Suggested Productions

5/2/2014

4 Comments

Any thoughts for future shows you would like to see?

4 Comments

Michael Ryan

7/3/2015 01:43:45 am

Would love to see SOAPlayers do On Golden Pond.

Kaylee Lesmeister

24/5/2015 11:34:20 am

I would love to see a Broadway show like when you did the Sound of Music. Haven't seen that in a while. Something like Into the Woods, Mama Mia, Cats or Legally Blonde or something :)

Kaylee Lesmeister

19/4/2016 08:50:46 pm

I would love to see you guys do Peter and the Starcatcher. It is prequel to Peter Pan and is aimed at adults. SUPER clever and funny and has a small cast of 12 roles plus a small ensemble. It really engages the audience's imagination and is just pretty awesome in general.

Penelope Johnson

20/4/2016 01:40:43 pm

Hi Kaylee:
Thanks for your suggestions! We did Nunset Boulevard just a couple of years ago - five women in the cast and a small band.

We have looked at Mama Mia, and some of us are aware of other productions you've suggested. We would love to do things like Spamalot and Into the Woods!

Big musicals are always tricky. Many times ones that are current (i.e. made into movies or revived on Broadway) are impossible to obtain production rights for. Professional companies, especially if touring a production, often buy up all the rights across Canada and the U.S. So we have at times had to wait two or three years, which is what we did when we mounted Love, Loss, and What I Wore a few years ago. Mama Mia, was the same: we checked availability for three or four years but no available rights!

The other issue with musicals are enormous royalty fees as well as fees for music scores. Add to that the difficulty of finding rehearsal pianists and other musicians to dedicate several months to rehearsals, and it can be a real challenge. .

High school productions are a bit different - often rights open up for schools far easier and at much less cost, especially if the school uses a "school version" or "junior version" script. . That's why schools can often put on the bigger shows, like Grease or The Little Mermaid. It also helps to have staff who are paid as opposed to an all-volunteer group of busy adults!

We are also very much aware of our local costs - renting the theatre, set building, and so on. We need to keep ticket prices low enough for locals to buy while paying for our expenses. Budget has to be a consideration when choosing a show.

So that's why we tend to do more small cast, non-musical productions. Musicals are exhausting and very costly, especially in a small centre like Oliver and Osoyoos.

We will definitely do a musical again. And your suggestions are definitely on that list!

Penelope Johnson
SOAP Board

Suggested Productions

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