You may have read my previous thoughts on how difficult it is to get your feet, arms, legs, body, head etc to move the way that you want them to and project that effortless grace associated with the word dance. As our company started learning the fantastic 'Havana' number last night, it appeared that I may not be the only person who finds it a challenge.
As Rico, I don't appear in this particular dance number, which means that I had the joy of sitting there watching the others for a couple of hours as they tried to remember when to wiggle their hips from one side to the other and how far to tap their legs around for different counts and rhythms. Overall I will admit that the whole thing was hilarious to watch - as indeed it seemed to be for many of those taking part.
I am delighted that this show allows all of the Belper Musical Theatre company to take to the stage in some big dance numbers, showing off the many talents of all of us. We are ably supported by some amazingly professional dancers as well - I think that they will have the biggest feathers in the live show!
But for me, the abiding memory last night will be the wonderful facial expressions of our lovely ladies as they threw their hips to the wind and with wild abandon pulled seductive expressions and shimmied, shoulder shook and side stepped their way around the song. Well done to everyone - and I promise not to post the video I took in public!
However, if anyone wants to see what a couple of our male members were up to as they showed the ladies an alternative approach, you can have a look here:
Enjoy!
Thursday 8 December 2011
Tuesday 6 December 2011
Honk - a review
It's taken me long enough, but here at last is my personal review of the Belper Junior Musical Theatre production of Honk! I am sorry it wasn't here sooner.
Regardless of whether I review this as a parent of one of the cast members, a paying member of the audience, or a committee member of Belper Musical Theatre my overall reaction to the show is incredibly positive for a job well done.
The audience took their seats in the newly refurbished theatre hall at Belper School and there was an air of excitement and anticipation that this was going to be something special. The four piece band commenced their introduction and the curtains drew back to a simple but effective set, displaying five eggs, one of which was a little outsized compared to the others.
On strode Dominic Osin singing as Drake with confidence to welcome us to their particular backwater of England (for some bizarre reason referred to as a dockyard in the programme - note to self, read it more carefully next time!). He was rapidly joined by other leading members of the cast and the chorus, all of whom brought their own enthusiasm to this company focused show. Lucy Taylor, as Ida, brought warmth to her role and sang her songs with feeling and great clarity. And as Carys Lesley took to the stage as the cat, she gave a real mischevious angle to the part.
After a lovely duet with Katy Varney, who gave us a great little tap routine, four pairs of legs popped through the fencing as the eggs began to hatch. The four little ducklings who took to the stage acted out the necessary cuteness of their role before being taken off for a swim by Drake as Ida waited for the fifth and final egg to crack open.
The pre-reprise (is that really a word?) of Different echoed hauntingly across the audience, the top of the egg lifted off and we were blasted by a loud 'Honk!' as Ugly, played by Daniel Shaw, broke his way into the farmyard. After a highly comical 'Hold your head up high', which included a well received muscle stretching session prior to trying a dive, the mood of the show was set. Ugly was outstanding and acted constantly whenever he was on the stage, whether this was to the jeers and catcalls (probably should be duckcalls?) during 'Look at you', as the Cat prepared him for her dinner during 'You can play with your food', as he learnt alongside the wild geese in 'wildgoose chase' or in his tear jerking duet with Ida in the reprise of 'Hold your head up high'.
There were many great moments from other cast members - showing that this really was a performance made up from the sum of all its parts. Izzy Davidson was 'cracking' as Greylag and Molly Hewitt-Richardson showed her future potential as an air stewardess as she invited us to take to the skies in her role as Dot.
We returned to our seats after the interval and the treats continued. The whole cast once again shone as we found out how Drake had got on in Ida's absence before following Ida on her travels, accompanied by an entertaining visual display on the gauze.
Ugly met Penny, perfectly played by Holly Pridmore, and there were a couple of touching moments - despite potential embarrassment for this young team of actors. Myra Peacock brought the house down in her role as the Bullfrog, earning a well deserved round of applause as she hopped off the stage. Her comic timing was excellent and she clearly revelled in this part.
As the Cat lead Ugly away, Nicola Henshaw treated us to an enchanting solo in 'The Blizzard' before the set changed again to show two lumps of ice as Ida arrived on the scene again - her little son frozen to death.
The final moments here were well acted, suggesting real sadness at the potential loss of the little duckling and then joy all round as the swans returned and the whole farmyard was reunited again.
There were some issues with the sound and the visible presence of the cast behind the gauze was distracting at times, but these were minor compared to the professionalism of the show overall.
Elsewhere on our blog we've had the comment that a good show needs to have a great story line and songs that you'll be singing as you leave the theatre. Based on this performance, I'd add in that good delivery needs a cast who learn the songs well, deliver them with energy, accuracy and enthusiasm and who act with feeling. And for me Honk delivered all of this.
Well done to everyone involved.
One final note from me now, you can read the official NODA review of the performance on their website here: http://www.noda.org.uk/Regions/East-Midlands/Show-Reports-East-Midlands/districts/district-2/belper-junior-musical-theatre and see how much their representative enjoyed it too.
Regardless of whether I review this as a parent of one of the cast members, a paying member of the audience, or a committee member of Belper Musical Theatre my overall reaction to the show is incredibly positive for a job well done.
The audience took their seats in the newly refurbished theatre hall at Belper School and there was an air of excitement and anticipation that this was going to be something special. The four piece band commenced their introduction and the curtains drew back to a simple but effective set, displaying five eggs, one of which was a little outsized compared to the others.
On strode Dominic Osin singing as Drake with confidence to welcome us to their particular backwater of England (for some bizarre reason referred to as a dockyard in the programme - note to self, read it more carefully next time!). He was rapidly joined by other leading members of the cast and the chorus, all of whom brought their own enthusiasm to this company focused show. Lucy Taylor, as Ida, brought warmth to her role and sang her songs with feeling and great clarity. And as Carys Lesley took to the stage as the cat, she gave a real mischevious angle to the part.
After a lovely duet with Katy Varney, who gave us a great little tap routine, four pairs of legs popped through the fencing as the eggs began to hatch. The four little ducklings who took to the stage acted out the necessary cuteness of their role before being taken off for a swim by Drake as Ida waited for the fifth and final egg to crack open.
The pre-reprise (is that really a word?) of Different echoed hauntingly across the audience, the top of the egg lifted off and we were blasted by a loud 'Honk!' as Ugly, played by Daniel Shaw, broke his way into the farmyard. After a highly comical 'Hold your head up high', which included a well received muscle stretching session prior to trying a dive, the mood of the show was set. Ugly was outstanding and acted constantly whenever he was on the stage, whether this was to the jeers and catcalls (probably should be duckcalls?) during 'Look at you', as the Cat prepared him for her dinner during 'You can play with your food', as he learnt alongside the wild geese in 'wildgoose chase' or in his tear jerking duet with Ida in the reprise of 'Hold your head up high'.
There were many great moments from other cast members - showing that this really was a performance made up from the sum of all its parts. Izzy Davidson was 'cracking' as Greylag and Molly Hewitt-Richardson showed her future potential as an air stewardess as she invited us to take to the skies in her role as Dot.
We returned to our seats after the interval and the treats continued. The whole cast once again shone as we found out how Drake had got on in Ida's absence before following Ida on her travels, accompanied by an entertaining visual display on the gauze.
Ugly met Penny, perfectly played by Holly Pridmore, and there were a couple of touching moments - despite potential embarrassment for this young team of actors. Myra Peacock brought the house down in her role as the Bullfrog, earning a well deserved round of applause as she hopped off the stage. Her comic timing was excellent and she clearly revelled in this part.
As the Cat lead Ugly away, Nicola Henshaw treated us to an enchanting solo in 'The Blizzard' before the set changed again to show two lumps of ice as Ida arrived on the scene again - her little son frozen to death.
The final moments here were well acted, suggesting real sadness at the potential loss of the little duckling and then joy all round as the swans returned and the whole farmyard was reunited again.
There were some issues with the sound and the visible presence of the cast behind the gauze was distracting at times, but these were minor compared to the professionalism of the show overall.
Elsewhere on our blog we've had the comment that a good show needs to have a great story line and songs that you'll be singing as you leave the theatre. Based on this performance, I'd add in that good delivery needs a cast who learn the songs well, deliver them with energy, accuracy and enthusiasm and who act with feeling. And for me Honk delivered all of this.
Well done to everyone involved.
One final note from me now, you can read the official NODA review of the performance on their website here: http://www.noda.org.uk/Regions/East-Midlands/Show-Reports-East-Midlands/districts/district-2/belper-junior-musical-theatre and see how much their representative enjoyed it too.
Monday 28 November 2011
From Honk to Pink!
