A gentle step into a brave new world?

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.
It should work if you click here bmt.ticketsource.co.uk or here 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!
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.
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.
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!

Rolling out roles

I'm excited.
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?
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.
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!
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.
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!

What do you know - or want to know!

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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
And we hope that people will decide on the spur of the moment to log on the site and just book a ticket!
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.
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.

The NODA review of Sing!

As members of NODA we are always delighted to welcome our local representatives to our concerts and shows and it's great to see their reviews.

This link will take you to the NODA review for Sing!

http://www.noda.org.uk/events/reports/sing

It's good to see that they liked it too - but to be honest I prefer my review.....

That's how to Sing!

I will just start off this post by saying a huge thank you to everyone invosashayed athe BMT Sing Concert over the last two days. I ended up in the audience, rather than on the stage, which meant that I was able to enjoy the whole experience of the show from the seats instead of the wings. And it was fantastic. From the welcome at the door, through to the rousing finale I enjoyed every single moment. I know it's a team effort, so thank you all.
In the past I've given a kind of highlights approach to my review, but this one was full of so many highlights that I want to indulge myself in taking each number in turn.
Top Hat Medley
The last time that I rehearsed this was at the end of July and we knew the words but hadn't started movement. What an amazing impact six weeks has had. This was an inviting and gentle start to the show, which really showcased the talents of so many of our members. From Mark and colleagues right at the opening, through Ian's stroll through the ladies this was BMT at its best. It was real show music and a show stopping number that started it all off perfectly.
Sarah Stone - Company
It was a delight to be sitting behind a couple of ladies who laughed their way through this song. With the mix of Sarah's faultless notes and facial contortion, this show grabbed us all. It's not often that a single (previously unknown song - to me anyway) can have you laughing out loud on the first hearing, but this one really did. Brilliant.
Little Shop of horrors
Ok, so it's another show that I don't know, but the team were amazing in this one. From Dom's confident and clear introduction we were wowed with cartwheels and then the whole junior company bringing the stage to life and the audience loved it.
Alison, Fiona and Nicola - Bridge over troubled waters
I'll comment on this again later, but vocal harmony is an area where BMT really excel and this arrangement made the most of it. Alison was strong and confident in the melody, soaring over the harmonies provided by Fiona and Nicola. They all took their turn, played their part and did a grand job.
David, Duncan and Brian - Razzle Dazzle
Loved it - and what amazing spangly waistcoats. David may have led on the dancing, but this was a real team act with three different styles and approaches coming together wonderfully to deliver a top class number.
California Girls - The guys
Well I was singing along to this one from row G as the guys raised the roof with this Beach Boys number. I was listening out for the tricky timing in the second verse and it was 100 percent spot on. Great stuff.

You've really got a hold on me - The ladies

Bringing life and exuberance to this song from the 60s, the ladies swayed, sashayed and smiled their way through this fun song. Loved it.

