Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Back to School with a Broadway Curriculum

Back in the "old days," like when I was in school, today, the first day after Labor Day, would have been the first day of school. But here in the Burlington area of Vermont, the kiddies have been back in school for a week or more.

I bring this up because Friday morning, as I was driving to work, I got stuck on a two lane road behind a cheese wagon loading up the little ones for elementary school. I don't know how it is around where you live, but here the little guys are picked up at the end of their driveways (at least on this route) rather than gathering at pre-determined bus stops. This means that every 20 feet or so we stopped. (Note to Self: Leave 5 minutes earlier!) Well, it was Friday, right before a three day weekend, and my mind began to drift... you know how sometimes you are driving and all of a sudden you are some place miles from where you last remember driving?... No? Hmmm maybe I share too much... but I digress...

My mind wandered and I started thinking: If school curriculum was made up entirely of plays and musicals, which ones would be in which subjects? (Naturally, most, if not all, of these overlap...)


American Literature (taught by Mark Twain, who appears in Big River): 
  • The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
  • Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
  • Cats
  • Gatz
  • The Grapes of Wrath
  • Little Women
  • Seussical
  • Tarzan
  • Wicked

British Literature (taught by Drood's Chairman): 
  • Camelot
  • Dracula
  • Frankenstein
  • Jane Eyre
  • Jekyll and Hyde
  • Mary Poppins
  • The Mystery of Edwin Drood
  • Oliver!
  • The Secret Garden
  • A Tale of Two Cities


World Literature (taught by Zeus, who appears in Xanadu): 
  • Beauty and the Beast
  • The Diary of Anne Frank
  • A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
  • Les Miserables
  • The Lion King
  • Man of La Mancha
  • Once on This Island
  • Peter Pan
  • The Phantom of the Opera
  • The Scarlet Pimpernel
  • Shrek
  • Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
  • Xanadu

English (taught by a post-Birdie Albert Peterson): 
  • The Miracle Worker
  • My Fair Lady
  • The Story of My Life

Mathematics/Science (Chemistry taught by Henry Jekyll): 
  • Breaking the Code
  • Copenhagen
  • Proof
     

Psychology (co-taught by Drs. Fine and Madden of next to normal): 
  • Carrie
  • Kiss Me, Kate
  • Kiss of the Spider Woman
  • Lost in Yonkers
  • The Mousetrap
  • next to normal
  • On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
  • Spring Awakening


 Sociology: 
  • The Addams Family
  • American Idiot
  • Avenue Q
  • Company
  • Doubt
  • Grand Hotel
  • Hair
  • Hairspray
  • La Cage aux Folles
  • The Little Foxes
  • A Little Night Music
  • Next Fall
  • Rock of Ages
  • West Side Story


American History (taught by Benjamin Franklin of 1776): 
  • 1776
  • Angels in America
  • The Capeman
  • The Civil War
  • The Crucible
  • Grey Gardens
  • Meet Me in St. Louis
  • Miss Saigon
  • The Music Man
  • South Pacific
  • Yank!


World History (taught by Che of Evita and the Emcee of Cabaret): 
  • Billy Elliot
  • Cabaret
  • Chess
  • Evita
  • Fela!
  • Golda's Balcony
  • Journey's End
  • Passion
  • The Sound of Music
  • Titanic

Business (co-taught by J. Pierpont Finch and Chuck Baxter): 
  • 9 to 5
  • How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying!
  • Promises, Promises


Music (taught by Mozart himself, of course): 
  • Ain't Misbehavin'
  • Amadeus
  • Beatlemania
  • Black and Blue
  • Buddy
  • Jersey Boys
  • Memphis
  • Million Dollar Quartet

Women's Studies (taught by Matron Mama Morton): 
  • Chicago
  • Hello, Dolly
  • Mame
  • Mamma Mia!
  • Vanities


Theatre Arts (Acting taught by Ms. Darbus of High School Musical; Dance taught by Zach of A Chorus Line; Musical Theatre taught by Stephen Sondheim, who actually appears in Sondheim on Sondheim): 
  • A Chorus Line
  • A Class Act
  • Dancin'
  • Fosse
  • George M!
  • High School Musical
  • Jerome Robbins' Broadway
  • LoveMusik
  • Pippin
  • Say Goodnight, Gracie
  • Sondheim on Sondheim
  • Sunset Boulevard

Bible Studies (taught by the Narrator in Joseph...): 
  • The Ark
  • God's Favorite
  • Godspell
  • Jesus Christ Superstar
  • Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
  • Two By Two


 African-American Studies (taught by Alice Walker): 
  • The entire August Wilson canon
  • The Color Purple
  • Noise/Funk
  • Topdog/Underdog


Physical Education (taught by Carrie's Ms. Gardner):
  • Damn Yankees
  • The Great White Hope
  • Lombardi

I really need to pay better attention when I'm driving...

Any other classes or teachers you'd suggest? Send 'em in!
Leave a comment here, email me at Yahoo, or Tweet me on Twitter!

Jeff
2.9

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