Middle School Season Planning: Shows to Fit Your Needs

Planning your upcoming Middle School season? Concord Theatricals has the perfect show for you! Here are some suggestions to fit your needs, whether you’re looking for a large-cast musical, a play with a variety of lead roles, a holiday show or a literary adaptation. You tell us what you’ve got, and we’ll tell you which shows fit the bill.

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“I have a strong female lead and/or a lot of girls.”

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella: Youth Edition by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
(Short Musical, Comedy / 6f, 4m)
The timeless enchantment of a magical fairy tale is reborn with the Rodgers & Hammerstein hallmarks of originality, charm and elegance. Adapted for young performers, this enthralling fairy tale still warms the hearts of children and adults alike.

The Last of the Dragons by Kristin Walter
(Short Play, Comedy / 2f, 3m, 1 any gender)
In the kingdom of Middlefield, there is a tradition. On a princess’ sixteenth birthday, she is tied to a rock, kidnapped by a dragon, rescued by a prince and lives happily ever after. But what happens when the prince is too afraid to fight, the princess wants to do the rescuing by herself, and the dragon is nowhere to be found? Adapted from the story by Edith Nesbit, The Last of the Dragons tells a tale of bravery, intelligence and unexpected friendship.

Mirror of Most Value: A Ms. Marvel Play (Marvel Spotlight) by Masi Asare
(Short Play, Comedy / 8f, 4m, 10 any gender)
When a strange Terrigen Mist descended upon Jersey City, Kamala Khan was imbued with polymorphic powers. Her life was changed forever and so were the lives of her family and friends. Using her newfound abilities to fight evil and protect Jersey City, she became the all new Ms. Marvel!

Once Upon a Mattress: Youth Edition by Mary Rodgers, Marshall Barer, Jay Thompson and Dean Fuller
(Short Musical, Comedy / 4f, 6m +Ensemble)
Winnifred the Woebegone is just a simple swamp princess looking to win the heart of Prince Dauntless. But can she pass the impossible test Queen Aggravain has in store for her? This is a one-hour adaptation of the beloved musical designed for young performers.

Really Rosie by Carole King and Maurice Sendak
(Full-Length Musical / 2f, 4m + Ensemble)
Rosie, the sassiest kid on her block of Brooklyn’s Avenue P, entertains herself and her friends by acting out showbiz fantasies, notably directing and starring in an Oscar-winning movie. From the brilliant minds of Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are) and Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Carole King, Really Rosie is a jewel for children and adults.

Samantha Spade, Ace Detective by Lisa Diana Shapiro and Georgia Stitt
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 11f, 10m)
Samantha is a lonely, misfit 13-year-old. After getting bullied in camp, she retreats to the old detective movies she loves, entering a film noir fantasy world where she is Samantha Spade, Ace Detective, the go-to gumshoe who always solves the case—for $25 a day, plus Twizzlers.

Squirrel Girl Goes to College: A Squirrel Girl Play (Marvel Spotlight) by Karen Zacarías
(Short Play, Comedy / 3f, 1m, 14 any gender)
Doreen Green secretly possesses the powers of a squirrel… and the powers of a girl! She uses her amazing abilities to fight crime and to be as awesome as possible! You know her as the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl!

Trixie True, Teen Detective by Kelly Hamilton
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 4f, 4m)
Trixie True, “America’s foremost amateur sleuth,” beloved of America’s teens, is able to solve capers that baffle the F.B.I. In “The Mystery of the Tapping Shoes,” she breaks a Nazi spy ring led by Madame Olga, her tap dance teacher. There isn’t a theatre audience in America who wouldn’t love this show!

“I have a large group of musical performers.”

