tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73632231300193087522024-03-13T18:24:17.605+00:00Belper Musical TheatreMusings about the fun that we have in planning our shows and concerts.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11169938698790867887noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363223130019308752.post-75975392724835548352018-08-10T15:23:00.001+01:002018-08-10T15:23:06.803+01:00Bookings are open<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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As I am getting ready to set off on my summer holidays I can hardly believe that our Autumn performance will be hitting the stage just three weeks after we return. Sometimes it's hard to find a way to share the booking form for our events with you (no-one wants to block up too much space on those massive servers!). If I have managed to sort out the technology side of this properly, then you can click on this link:</div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uPHmWYnhBNzUOutyXi-ggdAtOL4Dz6WO/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Booking form</a></div>
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and it will take you to a PDF version of our booking form. And that should let you download it, fill it in and order your tickets.<br />
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To be honest it's much easier just to give Jan a call on 01773 856190 and maintain that personal touch with us. Or you can go to our website:<br />
www.belpermusicaltheatre.co.uk or our ticket booking website<br />
bmt.ticketsource.co.uk<br />
<br />
and book your tickets directly. Both of these websites let you choose whether to print your ticket at home, have it as a mobile ticket or have a ticket posted to you.<br />
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Whichever route you choose, we hope that you enjoy the show - and please remember to tell all of your friends that you are coming so that they can enjoy the show as well. It's always more fun to have a laugh with your friends than by yourself.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11169938698790867887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363223130019308752.post-15395004724743077182017-10-10T20:02:00.000+01:002017-10-10T20:02:06.894+01:00NODA review of the autumn concert<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's always a delight to welcome our local NODA representative to our events and to await eagerly for her review. This has now launched and you can read it here<br />
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https://www.noda.org.uk/show-reports/rhythm-is-gonna-getcha#.WdfrpwPC5QY.facebook<br />
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If you want to buy tickets for our next show in 2018, Sister act, then get in touch with the guildhall in Derby or go to www.ticketsource.co.uk/bmt</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11169938698790867887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363223130019308752.post-10372924365435673912017-08-29T19:37:00.001+01:002017-08-29T19:42:59.320+01:00Rhythm is gonna getcha<p dir="ltr">The final weeks are now here and we are looking forward to seeing you all on Friday 15 and Saturday 16 September for this fantastic concert</p>
<p dir="ltr">As always it's a great mix of songs from the shows and other tunes that will have you singing along and greatly enjoying a great night out.<br>
You can buy your tickets <a href="http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/bmt">online</a> from www.ticketsource.co.uk/BMT or by calling out ticket secretary Jan on 01773856190.<br>
We look <u>forward</u> to entertaining you!<br><br></p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11169938698790867887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363223130019308752.post-50638452419481630322017-05-08T15:53:00.002+01:002017-05-08T15:53:43.313+01:00Amazing Aladdin from our talented Juniors<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I was fortunate both to be part of the team helping out at the front of house for the Belper Junior Musical Theatre production this April and also a ticket holder for each of the three shows. This combination offered me the chance to enjoy every single performance and also to see how much other people enjoyed it both during the interval and as they left at the end. The only thing that people felt could have been improved was for the show to have been longer!<br />
Let's start with the whole Junior cast and company. It's great to see so many highly talented children on the stage at the same time (as the Genie points out "It's a BIG musical"). There must have been between 40 and 50 children performing, all smiling, costumed brilliantly and dancing together to some amazing choreography. The main Disney show talks about the need for the set and costumes to be full of colour and able to bring the Arabian marketplace to life and the talents of the costume team for this show certainly showed that Belper is able to play its part in this context.<br />
I think that this was the best choreography that we have seen in a Junior show for a while. It brought together themes of Bollywood together with gymnastics, acrobatics and tap. Absolutely stunning. The combined approach of making the best use of the most talented dancers whilst still using everyone else to support the central theme really was excellent.<br />
Adding to the sense of drama and almost cartoon surreality was the stunning makeup. The effort which transformed Jafar and the Genie deserves a particular mention. How much fun must that have been. And very few people were sure whether the six pack displayed by Aladdin was real or made up - perhaps a Poldark of the future?<br />
