Musical magic in progress

Becky

A date for your diary….. Saturday 4th February 2012 at St. Martin’s, Ruislip.  Contact Andrea  on 07903 857257.

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Ros Publicity team in Matching Sweatshirts

We will be meeting at St. Martin’s Church hall on Thursday 15th ~December at 7.30pm.  During the evening we will be having a Snowman Drive.  This will be similar to a Beetle Drive involving drawing a snowman instead.

Please let Andrea know if you plan to come so she can balance the numbers.

One of the aspects not completely conquered as yet is the problem of audience applause. With each half of the show being cut into themed sections in which bridges had been carefully planned or special links written, it seemed (after the Selected Chorus’s well-sung, whispered and danced Macavity opening to the Lloyd Webber section ended without applause) that we were expected to save our reactions until each section finished. But Life Member Helen Bailey, with a beautifully sustained rendition of As If We Never Said Goodbye (assisted by a well-judged echo effect) demanded and received her round of applause despite the continuing music, as did the Mature Chorus with Love Changes Everything (nicely set and lit, and beautifully sung so not even the repetitive rim-taps from the drummer could spoil it), topped by superb singing and interpretation of Too Much in Love to Care by Anastasia Morton and Peter O’Regan (achieving not only rubato from the Band but a musical pause afterwards, so long did we applaud), matched by a sensitive Love Never Dies from Simon Wilson and Fran Hampson alone, as the Full Chorus threatened by the programme for that number only reappeared to add joyously colourful concerted singing and movement for the finale to that superb opening section with the lovely Any Dream Will Do.

Empowered by its dominance so far achieved, the audience continued to applaud wherever it felt the urge, so in many other linked numbers the singers found themselves starting during that applause, which happily they managed without problems, although on occasion audience politeness to the new performer(s) curtailed what sounded like the start of an ovation. MD Roy Mathers had plainly taught and rehearsed his singers well and controlled everything on the night with military precision, and his four-piece band accompanied without ever interfering with our ability to hear the words while when filling the gaps between the themed sections with reprises of preceding numbers they produced a stunningly orchestral sound (congratulations to keyboard players Stephen Lethbridge and Richard Fairhead, the latter also contributing a nifty section on (was it?) a xylophone). Had they not been on a series of musical loops with a ‘fade when ready’ instruction, we should have been applauding them between every section and, when it came to their final fill-in with their colleagues on bass guitar and drums contributing fully to the wonderfully rhythmic version of America, they received a well-deserved hand even after their contribution had been faded out, the lights were up and the cast were taking the stage for the following number. Brilliant!
With over forty numbers in the remaining sections, I can’t comment on every one and need to restrict myself to mentioning some of the things which impressed me and have remained in my memory (assisted by the copious notes I take from the end seat your Box Office kindly provides):

* Show People – a lovely introduction to the Full Company and the concept of the show;
* Les Dearlove’s nicely sung Bless Yore Beautiful Hide (but why was it in strict tempo?);
* Beckie Miles putting over personality in Windy City, with nice movement from the girls;
* 50s and 60s Section where dancing really came into its own, with the youngsters (and some able to pass as such) showing their talents in various different styles, and the Stageworks Team starring with slick, lithe movement and hand jive in We Go Together from Grease;
* The Lullaby of Broadway sequence and its show-stopper treatment with varied dance tempos, although the steep steps of the set meant that no one could be hidden on the stage;
* Anastasia Morton, cheered for her superb delivery of Broadway Baby, her dominance underlined by the men waiting on her every need including a slow motion Simon Wilson;
* The nicely edited South Pacific numbers, a bright and tuneful start to the second half with good singing from all and movement from the ladies and Keith Cochrane adding a fine rendition of Some Enchanted Evening;
* Pam Bailey and Peter O’Regan (despite what the programme says) showing great style with a comedy number in Who Wants to be a Millionaire?;
* Fine singing from the Adult Chorus beautifully lit for You’ll Never Walk Alone;
* Fantastic singing and dancing from the Youngsters (mostly), beautifully together for the very fast You’re Getting to be a Habit With Me and the joyous Thank You Very Much;
* An all-star Sondheim Section, atmospherically lit with urgent moves and every word clear for Sweeney Todd, a superb No One is Alone from Susan Maycraft, Carl and Jackie Quaif revealing the Little Things You Do Together with every word, move and glance precisely expressing a perfect relationship making marriage a joy, Janice Lim Losing her Mind in song and a superb show from the Selected Dancers to a well sung America;
* West End Winners with lots of good work by the Stageworks Students including solo singing spots for Hannah Bailey, Olivia Brennand, Hanny Alcock, Sean Sullivan and Emily Pidgeon and fine dancing, particularly in the more modern numbers, and some accomplished unaccompanied choral singing by their Elders in the Sister Act medley, with Everyone in The Company contributing to this climax of a really memorable evening.

I haven’t the words to describe the varied dance steps and moves devised by Director and Choreographer Ann Hertler-Smith to produce the show, nor the brilliant use she made of the whole stage area including the sides of the forestage, artistically decorated in Ellie Brown’s design as realised by Life Member Alan Bailey and the Company. The main stage with its rear rostra and steps gave good places to display everyone, although the rails at the back were probably more effective from the centre of the auditorium at giving an extra impression of depth than they were from my seat on the side, and I think ladies with high heels (and some others) would have found shallower steps easier to cope with. Andrew Bird was in his element with superbly clear sound and lighting effects for every occasion, although the pre-show combination of bright orange and cerisey purple surprised me. Costumes by Jill Hockham and Tina Pearson were so brilliant and so spectacularly varied that it seems churlish to suggest that a simpler format might help reduce the breaks between sections in future shows; I can imagine the frantic activity behind the scenes during those breaks! Props by Sheila Rawles and Tina Wane helped to complete the whole glamorous effect. Thanks to everyone else involved, as named in the beautifully designed Kinetic Programme, although I’m afraid the content needed informed proof reading to avoid the factual errors mentioned above, plus Little  Tommy (Johnny!) Jones and a lot of shows not now playing in the West End.

But what a great evening’s entertainment, for which my wife and I offer our congratulations and thanks – as well as for the welcome and hospitality from Barbara Johnson and Heather Darby.