42nd Street: Youth Edition by Harry Warren, Al Dubin, Michael Stewart, Mark Bramble, Bradford Ropes and Gower Champion
(Short Musical, Comedy / 7f, 6m +Ensemble)
Come along and listen to the lullaby of Broadway! 42nd Street celebrates Broadway, Times Square and the magic of show biz with wit, humor and pizzazz. The score is chock-full of Broadway standards, including “You’re Getting To Be A Habit With Me,” “We’re In the Money,” “Lullaby of Broadway,” “Shuffle Off to Buffalo” and the title song.

Bye Bye Birdie: Youth Edition by Michael Stewart, Charles Strouse and Lee Adams
(Short Musical, Comedy / 6f, 6m, 6 any gender +Ensemble)
Bye Bye Birdie: Youth Edition is a one-hour adaptation of Bye Bye Birdie, specially tailored for elementary and middle school-aged actors. The materials have been prepared to help your school or organization mount the best possible production, and to give your young cast and crew an exciting and rewarding experience.

CATS: Young Actors Edition by Andrew Lloyd Webber
(Short Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 24 any gender)
A 60-minute adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s blockbuster meow-sical, designed especially for young performers. CATS is set amongst a larger-than-life junkyard playground and is alive with purr-fect felines, including Rum Tum Tugger, Mr. Mistoffelees, Macavity, Jennyanydots, Old Deuteronomy, Skimbleshanks and Grizabella.

Crazy For You: Youth Edition by George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Ken Ludwig, Mike Ockrent, Guy Bolton, John McGowan
(Short Musical, Comedy / 5f, 4m +Ensemble)
A zany rich-boy-meets-hometown-girl romantic comedy! In Deadrock, Nevada, young New York banker Bobby falls for spunky Polly Baker, the theatre owner’s daughter. Polly takes an instant dislike to the city slicker, so Bobby vows – through cunning, razzmatazz, and a hilarious case of mistaken identity – to win Polly’s heart and save the theatre. Memorable Gershwin tunes from the score include “I Got Rhythm,” “They Can’t Take That Away from Me” and “Someone to Watch Over Me.”

Dream Street by Jo Noel-Hartley
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 16f, 16m)
World famous director Sebastian Rickter is holding open auditions for a new West End musical called Dream Street and he’s looking for undiscovered talent. Local kids Jemima, Lily, Hugo and Charlie decide to go for it! Despite coming from very different backgrounds, they soon discover that dreams can come true. Dream Street is a sparkling musical play for young people that offers a large number of speaking, singing and dancing roles.

Footloose: Youth Edition by Dean Pitchford, Walter Bobbie, Tom Snow, Eric Carmen, Sammy Hagar, Kenny Loggins and Jim Steinman
(Short Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 8f, 8m, 10 any gender)
One of the most explosive movie musicals in recent memory bursts onto the live stage with exhilarating results. When Ren and his mother move from Chicago to a small farming town, they discover rigorous local edicts, including a ban on dancing instituted by the local preacher determined to exercise the control over the town’s yob youth. To the rockin’ rhythm of its Oscar and Tony-nominated Top 40 score, Footloose celebrates the exhilaration of youth, the wisdom of listening to one another, and the power of forgiveness.

Free to Be… You and Me by Marlo Thomas and and Friends
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / Flexible cast of any gender)
This charming musical revue, based on Marlo Thomas’ beloved children’s book, opens kids up to the possibilities of who they can be. In songs and sketches, life-enhancing themes are imaginatively blended with music and humor to expand children’s personal horizons, enabling them to invent their own futures without limitation.

How To Eat Like A Child by Delia Ephron, John Forster and Judith Kahan
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 30 any gender)
This musical romp through the joys and sorrows of being a child is hilarious. Children give 23 lessons in such subjects as how to beg for a dog, how to torture your sister, how to act after being sent to your room, and how to laugh hysterically. The pace is fast, the tone subversive, and the recognition instant.

