Students' shot at Fame is murder in the first degree

China's Central Academy of Drama has such notable alumni as Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi. New York's High School of Performing Arts, now known as Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, can point to Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Jennifer Aniston. It's only natural that students at the former school should play Class of 1984 of the latter in the musical Fame. If ever there was a vehicle for performing art students to hone their singing, dancing and acting skills, this movie-turned-stage musical is it.

I've been asked by talent agencies in Beijing: "We have a bunch of teenage boys or girls. We want to launch a musical for them. Can you recommend one?"

Let me see. The Sound of Music has eight kids, including the oldest daughter's boyfriend. But they are disparate in age and subordinate in action. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers has room for 14 youngsters, but it's a bit too American. I thought of others, too, but most musicals tend to concentrate on a handful of starring roles.