Olympics
Judge it!
So looking forward to this! Outside of NYC you won't find anything better. Thank you sooooo much WFMZ and Shelly @ Easton State Theatre.
Everyone is a winner! EVERYONE. Good job!
A sneek peek of last year's..
http://www.youtube.com/watch...
Theater
Driven by Freddy fever?
Members of the theater club at Freedom High School aren't allowed to use "the F-word" during rehearsals.
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The statistics in the article were telling. I had a feeling that shows from the standard repetoire (big cast, big production numbers, elaborate everything) would get preference over lesser-known, but educationally worthy shows. Would it be tempting to pick shows based on their "fred-worthiness"? Of course, but it could also be argued that some shows lend themselves to high school voices/dancers/actors than others.
How many schools have done "Oklahoma", a show begging for a historically accurate production featuring a racially diverse cast, or "Once on this Island", featuring Caribbean music and dealing with issues between light-skinned vs. dark-skinned island natives? How many schools with significant African-American student bodies (Allen, Easton) have done "the Wiz" or "Ragtime" or "Raisin"? What about "Big River"? I won't even mention small-cast shows--they seem to get overlooked in the clog of 'anything goes' and 'guys and dolls' and 'fiddler' productions, or that small schools, despite the recent addition of a category for best "small-school" production, seem to get shut out year after year. Are the Freddys a good idea? Sure. Are the Freddys flawed? Yes, but I suppose that we could paraphrase what was once said about democracy: The Freddys are the worst way possible to recognize achievement in high school musical theater--except for all the others. |
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You raised a good point. Bangor actually did "Once on this Island" in 2005. Moravian did it in 2006 and Emmaus in 2004. The Wiz and Oklahoma are also popular choices, although not AS popular as the big dansicals. |
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"I won't even mention small-cast shows--they seem to get overlooked in the clog of 'anything goes' and 'guys and dolls' and 'fiddler' productions, or that small schools, despite the recent addition of a category for best "small-school" production, seem to get shut out year after year."
Amen to that. I personally went to see quite a few shows this year and am not in agreeance with some of the nominations - particularly "small school". What - in the judges minds - constitutes a small school? I am not a fan of the Freddy Awards. I do not believe the judges are impartial, and I would really like to know their qualifications. I believe every school works very hard to put on the best show possible, and for some schools the last memory they have is "oh we got one nomination, we must not have been very good". On the other end, you have students going out with unrealistic expectations of their future in theater because they won a Freddy award. Why did this article choose to go to the "big winner" schools? Why not ask a school that has only ever received one or two nominations per year? I think some schools do pick shows hoping to win awards. Why else would they pick shows that are so far out of scope of what a high school student can understand. Two of the shows I saw this year were so poorly acted because of failure to understand the material that it was hard to understand what was going on. Both of these shows received many nominations. I think the flawed system needs revamping. |
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In reply to Oh-really,
being from Philly you must not have attended many shows since the Freddy Awards were created, Many of those shows you have mentioned have indeed been performed in one of the valleys schools over the last several years. You also state that there are shows i.e. Ragtime and Rasin that are not produced in schools with large ethnic populations. well Freedom High scool did a marvelous rendition of West Side Story in 2003. The casting call recieved very few "ethnic" actors and or actresses . The other "non-ethnic" cast went out into the schools hallways ,classrooms and cafeterias and convinced these young men and women to try out and perform. It worked and there was a marvelously diverse cast that opened the eyes of young people of ethnicity. They saw that there is another world they can belong to other than sports or pop music. So you can plan to produce a Wiz or Ragtime but not all the right "ethnics" will respond to the call. Then what do you do? Also there is a matter of money. if you produce a show few have heard of few will come. Why? Who knows. Most people like to see what is familiar to them. It makes them feel good.That's why we call it entertainment. If people don't come, no money and all of these schools receive only funds from their ticket sales and fund raisers. Nothing from the district. Sorry, Capitalism rears it beautiful head! |
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So right here's a couple that never ever have been done.. Flahooley: http://www.youtube.com/watch... Minnie's Boys http://www.youtube.com/watch... But then I'm odd that way |
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I have this under two other articles.
