If you are doing a performance it should be the best you can possibly achieve, and rather like gardens, 'good ones are not made, by saying
oh, how lovely, and sitting in the shade'.
I agree with this - within the confines and aims of the particular show.
I've put on three big Christmas shows over the last two weeks - and yes I do take it extremely seriously because a) it's my career and I want to do it as well as I am capable of b) it's exhausting and requires massive amounts of work and long hours so it might as well be good and c) if the parents don't think it's good you can bet I and the head will both hear about it!
BUT - the three shows required different approaches and had very different aims.
Show 1 - full scale musical production with 7-9 year olds. All of years 3 and 4 involved (Year 3 in chorus, Year 4 with speaking parts). Drama and Music lessons spent working on it since Sept then the whole thing put together on stage in the final 2 weeks. It had to be extremely high quality for their age group because of the time/effort and where the bar was set. It should have been too difficult for them at their age and it was a chore at times but they all achieved it because we expected them to. I really believe that pushing children beyond what they are capable of results in them being able to do things that they and you didn't think they could.
Show 2 - infant nativity production for all classes in N, R, Y1 and Y2 - massive undertaking but pretty relaxed due to their age. We wanted and expected it to be good but also knew that lots would go wrong and that the parents would find it funny when they did (whereas with the Y3/4 show they would want to see a good show).
Show 3 - 4 class productions shown on a rolling programme with audience switching over so they only had to watch their child's production and not the whole evening. Much older children (Y7) but decent size speaking parts for every single child who wanted one, regardless of ability and only preparation in drama classes (no rehearsals) so scripts were on stage and the odd bit of direction was needed. Very much a workshop performance. Hugely informal, relaxed and not high quality AT ALL. But parents enjoyed it because it was very clearly billed as a presentation of work done in class and children who don't get big parts in the bigger shows had a good opportunity.
So, yes, I think it's important to take everything you work on seriously and produce it to the best standard possible - but that standard will vary hugely depending on the age and aptitude of the children and the time given over to rehearsals.
Next term I'm doing a huge Y6, Y7 and Y8 musical production and that will have to be outstanding because we get loads of time to rehearse, in and out of school, a professional set and professional sound and light equipment. So the head teacher and the parents really expect it to be amazing. Eek!
The other projects for next term will, by necessity, have to much ... er, less amazing! 