Every musical that is produced by a high school theatre department can be classified into one of three categories: Princess, Classic, or Contemporary. Each has its own distinctive markers that make it easy to classify shows into them. Learn about the three types of high school musicals and the appeal of each for your high school theatre program.

---

The Princess Show

These are the shows that audiences will flock to in droves. Princess shows that’ stories are recognizable. Princess shows are fairly family-friendly. Princess shows sell tickets. They have a reach beyond the school community, and might draw people from nearby towns who are looking for something fun to do with their kids one night. To be clear: a Princess show is NOT just a Disney show, although most Disney shows are princess shows. A Princess show will utilize a big cast, often with a lot of fun supporting roles, but there are usually only one or two main characters that really drive the story. There is always a moral or a lesson to be learned, and goodwill will always triumph in the end. Some unconventional Princess shows that don’t actually feature a princess include Newsies, Mary Poppins, and Annie.

The Classics

 A lot of Classics (but not all!) come from the Golden Age of musical theatre in the 40s and 50s, written and produced by names that have since become almost synonymous with musical theatre: Cole Porter, Lerner and Lowe, and Rodgers & Hammerstein. However, even more https://www.concordtheatricals.com/p/65755/kiss-me-kate-revised-1999recent composers, such as Stephen Sondheim, fall into this category. There are some that are incredibly popular, such as Guys & Dolls or Anything Goes, and there are others that are less conventional, such as The Pajama Game or Kiss Me, Kate. The Classics tend to be a bit formulaic, but that is not a bad thing! They often use large orchestras and a large chorus, which is showcased in one or more showstopping choreography numbers. Shows such as Fiddler on the Roof, Crazy For You, and The Music Man fall in this category. 

The Contemporaries

There are a few distinct markers that categorize a Contemporary show: it often has an ensemble cast that highlights multiple storylines, and it likely has minimal orchestral requirements. Contemporaries tend to be a little bit edgier and have a more modern feel, although they do not necessarily need to have been written recently. Often, the songs are well-suited to pop or rock-style voices. The content may come across slightly less family-friendly for conservative audiences than shows in the Princess or Classic categories. Some examples of Contemporaries include Hadestown, Ranked, Footloose, Xanadu, and The Addams Family. 

---

While it’s true that all high school musicals could fall into one of the above categories, there is also the possibility that a show could be more than one. Take Mamma Mia!: while it certainly has the feel of a Contemporary show, with it’s modern clothing and sometimes controversial storyline, it also has elements of a Princess Show, with the large inclusive casting and the community draw. Grease is Classic with Contemporary undertones. The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables are both Classics flavored with Princess, while Matilda the Musical is a Princess that leans Contemporary. Any director who finds themselves stuck in a pattern of shows can use these classifications and their combinations to expand their repertoire and design a season that best suits their students and community.