NSFW: What’s the point of high schools performing a PG rated version of “A Chorus Line”?

I would say its the same as making PG-14 South Park episodes, and Middle East countries showing the Simpson’s with root beer than normal beer. Getting more likes to more groups.

What is the point? So high school students can have fun performing and learning the music of a classic musical and parents and teachers can enjoy it. And the bottom line is that some of the language isn’t age appropriate for younger viewers.

It sounds cringey and like they don’t understand the point of the musical.

@Caravanfan Right, because high school life is nothing but roses and rainbows and no one ever deals with any of those topics.

Maybe they should try Spring Awakening. :P

15 year old kids use worse swear words than in A Chorus Line. And if kids get to learn about semen, ejaculation, oral sex, anal sex, condoms, etc in health class, I’m pretty sure A Chorus Line is age appropriate for highschoolers.

@Demosthenes You are underestimating high school students. It’s not that they don’t understand the musical. It’s just that the school administration doesn’t want students singing “Tits and ass…” and saying “shit” in front of their 7 year old siblings.

If people object to the watered down version, they should stay home. I saw a watered down version at my daughter’s high school and I quite enjoyed it.

Things have really gone backwards. When I was in High School (1969–73) my school put on the musical Hair. The only part that they weren’t allowed to do was the nudity. But the subject matter (anti-war) and the language (some F word, lots of damns, etc.) wasn’t censored.

In some ways, the US has become infantalized.

Context: Big city in the midwest. High school = about 2900 students , grades 9–12. Suburb was about Jewish and highly educated.

@Caravanfan Not knowing much about this, I can only assume what the “watered-down” version is. It’s one thing to simply omit swear words, but the description in the OP makes it sound like entire topics are being removed from the musical, i.e. homosexuality, which is the subject of one of the songs. That’s not the same as simply bleeping some words, it’s completely undermining the musical’s subject matter.

Anyway, that’s just my opinion. I’m a bit of a purist. If you’re not willing to perform this musical the way it’s intended, choose something else.

(I also attended high school in a liberal area where this kind of thing doesn’t faze people. They did “Putnam County Spelling Bee” at my school which includes a song about unwanted erections).

@Demosthenes I think there is a standard version of the musical that is available for high school students. The version @rockfan is objecting to is probably the same version I saw. As someone who has seen A Chorus Line about 10 times, and have the songs practically memorized I have to say that the changes were a bit jarring, but honestly, it was fine once I got used to it.

I’m fine with it. They get to dance and sing, and can still perform the basic gist of the show.

I’m against changing language in books, but I have no problem with changing the language in a performance like this for age appropriateness.

On a side note: A Chorus Line was one of my least favorite musicals I’ve seen, and I saw it as a very young teen on Broadway.

I think some of you might be forgetting that younger siblings will be attending. It’s not just the students performing, the audience is being taken into consideration also by the school. That’s what I assume anyway.

Funny how tastes are. Chorus Line is my second favorite. Pump Poys and Dinettes is my favorite.

@Caravanfan Maybe if I saw it again now as an older adult I would appreciate it more. I didn’t like Chicago much either, and so many people love it.

This is one of my favorite Broadway shows. I saw the original (not the original cast as it ran a long time there). I saw it when I was 12. I didn’t totally get everything at that age, but enough that it mattered. Are you telling me that Paul’s entire role is cut out as the troubled gay man?
Do they cut out Val’s song entire?

I can’t imagine this watered down. A Chorus Line with out all the above is not A Chorus Line. Sure you can do a watered down version, but it would be a totally different show. And if you want a totally different show, pick one.

The only line that mentions his homosexuality is vaguely mentioning that he’s “different”.

No cussing? I can just see it now “shoot Richie, shoot Richie”.. LOL

They even change gonarrhea to “social disease”. And smoking to “coffee break”.

@Ok, see that’s just stupid.

What’s next? “The Book of Mornon”?

This is not about you. It’s about high school students learning singing and dancing skills and then performing them. That is all.

@Caravanfan There are a ton of shows that are classics that involve both singing and dancing and don’t have to be torn to shreds.

@rockfan Ugh, that sounds vomit-inducing. I’d skip that one. Maybe they should make a “family values” version of Urinetown.

@anniereborn Yup, plenty of other options. In fact, I don’t think my school ever did A Chorus Line, at least not when I was there. I saw most of the shows. Cabaret was a fun one.

@anniereborn Correct. But they chose to do that one. Big deal.

You all need to lighten up. These are just children performing on stage for their parents and teachers.