It’s A Bird… It’s A Plane… It’s Superman!: Youth Edition by Charles Strouse, Lee Adams, David Newman and Robert Benton
(Short Musical, Comedy / 2f, 4m, 1 any gender +Ensemble)
Campy, dynamic, and larger than life, It’s A Bird… It’s A Plane… It’s Superman® captures the sights and sounds of 1960s New York City as Superman battles a vengeful scientist determined to destroy the world’s symbol of good. This one-hour adaptation of the musical, created in collaboration with the Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati, is specially designed for elementary and middle school actors performing for family audiences.

Nice Work If You Can Get It: Teen Edition by George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin and Joe DiPietro
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 5f, 5m)
Specially designed for high school performers and family audiences, this full-length screwball comedy is a surefire crowd-pleaser. Nice Work If You Can Get It pokes fun at the Prohibition era in a clash of elegant socialites and boorish bootleggers, all set to the glorious songs of George and Ira Gershwin.

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!: Youth Edition by Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, Agnes de Mille and Lynn Riggs
(Short Musical, Comedy / 4f, 5m +Ensemble)
This exuberant classic is a lively, tuneful musical full of cowboys, farmers, young love and fearless optimism. In a Western territory just after the turn of the 20th century, a high-spirited rivalry between local farmers and cowboys provides a colorful background for romance, song and dance in a musical adventure embracing hope, determination and the promise of a new land.

On the Other Side of the Fence by Andrea Green
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 30 any gender)
Romeo and Juliet meets the farm in this kid-friendly musical, teaching lessons of understanding, conflict resolution and tolerance. On the Other Side of the Fence is a rollicking, high-spirited barnyard musical where “taking the fence away” leads to understanding differences and finding friendship.

Orvin – Champion of Champions by Alan Ayckbourn and Denis King
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 8f, 16m)
An epic musical of accidental heroism. A chorus of gods sets out to relate the tale of the Great Ulmar, legendary warrior and champion. But their narrative suffers a major technical hitch when Orvin, Ulmar’s hopeless squire, oversleeps on the eve of battle. The gods vainly attempt to rewrite history with only the help of Orvin, the unlikeliest, most reluctant of last-minute replacement champions.

Rock of Ages: Youth Edition by Chris D’Arienzo
(Short Musical, Comedy / 6m, 7f, 11 any gender)
Adapted by industry leaders iTheatrics for performance at elementary, middle and high school levels, this squeaky-clean adaptation of the winning Broadway rock musical is everything teachers, parents and kids love: a classic boy-meets-girl musical story set to an exciting and fun 80s rock soundtrack. What could be better?

Shake, Ripple and Roll by David Perkins and Jenifer Toksvig
(Full-Length Musical / 5f, 5m, 10+ any gender)
This exuberant, fun-packed musical written for a large cast of young people features a glitzy rock ‘n’ roll score and plenty of action. Unless Joey Nobody and private detective Dirk Manley find Angelo’s will in time, bogus heir Deanne la Domme, the glamorous film star, will sell Angelo’s New York ice cream parlour to Crazy Flavors. Get out the bobby socks and join Chuck and the gang as they rock in this sizzling hour-long musical for young performers!

The Sound of Music: Youth Edition by Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, Howard Lindsay, Russel Crouse.
(Short Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 11f, 6m +Ensemble)
One of the most beloved musicals of all time! In Austria, 1938, an exuberant young governess brings music and joy back to a broken family, only to face danger and intrigue as the Nazis gain power. In this adaptation for pre-high school students, the content has been edited to better suit younger attention spans, but all the elements that make this show a classic are still in place.

The SpongeBob Musical: Youth Edition by Stephen Hillenburg, Kyle Jarrow, Tina Landau and Various Musical Artists
(Short Musical, Comedy / 16boys or girls)
A one-hour edition of the hit musical, specially tailored for young actors! The stakes are higher than ever in this dynamic stage musical, as SpongeBob and all of Bikini Bottom face the total annihilation of their undersea world. Chaos erupts. Lives hang in the balance. And just when all hope seems lost, a most unexpected hero rises up and takes center stage. The power of optimism really can save the world!