Having touched on company, costumes, choreography and makeup, there is an urgent need to recognise the energy and effort that went in to all of this from the directors - both for performance and singing ability. It was clear that great thought had gone into all of the little touches that make the difference between recital and performing and this show had the latter in spades. Each child had a part to play and did it brilliantly, making sure that they provided a living back drop to the story taking part centre stage - and the audience loved it! And the singing was great. Excellent harmonies, clear vocals from the lead roles: even the strangely out of time Why Me was sung with confidence (the timing being the issue of the song not of the singer).<br />
Overall however, it is not fair to write these comments without focusing on the stand out performances from the lead characters. Jafar was great, his parrot has a life ahead of ham acting in pantomimes, the Sultan was perfectly cast and showed perfect comic timing, the Genie was full of life and energy, Princess Jasmine was sweet without being saccharine and Aladdin was the glue that held the whole show together. What an incredible team.<br />
People came out of the theatre hall smiling - as one commented 'My cheeks are hurting I have been smiling and laughing so much'. This show was not a pantomime (despite the best efforts of the Sunday matinee audience) but it was great fun. It told a story and made people laugh and pause for a brief moment of reflection at the thought of friendship and how important it is. I am looking forward eagerly to the next show from this talented group of children.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11169938698790867887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363223130019308752.post-62616816524946198752016-11-14T08:48:00.002+00:002016-11-14T08:48:41.406+00:00In memoriam of Terry Bailey<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I joined Belper Musical Theatre when the company was just starting rehearsals for Anything Goes - a quick check of the programme shows me that was in September 2008 as the show was in February 2009.<br />
I remember walking into the hall behind Belper's Central Methodist Church and seeing three lines of chairs and Terry at the front, baton in hand, ready to whip everyone into shape. And one of my abiding memories of that show is Terry reminding us all (time and again) that we needed to be able to pitch our starting note for "Public Enemy Number One" at the start of the second act from a single note.<br />
I can move forwards to his advice on enunciation and correct word endings in The King and I, his constant stressing of the need for long vowels and revision and reworking of getting the choral numbers right. And I know that I am one of many who enjoyed singing with middle section of "This is the moment" arranged by Terry Bailey.<br />
One of Terry's habits however was linked to his amazing talent. Because he could hear a piece of music and reproduce it without needing it written down, so often we would be faced with singing a piece that wasn't written down and so would have slight variations (jazzed up a little) each week. It didn't make for the easiest of learning experiences, but it did make things a lot of fun.<br />
I recorded this version of Dayton Ohio, arranged on the spot by Terry, when we were trying to pin him down to the same notes each week. And now I am glad that I did as it means that we have a lasting record of the skills and talents of this guy, doing what he did best.<br />
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For me this shows one thing really clearly. Music links quickly to our emotions. Watching and listening to this piece is bittersweet. It's a tale of days which have past, seen with that golden glow of memory, tinged with sadness. I think it's a great way to remember him.<br />
Please use our comments function to add your own memories of Terry and if you have photos or videos of your own, then please send them in so that we can create a page in memory of our Musical Director.<br />
Thank you Terry, you were not just the MD, you were a part of our company and a friend.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11169938698790867887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363223130019308752.post-33820247825340908242016-01-17T13:23:00.001+00:002016-01-17T13:23:59.043+00:00Planning the Irish dance<p dir="ltr">Video from Facebook! Click <a href="https://m.facebook.com/groups/42174693508?view=permalink&id=10153564136348509">here</a></p>
<p dir="ltr">Or try this</p>
<p dir="ltr">https://m.facebook.com/groups/42174693508?view=permalink&id=10153564136348509</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11169938698790867887noreply@blogger.com0Belper, Belper53.02439 -1.477616tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363223130019308752.post-55246676299772955882015-09-22T08:44:00.000+01:002015-09-22T08:44:13.650+01:00Another amazing concert<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's Tuesday morning and the concert is over for another year. It was great to speak with so many people after the performances this weekend and find out how much they had enjoyed it all. For me it was great to hear Duncan's perspective. Duncan is one of our usual performers, singing tenor, but this year he was unable to be in the concert so came along to watch instead. His insight to the impact that all the work we put into our choreography really does make a difference to the audience was great. Indeed he suggests that we should all take a year out and watch the dances to understand why we need to try harder to be in the right place at the right time and with the right facial expression! It is incredibly difficult to do that sometimes though!<br />