Any of the 250 odd people who came along to the performances of Honk on Saturday the 26th November will have loved every moment, from the tear jerking close to the first half through to the clap along final number as the whole cast brightened up the stage. It was an amazing performance, from a crew of very talented children. And the support of Becky as musical director, Ian and Linda in production, and Stacey on choreography merged perfectly. Well done to them, and to all of the other people who helped to make it happen.
I will put together a more complete review of the show, for those who weren't lucky enough to get their tickets in time. But for now, I wanted to raise awareness of the next performance coming from the BMT team. This time around it's the ladies who are putting on a single evening of entertainment at the Strutts School community centre, this Sunday evening. Tickets are £10 each and all proceeds from these will be going to two charities - Breakthrough for Breast Cancer and the Treetops Hospice.
There are only 100 tickets in total available, so it really will be an exclusive event.
We look forward to welcoming you there!
I will put together a more complete review of the show, for those who weren't lucky enough to get their tickets in time. But for now, I wanted to raise awareness of the next performance coming from the BMT team. This time around it's the ladies who are putting on a single evening of entertainment at the Strutts School community centre, this Sunday evening. Tickets are £10 each and all proceeds from these will be going to two charities - Breakthrough for Breast Cancer and the Treetops Hospice.
There are only 100 tickets in total available, so it really will be an exclusive event.
We look forward to welcoming you there!
Tuesday 22 November 2011
A bit more on Honk!
Anyone would think that I was excited at seeing all of the hard work that our juniors have put into this production coming to fruition on the stage this weekend! And it's not just because of my vested interest!
This will be the first external group to perform in the new Belper Theatre Hall at Belper School. Those of us who enjoyed the BMT Autumn concert there at the end of September will have seen the bare bones that were in place. Now that the work is finished, there is tiered seating throughout, all new sound and lighting and all together a better experience for those on stage and in the audience. You will only get one chance to say that you were there at the opening show of this fantastic venue!
Secondly, this is the last performance that Becky Osborne will be leading for the juniors before she hangs up her baton. Anyone who has seen Becky in action, either at rehearsals on a Wednesday evening or bringing the best out of the children will know what a star she is. She instils a huge degree of confidence and faith in the children - confidence in themselves that they can do it, and faith that she will be there to help them if the words start to fail them, or they can't quite remember what their cue is. She will leave a gap that is hard to fill - there's more to running BJMT than picking a song to learn!
And thirdly, there's the show itself. With a set that has been hand crafted by the producer himself (the same guy who designed the stunning set for Brigadoon earlier this year) and months of learning, practice and excitement, this really will be a show to enjoy and remember.
In case you're wondering what the show is all about, here's a brief insight. Honk! is a new version of the magical fairy tale of the ugly duckling, with great new songs, stacks of humour and a story that will make you laugh and cry - hopefully in equal measure.
My Mum is bringing a bus load of people up from Sutton Coldfield. They've experienced the professionalism of Belper Musical Theatre and Belper Juniors in the past. And they know that at £8 for an adult and £6 for a concession, this is one great value package of entertainment.
Don't miss out - order your tickets now!
And tell your friends you're coming at our Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=113078085473683
This will be the first external group to perform in the new Belper Theatre Hall at Belper School. Those of us who enjoyed the BMT Autumn concert there at the end of September will have seen the bare bones that were in place. Now that the work is finished, there is tiered seating throughout, all new sound and lighting and all together a better experience for those on stage and in the audience. You will only get one chance to say that you were there at the opening show of this fantastic venue!
Secondly, this is the last performance that Becky Osborne will be leading for the juniors before she hangs up her baton. Anyone who has seen Becky in action, either at rehearsals on a Wednesday evening or bringing the best out of the children will know what a star she is. She instils a huge degree of confidence and faith in the children - confidence in themselves that they can do it, and faith that she will be there to help them if the words start to fail them, or they can't quite remember what their cue is. She will leave a gap that is hard to fill - there's more to running BJMT than picking a song to learn!
And thirdly, there's the show itself. With a set that has been hand crafted by the producer himself (the same guy who designed the stunning set for Brigadoon earlier this year) and months of learning, practice and excitement, this really will be a show to enjoy and remember.
In case you're wondering what the show is all about, here's a brief insight. Honk! is a new version of the magical fairy tale of the ugly duckling, with great new songs, stacks of humour and a story that will make you laugh and cry - hopefully in equal measure.
My Mum is bringing a bus load of people up from Sutton Coldfield. They've experienced the professionalism of Belper Musical Theatre and Belper Juniors in the past. And they know that at £8 for an adult and £6 for a concession, this is one great value package of entertainment.
Don't miss out - order your tickets now!
And tell your friends you're coming at our Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=113078085473683
Thursday 17 November 2011
Honk!
The final countdown is really in place now for our enthusiastic junior group (Belper Junior Musical Theatre) as they pull out all the stops to finesse their performance of Honk!
If you haven't realised that this is going to be running yet, then you will need to get in touch with Andrea quickly as, with only two performances, there are not many seats left.
The show is exciting for so many reasons, not least of which is the fact that the lead role (the ugly duckling) is being played by Daniel Shaw, recently reviewed as a star in the making (read about it here: http://www.noda.org.uk/Regions/East-Midlands/Show-Reports-East-Midlands/districts/district-2/belper-musical-theatre1).
When you add in the fact that this will be the first show to be performed in the new Belper school Theatre Hall (which is fab) and that you can buy four tickets for just £25, there are very few reasons indeed not to get on the phone right now and get your tickets ordered.
As with our other productions, you can buy tickets from any company member, by popping into Strutts school at the end of rehearsals on a Wednesday evening, by completing one of our flyers (with useful tear off and keep reminder) or by calling Andrea on 01332 882909 and letting her know what you need.
We are looking forward to enjoying the show, with all the children working so hard to give you an afternoon or evening to remember and we are looking forward to welcoming you to see it.
Go on, get on the phone - what's stopping you?
If you haven't realised that this is going to be running yet, then you will need to get in touch with Andrea quickly as, with only two performances, there are not many seats left.
The show is exciting for so many reasons, not least of which is the fact that the lead role (the ugly duckling) is being played by Daniel Shaw, recently reviewed as a star in the making (read about it here: http://www.noda.org.uk/Regions/East-Midlands/Show-Reports-East-Midlands/districts/district-2/belper-musical-theatre1).
When you add in the fact that this will be the first show to be performed in the new Belper school Theatre Hall (which is fab) and that you can buy four tickets for just £25, there are very few reasons indeed not to get on the phone right now and get your tickets ordered.
As with our other productions, you can buy tickets from any company member, by popping into Strutts school at the end of rehearsals on a Wednesday evening, by completing one of our flyers (with useful tear off and keep reminder) or by calling Andrea on 01332 882909 and letting her know what you need.
We are looking forward to enjoying the show, with all the children working so hard to give you an afternoon or evening to remember and we are looking forward to welcoming you to see it.
Go on, get on the phone - what's stopping you?
Wednesday 16 November 2011
A little less conversation...
Ok, so it's been a month since my last post on here - a month! I mean how can my public cope with such a long gap between me sharing the contents of my mind. Perhaps it safest not to ask. Well the reason for this is two fold. Firstly we had a great holiday down in Devon, and it seemed wrong somehow to blog about cream teas and sunny autumnal days when the rest of the world was still hard at work. And secondly (if I ignore the fact I've been kind of busy) there's the fact that sometimes I can't think of anything to drivel on about.
Now of course that wouldn't seem to be the case when it comes to finding stuff to talk about, as anyone who was present at our Copa rehearsal last week would probably be able to testify. We were learning the final section of our very first dance routine for Copa and it was so much fun, that we forgot we were there for a purpose and started to enjoy ourselves too much. The plus side of that is that it really helps to build the social element of the company. The downside is that we were a little bit rowdy, perhaps a tad disruptive and it made it very challenging for us to progress with learning the dance - which was of course the main purpose for being there.
Having had my wrists metaphorically slapped on the way home by our fantastic producer, it seemed that this would be a good topic for me to share my thoughts on.
For all of those who I inadvertently upset with my non-stop chat, talking about nothing and general loudness, I apologise. And for all those who enjoyed it and thought it made for a great evening out, I apologise that I am going to try to be a little less disruptive from now on. Fun yes, but remembering why we're there.
One final reminder to folk though - have you bought your tickets for Honk! yet? It's just over a week to the shows on the 26th November and they are going to be great! Call Andrea for tickets if you haven't done so yet.