Starmites Lite by Barry Keating and Stuart Ross
(Short Musical, Comedy / 15f, 11m)
Dreaming her way into a comic book adventure in Innerspace, Eleanor saves the galaxy in this zingy rock musical adapted from the Broadway hit. This one-act version has a playing time of approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. The original creators have adjusted the storyline and musical numbers for young performers. The text has also been streamlined and upgraded for maximum clarity and fun for today’s audiences, young and old.

The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition­ by L. Frank Baum, Harold Arlen, E. Y. Harburg, Herbert Stothart and Timothy Allen McDonald
(Short Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 5f, 5m, 10 any gender)
We’re off to see the wizard! This beloved tale, in which a Kansas farm girl travels over the rainbow to discover the magical power of home, has entertained audiences for generations. This one-hour adaptation of the classic MGM musical was specially tailored by iTheatrics for elementary and middle school-aged actors.

Yo, Vikings! by Sam Willmott and Marcus Stevens
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 6f, 8m +Ensemble)
Adapted from Judith Byron Schachner’s acclaimed book of the same name, Yo, Vikings! is the mini-saga of 10-year-old Emma Katz, the fiercest Viking in Swarthmore, PA, and her quest for real adventure. Yo, Vikings! combines sweeping melodies, thrilling Viking chants, and funky rock ‘n’ roll with a beautiful, heart-warming story to engage and excite every member of the family.

You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown by Charles M. Schulz, Clark Gesner, Michael Mayer and Andrew Lippa
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 2f, 4m +Ensemble)
Happiness is great musical theatre! With charm, wit, and heart, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown explores life through the eyes of Charlie Brown and his friends in the Peanuts gang. Note: You are not required to perform the entire show! You may, at your option, perform your choice of scenes from the show, provided that the total running time for your performance (without intermission) is no less than 45 minutes.

“I have a large group of talented actors for a non-musical.”

The Doctor in Wonderland by Don Zolidis
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 5f, 3m, 17 any gender)
Wonderland is no longer just in the mind of Alice. In Don Zolidis’ new parody, Dr. What and his companion, Cara, crash into Wonderland. When the two are separated they meet all the usual suspects, but mainly the Queen of Hearts, who is ready to chop off the heads of anyone who crosses her. It’s up to the time-traveling duo to escape and get their phone booth fixed before it’s off with their heads!

Emma and the Lost Unicorn by Trisha Sugarek
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 8f, 8m, 8 any gender)
Rainey the unicorn is a prince who has been banished to the forest for centuries by the warlock, Kodak. The prince can never return home unless someone solves more riddles than the warlock and discovers Kodak’s secret weakness. Emma, the earthling girl, befriends the shy unicorn and seeks a way to break the curse and return Rainey to his world.

A Fair Price by Colleen Neuman
(Short Play, Comedy / 17 any gender)
Winner, 2010 AATE Distinguished Play Award! A Fair Price is about three women who turn the tables on the greedy merchants who are cheating them. A lesson in ingenuity and teamwork, the play is a clever fable featuring a large cast and three dynamic leading female roles.

Henry, Episode IV: A New Hope by Don Zolidis
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 14f, 9m, 3 any gender)
Henry IV has a ton of problems. There’s a rebellion in the north, and his son, Hal, spends his time pretending to be a Jedi Knight and cosplaying with a group of idiots at the local Boar’s Head Cantina. Things come to a head when Henry discovers that Darth Hotspur is creating a super weapon of some kind (ye olde deathe starre), and Hal has decided to rescue a princess out of a local nunnery. Now Hal and his cosplaying friends will face their greatest challenge yet: the real world.