Now the countdown begins for our show next Spring with us taking the daring, potentially risky, step of performing Legally Blonde (first time in Derbyshire as an amateur company I think) and running it twice, first here in Belper and then at the Derby Guildhall as well. I know that we have an amazing production team, and we are looking forward to welcoming new members from across the region to join in, have fun and help us to put on an amazing show.<br />
Just let us know on Facebook, or on here, if you want to audition and join our company!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11169938698790867887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363223130019308752.post-7013408717856049912015-06-14T21:10:00.001+01:002015-06-14T21:10:44.065+01:00Great stuff BMT!<p dir="ltr">Thank you to Jan and Ron for representing us at the awards ceremony Tuesday. We served to win, but top marks to those who did.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11169938698790867887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363223130019308752.post-27414924143289356432015-05-21T20:28:00.001+01:002015-05-21T20:28:00.329+01:00Jan and Nicola are also here<p dir="ltr">Accidentally upset some of our hard working committee members! If you have not got your tickets for our forthcoming speed quiz yet then get in touch with us!</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gfN3lXQ_KRQ/VV4xvRkbnEI/AAAAAAAAQbk/TQLGxuT0TwU/s1600/1432236357090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gfN3lXQ_KRQ/VV4xvRkbnEI/AAAAAAAAQbk/TQLGxuT0TwU/s640/1432236357090.jpg"> </a> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11169938698790867887noreply@blogger.com0Belper, Belper53.02439 -1.477616tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363223130019308752.post-76644719873485445102015-05-21T20:23:00.001+01:002015-05-21T20:23:25.194+01:00First committee meeting 2015<p dir="ltr">After last word AGM tonight saw the first meeting of the new committee. We've been going for almost an hour and made it all the way to the third agenda item!</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LO-5TGNawsQ/VV4wqnohAMI/AAAAAAAAQbY/l2fffZUpa2I/s1600/1432236097518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LO-5TGNawsQ/VV4wqnohAMI/AAAAAAAAQbY/l2fffZUpa2I/s640/1432236097518.jpg"> </a> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11169938698790867887noreply@blogger.com0Belper, Belper53.02439 -1.477616tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363223130019308752.post-35721165350055441582015-01-19T18:43:00.001+00:002015-01-19T18:43:05.317+00:00Images of Olivia, selected by Googlehttps://plus.google.com/102741118071423185230/stories/4a2e815c-4914-3d85-8d44-40d795ecea831481552a5cd?authkey=CODg7u-3krDEzwEAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11169938698790867887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363223130019308752.post-83357553652871696882014-12-31T09:48:00.001+00:002014-12-31T09:48:54.992+00:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzb-_nmqCctP6ti7noAyzNDOG63s_q-qAh2OhbQzIIqJIlEJZK44HzMY7zbURAmUwKp89fqECEfN4eI_1bbFg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
As well as being pretty amazing in our concerts, the company has been delighted to perform at other events to make them personal and special. This video is from a recent wedding where we sang to welcome guests to the church - initially Christmas carols outside, then moving inwards as the bride was imminent.<br />
We worked closely with the bride and groom to make sure that our song list matched what they wanted. In this video you can hear two of our talented ladies sing the Flower Duet from Lakme as the bride made her way down the aisle.<br />
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All the company enjoyed singing at the wedding and helping to make the day a little more special.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11169938698790867887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363223130019308752.post-19631974284352601762014-07-16T20:57:00.001+01:002014-07-16T20:57:08.291+01:00Raise your voice! <p dir="ltr">I thought you would love this shot of the ladies rehearsing for our Autumn concert. You can see how much fun they are having. Come and see the final version on 12th or 13th of September. </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-AH-c4T3_AN0/U8bZDi__r4I/AAAAAAAAEVM/le7b_MsnV7w/s1600/1405540465829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-AH-c4T3_AN0/U8bZDi__r4I/AAAAAAAAEVM/le7b_MsnV7w/s640/1405540465829.jpg"> </a> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11169938698790867887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363223130019308752.post-11632577988520457492014-06-17T21:29:00.001+01:002014-06-17T21:29:24.583+01:00A smashing show!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Anyone who was fortunate enough to have bought a ticket for the Belper Junior Musical Theatre performance of Olivia! this weekend managed to get a real treat; it's just a shame that a few more folk didn't avail themselves of the opportunity.<br />
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It's not a show that I knew anything about (and yes, I am aware that's a familiar phrase for me when it comes to musicals) but I read up on it a bit beforehand to make sure that I could put something half way accurate into the programme. It's clear that a lot of thought has gone into the script and the style of many of the songs within it. And that made it a great show to see, trying to pick up on the links.<br />