Now of course that wouldn't seem to be the case when it comes to finding stuff to talk about, as anyone who was present at our Copa rehearsal last week would probably be able to testify. We were learning the final section of our very first dance routine for Copa and it was so much fun, that we forgot we were there for a purpose and started to enjoy ourselves too much. The plus side of that is that it really helps to build the social element of the company. The downside is that we were a little bit rowdy, perhaps a tad disruptive and it made it very challenging for us to progress with learning the dance - which was of course the main purpose for being there.
Having had my wrists metaphorically slapped on the way home by our fantastic producer, it seemed that this would be a good topic for me to share my thoughts on.
For all of those who I inadvertently upset with my non-stop chat, talking about nothing and general loudness, I apologise. And for all those who enjoyed it and thought it made for a great evening out, I apologise that I am going to try to be a little less disruptive from now on. Fun yes, but remembering why we're there.
One final reminder to folk though - have you bought your tickets for Honk! yet? It's just over a week to the shows on the 26th November and they are going to be great! Call Andrea for tickets if you haven't done so yet.
Sunday 16 October 2011
Mackworth Church Concert 15th October
Thank you to all those who travelled to this beautiful church just off the A52 in Mackworth for giving us such a lovely welcome.
Despite (apparently) being a touch flat on occasion (our excuse is that we couldn't hear the keyboard) we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and it was lovely that the delightful church steward commented on the fact that our fun and pleasure in what we do came across.
As always it was great to see the laughter ripple across the assembled audience when Pete whipped his truncheon out to top Mike and we trust that Liz's decision not to swear for a change didn't detract from the enjoyment of her song (I can do jolly well without you indeed!).
Mark and I smiled throughout 'Me and my Shadow' (love the song and the performance) and we all had a great night out.
So thank you to everyone in the company who came along, and thank you again to those who came out on a cold night to listen.
Despite (apparently) being a touch flat on occasion (our excuse is that we couldn't hear the keyboard) we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and it was lovely that the delightful church steward commented on the fact that our fun and pleasure in what we do came across.
As always it was great to see the laughter ripple across the assembled audience when Pete whipped his truncheon out to top Mike and we trust that Liz's decision not to swear for a change didn't detract from the enjoyment of her song (I can do jolly well without you indeed!).
Mark and I smiled throughout 'Me and my Shadow' (love the song and the performance) and we all had a great night out.
So thank you to everyone in the company who came along, and thank you again to those who came out on a cold night to listen.
Friday 14 October 2011
A burger with no bun
Last night saw the BMT committee down at the Fisherman's Rest in Belper for their monthly meeting. Such is the hard work undertaken by our two youngest members, that they were forced into ordering some food to sustain them through the discussions to be held. And they both decided to order the Burger and Chips option (I think it was more to do with anticipated cost effectiveness than being brought up on McDonalds!).
As a late arrival at the meeting, I was greeted by the two of them with places cleared in eager anticipation as, stomachs grumbling, they waited for their food to arrive.
All of us noticed the look of shock on their faces when the plates were delivered and the burgers were naked - cheese melted over the top but not a bread crumb to be seen! Taken aback but undeterred, the starving pair managed to quell their disappointment and finish the food on their plates (albeit with a slight pause when the inside of the burger looked just a trifle pink still) and a ramekin of tomato sauce was similarly licked clean. But both remained saddened that they didn't get the bun with their burgers.
So to anyone else who plans on offering burgers and chips for tea, please make it clear at the start whether a bread roll is to be provided as well so that you can stave off much un-needed disappointment!
Of course it would be unfitting if I didn't now find some way to link the naked burger to our work at BMT in delivering high quality musical productions somehow. So here's my attempt - please let me know what you think!
We offer you cracking entertainment at all of our musical productions whether it's the fantastic mid year concerts (Autumn one just finished), our big show (Copa Cabana February 2012 - advert just added to its own page) or the shows that our Juniors offer (Honk! on November 26th). But we also work hard to make sure that the whole experience will be satisfying!
From the moment that you call Andrea on 01332 882909 to order your tickets, through to being greeted at the door, buying your glass of wine from our front of house team, or being guided to your seat in the newly fitted Belper Theatre Hall, we want your experience to be non stop fun and just as expected. So if you've seen a way that we could improve, please let us know. You could always title your message 'Can I have bread with my burger please?'
As a late arrival at the meeting, I was greeted by the two of them with places cleared in eager anticipation as, stomachs grumbling, they waited for their food to arrive.
All of us noticed the look of shock on their faces when the plates were delivered and the burgers were naked - cheese melted over the top but not a bread crumb to be seen! Taken aback but undeterred, the starving pair managed to quell their disappointment and finish the food on their plates (albeit with a slight pause when the inside of the burger looked just a trifle pink still) and a ramekin of tomato sauce was similarly licked clean. But both remained saddened that they didn't get the bun with their burgers.
So to anyone else who plans on offering burgers and chips for tea, please make it clear at the start whether a bread roll is to be provided as well so that you can stave off much un-needed disappointment!
Of course it would be unfitting if I didn't now find some way to link the naked burger to our work at BMT in delivering high quality musical productions somehow. So here's my attempt - please let me know what you think!
We offer you cracking entertainment at all of our musical productions whether it's the fantastic mid year concerts (Autumn one just finished), our big show (Copa Cabana February 2012 - advert just added to its own page) or the shows that our Juniors offer (Honk! on November 26th). But we also work hard to make sure that the whole experience will be satisfying!
From the moment that you call Andrea on 01332 882909 to order your tickets, through to being greeted at the door, buying your glass of wine from our front of house team, or being guided to your seat in the newly fitted Belper Theatre Hall, we want your experience to be non stop fun and just as expected. So if you've seen a way that we could improve, please let us know. You could always title your message 'Can I have bread with my burger please?'
Monday 26 September 2011
What a cabaret!
After three shows over the weekend with hardly a spare seat in the house I think that it's safe, and fair, to say that we gave a cracking performance which our audiences enjoyed. We had 180 seats available for presale, with only single figures remaining for the Friday evening and Saturday matinee performances and people queueing at the door for extra seats on the Saturday evening. Altogether back to our usual standards (and numbers) for our shows.
It was certainly a different experience performing on a stage that largely consisted of holes boarded over with planks around the back and white plaster dust coating every surface. And white dust certainly didn't go down well with our black costumes! Oops.
It was great to see the review that was posted on line very quickly by Belper people - you can find it on their website and I will add the weblink as soon as I can!
Mark did a great job of welcoming people to the show each time and his gold hard hat added a real touch of glamour to the building site. It was then a lovely touch for different company members to announce the numbers as we went through, starting with my introduction of Cabaret, Hey There, Every tear a mother cries and The Impossible Dream. If you'd like me to put the whole programme of numbers on here please add a comment and I'll pop it on.
If you came along to the show, please let us know what you enjoyed and how much fun you had - we may use all the nice things you say in our future publicity! And if you think that there's something we could do to improve, then please let us know that too.
Remember that Honk! the musical from our Junior group is running the weekend of the 25th/26th November. It would be lovely to pack out every show for them as well - they deserve the support.
For all those who came, once again a big thank you from everyone at Belper Musical Theatre. We all love to sing and perform and we're so glad that you came to join us.
It was certainly a different experience performing on a stage that largely consisted of holes boarded over with planks around the back and white plaster dust coating every surface. And white dust certainly didn't go down well with our black costumes! Oops.
It was great to see the review that was posted on line very quickly by Belper people - you can find it on their website and I will add the weblink as soon as I can!
Mark did a great job of welcoming people to the show each time and his gold hard hat added a real touch of glamour to the building site. It was then a lovely touch for different company members to announce the numbers as we went through, starting with my introduction of Cabaret, Hey There, Every tear a mother cries and The Impossible Dream. If you'd like me to put the whole programme of numbers on here please add a comment and I'll pop it on.
If you came along to the show, please let us know what you enjoyed and how much fun you had - we may use all the nice things you say in our future publicity! And if you think that there's something we could do to improve, then please let us know that too.
Remember that Honk! the musical from our Junior group is running the weekend of the 25th/26th November. It would be lovely to pack out every show for them as well - they deserve the support.
For all those who came, once again a big thank you from everyone at Belper Musical Theatre. We all love to sing and perform and we're so glad that you came to join us.
Friday 23 September 2011
Hold tight - here we go!
Well after months of rehearsing, line learning music checking and practising we are ready to stand on the stage of the newly refitted Belper Theatre Hall and wow our audience!
Of course there's a slight chance that the 'newly refitted' description is a little bit ahead of its time, but everyone has assured us that the Theatre Hall will look fantastic when it's finished - and whoever heard of a builder finishing the job on schedule?
For those who haven't found it just yet you can see one of our last rehearsals at Strutts School here:
So, take a few moments to watch that, then come and see it live and kicking on the stage!
