CHILDREN WHO SING AND ACT AND THE MUSICALS IN WHICH THEY ARE STARRING NIGHTLY!

Jan 26

Musical theatre is largely a genre for the masses -- and what appeals to Broadway masses more than a play full of singing, acting, dancing moppets? Okay, maybe it doesn't appeal to everyone, but to some, the presence of singing children is a charming reminder of youth and joy. From classic musicals like "Oliver" to "Annie", to "The Sound of Music" and "Mary Poppins", the Great White Way has long been a home for stories either about or featuring the very young and the adults that accompany them. As a writer of musicals -- check out musical revue HOW RUDE -- I have a great appreciation for the charm that young actors bring to the theatre. What follows is a list of some of the best of them.

Click her for a great New York Times piece about this very subject!

TOP 10 MUSICALS -- MUSICAL THEATRE HITS WITH A GOOD ROLE FOR CHILD ACTORS

MATILDA & COSETTE: NEGLECTED OR ABUSED CHILDREN WE LIKE TO SEE IN DRAMA

MATILDA: MATILDA & ASSOCIATES

Roald Dahl's kid story is not just about a neglected young girl who discovers that she possesses magical powers that help her to escape the rotten family that she was born into, but also the deliciously wicked Miss Trunchbull, headmistress of Crunchem Hall. With a refreshingly uncute children's ensemble to hook the adults, a plot brimming with imagination, and a truly original score by Tim Minchin, MATILDA might be the perfect musical to share with children of any age.

LES MISERABLES: COSETTE & GAVROCHE

The 1980's brought us a wave of mega-musicals from the West End including the theatrical grandiosity of LES MISERABLES which featured two amazing roles for the young, Cosette and Gavroche. The score is one hit tune after, and the audience gets their money's worth with songs for both of these abused and neglected children.

INTO THE WOODS: JACK & RED RIDING HOOD

Sondheim had already written shows with children in the cast, but with INTO THE WOODS, he provided two delicious roles for the young, Jack of bean-stock fame and Little Red Riding Hood. These fun and memorable roles are not given easy music to sing, but the highly original take on the famous fairy tales is a winner. It's hard not to adore both of them, given the strength of the score and James Lapine's splendid book.

DISNEY! THE LION KING: SIMBA & NALA

Yes, Julie Taymor delivered a splendid production to stun the audience -- just read a single review -- but if you really want to excite, here's the trick: cast a kid. Kid-friendly and completely unforgettable, THE LION KING provides two terrific roles for young actors, Nala and Simba.

BILLY ELLIOT AND JASON: ANGSTY BUT COLORFUL ROLES TO AWARD A YOUNG PERFORMER

BILLY ELLIOT: BILLY ELLIOT

This adaptation of the beloved film of the same name is by none other than Elton John. The story of motherless Billy who decides to explore ballet and despite all the odds, secures an audition to a prestigious dance school. Set against the backdrop of the 1984 miner's strike that takes place in Northeast England, the show provides dancing roles for a whole bunch of kids, but especially the role of Billy. Boys who played the role were literally sent to dance school by the producers.

FALSETTOS: JASON

In this sea of family-friendly musicals, we have something a little different: a three-dimensional, non-cute, realistic portrayal of an actual kid -- we are a long way from Irving Berlin. This sung-through Tony award-winning musical about a Jewish New York family learning to cope and adjust after the family patriarch comes out of the closet breaks all of the rules when it comes to little ones on stage. Jason is not an adorable moppet -- he is a real 13-year-old boy learning hard lessons about love, life, and family.

13: ENSEMBLE

Jason Robert Brown wrote an angsty teen show for an entire cast of young actors. The title tells you the plot. A real kid's kid show and not just another princess musical, 13 is a natural choice if you have a large ensemble of musically advanced teens.

FROM ANNIE TO OLIVER, BROADWAY LOVES MUSICAL ORPHANS STARRING ON STAGE

OLIVER: OLIVER & DODGER

Lionel Bart’s classic 1960s musical adaptation of the famous novel by Charles Dickens came to Broadway via the West End. The delicious score, chock-a-block with toe-tapping tunes like “Consider Yourself” and “Who Will Buy” is a late Golden Age favorite. The cast of young pickpockets, including the unforgettable Artful Dodger, stole the audience’s heart back in 1960 and set the example for shows like ANNIE that followed in its wake. Dicken’s tightly plotted novel – though slightly prettified –translated perfectly into musical theatre. Only a Scrooge would remain unmoved by eponymous characters search for love and the song and dance orgy that accompanies it.

CLICK HERE for a great website for history buffs about kids in musicals.

THE SECRET GARDEN: MARY LENNOX

Foster child Mary Lenox is sent to live with distant family after the death of both of her parents. This is a famous child role from over one hundred years ago and it still works magic on the audience. The character is played not for the usual childish golly-gosh, but this time for pure pathos. Mary Lenox is an instrument for change in her Uncle's life. There will not be a dry eye in the house.

ANNIE & ENSEMBLE OF MOPPETS

Try as you might, resistance in futile. Say bye to the blues and surrender to the kids, the dog, Christmas, and the best song ever written for a kid -- "Tomorrow". You need a real singer for the lead, but we're okay with the rest of the cast being just loud. Leaping Lizards, ANNIE is a heck of a good show even if you know you are being relentlessly manipulated. It's hard not to feel the optimism from the second the first trumpet states the obvious: this is the best traditional musical theatre piece written since FIDDLER -- which also has two great roles for young girls. Fun for the whole family.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC: LIESL AND HER SIBLINGS

This perennial classic from the Rodgers and Hammerstein catalog surely belongs on this list as it provides roles for 7 singing and dancing children. The combination of Nuns, Nazis, and seven children with a score full of musical candy is as deeply ingrained into the American soul as hot dogs and apple pie. The classic film, starring the deliciously tart Julie Andrews as the governess who teaches music and confidence to the Von Trapp children, is bolstered by the performances it's perfectly cast youngsters who charm their way across the Alps and into musical theatre history.

Phillip George

PHILLIP GEORGE is a director, actor and musical theatre writer who has spent most of his time making people laugh. He spent the early part of his career working on such shows as WHOOP-DEE-DOO, WHEN PIGS FLY (Drama Desk Award), FORBIDDEN BROADWAY, THE CAPITAL STEPS, and countless shows that graced cabaret spaces all over Greenwich Village. In the early 90’s, he was spotted by Dan Crawford of the notorious King’s Head Theatre in London, who brought him over to direct MUCH REVUE ABOUT NOTHING, KEAN (Evening Standard Award), LISTEN TO THE WIND, FRANKLY SCARLETT, and another version of WHOOP-DEE-DOO. His longstanding relationship to the FORBIDDEN BROADWAY series started in the 80’s and continued for almost 30 years. Along the way, the show won several Drama Desk Awards, Obie Awards and even a special Tony Award. Productions of FORBIDDEN BROADWAY played all over this country, at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London, and on the West End. He wrote and directed SHOUT, THE MOD MUSICAL, which continues to play all over the country, in Ireland, London, and in Australia. His latest venture, HOW RUDE, is the latest in the series of musical revues that has been the main feature of his career.

Also a member of the Dramatists Guild, Phillip’s plays and musicals are regularly performed around the country.

https://www.howrudethemusical.com