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Niamh Pugh, who took the part of Olivia, threw herself into the role with a high level of enthusiasm and energy - right up to the last moment and her hamming it up for the Convict's Child lament was a real joy.<br />
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Lucy Taylor, taking her last role in a Junior performance as she moves up to the adult company, was excellent in her portrayal of Eliza and her voice showed a great deal of maturity as she sang her songs with accent and aplomb. Great stuff.<br />
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Daniel Shaw and Jacob Mellors as the Artful Dodger and Fagin entranced the whole audience whenever they were on the stage. It was an incredible partnership and worthy of a west end show. I know that I am a little biased on this one, but I reckon that their performance more than justifies my praise.<br />
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The best part was that there were so many other parts for people to shine in. With Samuel Brookes quite literally high kicking his way across the stage as George Bernard Shaw, Ben Thompson's Dr Watson rescuing Joseph Hext's Sherlock Holmes. Queenie, Doris and Flo (Katy Varney, Carys Lesley and Holly Pridmore) were a hoot as they both gave continuity in Covent Garden and offered sage life advice to Jess Henshaw's Annie. It was lovely to see that Poppy Hargrave had a chance to demonstrate her dancing skills as Derbhile. All of the cast were great - I just don't want to risk boring people more than usual by commenting on Oscar Hewitt-Richard's Bristolian accent (Donkeys?) or Ben Hewitt-Richards Dumbledorian lamp lighting (was it magic?). Molly Hewitt-Richards was amazing as Mrs Murdstone, Robert Mosley was a great Ebenezer Scrooge, Lucy Jennison's usher was pedantry personified and Jack Mosley made an awe inspiring white wigged judge.<br />
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Actually the one last person that I will make a special mention of was Sophie Hext who shone as Mrs Dilber. She had a great voice and acted the part really well.<br />
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So a huge thank you to everyone who took part. You looked like you loved every minute and that made sure that the audience did too. We can't wait to see and hear you on the stage for the Autumn Concert! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11169938698790867887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363223130019308752.post-65794276695453458212014-06-17T21:28:00.001+01:002014-06-17T21:28:19.026+01:00What's next?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As our long hot summer period rolls around again I know that many of you find your thoughts turning longingly to the arrival of our cooler September again. And what could be cooler than the Belper Musical Theatre Annual concert! Ok so maybe icecreams could, and possibly a long cold drink, or penguin's feet. In fact many things could be cooler than our concert, but that really wasn't the point that I was trying to make. What I wanted to get across here was that our rehearsals are now up and running and ready for our Autumn Concert and this year is going to be great.<br />
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Before I try to whet your tastebuds with thoughts of listening to Bohemian Rhapsody or a great Les Miserables medley though, I thought that you would all be pleased to hear that a dedicated group of our ladies is once again taking to the streets for the moonlight walk to raise money for Treetops hospice.<br />
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It will be exactly two years since Linda Furnival died from cancer when this year's moonlight walk takes place. The team at Treetops were there for her when she needed them, and when her family needed them. Raising money for them is one way that we can say thank you. I know that there are many good causes out there asking for you to dig deep and help them to keep going. If you can spare some cash, then please click on this link <a href="https://www.justgiving.com/jen-lewis">https://www.justgiving.com/jen-lewis</a> and add a couple of pounds to the funds. Thank you.<br />
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11169938698790867887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363223130019308752.post-39898263027459059862014-03-05T15:37:00.002+00:002014-03-05T15:37:35.432+00:00Olivia?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Now that some of the excitement after our amazing production of Annie Get Your Gun has died down, I thought that it was a good opportunity for me to start to build the hunger for folk to come along to our next Belper Junior Musical Theatre production.<br />
This time around they are putting on 'Olivia!'<br />
As many of you know I have a very limited knowledge of musicals although I do try hard to learn the words and the tunes (and occasionally the rhythms) of all the ones that we do. So I had no concept at all of a musical called Olivia and my anticipation was that it would just be some tiresome feminist rewrite of Oliver! However, I am assured that this is not the case.<br />
The script is full of humour and is well written and it follows the progress of a young girl (who just happens to be named Olivia) from a downtrodden beginning in an orphanage through the streets of London and, who knows, possibly a happy ending.<br />
The production is well written and offers a real showcase for our junior talent, male and female. You can look forward to meeting Eliza Dolittle (My Fair Lady), Artful Dodger, Fagin, Sherlock Holmes and George Bernard Shaw. Mix that with great songs and the hard work of our production team and it's a show that will not disappoint.<br />
