We previously spoke about a new book called Sweat, Tears, and Jazz Hands:The Official History of Show Choir from Vaudeville to Glee by Mike Weaver and Colleen Hart and published by Leonard Books which takes a step beyond the hit show Glee and learn about the real drama, the hard work, the sweat, and the tears. It helps you to find out what it takes to build an award-winning competition set; the branding, the budgets, the strategy and the performance.
GO AFTER THE JUMP TO READ AN EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK!
Here below is an excerpt of Sweat, Tears, and Jazz Hands by Mike Weaver and Colleen Hart. Reprinted with permission of the publisher, Hal Leonard Books.
1 3 8 SWEAT , TEARS , And JAZZ HANDS
One by one and geek by gleek, show choirs are reviving reputations and converting fans at a record pace.
All a Glee
Show choir was in the right place at the right time when it caught the eye of writer, producer, and director Ryan Murphy. In 2009, Murphy and FOX Broadcasting
Company took this maturing phenomenon and converted it into a network television comedy series and pop sensation, Glee. The mash-up-style dramcom is based on the simple yet intriguing world of high school show choir.
In its freshman season, the cast was presented as group of misfits from William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio, who came together to form a struggling show choir. As the show progresses, it follows a combination of geeks and jocks as they go about trying to earn respect from their peers, despite the occasional slushie-in-the-face greetings they receive.
For a show that basically launched, “Once upon a show choir,” the glee club portion really acts as a supporting role, if not a backdrop, to its drama and weekly production numbers. The focus of the story is a group of very different teenagers, who, while attempting to survive the halls of high school, are brought together by music—and by their Justin Timberlake–look-alike teacher, Mr. Schuester. Each episode’s storyline introduces a soundtrack of songs that underscores the plot and emotional state of the characters.
The show features popular songs ranging from Broadway to current top 40 hits. But it doesn’t stop there. Instead of simply covering modern pop artists’ songs, the show regularly features cameos by the actual artists themselves. The Big Deals of Hollywood are knocking down the doors of Glee, hoping for a chance to step onto the auditorium stage of William McKinley High School. In just two seasons, the show has welcomed a series of A-list celebrity guests and walk-ons, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Carol Burnett, John Stamos, Britney Spears, Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Molly Shannon, Olivia Newton-John, and Neil Patrick Harris.
It’s both completely realistic and wildly unbelievable. The characters on the show are real—not in a “reality show” way, but in a relatable way. And their problems are true-to-life issues faced by teenagers throughout the world. Although the show has brought Team of Talent only positive attention to the amateur performing arts world, every real gleek knows Glee isn’t meant to be a documentary on show choirs.
There’s a story to show choirs that goes beyond its scripts. This narrative, untold to the audience or FOX viewing network, plays out behind the scenes and away from the camera. The sweat, the ankle sprains, the sore throats, the eight-hour rehearsals, and the sleep deprived road trips, balanced with schoolwork as well as family and friend obligations, make show choir lives exciting yet hectic. Beyond a love of the stage, performing requires a significant amount of commitment and energy.
Onstage, there are also several drastic differences. As opposed to the no-rehearsal-let’s-go style of performing, a show choir spends months perfecting the typically five songs in their set. And while there are many elaborate productions and expensive sets, there has yet to be a show choir that’s successfully pulled off a waterfall of rain for a rendition of Rihanna’s “Umbrella” mashed with the classic “Singing in the Rain.” Yet.
Glee is show choir–gone–fantasy. Although real-life show choirs worked for decades to strike a perfect harmonized balance between pop culture and traditional choral ensembles, in just two seasons Glee figured out a way to nail it every week. The show consumes the most entertaining aspects of Broadway, teenage melodrama, music videos, celebrity, pop culture, and social media . . . and then, unsurprisingly, delivers success Glee is show choir’s idol.
A Pop of Culture
...And with reason to idolize. Beyond an all-star cast and stellar plot, the show was set up for success from the first note. The pilot strategically aired for the first time after FOX’s American Idol, offering it a primetime opportunity to win over not only the show choir– loving counties of Indiana and Ohio, but also the short attention spans of viewers of all kinds.