The freddy awards are a conspiracy! The way they are judged, the way some of the talent is overlooked... It's extremely unfair and it makes the students feel inadequate about the work they did. Unfortunately, this documentary being made has really diminished the quality of the nominees. Why else do three schools have 16 nominations each? Basically, if your school performed well at the Freddys last year, this documentary company came to your school to film your rehearsals and interview your casts. After taking all that footage of the show-making process, the nominations had to represent these schools that were filmed. That means any performer from a school that didn't fair well last year was IGNORED and will be when the winners are announced. How is this fair to the number of students that deserve to be nominated? That spent hours making sets and costumes, choreographing and learning to sing, just to catch notice of these judges that won't bother to look at them no matter how well they perform? How fair is it to the schools that can't rent sets from national touring companies, rent expensive costumes, or have orchestras full of college musicians? The Freddys have lost sight to what is important- the joy of putting together a show. It is now all about who has the biggest budget and who can take that money and put it where it counts. I have seen many performances of shows in the lehigh valley over the years, and I have seen terrible performers get nominated (and even win) and I've seen great performances fail to receive one. I have seen people who can't sing in tune win awards for singing. I have seen actors who cannot emote win awards for acting. Here's another thing- all the judges don't even see all the shows! How can you decide who wins an award if not every judge watched all the performances? So basically, the judge who comes home with the best story about the show they liked will get their way. And then there's the way the nominations don't even make sense. Two productions of Les Miserable got nominated for choreography? There's dancing in Les Miserables? I saw the production on broadway- there's hardly any dancing at all, maybe the waltz at the end and that's IT. It wasn't even nominated for best choreography on Broadway and you think a show like les miserables would get a choreography nomination, for the show being what it is. You can call me a sore loser but that's not even true. I'm not a high school student. I am a "graduate" of the Freddy program. I even racked up 2 nominations myself and was a part of opening number once. Luckily, the years I was nominated, the judges actually watched my show and gave me my due. I know for a fact that this doesn't happen to everyone and it isn't right. There should be parameters for what these schools can and cannot do. The judges should be screened and should have some qualifications to evaluate dramatic performances, and EVERY JUDGE should see EVERY SHOW. Furthermore, the State Theatre shouldn't let a movie documentary get in the way of giving the true talent in the Lehigh Valley its just due. The Freddy Awards are an atrocity. Case closed. |
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where did they get the name freddy from? it seem like they didn't even try to get a better name! is freddy the guy who started this thing, or did they just name it out of a whim? almost like the name they gave the LV baseball team. DA PIGS
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Excellent, well researched detailed article. I am sending it to my daughter in Florida, a theatre prof who has concerns about this kind of competition, costs, etc. The article went into the subject fully.
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PART 1 Jill; 1st off I have no horse this race. I was neither a judge nor affiliated in anyway what-so-ever with Easton State Theatre, the judges, the film company nor WFMZ. Just a by stander. That said.. How else would you have done a documentary? Let's say I were to film a special on the Tony's and Broadway. Would I film off Broadway shows? Fortunately or not, people will want to watch the ones that were the most lavish on Broadway. They not watch a documentary on 70 Times 70 or Flahooley. You say you never heard of those musicals? Exactly. So you would begin your filming based on last year's Tony winners. It wasn't because you set out to diminish those shows. It's a point of reference, NOT A CONSPIRACY. You've stated the "other" schools that were so-called "ignored" spent hours and endured much to.. "CATCH THE NOTICE OF THE JUDGES". I sure hope not! My hope is they did it for their live audience. I hope they sang and danced to express their inner desires and to be the best show possible for themselves and the people who came. Not to solely look for outside recognition. If you do these things just to get a mention and a metal, your going in the wrong direction. You do this for the love of the craft. The money isn't great either. You do it for the same reason fish swims. For the love of theatre PERIOD. Your rewards come knowing you did your best and are happy for those around you. Your rewarded by being surprised how good everyone is when they all work together. Get it? It's the