You've seen some of the stars on stage with us in Annie Get Your Gun, so now is your chance to support our stars of tomorrow and give them a full house at each of their three shows.<br />
As always you can buy your tickets through our website at <a href="http://bmt.ticketsource.co.uk/" target="_blank">bmt.ticketsource.co.uk</a><br />
<br />
I will find an electronic copy of the flyer and see if I can work out how to upload it to here as well! (Sometimes my IT skills are more limited than my knowledge of musicals)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11169938698790867887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363223130019308752.post-46266157486634508232014-03-03T15:13:00.001+00:002014-03-03T15:13:26.719+00:00Review number three - NODA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
You can find this review on the NODA website at <a href="http://www.noda.org.uk/events/reports/annie_get_your_gun_9" target="_blank">NODA Annie 2014</a> and I have to say that I am delighted with this one as it stresses that Charlie Davenport was splendidly portrayed by Matthew Shaw. Ok, sadly it runs out of steam after that and bangs on about Jen Lewis and Chris Grantham yet again. But it's still a great review of a fun show.<br />
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And for those of you who enjoy watching our annual parodies (you can always buy tickets to our annual dinner) then this link may work <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152242500899631" target="_blank">2014 parody</a> if it doesn't then let me know and I will try to get the original file off whoever recorded it - judging by the accompanying laughter it was Liz!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11169938698790867887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363223130019308752.post-19662728687273966162014-02-21T12:07:00.003+00:002014-02-21T12:07:56.467+00:00Review number two<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Here's our second review. You can find it online at <a href="http://artsbeatblog.com/2014/02/20/review-annie-get-your-gun-belper-musical-theatre/" target="_blank">ArtsBeatBlog</a></h3>
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REVIEW: ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, BELPER MUSICAL THEATRE</h2>
<div class="single-metainfo" style="background-color: #edeef0; color: #7f7f7f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<a href="http://artsbeatblog.com/2014/02/20/review-annie-get-your-gun-belper-musical-theatre/" rel="bookmark" sl-processed="1" style="color: #fb7523; text-decoration: none;" title="11:29 am">February 20, 2014</a></div>
<div style="background-color: #edeef0; color: #7f7f7f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
<a href="http://artsbeatblogdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/annie-get-your-gun.jpg" sl-processed="1" style="color: #fb7523; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="annie get your gun" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-4813" height="154" src="http://artsbeatblogdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/annie-get-your-gun.jpg?w=300&h=154" style="border: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 13px auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" width="300" /></a>Belper Musical Theatre has hit the bull’s eye with its latest production – Annie Get Your Gun.</div>
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The team staged the colourful and lively show with plenty of panache and a whole heap of enthusiasm.</div>
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Annie Get Your Gun is a show within a show and tells the story of Colonel Buffalo Bill Cody’s famous Wild West Show and the tempestuous on/off romance of sharp shooters Annie and the chauvinistic Frank Butler.</div>
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This version, revised by Peter Stone in 1999, has been updated to be a little more social acceptable than the 1940s original but you still have to remember that some of the lines are from a bygone era.</div>
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The one element of this Irving Berlin classic which has given it is enduring popularity is its astonishing collection of songs and this group made sure that they had the perfect cast to perform them in this stellar production.</div>
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There was impressive dancing, some hilarious comic moments and just the right amount of aaaah moments when it came to the charming young siblings of Ms Oakley. And to top it all the ten-strong orchestra was performing as part of the set on stage.</div>
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Jen Lewis has been a passionate member of the Belper Musical Theatre for more than a decade and she was absolutely fabulous as Annie.</div>
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Her powerful voice took the house down and each number was met with rapturous applause. I Got The Sun In The Morning was a triumph. <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">There was no way anyone could have left the building without humming one of the tunes.</span></div>
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As the dashing leading man, Chris Grantham had a challenge on his hands to match up to her but he pulled it off with a commanding stage presence. He was terrific in their toe-tapping duets An Old Fashioned Wedding and Anything You can Do.</div>