We have been absolutely amazed, and really pleased, at the response that we've had this time around on ticket sales. Our Friday night show is sold out and very few seats remain for advance bookings for either of our Saturday shows, so if you, or one of your friends, had wanted to come along, then they need to get to the door early and hope that there are spaces left - it quite takes us back to our final performance of the King and I when people were waiting in the hope that we would have last minute cancellations!
My advice would be to get ready to buy your CopaCabana tickets as quickly as you can, the best seats in the house really do go quickly.
Before I go, let me just say that everyone in BMT has worked so hard to make this a cracking show, we're looking forward to seeing you there and giving you a performance that you'll remember - for all the right reasons! See you later.
Of course there's a slight chance that the 'newly refitted' description is a little bit ahead of its time, but everyone has assured us that the Theatre Hall will look fantastic when it's finished - and whoever heard of a builder finishing the job on schedule?
For those who haven't found it just yet you can see one of our last rehearsals at Strutts School here:
So, take a few moments to watch that, then come and see it live and kicking on the stage!
We have been absolutely amazed, and really pleased, at the response that we've had this time around on ticket sales. Our Friday night show is sold out and very few seats remain for advance bookings for either of our Saturday shows, so if you, or one of your friends, had wanted to come along, then they need to get to the door early and hope that there are spaces left - it quite takes us back to our final performance of the King and I when people were waiting in the hope that we would have last minute cancellations!
My advice would be to get ready to buy your CopaCabana tickets as quickly as you can, the best seats in the house really do go quickly.
Before I go, let me just say that everyone in BMT has worked so hard to make this a cracking show, we're looking forward to seeing you there and giving you a performance that you'll remember - for all the right reasons! See you later.
Monday 19 September 2011
The Sunday before the concert..
Sunday afternoon saw the company members coming together for a run through of the whole concert from start to finish, so that we could find those last little tweaks that we need to make in order to finesse the final product and really wow our audience.
And the really exciting part was that we had a photographer along to join us from Belper People. You can find their website at www.belperpeople.co.uk and you can find a selection of the photos that Darren took at http://www.belperpeople.co.uk/pictures/Belper-Musical-Theatre-rehearsing-Life-Cabaret/pictures-13354929-detail/pictures.html and even more at http://www.belperpeople.co.uk/pictures/Belper-Musical-Theatre-rehearsing-Life-Cabaret/pictures-13354923-detail/pictures.html.
Scarily enough there will be a couple of videos of us in action going on YouTube on Thursday evening, together with an article in Belper People - get the website stored in your favourites now and check back later this week.
Thankfully, having listened to us all, Darren was still enjoying what we did and he's looking forward to coming along on Friday evening, bagging his seat and watching it for real. We're sure that he will enjoy it as much as we will!
So this is it, the last week for you to be able to buy tickets, or to encourage other people to come along. We do have a few seats left. And my parents are travelling up from Birmingham - so make sure that you think about those in far flung and foreign places when you're calling folk up!
We'll see everyone again on Tuesday evening for our next full rehearsal (well except for me as I will be away with work again!).
And the really exciting part was that we had a photographer along to join us from Belper People. You can find their website at www.belperpeople.co.uk and you can find a selection of the photos that Darren took at http://www.belperpeople.co.uk/pictures/Belper-Musical-Theatre-rehearsing-Life-Cabaret/pictures-13354929-detail/pictures.html and even more at http://www.belperpeople.co.uk/pictures/Belper-Musical-Theatre-rehearsing-Life-Cabaret/pictures-13354923-detail/pictures.html.
Scarily enough there will be a couple of videos of us in action going on YouTube on Thursday evening, together with an article in Belper People - get the website stored in your favourites now and check back later this week.
Thankfully, having listened to us all, Darren was still enjoying what we did and he's looking forward to coming along on Friday evening, bagging his seat and watching it for real. We're sure that he will enjoy it as much as we will!
So this is it, the last week for you to be able to buy tickets, or to encourage other people to come along. We do have a few seats left. And my parents are travelling up from Birmingham - so make sure that you think about those in far flung and foreign places when you're calling folk up!
We'll see everyone again on Tuesday evening for our next full rehearsal (well except for me as I will be away with work again!).
Thursday 15 September 2011
How to buy a ticket!
I had a text message today from my Mum who is one of our very many stalwart fans and is already looking forward to coming along to our Autumn concert. The purpose of her text message was to ask me how she could find out how to get her tickets for the show.
I recognised then that the majority of the population wasn't likely to have our booking number listed in their favourite numbers of the phone and that it could be a good idea for me to make it easier for you. So here goes:
Firstly, you can look at our poster by clicking your mouse on the title to the right that says "Life is a Cabaret - 2011".
This poster tells you our show times (7.30pm on Friday and Saturday evenings and 2.30pm on Saturday afternoon).
It also tells you that you can call Andrea on 01332 882909 and she will take your booking for you.
And it makes sure that you know it's being held at Belper School Hall, DE56 1RZ (postcode for your Tomtom etc)
If you know someone in the company, then you can also get your tickets by asking them very nicely to order them for you, and by giving them the appropriate sized cheque (prices on the poster, £6 concession, £8 full).
Finally make sure that you save this blog page as one of your favourites, so that you can keep coming back to find out what we're doing. It would be great if you could share your comments on the show as well. I'll keep all of the nice ones!
I recognised then that the majority of the population wasn't likely to have our booking number listed in their favourite numbers of the phone and that it could be a good idea for me to make it easier for you. So here goes:
Firstly, you can look at our poster by clicking your mouse on the title to the right that says "Life is a Cabaret - 2011".
This poster tells you our show times (7.30pm on Friday and Saturday evenings and 2.30pm on Saturday afternoon).
It also tells you that you can call Andrea on 01332 882909 and she will take your booking for you.
And it makes sure that you know it's being held at Belper School Hall, DE56 1RZ (postcode for your Tomtom etc)
If you know someone in the company, then you can also get your tickets by asking them very nicely to order them for you, and by giving them the appropriate sized cheque (prices on the poster, £6 concession, £8 full).
Finally make sure that you save this blog page as one of your favourites, so that you can keep coming back to find out what we're doing. It would be great if you could share your comments on the show as well. I'll keep all of the nice ones!
Saturday 10 September 2011
Excitement builds!
This month sees the motor behind BMT's autumn concert really crank up a gear. As well as the increased number of rehearsals putting the finesse into our performances, we're also getting our advertising boards in place, putting together the final programme for the event and making sure that everything is in place at the school.
This concert is going to one that begs you to sing along with practically every number as well as introducing you to some great new talent from Belper Junior Musical Theatre (they will be performing two of their numbers from their next musical production 'Honk!').
If you've not bought your tickets just yet, then download the flyer from the column on the right of this page and give Andrea a call.
If you have bought your tickets, then make sure you tell your neighbours to come along too. Not only will they thank you for a fantastic night out at a reasonable price, the bigger the audience is, the better the atmosphere will be and the louder you'll be able to sing along!
This concert is going to one that begs you to sing along with practically every number as well as introducing you to some great new talent from Belper Junior Musical Theatre (they will be performing two of their numbers from their next musical production 'Honk!').
If you've not bought your tickets just yet, then download the flyer from the column on the right of this page and give Andrea a call.
If you have bought your tickets, then make sure you tell your neighbours to come along too. Not only will they thank you for a fantastic night out at a reasonable price, the bigger the audience is, the better the atmosphere will be and the louder you'll be able to sing along!
Thursday 1 September 2011
Copa, Copacabana....
It's amazing how a couple of fruit kebabs and a cup of pineapple and orange juice can make you feel like you really are in Havana, well ok may that is a slight exaggeration, but the delight on everyone's faces last night when we turned up to our "Copa Night" certainly got us off to a good start!
So let's set the scene, there we all are, eating, drinking and eagerly awaiting to hear all about the buzz of our latest company production and the audition parts available, with the Copacabana CD on in the background to get us in the mood!
As each part was explained - some with a little innuendo - you could see everyone's brains ticking over, deciding which part was ideal for them.
The interesting thing I found out about Copacabana as a production is that, as long as you have a mid-range of notes (you can sing) and you can make yourself look older or younger than you really are (you can apply make-up and wear different costumes) then every part is available for everyone! - There is even a part for someone who can't sing, ironic for a musical theatre production.
I feel that the audition panel will have their work cut out this year with all the talent we have in the company, I want to wish everyone good luck for whatever they are auditioning for - I'm sure that we will all have good fun being a part of the production whichever part we play!
Once again - Good Luck!
So let's set the scene, there we all are, eating, drinking and eagerly awaiting to hear all about the buzz of our latest company production and the audition parts available, with the Copacabana CD on in the background to get us in the mood!
