Cleared for Takeoff

Cleared for Takeoff runs the whole arc of a flight, from the bustle of check-in and the wait at the gate to the lift of wheels leaving the ground and the world shrinking below. It's a fun, high-energy travelogue with a wink in it, the airport chaos, the boarding rush, even the snack cart, all played for the joy of going somewhere. Underneath the fun there's a departure metaphor that makes it a natural senior show: the moment you leave the ground you knew for somewhere new.

A State Champion production, it's a crowd-pleaser with a track record. The medium-advanced writing suits a solid mid-size program, and the concept reads instantly from the stands.

The music:

• Come Fly With Me (Frank Sinatra)
• One Day I'll Fly Away (Randy Crawford)

This show is rated Medium-Advanced, which lines up with a concert grade of roughly 2.5 to 4.5. That's an approximation. A featured soloist or small ensemble moment can sit toward the top of that range, while full ensemble sections built around visual impact stay lighter on the musical demand.

The rating leans almost entirely on rhythmic and technical difficulty. Keys and meters are chosen to stay band-friendly and to line up with the phrasing the drill needs, and instrument ranges sit inside the grade window rather than pushing its edges.

Permissions to arrange required for both selections.