, Thurs 3/2, 3/4 1:30-2:30 PM
Public Performance followed by cast party. 3/5 7:30 PM
Director and choreographer: Meg Hosey
Musical director and business manager: Jean Young
Tech director, Lighting director: TBA
Sets, Props, Costumes, Make-up: Parent Volunteers /with student help
Please KEEP the upper portion of this sheet for reference.
Make checks payable to Chatsworth Ave PTA.
$225 cast members (We are purchasing scripts for each cast member.)
$115 tech crew
Leave completed form and your check (NO CASH!) in the box marked “Play” outside the office by Nov 6.
**Limited scholarships are available. See Elissa Kolb, social worker, to request assistance.
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I give my permission for (name, class) ______________________________________
(home ph)__________ email____________________(emerg. contact)____________
to be in the (cast/crew/writing team) of the Chatsworth Musical.
(Students who wish to act and to help with writing dialogue, please circle both.)
He/She is available to rehearse on Fridays.
Unexcused absences may result in loss of speaking roles or dismissal from the cast. Any conflicts with rehearsal or performance dates must be reported immediately to the directors.
I am available to help out in the areas of (costumes, sets, props, chaperone, _______)
This is a musical production consisting primarily of singing and dancing, with short scenes included. I will help my child understand that in a theatrical production every participant is important. I realize that the directors will be doing their best to produce a quality show in which every child has a chance to shine.
(parent’s name & signature)________________________________________