As each part was explained - some with a little innuendo - you could see everyone's brains ticking over, deciding which part was ideal for them.
The interesting thing I found out about Copacabana as a production is that, as long as you have a mid-range of notes (you can sing) and you can make yourself look older or younger than you really are (you can apply make-up and wear different costumes) then every part is available for everyone! - There is even a part for someone who can't sing, ironic for a musical theatre production.
I feel that the audition panel will have their work cut out this year with all the talent we have in the company, I want to wish everyone good luck for whatever they are auditioning for - I'm sure that we will all have good fun being a part of the production whichever part we play!
Once again - Good Luck!
Wednesday 31 August 2011
Welcoming new contributors
When I set up this blog for Belper Musical Theatre the intention was to offer people a chance to see how much fun we have in putting together our shows and concerts and share with you a little bit of insight into the challenges that we face in trying to do the best that we can.
Belper Musical Theatre has loads of members and it kind of concerned me a little that readers would think that I was representative of the group at large.
So I am really pleased that I have invited some new contributors to be authors on the blog and I'm looking forward to seeing more thoughts and different points of view coming across.
Anyone is welcome to make comments on the different blogs that we write on here and I would love there to be a real dialogue going on between the group members and our wider audience.
I'd also appreciate it if you could share our blogs through Facebook, retweet them through Twitter or just raise awareness of who we are and what we do with your friends.
You'll realise from this that another reason for the blog is to offer us some publicity!
So share what we write, hum the different songs to yourself, then phone Andrea and book your tickets!
Thank you,
Matthew
Belper Musical Theatre has loads of members and it kind of concerned me a little that readers would think that I was representative of the group at large.
So I am really pleased that I have invited some new contributors to be authors on the blog and I'm looking forward to seeing more thoughts and different points of view coming across.
Anyone is welcome to make comments on the different blogs that we write on here and I would love there to be a real dialogue going on between the group members and our wider audience.
I'd also appreciate it if you could share our blogs through Facebook, retweet them through Twitter or just raise awareness of who we are and what we do with your friends.
You'll realise from this that another reason for the blog is to offer us some publicity!
So share what we write, hum the different songs to yourself, then phone Andrea and book your tickets!
Thank you,
Matthew
The long vowel
When I decided to write this particular post to the blog I had a moment's pause (that's quite a long time for me!). Those of you who have read other sections on this blog will know that I've explained about assimilation, or to put it another way I've told you that my consonants may have a tendency not to be clear. So when I then decided to write about the apparent problems that I have with enunciating my vowels, I did stop to think.
If I can't do vowels and I can't do consonants, what exactly do I do when I open my mouth to sing (I can feel some thoughts on pitch and tone coming along soon!).
But really here I wanted to spend a couple of moments considering the length of a vowel. You see notes have different lengths, and since consonants are invariably short (staccato) beginnings or ends to a word, then the note length changes the length of the vowel sound. And that is not always easy.
Take our bolero driven 'The Impossible Dream' as an example. If you ignore for the moment the 9/8 timing and the need to come in on the upbeat of the bar, each phrase has a long vowel right at the start. The first line is 'to dream the impossible dream.' Two dreams, different vowel lengths. And this style continues throughout the song. When we get it right it sounds fantastic. The chorus, accompanist and conductor all in sync and wonderful harmony. But it's not easy.
So this week I intend to try my hardest at practising long vowels, followed by appropriate consonants.
I do hope that you'll be coming along on the 23rd or 24th of September to find out how we get on!
If I can't do vowels and I can't do consonants, what exactly do I do when I open my mouth to sing (I can feel some thoughts on pitch and tone coming along soon!).
But really here I wanted to spend a couple of moments considering the length of a vowel. You see notes have different lengths, and since consonants are invariably short (staccato) beginnings or ends to a word, then the note length changes the length of the vowel sound. And that is not always easy.
Take our bolero driven 'The Impossible Dream' as an example. If you ignore for the moment the 9/8 timing and the need to come in on the upbeat of the bar, each phrase has a long vowel right at the start. The first line is 'to dream the impossible dream.' Two dreams, different vowel lengths. And this style continues throughout the song. When we get it right it sounds fantastic. The chorus, accompanist and conductor all in sync and wonderful harmony. But it's not easy.
So this week I intend to try my hardest at practising long vowels, followed by appropriate consonants.
I do hope that you'll be coming along on the 23rd or 24th of September to find out how we get on!
Thursday 18 August 2011
High kicking with hats!
One of the many great songs that we’re performing in our Autumn concert this year is ‘New York, New York’. You’ll hardly be able to resist joining in with us when that one gets going will you. Anyway it’s the sort of song that you can’t sing without flinging aside all of your caution and with wild abandon grabbing hold of those nearest to you so that you can all kick your legs up - occasionally even in time with the music.
So given that is my usual approach to the song, you can probably imagine my worries when I found out last night that this time around I have to perform controlled movement, without grabbing hold of anyone and just kicking my legs in the air.
You know from my previous blogs that getting the movement right is always a challenge - I wonder whether a lack of synchronicity is hard wired in to the male mentality. So it was a huge relief last night to discover that occasionally ladies suffer from the same worries about lunging when they should be doing heel raises, or swaying when they should be doing step digs. Hooray, it’s not just me.
So there we all are with the delightful, and not at all scary, Liz choreographing us from the front of the room, quietly muttering to ourselves walk, two, three, dig, walk, two three dig, when there was the sudden realisation that we should actually have been singing something more on the lines of “those little town blues!”
Ah well, I know that with a few more weeks work, and repeated practice of the song, the whole thing will sound and look fantastic at the show.
Tickets are now on sale and are going quite fast considering we’re in the middle of school holidays. So if you haven’t had chance to call Andrea and get yours just yet, then now is the time! Give Andrea a call on 01332882909 and get your order in. We can guarantee you a great performance and a real toe tapping sing along show.
Sunday 14 August 2011
Back from Holland!
Hope that you all enjoyed the break in blogging - I was away on holiday in Holland. Back now, so will be blogging again soon. Please feel free to comment and ask questions....
Tuesday 26 July 2011
Assimilation
One of the many delights of working at Manchester University is getting to chat with people from all walks of life on the train back home in the evening. One of the people who I often enjoy talking with is a speech and language therapist who teaches here in Manchester. And it's the conversation that I had with her which forms the basis of my blog for today. It's all about assimilation.
I suppose that I should start off by saying that this is my interpretation of everything that Fay said to me and is quite possibly completely wrong, but it's very seldom that I let the facts get in the way of something. So with all due apologies to Fay for inaccuracies, let me hold forth about assimilation as it relates to musical theatre.
It all started when I was asking Fay whether there was a reason why the ladies in the group appeared to be so much more competent at pronouncing consonants at the ends of their words than us guys appear to be. When I'm sitting there singing away I do try hard to remember to pronounce the T or D on the ends of words, and not to run words into each other. And it often seems that the ladies trill away merrily, effortlessly close off words and separate them with out any appearance of hard effort at all.
So how happy was I when Fay told me all about assimilation, which effectively means that I don't really need to worry about this at all!
When someone hears a word, they will fill in the blanks for themselves. Here's the example that she used "Handbag". Go on, give it a go. Say handbag. Did you pronounce the d? Could people tell what you were saying? This is assimilation. People will hear the word that you meant to say, even if you miss out the odd letter here and there.
It was with a joy filled heart that I went along to BMT practice last night, safe in the knowledge that I could sing "Teh me iss noh troo" and people would understand me perfectly.
And I guess that's the rub, as so often seems the case. People would understand me perfectly. But that's probably because the ladies are happily singing the missing consonants for me. As well as that, there's the fact that missing out those letter endings means that the song just doesn't sound quite as good.
So I will keep trying, whilst being relatively reassured that most people will know what I'm singing about anyway, because they will be busily assimilating it for themselves in the audience.
Purely because it made me smile, I guess that I should also add in here that ladies are being asked to tone down their consonation (is that a real word - meant to mean enunciation of consonants) in the middle of 'You are so beautiful' by putting a D sound in the middle. I think Terry was getting wet with all those lovely ladies spitting out the T in the word. So maybe there is another plus side to assimilation? What fun!
I suppose that I should start off by saying that this is my interpretation of everything that Fay said to me and is quite possibly completely wrong, but it's very seldom that I let the facts get in the way of something. So with all due apologies to Fay for inaccuracies, let me hold forth about assimilation as it relates to musical theatre.
It all started when I was asking Fay whether there was a reason why the ladies in the group appeared to be so much more competent at pronouncing consonants at the ends of their words than us guys appear to be. When I'm sitting there singing away I do try hard to remember to pronounce the T or D on the ends of words, and not to run words into each other. And it often seems that the ladies trill away merrily, effortlessly close off words and separate them with out any appearance of hard effort at all.
