When I think back to the musicals my high school performed (back in the Dark Ages), I know our shows were nowhere near the caliber of 21st-century high school productions. And it's more than the fact that we only had two standing microphones to capture the sound of an entire cast. Today's shows are on a hugely escalated level than twenty-some years ago -- the voices, the acting, the dancing, the costumes, the orchestra, the sets and their changes, the lighting, the special effects, etc. etc. etc....  read more »