From the beginning, well-known musical numbers and pop hits were to be included in each hour-long episode. This was a simple yet brilliant idea. Instantly, at the end of each episode, the show’s music was available to the viewing audience to download and enjoy. This kept Glee top-of-mind and top-of-playlist for its fans and opened up an entirely new revenue stream for FOX Television Network and iTunes.
If you liked it, you can buy your copy HERE
One by one and geek by gleek, show choirs are reviving reputations and converting fans at a record pace.
All a Glee
Show choir was in the right place at the right time when it caught the eye of writer, producer, and director Ryan Murphy. In 2009, Murphy and FOX Broadcasting
Company took this maturing phenomenon and converted it into a network television comedy series and pop sensation, Glee. The mash-up-style dramcom is based on the simple yet intriguing world of high school show choir.
In its freshman season, the cast was presented as group of misfits from William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio, who came together to form a struggling show choir. As the show progresses, it follows a combination of geeks and jocks as they go about trying to earn respect from their peers, despite the occasional slushie-in-the-face greetings they receive.
For a show that basically launched, “Once upon a show choir,” the glee club portion really acts as a supporting role, if not a backdrop, to its drama and weekly production numbers. The focus of the story is a group of very different teenagers, who, while attempting to survive the halls of high school, are brought together by music—and by their Justin Timberlake–look-alike teacher, Mr. Schuester. Each episode’s storyline introduces a soundtrack of songs that underscores the plot and emotional state of the characters.
The show features popular songs ranging from Broadway to current top 40 hits. But it doesn’t stop there. Instead of simply covering modern pop artists’ songs, the show regularly features cameos by the actual artists themselves. The Big Deals of Hollywood are knocking down the doors of Glee, hoping for a chance to step onto the auditorium stage of William McKinley High School. In just two seasons, the show has welcomed a series of A-list celebrity guests and walk-ons, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Carol Burnett, John Stamos, Britney Spears, Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Molly Shannon, Olivia Newton-John, and Neil Patrick Harris.
It’s both completely realistic and wildly unbelievable. The characters on the show are real—not in a “reality show” way, but in a relatable way. And their problems are true-to-life issues faced by teenagers throughout the world. Although the show has brought Team of Talent only positive attention to the amateur performing arts world, every real gleek knows Glee isn’t meant to be a documentary on show choirs.
There’s a story to show choirs that goes beyond its scripts. This narrative, untold to the audience or FOX viewing network, plays out behind the scenes and away from the camera. The sweat, the ankle sprains, the sore throats, the eight-hour rehearsals, and the sleep deprived road trips, balanced with schoolwork as well as family and friend obligations, make show choir lives exciting yet hectic. Beyond a love of the stage, performing requires a significant amount of commitment and energy.
Onstage, there are also several drastic differences. As opposed to the no-rehearsal-let’s-go style of performing, a show choir spends months perfecting the typically five songs in their set. And while there are many elaborate productions and expensive sets, there has yet to be a show choir that’s successfully pulled off a waterfall of rain for a rendition of Rihanna’s “Umbrella” mashed with the classic “Singing in the Rain.” Yet.
Glee is show choir–gone–fantasy. Although real-life show choirs worked for decades to strike a perfect harmonized balance between pop culture and traditional choral ensembles, in just two seasons Glee figured out a way to nail it every week. The show consumes the most entertaining aspects of Broadway, teenage melodrama, music videos, celebrity, pop culture, and social media . . . and then, unsurprisingly, delivers success Glee is show choir’s idol.
A Pop of Culture
...And with reason to idolize. Beyond an all-star cast and stellar plot, the show was set up for success from the first note. The pilot strategically aired for the first time after FOX’s American Idol, offering it a primetime opportunity to win over not only the show choir– loving counties of Indiana and Ohio, but also the short attention spans of viewers of all kinds.
From the beginning, well-known musical numbers and pop hits were to be included in each hour-long episode. This was a simple yet brilliant idea. Instantly, at the end of each episode, the show’s music was available to the viewing audience to download and enjoy. This kept Glee top-of-mind and top-of-playlist for its fans and opened up an entirely new revenue stream for FOX Television Network and iTunes.
If you liked it, you can buy your copy HERE
Thanks to Jaime for sharing!
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