So how happy was I when Fay told me all about assimilation, which effectively means that I don't really need to worry about this at all!
When someone hears a word, they will fill in the blanks for themselves. Here's the example that she used "Handbag". Go on, give it a go. Say handbag. Did you pronounce the d? Could people tell what you were saying? This is assimilation. People will hear the word that you meant to say, even if you miss out the odd letter here and there.
It was with a joy filled heart that I went along to BMT practice last night, safe in the knowledge that I could sing "Teh me iss noh troo" and people would understand me perfectly.
And I guess that's the rub, as so often seems the case. People would understand me perfectly. But that's probably because the ladies are happily singing the missing consonants for me. As well as that, there's the fact that missing out those letter endings means that the song just doesn't sound quite as good.
So I will keep trying, whilst being relatively reassured that most people will know what I'm singing about anyway, because they will be busily assimilating it for themselves in the audience.
Purely because it made me smile, I guess that I should also add in here that ladies are being asked to tone down their consonation (is that a real word - meant to mean enunciation of consonants) in the middle of 'You are so beautiful' by putting a D sound in the middle. I think Terry was getting wet with all those lovely ladies spitting out the T in the word. So maybe there is another plus side to assimilation? What fun!
Thursday 14 July 2011
Not bad, not bad at all....
Praise is a wonderful thing.
But to be damned with faint praise, if we're lucky, appears to be the norm for the male section of BMT! We do try, honest we do, but it seems that whatever we aim for, the best that we can manage is to get a 'not bad'.
We do try to put a brave face on it, and not to cry into our coffee cups at half time. But just once it would be wonderful to get "That was cracking lads!"
We sit there and listen to the lovely tunes, passion and emotion that floats back to us when the ladies merge together in their wonderful harmony. Pete continues to fill up when the ladies sing songs such as "The King and I" medley and we are sure that people will love their "Wind beneath their wings" arrangement at this year's concert (have you bought your tickets yet?)
For us guys though, we will be hammering out "Mack the Knife", with nothing more than a "Not bad, not bad at all" if we're lucky.
And perhaps that's the problem? An over reliance on hammering out and a good splash of luck?
This week I'll make sure that I look at the music again before next week's rehearsal. That would at least work at reducing the luck element. After that perhaps reminding myself of the difference between pp, p, mp and FF - guess which I enjoy the most!
But to be damned with faint praise, if we're lucky, appears to be the norm for the male section of BMT! We do try, honest we do, but it seems that whatever we aim for, the best that we can manage is to get a 'not bad'.
We do try to put a brave face on it, and not to cry into our coffee cups at half time. But just once it would be wonderful to get "That was cracking lads!"
We sit there and listen to the lovely tunes, passion and emotion that floats back to us when the ladies merge together in their wonderful harmony. Pete continues to fill up when the ladies sing songs such as "The King and I" medley and we are sure that people will love their "Wind beneath their wings" arrangement at this year's concert (have you bought your tickets yet?)
For us guys though, we will be hammering out "Mack the Knife", with nothing more than a "Not bad, not bad at all" if we're lucky.
And perhaps that's the problem? An over reliance on hammering out and a good splash of luck?
This week I'll make sure that I look at the music again before next week's rehearsal. That would at least work at reducing the luck element. After that perhaps reminding myself of the difference between pp, p, mp and FF - guess which I enjoy the most!
Wednesday 13 July 2011
Belting it out
It seems to me that one of the challenges of singing in a group, especially when you have a great song, is knowing how loud you sound when you get to the good bits. And since it appears that men have louder voices than women, it's often us poor tenors who get told to tone it down a little when we get too enthusiastic!
So this time around we were being advised to reduce our volume as were worked through "Can you feel the love tonight" from the Lion King - another cracking song that's included in our Autumn Concert this year (tickets available - see the Cabaret page). I'm sure that you know the song and that if you're playing it as you drive along somewhere by yourself, with the tune playing on the radio or whatever, there are some parts where you know you just have to let rip and belt it out.
It's a great feeling as a singer being able to release and go for it. But apparently it's drowning out the sopranos, who are going for a little more class, sensitivity and overall elegance. Hmm.
So this time around we were being advised to reduce our volume as were worked through "Can you feel the love tonight" from the Lion King - another cracking song that's included in our Autumn Concert this year (tickets available - see the Cabaret page). I'm sure that you know the song and that if you're playing it as you drive along somewhere by yourself, with the tune playing on the radio or whatever, there are some parts where you know you just have to let rip and belt it out.
It's a great feeling as a singer being able to release and go for it. But apparently it's drowning out the sopranos, who are going for a little more class, sensitivity and overall elegance. Hmm.
Salsa and shimmy
Well who would have thought that an evening at Belper Musical Theatre could have so much in common with an aerobics session!
I had the text warning fairly early on that I needed to wear my frilly shirt and Cuban heels as we were going to be focusing on a spot of salsa dancing in between the singing at rehearsals last night. And how much fun it was.
A quick warning from Liz first that we needed lots of space, then straight in to a few hip rocking steps to get us warmed up and ready for movement. At which point it quickly became apparent that the reason for needing lots of space was that when your average BMT member is focusing on stepping left, behind, forward, flick, back, right, forward kick etc, they rather rapidly lose the ability to recognise if anyone is in front of them, beside them or behind them. So can I just say sorry to everyone for the bruises that resulted.
As if it wasn't challenging enough to get us all engaged in this salsa swinging movement around the floor, Liz then called Stacey (star pupil) to the front of the room to give us a demonstration of how to shimmy. Liz found it difficult apparently. So Stacey is there shaking for all she's worth, quickly emulated by Dom who seemed to find it remarkably easy. And there I was at the back of the room discovering that an attempt to shimmy makes my hips wobble and I look like a real Dad dancing.
Ian was soon on hand to try to explain that it was all about stretching out your arms to make one longer than the other. And after a few moments of helpless laughter, he told me to try doing it sitting down so that I could reduce my apparent reliance on my hips to move my arms. So I discovered that whilst sitting down, and in very slow motion, I can shimmy. But as soon as I stand up again, the ability goes.
So that's my work in progress for the future then - shimmy practice. Left arm out, right arm out, hips stable - why is it so hard to dance?
I had the text warning fairly early on that I needed to wear my frilly shirt and Cuban heels as we were going to be focusing on a spot of salsa dancing in between the singing at rehearsals last night. And how much fun it was.
A quick warning from Liz first that we needed lots of space, then straight in to a few hip rocking steps to get us warmed up and ready for movement. At which point it quickly became apparent that the reason for needing lots of space was that when your average BMT member is focusing on stepping left, behind, forward, flick, back, right, forward kick etc, they rather rapidly lose the ability to recognise if anyone is in front of them, beside them or behind them. So can I just say sorry to everyone for the bruises that resulted.
As if it wasn't challenging enough to get us all engaged in this salsa swinging movement around the floor, Liz then called Stacey (star pupil) to the front of the room to give us a demonstration of how to shimmy. Liz found it difficult apparently. So Stacey is there shaking for all she's worth, quickly emulated by Dom who seemed to find it remarkably easy. And there I was at the back of the room discovering that an attempt to shimmy makes my hips wobble and I look like a real Dad dancing.
Ian was soon on hand to try to explain that it was all about stretching out your arms to make one longer than the other. And after a few moments of helpless laughter, he told me to try doing it sitting down so that I could reduce my apparent reliance on my hips to move my arms. So I discovered that whilst sitting down, and in very slow motion, I can shimmy. But as soon as I stand up again, the ability goes.
So that's my work in progress for the future then - shimmy practice. Left arm out, right arm out, hips stable - why is it so hard to dance?
Wednesday 29 June 2011
Too tired to sing...
Let me start by apologising to anyone who has been checking the blog over the last two weeks to see if I have posted anything worth reading (and yes I recognise many of you may suggest I should extend that apology to anyone who has ever accessed this blog!).
As you will have noticed from my post about The Producers in Derby (a fantastic show) I have been a little busy with the day job of late. Since that's the one that pays all my bills, I'll not apologise too much! So last Wednesday, when I had hoped to rejoin the rest of the gang and sing away at Strutts, I was so tired that I got off the train in Belper and went back home.
I did wonder whether you'd be interested in me blogging for a moment or two about the committee meeting that we had on the Thursday evening at the Devonshire in Belper. Perhaps the best thing about the evening was the new ale that they have started to serve!
We are now progressing apace with plans not only for the Autumn Concert (life is a Cabaret, see separate page for booking form) but also with getting Copacabana up and running next year. Now that will be a great show to see as well.