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As the supporting romantic leads Tommy Keeler and Winnie Tate played by Dominic Osin and Hannah Beastall were a delight and are certainly ones to watch for the future – even though they are already stalwarts of the stage they are still young guns.</div>
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Their singing and dancing in the rendition of Who Do You Love, I Hope? was thoroughly enjoyable.</div>
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Sarah Stone as the indomitable Dolly Tate headed up the comic players with a commendable performance and David Orange as the mincing Foster Wilson was a scream.</div>
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The whole show was extremely slick – it had to be as there was a large cast moving around at speed on what is a relatively small stage.</div>
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The set design and construction was spot on and they made a very clever use of minimal props. I was particularly impressed by the creation of the bunk beds for the little ‘uns.</div>
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Congratulations must go to all the production team but particularly to director Larry Waller who was new to the team and not a man who has worked with a lot of musicals.</div>
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If you want a great family night out with some rousing sing-a-long music then get yourselves down to the community theatre at Belper School. The show is on until Saturday with a matinee that day. For more details go to <a href="http://www.belpermusicaltheatre.co.uk/" sl-processed="1" style="color: #fb7523; text-decoration: none;">http://www.belpermusicaltheatre.co.uk</a></div>
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The rest of the cast were: Matthew Shaw, as Charlie Davenport; Ian Jennison, Buffalo Bill; Brian Counter, Chief Sitting Bull; Mike Osborne, Pawnee Bill.</div>
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The dancers were Lucy Hassall, Megan Harman, Charlie Orme and Jess Hutton. The children the night artsbeat went along were Jess Allinson, Jess Henshall, Daniel Shaw and Jess Waller. The children for some of the other shows were Daisy Bunting, Molly Hewitt-Richards, Oscar Hewitt-Richards and Anya Staton.</div>
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The orchestra were Helen Shelton, drums; Jeff Widdowson, bass; John Hudson, keys; Tim Wright, guitar; Sophia Rudd, reed I; Paul Scott, reed II; Chris Toon, reed III; Gordon Truman, trumpet I, Mathew Knowles, trumpet II and Guy Burrows, trombone.</div>
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The rest of the production team were: musical director, Dave Adey; choreographer, Becky Dunning; assistant director Elizabeth Brooks; production assistant Sophie Mander.</div>
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The support team were: prompt, Anne Dunning; production co-ordinator, Richard Poole; stage manager, Richard Harman; set design and construction, Ian Jennison; artistic design, Carolyn Hardy; lighting and sound, Paul Frost, Nigel Johnson, Henry Pratt; projection Darren Salt and Mark Jennison; audiovisual design Louis Vella and Jamie Vella; props master, Pete Neale, assisted by Sophie Mander and Katy Neale; wardrobe, Mary Jackson, assisted by Judith Marsden, Helen Allsop, Rachel Allsop and Val Stone.</div>
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Front of house, Helen Beastall assisted by Bridgette Dolman-Milner, Maureen Hodgkinson, Howard Jackson, Alison Jennison, Lucy Jennison, Phoebe Jennison, Ron Mander, Sue Manning, Judith Marsden, Barbara Matin, Chris Moorcroft, Steve Morcroft, Linda Oldknow, Daniel Shaw, Sue Shaw, Andrea Sparham, John Stone, Val Stone, Cerys Swift and Eilisha Swift</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11169938698790867887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363223130019308752.post-91901539061326978272014-02-21T11:19:00.003+00:002014-02-21T11:19:54.837+00:00Thoughts on facial stubble<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It seems that today I had to apologise for my failure to
shave at a weekend now; the benefits of exfoliation are lost on my stage
partner, the amazing Sarah. As if it’s not hard enough having to cope with an
increasing amount of white appearing in my beard, my two days off from shaving
are out of the window until the end of February – or at least until the end of
the show.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sarah did offer to moisturise my beard thoroughly before I
jumped in to my moments of passion on stage, but for some reason the thought of
rubbing goose fat or similar on to my stubbly chin failed to enthral her. Beats
me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anyway, looking on the bright side I don’t think that I need
to grow a facial masterpiece like Ian has done to recreate Buffalo Bill. The
thrill he gets from sharpening the ends of his moustache prior to taking to the
stage is potentially all out of proportion.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I promise to try to remember to shave before rehearsals next
Sunday – but we’re off to Cadbury’s World for the day on the Saturday, so would
a chocolate moustache do?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11169938698790867887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363223130019308752.post-13022662120869106192014-02-21T11:19:00.001+00:002014-02-21T11:19:24.223+00:00Preparing for the show<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It’s always somewhere between exciting and petrifying when
the show starts to get closer and this year is no different. It’s exciting
because the show really starts to come together. And that’s definitely true
this year as Ian has already mostly constructed the set. We can stand on the