The Pirate Show by Mark Landon Smith
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 13f, 15m)
Swashbuckling pirates, sea battles, buried treasure and a pygmy or two make up the high seas adventure of The Pirate Show! ARG! In late 19th century London, Virginia and Nigel Huddersfield, orphaned brother and sister, are accidentally kidnapped, respectively, by the all-female crew of the Pretty Penelope and the all-male crew of El Bandido Loco. A family-oriented comedy, The Pirate Show is great fun for all!

A Play About A Dragon by Steph DeFerie
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 10f, 8m)
In the middle of the Middle Ages, Morton Montesque’s troupe of travelling players happily believe they’ve volunteered to perform their play about a dragon for King Stanley The Stern. Actually, they’ve volunteered to slay a real dragon! When they discover their mistake, it’s too late to back out – but how can they succeed where so many brave heroes have failed?

Puffs (One-Act for Young Wizards) by Matt Cox
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 5f, 5m, 1 any gender)
For seven years a certain boy wizard went to a certain Wizard School and conquered evil. This, however, is not his story. This is the story of the Puffs… who just happened to be there too. A tale for anyone who has never been destined to save the world. [Puffs is not authorized, sanctioned, licensed or endorsed by J.K Rowling, Warner Bros. or any person or company associated with the Harry Potter books, films or play.]

Tenderfella by Michael Liebo
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 18f, 13m, 9 any gender)
Tenderfella, a poetic and empathetic teen, is uncoordinated at every sport, making him an embarrassment to his family and a natural target for the school bully, Willard. All this changes when exasperated teen star Roxanne Janico arrives from Hollywood. The jaded young actress and the school outcast create unexpected magic. This modern-day retelling of the classic “Cinderella” will have the audience laughing and cheering for an unlikely hero.

“I have a performance linked to a holiday.”

Halloween:

The Great Grey Ghost of Old Spook Lane by Anne Phillips
(Full-Length Musical / 1m, 4 girls, 4 boys, 1 any gender)
The kids at school dare Roger, the new kid in town, to go into a haunted house. Roger learns that the elderly man who lives there was once a radio sound effects operator – and he still has his equipment in the basement. Together, they play a trick on the other kids. A play for young audiences about accepting new people and the limits to what you should do to be accepted.

The Witches by David Wood and Roald Dahl
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 6f, 4m)
In this faithful adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic story, Boy and his Grandmother defeat the Grand High Witch and her followers, who are holding a Conference in an English seaside hotel. The adaptation’s magic and sly humor will entertain audiences of all ages.

Twisted Tales Of Terror by Jeanine Harvey
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 21f, 16m)
In a spooky graveyard, Claudia, a Guardian of Dark Tales, retells famous horror stories – much to the delight of her lumpy husband, Igor. But the stories are all a bit different than we expect. Characters behave in unexpected ways and accidents occur, but all turns out well. Claudia’s tales are far more funny than scary, and all is resolved into a neat, happy ending (and an exciting, crowd-pleasing dance number!).

Christmas:

Christmas Carol High School by Mark Landon Smith and Charles Dickens
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 13f, 8m)
The classic story of A Christmas Carol is given a modern twist and set at West End High School, where the campus “Scrooge” is Meredith Priestly, the most beautiful, most popular, meanest, nastiest girl in school!

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 6f, 4m, 9 girls, 8 boys)
In this hilarious Christmas classic, a couple struggling to put on a church Christmas pageant is faced with casting the Herdman kids – probably the most inventively awful kids in history. You won’t believe the mayhem – and the fun – when the Herdmans collide with the Christmas story head on!

The Nutcracker by David Perkins and Jenifer Toksvig
(Full-Length Musical / 12 girls, 12 boys)
It’s Christmas: the best time of year for toys and stories. But all over the world, the magic of Make Believe is fading. Only the toys know the truth: the Queen and King of mouses have stolen the Christmas Star and used its magic to turn the Prince of Make Believe into a wooden Nutcracker. Can Clara and her brother Fritz bring the Nutcracker back to life, help him defeat the House of Mouse, and restore him to the throne? First, they must believe…

Ken Ludwig and Jack Ludwig’s Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 3f, 5m)
Tiny Tim is determined to have his father home for Christmas day even if it means teaching Ebenezer Scrooge a lesson in Christmas cheer! Adapted from the classic Charles Dickens’ novel, Tony award winner Ken Ludwig writes a heart-warming Christmas tale full of family fun!

