Choosing the right show for your ensemble is one of the most vital steps in determining how successful and smooth your season goes. Students, staff, and parents are going to invest a HUGE amount of time into the show you choose, so it’s not a decision that should be made lightly. This week we’re breaking down a few things to consider when choosing an indoor show for your group.

Pick a show that fits your students
Choose a show that is too hard and you won’t sound, look good, your students will feel defeated, and you’ll have minimal competitive success. Too easy and your season will stagnate and become boring while limiting growth. Find that perfect middle ground that does it all. Another point to keep in mind is to gauge the interests of your students. What style of show would they be comfortable portraying? By all means, push your students to new heights and open them to growth, but you also want them to enjoy themselves throughout the season.

Keep the dollar signs in mind $$$
This one is pretty straightforward: if you have a very small budget for props, don’t choose a show that requires a huge, expensive, elaborate set to pull off. Some shows can work really well with minimal or no props. Others are more effective with large immersive sets and props. Keep the dollar signs in mind before becoming enamored by a particular show that may break the bank.

Consider your timeline
Consider how much time you will have to put the show together. Picking a really difficult show with a ton of props that need to be constructed will take a lot more time than a more simple straightforward show. It’s important to factor that in at the beginning so you don’t get in over your head and run out of time. That’s another reason we suggest getting started early.

Have variety
It’s a good idea to mix it up with your ensemble from year to year. If you crank out the exact same style of show every year, that may get old to your performers, your audiences, and your staff. While generally a “safe bet,” you may benefit from choosing growth over what has worked in the past and discover a completely new path your ensemble could take and still be very successful.

Consider your ensemble’s “identity”
This is a natural follow up to the previous point, because developing an identity for your ensemble can be a really good thing for many ensembles. While this suggests doing the same style of show every year, the important thing to remember is that you can keep your ensemble’s identity intact while still changing it up if you are deliberate in the “how” of what you do. For example, if your ensemble is really comfortable telling stories and you’d like to continue doing so, you can make sure the mood of the story has variety from year to year.