stands, or whatever they are officially called. We can practise carrying on our
boxes, guns and racks so that we get a better idea of the space that we need
and how long it’s going to take to manage things. That means that the show will
be even better – right from the first night! So if I were you I’d be getting
online and booking my seat just as soon as I possibly could. Since over half of
our seats had sold out for the Saturday matinee before the year began, it’s great
to know that tickets are already selling fast. Who knows we may be in the
situation we were in with the King and I, where we had to turn people away from
the shows as there were no tickets left and we couldn’t get any more seats into
the theatre hall. Seriously – book soon to avoid disappointment.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As well as all the excitement of a show that’s starting to
come together so well, it’s also kind of petrifying! There are only about four
weeks left to the show and that means only four Sunday rehearsals left to get
everything in place and make sure that we are as slick as possible with our
lines, positions, dances, songs and characters. It’s not easy at all.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But when you are sitting there, watching the set come
together, the interplay between the characters and the effort that every member
of our cast puts into making the whole show come to life for you. You know that
it’s going to be worthwhile We’re looking forward to putting on a fabulous show
for you. And we’re sure that you’re looking forward to coming along to enjoy
it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11169938698790867887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363223130019308752.post-45101920438678612072014-02-19T13:56:00.001+00:002014-02-22T09:57:07.942+00:00The first review of Annie Get Your Gun<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Derby Telegraph, bless them, have published this first review of our amazing 2014 show - Annie Get Your Gun. And even though they have accidentally failed to mention of the rather brilliant Charlie Davenport, I thought that I would share the link here for posterity. <br />
<br />
http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Review-Annie-Gun-Belper-Music-Theatre/story-20658377-detail/story.html Derby<a href="http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Review-Annie-Gun-Belper-Music-Theatre/story-20658377-detail/story.html" target="_blank"> Telegraph Review</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11169938698790867887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363223130019308752.post-17401563229388930822013-12-18T15:54:00.000+00:002014-02-18T09:51:04.131+00:00Thoughts on the real Sitting Bull<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/12/15/native-history-sitting-bull-shot-indian-police-his-legacy-remains-152717" target="_blank">The end of Brian?</a><br>
<br>
For those of you who have clicked the link and read a bit more about the story of the real Chief Sitting Bull, I thought it may also be handy to explain why I've title the link 'The end of Brian?'<br>
<br>
Some of you, certainly members of the company, will know that our very own star Brian Counter has picked up the headdress of responsibility for portraying Chief Sitting Bull in our production of Annie Get your Gun in February 2014. His approach in rehearsals has been to mix the leadership qualities of a head of state, the vocal qualities of a seasoned stage performer and the stage presence essential for a pantomime to bring the Chief to life. Add all of that to a hefty dose of Brian and you get a great character who will steal the hearts of our audience I am sure.<br>
<br>
So (I understand it's currently obligatory to start at least one sentence or paragraph with 'so' now) since Brian will be our very own Chief Sitting Bull, and the article was about the end of Chief Sitting Bull, that gave me a potential title of 'The end of Brian'. I hope that you are still with me!</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Anyway with the show due to begin tonight, Brian has spent a few happy days trying to work out how to get his father headdress to stay on. It's a thing of beauty and it's worth paying your ticket price just to see it. And to see if it will stay on! It must weigh a ton! We're looking forward to seeing you there later and remember you can buy your tickets online at BMT.ticket source.co.uk help us fill the house on Wednesday!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11169938698790867887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363223130019308752.post-54086223121973709252013-11-05T20:10:00.001+00:002013-11-05T20:10:39.062+00:00A gentle step into a brave new world?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I was quite excited this morning. Possibly not as excited as Mark would have been as his facebook posts have told lots of people that he has been too excited by far just recently. Hopefully lots more BMT company members will be excited tomorrow evening. And at our committee meeting this Thursday there will be even more excitement. Are you curious as to why we're all excited? It's because it appears that our online ticket sales system is up and running.<br />
It should work if you click here bmt.ticketsource.co.uk <a href="http://bmt.ticketsource.co.uk/" target="_blank">or here</a> Feel free to click on the link now and add it to your favourites. You should be able to choose how many tickets you want and have a play at choosing where in the theatre you would like to sit without having to press the commit and pay button. So playing is quite low risk!<br />