“I have students who want to address bullying and other tween/teen issues.”

Bully No More! by Elaine Davida Sklar, Jon Gailmor and Danielle Davis
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 9 any gender, expandable casting)
Bully No More! explores the repercussions of bullying and celebrates the power of individuals to band together and stand up for what is right. With compelling characters and lively songs, the show empowers and inspires its audience to look out for one another, treat each other with kindness and respect, and “Hold Onto Hope” in an imperfect world.

Chicken Soup For The Soul Series by Various Authors
(Short Musical, Drama and Comedy / 8-12 actors)
The Chicken Soup For the Soul Musical Series is a growing collection of mini-musicals based on real stories with a positive message. Each story was selected from the Chicken Soup catalogue of over 25,000 stories and written specifically for teens by an award winning creative team. Titles in the series include The Island Club, The New Girl and Who I Want to Be.

Homeroom The Musical by Andrea Green and Selma Tolins Kaufman
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 8f, 6m)
In a high school homeroom, teens come together to share their feelings regarding relationships, academic success and failure and the significance of secrets, lies, loss and lockers. Their individual stories weave together a musical that addresses themes of understanding, acceptance, independence and responsibility. Homeroom is a microcosm of life.

Mashed Potatoes and Davey by Megan Orr
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 2f, 2m, 5 girls, 5 boys)
This year, in a stroke of good will, Mr. Masterson invites bus kid Davey Bryant over for Thanksgiving dinner. The Masterson kids are appalled; Davey, the biggest bully the kids at Faith Baptist Church have ever seen, is coming to eat at their house!

Middle Class and Middle Class, Too by Brad C. Slaight
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 15 any gender)
Middle Class and Middle Class, Too explore the tribulations of young people in a modern middle school. Incorporating an ensemble of players taking on numerous roles, the plays offer insight (often humorous, often poignant) into the issues facing young people during the complex transition from grade school to high school, including questions of identity, personal relations, status, expectations and competitiveness.

Noodle Doodle Box by Anita Page, Alex Page and Paul Maar
(Short Play / 3f, 3m)
This easily produced, assembly-length play offers an engaging lesson in learning to share and to live together. Pepper and Zacharias are two clowns. They each possess a box/house/space – a private space which each refuses to share with the other. A pompous, overbearing Drum Major uses Pepper’s and Zacharias’s competitive natures to pit them against each other so that he can steal their boxes. However, they magically acquire one new box, which they learn to share and enjoy together. An important children’s work, but more importantly, a delightful, entertaining play.

The Return of Halley’s Comet by Andrea Green
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 15 girls, 15 boys)
Take a journey through time with this touching musical. In the year 1910, in the town of Centuryville, a friendship was born between non-verbal, bizarre-looking aliens, “Halien” beings, and a young girl, Jenny Pontillo. Seventy-five years later, the Haliens return, looking for their friend. 

“I have a curriculum that requires shows based in literature.”

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Charles George
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 6f, 6m)
Adapted from Mark Twain’s classic, here is the quintessential tribute to American youth, its imagination and its ingenuity, embodied in the person of one Tom Sawyer. From the whitewashing of the fence to the rescue of Becky Thatcher, this is a masterful and enjoyable adaptation that is sure to please your cast and audience alike.

Anne Of Green Gables by Norman Campbell, Donald Harron and L.M. Montgomery
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 17f, 12m)
Precocious and imaginative Anne captures the hearts and minds of a small farming community – and her newfound family – with pluck and personality. This original, glorious adaptation – now firmly embedded in Canadian national culture and musical theatre canon – continues to enrapture audiences across the world with its rich score and a rare, affecting story for all ages.