journey.. NOT THE DESTINATION. Even on Broadway the audience will stand in ovation screaming and giving you the high of highs.. they love you. However 10 minutes later they are out the door the lights go down and their back on the bus. Stage is a wondrous illusion for a few moments frozen in time. That's the high. You take your metal and nomination and trophy home and their is little magic staring at it on a shelf. It's the stage that tingles. Not awards. If awards are your sole goal there will be nothing but disappointment. AS TO WHO GETS ALL THE MARBLES: We all know Nathan Lane isn't a singer. Not even a dancer. Yet he's top billing on any show. He won numerous Tonys. He sells tickets. No tickets='s no shows. We all know Michael Ball, Lea Solgna (to mention) are far better soloists. But award counts may not reflect that. Award shows are to boost interests..All award shows. Is it fair Penn State has an edge in one sport while Rutgers' has it in another? Is it fair the Russians dominated skating in the Olympics? AWARDS ARE NOT 'REWARDS'. Performing is it's own reward. It means more in your heart then a chunk of glass or metal ever will! |
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PART 2 YOU STATE: "The Freddy Awards are an atrocity." Please don't tell me you have no appreciation? That would be so sad. Thousands of dollars are spent hiring the finest Digital mobile production studio on the planet for Broadcast. The Easton State theatre, grandeur then many actual Broadway theatres, host the event at a huge $ for NO PROFIT. The 100's thousands worldwide who are able to see your performance on the internet. 27 local schools can potentially show their stuff to the world. Perhaps a few performers wishing to go on have something to show the music industry. HOW CAN THAT BE AN 'ATROCITY'? I am so disappointed that you can not see that despite your misgivings there is such a huge appreciation by me and others that WFMZ and Easton Theatre give two hoots and a holler. They don't need to! It's not about profits nor rewards for them. It's about satisfaction and pride for the craft. Bashing the hand that's been extended to you is both petty and poisonous for your soul. Please reconsider. If either you or I attempted it our ways, we too would be subject to this kind of criticism. There no way to please everyone. Even Christ couldn't. Look what happened to him! Please appreciate that sincere people are trying their very best. You can't truly believe Shelly and Ed and others who spend a great deal of their own time and money have a mindset to belittle anyone. Please have more faith in people that. If your still not pleased. Perhaps volunteer to be one of the judges next year and attend the meetings and interact with Shelly and these people. No one's trying to shut anyone out. THEY REALLY AREN'T. I'm sorry this is so long, but I appreciate beyond anything.. that in today's TV Media and money driven theatre there is a heart out their that extended itself to these possible future performers and gave them a "CHANCE" to be bigger then 3 shows in a 500 seat school auditorium and then lights go off and all forgotten. Now many will be forever immortalized in youth on DVD and the internet way beyond those 3 nights! On the plus side. If you didn't have enough passion to complain it would mean it meant little to you and it shows it means a lot to you. And that's a good thing. Thank you.. Easton State Theatre & WFMZ |
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Freddy is the ghost that supposidly haunts the theatre. J. Fred Osterstock, a distinguished looking gentleman who managed the company that owned the theatre from 1936-1965. All about it here.. http://www.statetheatre.org/index.php... |
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PART 1 Jill; 1st off I have no horse this race. I was neither a judge nor affiliated in anyway what-so-ever with Easton State Theatre, the judges, the film company nor WFMZ. Just a by stander. That said.. How else would you have done a documentary? Let's say I were to film a special on the Tony's and Broadway. Would I film off Broadway shows? Fortunately or not, people will want to watch the ones that were the most lavish on Broadway. They not watch a documentary on 70 Times 70 or Flahooley. You say you never heard of those musicals? Exactly. So you would begin your filming based on last year's Tony winners. It wasn't because you set out to diminish those shows. It's a point of reference, NOT A CONSPIRACY. You've stated the "other" schools that were so-called "ignored" spent hours and endured much to.. "CATCH THE NOTICE OF THE JUDGES". I sure hope not! My hope is they did it for their live audience. I hope they sang and danced to express their inner desires and to be the best show possible for themselves and the people who came. Not to solely look for outside recognition. If you do these things just to get a mention and a metal, your going in the wrong direction. You do this for the love of the craft. The money isn't great either. You do it for the same reason fish swims. For the love of theatre PERIOD. Your rewards come knowing you did your best and are happy for those around you. Your rewarded by being surprised how good