Personally I think that this is a great piece of work by Mark and I reckon that it's worth being proud of. Is this a brave new world? I hope so. It seems that more people want to be able to do things online. They want the immediacy of making a booking and knowing whether they've got the seats that they want. And this approach allows us to do it.<br />
Is it more than a gentle step? Possibly not just yet. Andrea is still working hard with us to make sure that people who want to phone their order in, or to complete the booking form and post it in, can still do so. But for those who want to go online then this is a great first step.<br />
I think that it's open for business now. So if you're ready to book your tickets, send them to friends and neighbours for Christmas presents etc, then please go for it!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11169938698790867887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363223130019308752.post-49418814966250453832013-10-25T15:22:00.000+01:002013-10-25T15:22:30.980+01:00Rolling out roles<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm excited.<br />
Ok so there may be a very few people who believe that is my ground state of being, but it isn't true. Most who know me think that my usual expression is to frown as if either deep in thought or cross with someone. Maybe I should invest in some Botox and quickly?<br />
Anyway I am excited at the moment and the reason for this isn't that our website for online bookings will be going live soon. It isn't that the artwork for the posters and publicity materials has almost just about and practically been agreed by everyone on the committee. And it isn't that I am going to be going on holiday really soon. No none of these things (although taking all of those into account you could expect me to be excited). I am excited because the casting of Annie Get your gun has been sorted out.<br />
For a company like ours it seems like a good show to involve everyone with a specific role and part. As well as the leading lady and leading man - you know you're going to be hearing more from those later - there are so many smaller roles as Cowboys and Indians that I am already trying to work out what the programme will look like for the who's who in our show pages!<br />
I've got the part of Charlie so you will have to come along and listen in for my Deep South drawl - I can't seem to get past a Forrest Gump sound. But then there's Buffalo Bill being taken by Ian, Mac the Prop by Mark, Indians galore by Pete, Pete, Mike and Steve - oh and our ladies are also going to be dressing up in feathers and chaps. What fun.<br />
It's always nice to find out who has gained which part in a show and to start to see it all come together in the mind of the director and the cast. Our first step on the road to an amazing show has been taken. Let's get on with the show!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11169938698790867887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363223130019308752.post-18986994447356755552013-10-16T15:03:00.002+01:002013-10-16T15:05:43.402+01:00What do you know - or want to know!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One of the challenges that we face - in common with most people with a web page I guess - is managing the tricky balance between what we want to say and what our users want to know. It might seem like a strange thing to think until you reflect on how many times you've given up on a website because it tells you all about the company, when it was set up, reviews from customers etc but you can't find the one bit of information that you were looking for in the first place.<br />
And when you are trying to use your own website to share information about a third party who has changed what they told you originally then it really does get even harder!<br />
Why am I worrying about this at the moment? Well for the first time we at Belper Musical Theatre are going to be launching an online booking service for our performances and so we want to get it right.<br />
It starts with little things like what to call it - in the end we decided that Box Office would probably make sense for most people.<br />
Then we had to get a seating plan of the theatre itself - and since the seat ordering didn't work as we'd expected we now have to rebuild the seating plan!<br />
There is then the challenge of making it as easy to use as possible - and trying to find someone who doesn't charge an arm and a leg to process the booking. And finally, since we still have many people who may prefer to phone for their tickets, or order them by paper, we need to find a way to make all of our tickets look a little bit similar at least.<br />
Will it be worth it? Well we hope so. As soon as we press the button, people will be able to start booking their seats. People will have full choice of what seats they want for the shows and the process should be smooth and slick.<br />
We hope that it will reduce the pressure on our volunteer ticket secretary who devotes much time to seating charts, opening post and responding to answer phone messages.<br />
And we hope that people will decide on the spur of the moment to log on the site and just book a ticket!<br />
The facility will be available from our main website at www.belpermusicaltheatre.co.uk although I hope that I will be able to link straight to the box office from this website.<br />
In the meantime I would be really pleased if you shared your thoughts on what you want from a website. Have you got questions that we haven't answered on here, our main page or our facebook pages? Please ask them and we can at least try to find an answer.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11169938698790867887noreply@blogger.com0