It's so exciting to know that our Autumn Concert will be the first event to be held in the new Theatre Hall at Belper School. That has to be an added bonus for all those who come to see the show.
As you will have noticed from my post about The Producers in Derby (a fantastic show) I have been a little busy with the day job of late. Since that's the one that pays all my bills, I'll not apologise too much! So last Wednesday, when I had hoped to rejoin the rest of the gang and sing away at Strutts, I was so tired that I got off the train in Belper and went back home.
I did wonder whether you'd be interested in me blogging for a moment or two about the committee meeting that we had on the Thursday evening at the Devonshire in Belper. Perhaps the best thing about the evening was the new ale that they have started to serve!
We are now progressing apace with plans not only for the Autumn Concert (life is a Cabaret, see separate page for booking form) but also with getting Copacabana up and running next year. Now that will be a great show to see as well.
It's so exciting to know that our Autumn Concert will be the first event to be held in the new Theatre Hall at Belper School. That has to be an added bonus for all those who come to see the show.
Friday 17 June 2011
The Producers from DOC - a show to see!
One of the great things about being in a local amateur theatre group like Belper Musical Theatre is that we have access to some cracking good shows from other local amateur theatre groups. Last night Sue and I went to see DOC's production of "The Producers" and we had a fantastic time!
As well as excellent performances from the lead males, who carried the show and the story at a rate of knots from their first appearances, there were so many excellent moments and minor characters who gave the show depth and feeling. Whether it was the arrival of Adolf Elizabeth Hitler, the old guy singing 'Little Wooden Boy' or the identikit randy old ladies and their crow's chorus in the court scene, there was so much to see and enjoy that it's the sort of show to go and see time and again.
Having a vague awareness of how much it costs to stage productions, this was a big budget show with a big budget impact. From the 17 piece orchestra, fully visible at the front of the stage, to the many costume changes, fantastic sets and classy lighting, this was a show that was crafted with care and designed to deliver.
Well done to everyone I know in the show, and all the others who I don't know yet. Enjoy your last three performances and I hope that they all sell out for you - you deserve it!
I also found the DVD on Amazon, so think I may have to get myself a copy and enjoy it again, though it won't be the same immersive experience as you get at Derby Theatre!
As well as excellent performances from the lead males, who carried the show and the story at a rate of knots from their first appearances, there were so many excellent moments and minor characters who gave the show depth and feeling. Whether it was the arrival of Adolf Elizabeth Hitler, the old guy singing 'Little Wooden Boy' or the identikit randy old ladies and their crow's chorus in the court scene, there was so much to see and enjoy that it's the sort of show to go and see time and again.
Having a vague awareness of how much it costs to stage productions, this was a big budget show with a big budget impact. From the 17 piece orchestra, fully visible at the front of the stage, to the many costume changes, fantastic sets and classy lighting, this was a show that was crafted with care and designed to deliver.
Well done to everyone I know in the show, and all the others who I don't know yet. Enjoy your last three performances and I hope that they all sell out for you - you deserve it!
I also found the DVD on Amazon, so think I may have to get myself a copy and enjoy it again, though it won't be the same immersive experience as you get at Derby Theatre!
Friday 10 June 2011
A bit of rubato
This week we spent a good chunk of our time learning our Blood Brothers medley. I don't know the show myself (and those who know me won't be remotely surprised about that) but it's got some cracking tunes in it and a very moving closing section.
Anyway, above the lines for parts the instruction states 'rubato'. Despite having learnt piano and clarinet at school and having been in the school choir (as well as having a music teacher for a Mum!) I had never come across this particular word before, so thought that I'd have a look and see what it meant.
It was one of those times when the mobile internet proved its worth! Doing my very best not to be seen by our musical director, Terry, who does get cross if we're not focussing on his direction, I typed rubato into Google to see what it meant.
It seems to be that rubato is one of those hard phrases to define adequately in a few words. Essentially it seems to mean rhythmically. But then the reality appears to be that it's the bit where you sing it with your own rhythm, to give life and movement to a particular piece. In other words you make it your own!
So how does that work when you're singing as part of a chorus! Does everyone sing it their own way? Or does your MD decide what it should be and the rest of the company just toe the line like usual?
I guess that I'd consider that rubato was summed up in our Miss Saigon medley last year in the Sunlight and Moon section. Adela just did something with her phrasing in the line "We have been blessed, you and I" that was amazingly moving. And I guess that was rubato!
For BMT this week, the rubato was managing the short notes on the first syllable of seven before we ran into the native American woo, woo, woos! The ladies got there in the end.
For us guys, I think we managed to give it a good old dose of rubato - but that was a lot more about adding in our own rhythm and style. And quite possibly in the parts where we shouldn't have done.
Anyway, above the lines for parts the instruction states 'rubato'. Despite having learnt piano and clarinet at school and having been in the school choir (as well as having a music teacher for a Mum!) I had never come across this particular word before, so thought that I'd have a look and see what it meant.
It was one of those times when the mobile internet proved its worth! Doing my very best not to be seen by our musical director, Terry, who does get cross if we're not focussing on his direction, I typed rubato into Google to see what it meant.
It seems to be that rubato is one of those hard phrases to define adequately in a few words. Essentially it seems to mean rhythmically. But then the reality appears to be that it's the bit where you sing it with your own rhythm, to give life and movement to a particular piece. In other words you make it your own!
So how does that work when you're singing as part of a chorus! Does everyone sing it their own way? Or does your MD decide what it should be and the rest of the company just toe the line like usual?
I guess that I'd consider that rubato was summed up in our Miss Saigon medley last year in the Sunlight and Moon section. Adela just did something with her phrasing in the line "We have been blessed, you and I" that was amazingly moving. And I guess that was rubato!
For BMT this week, the rubato was managing the short notes on the first syllable of seven before we ran into the native American woo, woo, woos! The ladies got there in the end.
For us guys, I think we managed to give it a good old dose of rubato - but that was a lot more about adding in our own rhythm and style. And quite possibly in the parts where we shouldn't have done.
Wednesday 8 June 2011
AGM thoughts
As I was listening to the radio on my way home from work on the 25th May, some important person commented that Democracy results in peace and wealth. The phrase struck a real chord with me and I reflected on it repeatedly as we had the BMT AGM that evening.
I think that having an annual general meeting of all the members of the company is a really important part of our commitment to democracy. It allows everyone in the company to engage with the future direction of the organisation, ask questions in an open forum and to challenge decisions that have been made.
But it seems that this essential democratic process is more likely to encourage people to take on an adversarial role, rather than a peacemaker! Is this because people feel disenfranchised from the daily plans and work that is undertaken? Do people feel that they don't have the chance or opportunity to be able to engage on the basis that they would like?
It was really positive that we had new volunteers to sit on the BMT committee - especially since we're losing three of our committee members this time around. Any new member brings a dash of life and vitality as well as a different way of looking at things. But I am well aware that we could do with even more people willing and able to come along to committee meetings each month and help to keep the company running smoothly.
Whatever the drivers for the various questions voiced at our AGM, it seems to me that our Chair has done a fantastic job this year on behalf of the company and he was able to explain what we've done and why we've done it. So well done to Mark. And a big thank you to everyone else at BMT, both in the committee and the wider company, who have given up their time and effort in many different ways over the last 12 months.
At the end of a fairly vocal meeting, it seems that we are once again back on track with peace and prosperity (as long as everyone pays their membership subscriptions) and that means that we can get on with the singing - which is after all what we all enjoy the most!
I think that having an annual general meeting of all the members of the company is a really important part of our commitment to democracy. It allows everyone in the company to engage with the future direction of the organisation, ask questions in an open forum and to challenge decisions that have been made.
But it seems that this essential democratic process is more likely to encourage people to take on an adversarial role, rather than a peacemaker! Is this because people feel disenfranchised from the daily plans and work that is undertaken? Do people feel that they don't have the chance or opportunity to be able to engage on the basis that they would like?
It was really positive that we had new volunteers to sit on the BMT committee - especially since we're losing three of our committee members this time around. Any new member brings a dash of life and vitality as well as a different way of looking at things. But I am well aware that we could do with even more people willing and able to come along to committee meetings each month and help to keep the company running smoothly.
Whatever the drivers for the various questions voiced at our AGM, it seems to me that our Chair has done a fantastic job this year on behalf of the company and he was able to explain what we've done and why we've done it. So well done to Mark. And a big thank you to everyone else at BMT, both in the committee and the wider company, who have given up their time and effort in many different ways over the last 12 months.
At the end of a fairly vocal meeting, it seems that we are once again back on track with peace and prosperity (as long as everyone pays their membership subscriptions) and that means that we can get on with the singing - which is after all what we all enjoy the most!