Big Nate by Jason Loewith, Lincoln Peirce and Christopher Youstra
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 3f, 4m)
Based on the bestselling books! Nate Wright, a detention-riddled sixth grader (and drummer for the greatest garage band in the history of the galaxy, Enslave the Mollusk!) hopes to capture beautiful Jenny’s heart by winning “The Nicholodeon,” the first prize in his school’s Battle of the Bands. But when Artur and Jenny team up with Nate’s arch-rival Gina to form the sap-pop band Rainbows and Ponies, Nate has to take his game to an all-star level.

Big River by Roger Miller, William Hauptman and Mark Twain
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 3f, 5m)
With the support of over 100 consensus organizers (individuals and organizations serving the Black community), this revision of Broadway’s Tony-winning musical will lift your spirit. The small-cast, hour-long version of Mark Twain’s celebrated novel has removed offensive language and expanded the role of Jim, now the same age as Huck. Twain’s classic sweeps audiences down the mighty Mississippi as the irrepressible Huck Finn helps his friend Jim, an enslaved teen, escape to freedom.

Bridge To Terabithia by Steve Liebman, Katherine Paterson and Stephanie S. Tolan
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 3f, 1m, 5 girls, 4 boys, 3 any gender)
This powerful adaptation, supported by a lyrical score, focuses the humor, warmth and emotional intensity of Katherine Paterson’s Newbery Award-winning novel. In rural Virginia, Jesse and Leslie create Terabithia, a fantasy kingdom where they are safe from those who don’t understand them. When tragedy strikes, the strength gained in Terabithia takes Jesse forward and lets him share the magic of his dreams.

Caddie Woodlawn by Tom Shelton and Susan C. Hunter
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 8f, 7m, 10 girls, 3 boys, 6 any gender)
Carol Ryrie Brink’s Newbery Award-winning novel is brought to exuberant life as a musical. Caddie – the iconic, high-spirited Wisconsin pioneer girl beloved by generations of readers – learns invaluable lessons about reconciling the headstrong child she has been and the responsible adult she is soon to become.

Fantastic Mr. Fox by David Wood and Roald Dahl
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 2f, 5m)
Roald Dahl’s much-loved story follows the vain attempts of three farmers, Boggis, Bunce and Bean (one fat, one short, one lean), to get rid of the fox who regularly steals food from their farms. They try to kill him by any means possible, but they are outwitted at every turn. Fantastic Mr. Fox devises a plan ensuring full stomachs for his family and friends, who all celebrate with a sumptuous feast.

James and the Giant Peach by David Wood and Roald Dahl
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 2f, 4m)
Roald Dahl’s classic tale is brought to life with live action, puppetry and storytelling in David Wood’s masterful adaptation. Narrated by James and the insect characters (Miss Spider, Old-Green-Grasshopper, Centipede, Ladybird and Earthworm), the play begins at the end of the story, when James and his friends are living in the giant peach stone in Central Park, New York. A tour guide brings a party of tourists (the audience) to see this major attraction, and James and his friends tell the beguiling story of how they journeyed to the big city.

Peter Pan, A Musical Adventure by Willis Hall, George Stiles and Anthony Drewe
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 5f, 15m, 2 any gender)
The legend of Peter Pan has been delighting children for over 100 years and this faithful new version is a festive adventure, perfect for the whole family. Featuring music and lyrics by the award-winning duo George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, this stage adaptation follows Peter and the Darling family as they are whisked away to the famous land of the Lost Boys, Tinker Bell and the dastardly Captain Hook.

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster and Susan Nanus
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 19 any gender)
This stage adaptation of the bestselling novel follows Milo’s adventures in the Land of Wisdom, where he’s forced to think about many new things. Milo learns of the argument between King Azaz and his brother, the Mathemagician, whose disagreement over words and numbers has led to the banishment of Princesses Sweet Rhyme and Pure Reason. Milo is dispatched to rescue the princesses from the Land of Ignorance. Armed with the knowledge and skills he picks up on his journey, Milo rescues the princesses and saves the Land of Wisdom.