God Only Knows - the Beach Boys
We've rehearsed this one hard and it was brilliant - it really showed.
Song from Rent - BJMT
Ok it's another show that I don't know but the song was well performed by the Juniors. I am really enjoying the fact that so many of the children are being given the opportunity to sing solos and to build their confidence.
On my own - Adela
Wow. I would leave it just there, but this was a brilliant solo. Not stacks of movement, but deeply felt, hugely emotional, great use of timing and feeling and note perfect. Loved it.
Oh my God you guys - Jess and the girls
This was a high octane, dance rich number that brought the stage to life. It was a great team effort from the girls involved and so much fun to see the smiles and acting.
West Side Story Medley
Absolutely brilliant. Jen asked me what my favourite was at the end of the show and I said this. Even the next day and looking back at all the amazing performances, it's still this one. Partly I guess it's because I actually knew the show and the songs, partly it's because it was so well put together and performed, but mainly I think it's because it was sung with feeling - both the joyful and the softer more poignant moments. And the rousing final of one hand and somewhere was just amazing. What a way to close the first half.
Masquerade
After a short break to grab a drink and chat to my pals back stage, I was back in my seat and loving this number. The masks, movement and song came together perfectly. I was really impressed that no-one burst out laughing on 'Faces' - that must just have been me then. Yes it was hard to see Hannah steal my partner Kat, but she's a much better dancer than me so I will let her off.
Paula - It wasn't meant to be
What humour! So good to see the ladies moving into the guy's traditional make 'em laugh territory rather than the soulful balllads. Again this was enhanced hugely by the buy in of the two ladies in front of me who loved every moment and provided a running commentary as the song progressed.
Charlie and Megan - Loathing
This number offered great characterisation and good acting - I was very nearly persuaded that these guys didn't like each other! It was a really good number and it was lovely to hear these two sing; adding to their amazing dancing from the rest of the show.
Mike - Love
This song really suited Mike in terms of tune, rhythm and style and he delivered it with panache. I don't know if it came from a musical or not - but that won't surprise anyone who knows me.
Jan, Paula and Adela - Mr Postman
This was a brilliant trio who continued the theme of the concert and shared the melody amongst themselves, each offering a different interpretation which came to an amazing whole.
Sarah, Elizabeth, Jen and Becky - Memory
It's always a joy when this group of ladies come together in song and this number continued to show the amazing talent that we are lucky enough to host in the company. From verse to chorus to the closing bars of the song, the ladies brought the song to life and captivated the audience.
Disney Dazzle - BJMT
Ok, so I'm biased but this song got me from the start. With Dan taking the first solo moment the number was a winner from the start and the rest of the junior company kept this going. Of course it helped that these were songs that I knew as well. Great stuff guys.
9 to 5
What fun! As the ladies walked on stage with their chairs and entertained us with synchronised typing we knew this was going to be good. Stacey powered her way through the first solo section, ably accompanied by Kat and later Liz bringing different characters to the show. And with the ladies and guys joining together in a high octane number, we were all toe tapping along.
Chris - Until you sing again
I thought that Chris executed this with perfection. It was a challenging number with a big range, but he hit his high notes and lived the low notes so that this song flowed through and touched the heart.
Jen - Burlesque
I was amazed that Jen could sing at all after apparently running around the stage, changing her shoes and carrying a chair on stage. I'm sure she needed to sit down. But despite all of that, she delivered a brilliant number. Fabulous.
Sing - BMT and BJMT
It was a brilliant idea to bring both companies together for this final song, uniting us all in the one thing that we all enjoyed about the concert - singing together. With the smallest children starting it off and the steady crescendo as others joined in, this was a brilliant production, uniting everyone in song.
West Side reprise
Having uplifted the audience in the unity of Sing, the adults powered the evening out with the final segment from the West Side story medley again. It was a perfect close to a fantastic show, highlighting the harmony and power that BMT do so well.
Thank you, as I said at the start, to everyone who brought this together. Singing is a gift that can lift the soul. And you did.

Spread the Word

Advertising - The Key to Success?

The Show "Circle of Life"

As I sit here redeveloping the new Belper Musical Theatre website, I wondered how theatre companies managed to spread the word about their up coming shows before the internet existed. Posters and hand bills have been in common use as a means to advertise entertainment since the late 1500s and we still use these methods now, but how effective are they? Before that even, in medieval times, travelling performers processed through the streets announcing the play they were to perform. So nothing changes there either!  You may have noticed that we still stand out on King Street in Belper, accosting passers by and thrusting a flyer on them advertising our next great production.

What this all comes down to is advertising.  It feels like we are on the cusp of a revolution in the way we advertise our productions.  The tried and tested methods of processions, hand bills and posters that have been used for 100s of years may become less effective with the demise of our traditional high streets.  More people shop online, socialise online and as a result, don't see things that are out in the real world. So we need to promote our shows online as well. The internet is interactive and animated. Flat posters by the side of the road could be everywhere and you might pass by them every day, but do you see them?

So we advertise online, via our social media accounts and our website.  Should we drop posters and our wet Saturday mornings standing cheerfully outside Poundland with a fistful of flyers?  I think not. We are probably a generation away from that.  Once the vast majority of people are online with active social media accounts and frequent access to email perhaps, but for now we still need to publicise using our 16th century methods.  We can make our posters and flyers as enticing as we can and we can encourage interaction with our social media and website pages, but we cannot drop the humble poster yet.

Why does this all matter?  Advertising is a crucial part of the show circle of life.  We advertise to sell tickets.  Ticket sales bring in vital revenue to the company.  The revenue is spent on the production. If the production is successful, enough revenue is generated to advertise the next production... and so the cycle begins again.

Perhaps I have missed the most important method of advertising.  Word of mouth, telling our friends, neighbours, family and colleagues, people down at the pub and the mums and dads down at the leisure centre waiting for the children to finish their swimming lesson.  Let's hope that we don't forget this most important way of reaching out. Because human interaction, talking to people face to face, is vitally important.

The radio show - listen quick!

You will know from my post about the Moonlight Serenade that a group of the ladies from Belper Musical Theatre are raising funds for a local hospice when they do the 10k Moonlight walk. We were delighted that they were interviewed by Andy Potter on Radio Derby this week and you can listen to it again here.

Jen and the ladies on Radio Derby

But be quick, because apparently you only have until Monday 10th to listen to it! So tell all of your friends now. And whilst you are telling all of your friends, please share this link with them as well so that they can donate some of their hard earned cash for such a great cause. Thank you.