Thursday 19 May 2011
Multitasking - 1
Why is it that I feel I may have to revisit the challenges of multitasking a few times over the course of me writing this blog?
When you're engaged in musical theatre, one of the things that you discover at some point down the line is that you're going to have to develop an ability to move in a structured fashion at the same time as you try to remember the words, notes and rhythms of the songs themselves. To those who sit and watch it's a simple case of sing and dance.
Let's take last night as my first example discussion point. We're singing 'Cabaret' as one of the numbers in our Autumn show 'Life is a Cabaret' this year (September 23rd and 24th I think) and as it's one of those numbers that most folk have heard at some point, it was a relatively easy song to learn (just have to remember to sing the harmony not the melody).
So it made perfect sense that our incredible choreographers would choose it as one of the early numbers to set. You can almost imagine a bit of swaying, the odd (perhaps that should have been occasional?) arm raise and then a kick step here and there as needed; nothing to it really.
Well that wasn't quite the reality that I experienced last night. The sways at the start were ok: I can count to eight whilst singing. And then I can more or less remember to turn my hands around to the front and raise my arms at the same time as everyone else. The challenge came at the little bow bit - do I still bow if the guy to the right of me doesn't bow? What if I bend too far, or not far enough? Will the spotlights reflect badly off my bald patch (it's such a worry). And then I had to remember to walk forwards at the right time, collecting two lovely ladies en route to the corner.
Of course that was the point at which the silence in the room demonstrated that I, together with the rest of the guys, had suddenly forgotten to sing. The ladies were of course continuing to warble away merrily, whilst daintily placing their feet in the correct position and smiling merrily with eyes stage front. So incredibly unfair.
And twenty minutes later, which was probably the tenth repeat of the song, with our choreographer starting to look just a little fraught at the front, we more or less managed to remember the words, most of the notes and the majority of the movements and all at the right time! Hooray for us.
So before I forget again, here we go! 'Come to the cabaret!' with a step kick, step kick, sway ........
When you're engaged in musical theatre, one of the things that you discover at some point down the line is that you're going to have to develop an ability to move in a structured fashion at the same time as you try to remember the words, notes and rhythms of the songs themselves. To those who sit and watch it's a simple case of sing and dance.
Let's take last night as my first example discussion point. We're singing 'Cabaret' as one of the numbers in our Autumn show 'Life is a Cabaret' this year (September 23rd and 24th I think) and as it's one of those numbers that most folk have heard at some point, it was a relatively easy song to learn (just have to remember to sing the harmony not the melody).
So it made perfect sense that our incredible choreographers would choose it as one of the early numbers to set. You can almost imagine a bit of swaying, the odd (perhaps that should have been occasional?) arm raise and then a kick step here and there as needed; nothing to it really.
Well that wasn't quite the reality that I experienced last night. The sways at the start were ok: I can count to eight whilst singing. And then I can more or less remember to turn my hands around to the front and raise my arms at the same time as everyone else. The challenge came at the little bow bit - do I still bow if the guy to the right of me doesn't bow? What if I bend too far, or not far enough? Will the spotlights reflect badly off my bald patch (it's such a worry). And then I had to remember to walk forwards at the right time, collecting two lovely ladies en route to the corner.
Of course that was the point at which the silence in the room demonstrated that I, together with the rest of the guys, had suddenly forgotten to sing. The ladies were of course continuing to warble away merrily, whilst daintily placing their feet in the correct position and smiling merrily with eyes stage front. So incredibly unfair.
And twenty minutes later, which was probably the tenth repeat of the song, with our choreographer starting to look just a little fraught at the front, we more or less managed to remember the words, most of the notes and the majority of the movements and all at the right time! Hooray for us.
So before I forget again, here we go! 'Come to the cabaret!' with a step kick, step kick, sway ........
Sunday 15 May 2011
Singing in the shower - good acoustics or what?
So there I was this morning, singing away and enjoying the perfect resonance of the bathroom, when my beloved wife very politely asked me to keep the noise down! Now I accept that her argument was that I was singing one song and Dan was in the other room singing another one and that the two didn't really complement each other that well.
But it did get me thinking that our audience may never enjoy the sounds of our voices quite as much as we do ourselves.
And that in turn made me think about the delights (or otherwise) of last night's Eurovision song contest.
Personally I liked the Iceland song the best, nice harmony, shared out the melody between them, looked as if they enjoyed singing with each other and quite a good song too. I would have thought that the sob story that accompanied it would have ticked some boxes too. But it seems that Azerbaijan was the favourite. Hey ho.
I don't expect to ever sing to a crowd the size of that at the Eurovision yesterday, nor do I expect that anyone would be over impressed if I did so (though Bosnia and Herzegovina did well). So perhaps I'll stick to singing in the shower, to my audience of one and a half, and carry on enjoying the null point (please use French accent) that I gained this morning.
Better luck to the rest of you!
But it did get me thinking that our audience may never enjoy the sounds of our voices quite as much as we do ourselves.
And that in turn made me think about the delights (or otherwise) of last night's Eurovision song contest.
Personally I liked the Iceland song the best, nice harmony, shared out the melody between them, looked as if they enjoyed singing with each other and quite a good song too. I would have thought that the sob story that accompanied it would have ticked some boxes too. But it seems that Azerbaijan was the favourite. Hey ho.
I don't expect to ever sing to a crowd the size of that at the Eurovision yesterday, nor do I expect that anyone would be over impressed if I did so (though Bosnia and Herzegovina did well). So perhaps I'll stick to singing in the shower, to my audience of one and a half, and carry on enjoying the null point (please use French accent) that I gained this morning.
Better luck to the rest of you!
Saturday 14 May 2011
And it's returned - hooray!
In case the title makes no sense, yesterday evening my Thursday blog had disappeared and so I blogged on that . Today I blog on its return.
I will get back to possibly more relevant blogging again soon!
I will get back to possibly more relevant blogging again soon!
Friday 13 May 2011
Where did my last blog go?
It was here when I woke up this morning! Any IT folk able to tell me how to get it back?
Thursday 12 May 2011
Who do we perform for?
The organisation that I work for is having a meeting in London later this year and half the team have already booked to go and see Mamma Mia whilst we're down there. Here in Manchester the worldwide premiere of Ghost is well underway and has been picking up rave reviews, as well as big audiences. And the NODA website assures me that over 40 million people attend local amateur dramatic performances across the country each year.
But are we all aiming for the same audience and performing for the same reasons?
It got me thinking (well you have to do something on the train from Liverpool to Manchester don't you!)
My workmates are going to see Mamma Mia because they've heard it's a good show, or they like the music. They don't much care who is performing it; they're safe in the knowledge that as it's a West end production it will be good. They will also be paying loads of money for their tickets!
The Manchester crowd are going to see Ghost largely because they liked the film many years ago, with some going out of curiosity and apparently a few because it's got Richard Fleeshman in it. They're also going because their friends are (and it's quite exciting to have something premier in Manchester rather than the West End or Broadway!)
But why do people come and see shows that we put on as Belper Musical Theatre?
My Mum comes (and brings a minibus load of friends) because I'm in it and because we're not too far away from Sutton Coldfield. It obviously helps a great deal that we're also very good at what we do.
But if we want to get audiences of 200 people every night, then we either need significantly bigger families and more friends, or we need to work out what our audience want.
And I reckon that brings me back to the main question. Who do we perform for?
We're a membership society, so we perform to meet the needs and wants of our members don't we?
We put on shows that have great chorus numbers, because we're a great chorus.
But we got a nomination for Best Musical for our incredible production of the King and I, which had little chorus work.
So when we pick a show, who is it for?
Is it to get a big audience?
Is it to show off our chorus skills?
Or is it just to put on a show that we fancy doing?
Share your thoughts on here!
Wednesday 11 May 2011
A Blog for BMT
One of the things that we've chatted about at Belper Musical Theatre in the past has been the challenge of engaging people with our events and encouraging them to come along.
So I thought that I'd put together this blog and invite all BMT members and anyone else who has a vibrant interest in what we're doing, to join in and share their thoughts and comments.
I'll try to post something here each week after rehearsals about how things are coming on and offer you some insight into the backstage fun that we have in our local company.
If there is something in particular that you would like to see here, then please drop me a line and let's try and get it loaded!
In the meantime, remember that our next show will be in September - can anyone remember the dates?
So I thought that I'd put together this blog and invite all BMT members and anyone else who has a vibrant interest in what we're doing, to join in and share their thoughts and comments.
I'll try to post something here each week after rehearsals about how things are coming on and offer you some insight into the backstage fun that we have in our local company.
If there is something in particular that you would like to see here, then please drop me a line and let's try and get it loaded!
In the meantime, remember that our next show will be in September - can anyone remember the dates?
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