What musical makes you sing? Cast your vote in Hudson Valley Musical Madness Tournament
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A March Madness tournament set to show tunes? Why not? Why should the jocks have all the fun?
We looked at all the musicals that are on high school stages across the Lower Hudson Valley this season and made a bracket.
Our tournament committee — OK, it was a troika — deliberated long and hard at the City Limits Diner in White Plains last month, poring over the musical titles while drinking nothing stronger than milkshakes. We then ranked each one, without regard to which school was doing which show.
“The Producers” isn’t here. “Urinetown”? You’re out. Those musicals aren’t being staged by any high school we’ve heard from in Rockland, Westchester or Putnam counties this season.
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Around that paper-strewn diner table, long-held biases and fandoms were exposed and embraced as we created seeds, employing a flimsy and wavering but defensible metric. We had fun with it. And, just like any seeding process for any tournament, that metric will be judged by social media to be flimsy, wavering and indefensible.
When things got heated around that table — which is more than half the fun — we sipped our milkshakes, and that seemed to help. We slotted the 37 musicals into 36 slots.
The tournament kicks off this week, with four play-in matchups to determine the No. 8 seed in each of the four regions: Rodgers, Sondheim, Menken, Miranda. Remember: This is about the musicals, not about the schools that are producing them. The winners will join the Big Tournament when it gets under way next week.
Voting is open from 5 a.m. Tuesday to 8 p.m. Thursday. You can vote once. (Sorry, Russian bots, no extra votes for “Anastasia” when it joins the bracket.) Each week, the polls will be updated and you’ll watch your favorite shows fall or advance. If you’re a huge fan of one of this week’s shows, spread the word!
(If the poll does not immediately load, refresh the page. The poll generally loads better on desktops and laptops rather than on mobile devices. Also, avoid using the Firefox browser.)
Without further ado, here — region by region — is the play-in round for our inaugural Musical Madness Tournament, and what comes next.
RODGERS REGION
PLAY-IN: 'Love's Labour's'/'Twelfth Night' vs. 'The Addams Family'
In the Rodgers Region, the play-in game pits Shakespeare (“Love’s Labour’s Lost”/“Twelfth Night") against Gomez and Morticia ("The Addams Family"). The winner faces Sondheim's "Into the Woods" next week.
We combined two bard-based musicals. “Love's Labour's Lost” has a king and his pals swearing off women, right before four smart and adorable women arrive on the scene. “Twelfth Night” has a shipwreck, cross-dressing and mistaken identity. Pro: LLL has “The Tuba Song.” “Twelfth Night” has “Play On.” Con: Bard-haters, beware. (“Love’s Labour’s” at New Rochelle, March 23-25. “Twelfth Night” at Clarkstown North, March 16-18.)
They go up against one of the season’s most popular titles, "The Addams Family." Charles Addams’ characters fill the stage and the cemetery with all-together cookieness. Pro: Opening song, “When You’re an Addams.” Cons: “Crazier Than You” and “Not Today.” (Rye Country Day started the Addams cavalcade, Feb. 10-11; Westlake, March 17-19; 24-25; Fox Lane, April 21-23; Pearl River, April 21-22.)
Next week's Rodgers matchups
When the play-in matchup is decided, the full bracket kicks off next week, with these musicals facing off.
No. 1. “Into the Woods” vs. No 8. Play-in Winner (“Love’s Labour’s Lost/Twelfth Night” or “The Addams Family”)
No. 2. “Mean Girls” vs. No. 7. “High School Musical”
No. 3. “The Little Mermaid” vs. No. 6. “Chicago: Teen Edition”
No. 4. “Anastasia” vs. No. 5. “Bye Bye Birdie”
MIRANDA REGION
PLAY-IN: 'Zombie Prom' vs. '9 to 5'
The Miranda Region play-in has a suicidal teen zombie ("Zombie Prom") up against three ladies with the worst boss ever ("9 to 5"). This week's winner squares off against silly knights in "Spamalot" next week.
“Zombie Prom” is high school with a zombie and a nuclear accident. A friend of the committee calls it “Sort of ‘Grease’ with a touch of ‘duck and cover.’” (If you know, you know.) Pro: Quirky and irreverent. Con: That suicide, though. (At The Masters School, Feb. 23-25.) In "9 to 5," they've had enough and they’re not going to take it anymore. Pro: That title song. Con: All the others. (Catch it at John Jay, March 23-25.)
Next week's Miranda matchups
When the play-in matchup is decided, the full bracket kicks off next week, with these musicals facing off.
No. 1. “Spamalot” vs. No. 8. Play-in Winner (“Zombie Prom” or “9 to 5”)
No. 2. “Jersey Boys” vs. No. 7. “Oklahoma”
No. 3. “In the Heights” vs. No. 6. “Footloose”
No. 4. “Shrek” vs. No. 5. “Kiss Me, Kate”
MENKEN REGION
PLAY-IN: 'James and the Giant Peach' vs. 'Fame'
In the Menken Region, the play-in has "James and the Giant Peach" going up against "Fame." The winner goes up against "Something Rotten!" next week.
"James and the Giant Peach" is Roald Dahl, minus Matilda, with music by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Pros: Dahl. Cons: The threat of British accents. (At Brewster, March 24-26.) "Fame" is another high school on stage, and it’s gonna live forever. The title song won an Oscar. Pro: Kids playing kids, leg warmers. Con: Reliving high school years, even those spent at a famous arts school. (At Woodlands, March 17-19.)
Next week's Menken matchups
No. 1. “Something Rotten!” vs. No. 8. Play-in Winner (“James and the Giant Peach” or “Fame”)
No. 2. “Hello, Dolly!” vs. No. 7. “The Wiz”
No. 3. “Legally Blonde” vs. No. 6. “Freaky Friday”
No. 4. “Matilda” vs. No. 5. “The Lightning Thief”
SONDHEIM REGION
PLAY-IN: 'Grease' vs. 'Bat Boy'
In the Sondheim Region, the play-in has “Grease” taking on “Bat Boy” for the honor of facing off against "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" next week.
“Grease” has fast cars and Pink Ladies. Tell us more, tell us more. Pro: Born to hand jive, baby. Con: Does Sandy really have to change to get her man? (At Clarkstown South, March 24-26.)
“Bat Boy” is an American horror musical with a rock score is based on a Weekly World News story about a half-boy, half-bat. Pro: Offbeat, quirky, rare. Con: Rare, quirky, offbeat. (At Pelham, March 24-26.)
Next week's Sondheim matchups
No. 1. “How to Succeed…” vs. No. 8. Play-in Winner (“Grease” or “Bat Boy”)
No. 2. “Little Shop of Horrors” vs. No. 7. “Once Upon a Mattress”
No. 3. “Beauty & the Beast” vs. No. 6. “The Wedding Singer”
No. 4. “Cinderella ” vs. No. 5. “Mamma Mia!”
This article originally appeared on New York State Team: Vote for your favorite in the Hudson Valley Musical Madness Tournament
