The youth musical "The Upstanders" was originally commissioned and produced at Highlands Elementary in Edina, Minnesota to highlight the bullying awareness “Upstanders” curriculum used in the classrooms at Highlands, as well as to meet a need for diverse and inclusive casting options amid limited technical means.
Since its production (viewable via Youtube link below), professional full rock-band recordings of instrumental “performance” tracks and vocal “practice” tracks have been produced (available via Soundcloud below), and sample pages of the Scores (piano/vocal/chord) and Book are also available further down on this webpage.
This youth musical was written to appeal to audiences of all ages, and is currently available for further productions via Leicester Bay Theatricals. For further questions feel free to contact me through this website or through social media.
Cast: 4 M, 9 F, 17 flexible, opt. extras (Doubling: 2 M, 1 F, 12 flex) Performance Time: Approximately 35 minutes.
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SYNOPSIS - Bullying comes in many flavors. Kids can lie, steal, and intimidate, make others feel bad about not fitting in, or for being who they “shouldn’t” be. They can even bully by getting revenge for being bullied in the first place. Fortunately, there are just as many ways to stand up to bullying, to be an “Upstander,” and the kids at Highlands School may find it within themselves to stand up in the face of these all too familiar pickles. And, with a little empathy, they may even find ways to Upstand for the bullies themselves. This easy to stage musical is perfect for 4th-8th grade thespians. Features 7 original songs.
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Highlands Elementary Performance
Featured scenes at 6:40, 15:40, 18:05, 26:57
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The Upstanders Demo Tracks