everyone is when they all work together. Get it? It's the journey.. NOT THE DESTINATION. Even on Broadway the audience will stand in ovation screaming and giving you the high of highs.. they love you. However 10 minutes later they are out the door the lights go down and their back on the bus. Stage is a wondrous illusion for a few moments frozen in time. That's the high. You take your metal and nomination and trophy home and their is little magic staring at it on a shelf. It's the stage that tingles. Not awards. If awards are your sole goal there will be nothing but disappointment. AS TO WHO GETS ALL THE MARBLES: We all know Nathan Lane isn't a singer. Not even a dancer. Yet he's top billing on any show. He won numerous Tonys. He sells tickets. No tickets='s no shows. We all know Michael Ball, Lea Solgna (to mention) are far better soloists. But award counts may not reflect that. Award shows are to boost interests..All award shows. Is it fair Penn State has an edge in one sport while Rutgers' has it in another? Is it fair the Russians dominated skating in the Olympics? AWARDS ARE NOT 'REWARDS'. Performing is it's own reward. It means more in your heart then a chunk of glass or metal ever will! |
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AOL
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Jill,
You keep saying fair, Life is often not fair. However if you read the article in "The Morning Call" you will see that although The top schools get the lions share of nominations the percentage of awards given is not as high.Is that fair? How many of the shows did you see? Yes, some are better than others and some get overlooked but this is life. Do your best always for your own development and life will often reward you. However sometimes you get kicked in the butt, Not fair? You bet! |
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AOL
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I love the Freddy Awards. There is no better place in the whole Lehigh Valley to scope out young hot high school gay guys.
Yeah, you got the malls and stuff, but there is no where that puts all of them in the same room at the same time and even gives them close up on TV. I can't wait !!!! |
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I love the Freddy Awards! This is the only arena to showcase LeHigh Valley's talent. When I moved here from the West Coast, all I ever read or hear about was 'sports'. It's time to change and add variety to the Lehigh Valley scene. We have a lot of talented kids who are finally getting some highly deserved recognition. I agree that the judging is flawed (considering I saw majority of the plays and while the top 3 were really well done, they were not 'fantastic'.It seems that the judges flock to these schools because of previous awards. I feel that each school should have at least 10 judges watching the show instead of 30 judges watching one school and 6 judging a smaller school play. The Freddy's are a start and a great recognition for high school talent. It's not perfect but I still love it!
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To ensure fairness, next year each school will do a remake of ``Annie.'' Costumes and sets will be the same for all. Because, THEY ARE ALL WINNERS!
But these productions and competitions are really ruining business at the roller rinks. To gain, one must give, I guess. |
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Solving the casting call problem is relatively easy. It involves a lot of one-on-one work, and it might take a few years, but it can be done. Recruit, recruit, recruit. Talk to everyone. Send out letters in the spring after the last show closes asking for input. direct attention to schools latino or diversity clubs or black student alliances asking for their help. Once more students are involved, whether it's painting sets or acting or playing in the pit band, then you're succeeding. I actually lived in the LV for 18 years and saw first hand the problems. Example--I attended a Christmas concert at Easton HS featuring the 9th grade groups. In a ninety voice choir I saw precisely 6 African-American female singers--no African American males. Maybe 3 in a 60-piece band. When I inquired why that was, I was given a rather dismissive answer that "they"(I'm assuming the minority students) weren't interested (and now I'm wondering if it was the teachers that weren't interested in pursuing students of color for the music department). The casting call issue is a red herring. A professional director will recruit, do his/her research, and promote! |
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Unfortunatly if you attend any x-tra functions most minorities consider the parade and drama aspects "Gay" and not cool. I wished it weren't true. It's up to these groups to prove me wrong by being seen. Show up for extra activities. Sports, clubs, baseball, etc. |
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Notre Dame High School did "Annie" this year, and I loved it. It got one nomination so I'm guessing it would be torture for the judges to sit through many productions of it. hmmmm...torture the judges...Great idea! |
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