MICHAEL JACKSON

Studied Theatre Arts at the Western Stage of Hartnell College and CSU, Sacramento. Worked in various capacities for the California Musical Theatre between 1989 and 2000: Assistant to the Director on 16 productions, Subscriber Services Manager, developed and taught programs for the Theatre Education Project. Directed 20 productions in Northern California and served as Artistic Director for the Lambda Players from 1996-2000. Moved to New York in 2000 and co-founded the Firsthand Theatre Project, working as Director and Playwright. Directing projects include: STUDENT PRINCE, DEAREST ENEMY, GENESIS: 7 BREAKTHROUGH PLAYS, SCREWUPS, A TASTE OF HEAVEN, REVOLUTION, many staged readings. Assisted John Rando on PAJAMA GAME at New York City Center, Encores. Adapted PIRATES OF PENZANCE for Broadway Junior. Have been with MTI since August 2000.

Questions & Answers

By Michael Jackson

April 23, 2010

Introduce students to Sondheim with SATURDAY NIGHT

Sondheim musicals can be too challenging and even too adult for high school productions, but a great show for high schools is Sondheim's SATURDAY NIGHT. It is unusually tuneful and much easier to learn and perform well than most other Sondheim shows. All the characters are aged 16 - 24, so the story is not far from students' experiences. There are more than the usual good roles for women in the show and the chorus can be large or as small as 6 people, depending on your needs. The show takes place in 1929, just before the Stock Market Crash, and as each character prepares to take their next big step in life. There is a nice combination of the sweetness of life mixed with hard realities, and how the devotion of friends helps you through challenging times. Take a look at it.

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