By: John Jacobson & John Higgins
Link to Purchase: https://www.halleonard.com/product-family/PC15481/circus-circus-musical
Run Time: 20 minutes
Appropriate for:
___Kindergarten
___1st Gr.
✅2nd Gr.
✅3rd Gr.
✅4th Gr.
___5th Gr.
___6th Gr.
Number of songs: 5 plus a reprise of the first tune
Number of Solos: 4 melodic and 2 rhythmic
___Unison
✅ 2 Part (Independent)
___2 Part (Harmonizing)
___3 Part (Independent)
✅ 3 Part (Harmonizing)
___ 4 Part (Independent)
___4 Part (Harmonizing)
✅ Performance Track Available
✅ Accompaniment Track Available
___ Singer Scores Available
✅ Choreography Included
Script:
✅ Rhyming Dialog
____Non-Rhyming Dialog (easy)
____Non-Rhyming Dialog (medium difficulty)
____Non-Rhyming Dialog (hard)
Circus, Circus is one of my all-time favorite musicals to direct! It requires LOTS of sequencing to make sure everyone does their “thing” at the correct point in the HIGH ENERGY songs. The message it sends about encouraging others makes me tear up EVERY time I’ve directed it…which has been three times!
Suggestions for success:
- Don’t do this show unless you have a stage. I’d love to say it will work on a gym floor with the audience set around, but there is SOOOO much that happens! Audience members won’t be able to see the tumbling and clown antics if it’s not elevated in some fashion.
- GET THE GYMNASTIC MATS from your PE guy/gal for EVERY rehearsal in the music room and on the stage.
- Give students the jobs of assembling and disassembling the mats. Practice EVERY time (music room and stage).
- Make sure you have, at a MINIMUM, six students to showcase for the two feature songs: Clowns and Lions
- Also…for your sanity, assign all of them in ONE class, don’t spread over to other classes. It will save time rehearsing the sequences…you only have to do it ONCE a day instead of 2-5 times with each subsequent class!
- Before assigning parts, quiz each class, who has: a clown costume, a wrestling singlet, gymnastic abilities (even test them), animal print clothing, etc.
- Have some students assigned to “clean-up” detail…when you practice the clown song, they are responsible for sweeping it up and dumping in trash can.
- ALWAYS….ALWAYS…I’ll say it again..ALWAYS have backup soloists in EVERY class. It helps the students know what’s going to happen vocally AND you’ve got someone to fill in during mass rehearsals or the day of the show.
Scenery: Honestly, I just used red and white butcher paper that I cut lengthwise in half and alternated hanging white and red for the backdrop. For the front of the stage, I purchased and hung 3” wide crepe paper ribbon (have the prom committee share their vendor for this!) from the floor to the curtain valance…again alternating red and white. Then I tied them back at the sides, to create the illusion of a circus tent opening. In the VERY Middle of the valance, about 9 foot worth, I just hung short lengths of the 3” crepe paper….I always thought it looked sort of like bangs framing a face. The stage ALWAYS looked FANTASTIC, and the audience was SUPER impressed!
Props:
- Kazoos…The whole group doesn’t HAVE to use them, you can have a small group of kids be a “marching band” and walk around in order. I borrowed marching band hats from the high school to make them feel and look SUPER legit!
- Fake Barbells (2): I used a long wrapping paper tube covered in black butcher paper…Then I blew up two large balloons for the weights. I attached them through the tube with paperclips and then rubber bands. Finally, I wrote with “white out” 1000 on each barbell end.
- Fake Flame for swallowing: I purchased some orange cotton candy sugar, borrowed a cotton candy machine and fashioned cotton candy flames for the fire swallower. Word of caution: Don’t make the day ahead, they will be nothing but sugar for show day. Also, you’ve got to practice this swallowing with the student who’s going to do this job.
- (optional): Hula Hoops, ribbon streamer wands, etc: for the gymnastic opener and/or the clown feature…the more going on, the better!
- Bucket with confetti in it: for the clown feature!
- Whistles (2) for a clown battle
Costumes: There’s quite a few!….but AGAIN, it’s worth it!
- Clowns
- Lions:
- Ringmaster hats: NEED ONE
- Elephants: 2 minimum
- Tightrope walker
- Marching Band (Optional)
- Mouse
- Flame swallower
- Lion Tamer: Any kind of animal print clothing
- Strong men: wrestling singlets with a t-shirt underneath
Individual Song Information/Suggestions:
When the Circus Comes to Town: HIGH energy opener. I featured tumblers (with gymnastic mats, of course) in the accompaniment introduction. Things are happening literally EVERYWHERE on the stage…ALL AT ONCE! It ends with 3-pt harmonic optional ending chord.
Who Wants to Be the Ringmaster?: Will require three good soloists! The director’s score indicates that six more soloists can sing minor parts. Personally, for ease of flow and transitions, I just split them between the three that were already featured on the verses.
The “Mane” Event: Features the LIONS of course! Also features two rhythmic soloists who can project and personify the LION attitude. Even though this is the LION feature, I had everyone sing the whole song, except the soloist parts. The chorus joined choreography on….obviously the CHORUS!
Clowning Around: Crazy, CRAZY feature for the clowns! Think “Keystone Kops.” There’s soooo much going on (hula hooping, attempted juggling, whistle blowing, tumbling, etc.) that the audience won’t know where to watch next! I utilized the gymnastic mats again for this one! This is the hardest song to figure out the timing, plan on devoting some time to it!
Sad Clown: Will require ANOTHER fantastic soloist who doesn’t struggle at matching pitch. He will be in the clown feature AND this one!
Reprise: When the Circus Comes to Town: Similar to the beginning, just not as long. I did NOT have students tumble on the stage for the Reprise.
Adaptations I made to the script:
#12 was changed to Ring Master #3
#13 was changed to Ring Master #2
If you’ve directed this musical, PLEASE feel free to share any thoughts and adaptations you did. We’d all love to hear how you made it your own!
I’d also love to include YOUR CRITIQUE of any musical that you found to be successful or NOT successful! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScNHxH3wAo98Hu4jFsKbBM2lUYgqnVXLRUo7HcgZTQz1U7-jQ/viewform
Sounds Like Fun 