The Secret Garden: Spring Version by Marsha Norman, Lucy Simon and Frances Hodgson Burnett
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 7f, 8m, 1 girl, 1 boy +Ensemble)
The long-awaited new 70-minute version of the beloved musical The Secret Garden is as beautiful and spirited as the original in just half the time. Orphaned in India, 11-year-old Mary Lennox returns to Yorkshire to live with her embittered, reclusive uncle Archibald and his son Colin. The estate’s many wonders include a magic garden which beckons the children with haunting melodies and the “Dreamers,” spirits from Mary’s past who guide her through her new
life.

“I have a young audience that responds well to fairy tales or fables.”

Aesop’s (Oh So Slightly) Updated Fables by Kim Esop-Wylie
(Short Play, Comedy / 8 any gender)
This short play, performed for and with kids, weaves five of Aesop’s most famous fables into a show that’s fun, fast-paced, and full of surprises. Contains The Dog and the Bone; The Tortoise and the Hare; The Lion and the Mouse; The Fox and the Grapes; The Miller, His Son And the Donkey; and The Country Maid.

The (Almost) Totally True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Steph DeFerie
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 10 girls, 4 boys, 10 any gender)
A great fun twist on the familiar, favorite tale! Fairy godmother Streptococcus welcomes a well-behaved pair of kiddies in the audience to help her tell Hansel and Gretel’s familiar tale. Since there are lots of parts, everyone gets a role and a single forest set is all that’s needed for this easily produced 60-minute show.

The Ants and the Grasshoppers by Roz Mihalko and Donna Swift
(Short Musical, Comedy / 1 girl, 24 any gender)
With memorable characters, side-splitting silliness and toe-tapping tunes, this Greek musical comedy is the perfect show for any season! When those goof-off grasshoppers arrive in Ancient Greece, the ants discover all the forbidden fun they’ve been missing, but when Winter arrives, the Queen leaves those good-for-nothing grasshoppers out in the cold and now it’s up to Eddie, the Queen’s son, to lead a search party and save the colony.

Beanstalk! The Play by Roz Mihalko and Donna Swift
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 3f, 3m, 10 any gender)
This fun family show follows the adventures of Jack, a young boy with his head in the clouds and his nose in a book of fairy tales. When the magic beans Jack trades for the family cow grow into a gigantic beanstalk, Jack finally gets the chance to have a fairy tale adventure of his very own.

Fairy Tale Courtroom by Dana Proulx
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 4f, 2m, 21 any gender)
This extremely adaptable comedy shows the other side of several familiar fairy tales, when two of their biggest villains, the Big Bad Wolf and the Wicked Witch, are brought to trial. Snow White, Dorothy, Sleeping Beauty, the Three Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood and many others testify as each trial unfolds. The audience is the jury, so each trial has two endings, depending on the verdict. The trials can be performed separately, with a few small cuts, for a running time of approximately 30 minutes each, or together with no cuts for a running time of around 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Just So by Jan Silverman
(Full-Length Play / 6 any gender)
Playwright Jan Silverman adapts the beloved Just So Stories of Rudyard Kipling into a strikingly imaginative stage play that can be performed for and by young theatre lovers. Through favorite tales such as “How the Camel Got His Hump,” “How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin,” “The Elephant’s Child” and “The Cat That Walked by Himself”, Silverman playfully captures Kipling’s fascination with legends, the nature of man, and the way things became the way they are today.

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For more great plays and musicals, visit ConcordTheatricals.com or check out our collection of Youth & Teen Editions!

Header Image: 2015 Pebblebrook High School Production of Samantha Spade, Ace Detective (Courtesy of Frank Zimmerman)