January 2002 - Region 7 - Tony Adler
FAME THE MUSICAL
Heywood A.O and D.S (Hey Kids)
Produced and Directed by Joanne Lord
Musical Director: Steven Gooding
Choreographer: Jill McIntosh
Whilst this was a new show to me, I had a rough idea what to expect from recalling a TV programme some years ago.
An acceptable music score made me wonder how well this show could be performed by top Amateurs hand picked for the roles because the plot demands that they start rather "green" which is not always easy, and build up to the finished product going out into the tough professional world.
A Chorus Line was a kind of show with a slightly similar theme.
However, Hey Kids never set to try and do the impossible but for a show by youngsters they must have had a ball and I came away full of praise for Joanna Lord, who put on a slendid entertainment for the audience of Mums, Dads and others.
There was a fair amount of talent on view (how I would wish it would develop as they grow older and that they are not lost to the amateur stage) and the performances must have been the result of a lot of hard work, enterprise and imagination by Joanne and there was a fair amount of work for Jill McIntosh who must have been very satisfied.
Stephen Gooding, the MD, must have found it difficult and the orchestra did struggle a little from time to time. Indeed, top rate London pro's would probably have been needed to do it justice such was its nature.
Perhaps it was one of those shows which needed some "ethnic" input to add the appropriate variety and authenticity, but the setting and the movement were both good.
It was indeed a very bold venture and I think it came off and as I drove home, I reflected on how much admiration I felt for all those involved, particularly the youngsters who seemed to have responded so well to direction, and how much regard they must have all justly obtained for hard work and imagination.
I am sure we all wish Joanne Lord well on her imminent family increase and admire her courage for taking on this venture when she was about to become a "Mum"
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PRINCESS IDA
Greenacres A.O.S.
Producer: Norma Grimshaw
Musical Director: Gillian Farmery
I remember seeing the show during Margaret Thatcher's era and thinking how far ahead of time G. & S. were. It is not one of the meatiest G. & S. shows and the music whilst quite good and enjoyable, it is not the most memorable.
The plot has a point and the show has some comedy and Norma Grimshaw put on an efficient, light and enjoyable production with some nice touches.
The singing was good, whether principals or chorus and the teamwork showed.
The players were all experienced G.& S. performers who never let the side down and Peter Chrichton as Hilarion was well supported by John Myers as Cyril and Mike Kennedy as Florian and they worked very happily together.
Stan Johnson was, as ever, a good King Hildebrand and was well matched by Tony Joy as King Gama who seems to love this type of role.
He had three somewhat mature sons in Jack Rayner, John Liptrott and David Quarmby who left me in some suspense as to whether they would manage to divest themselves of their armour in time.
Whilst Janet Marshall sang very well in the main part, she is more a Patience or Rose Maybud than a strong domineering Ida and struggled a little bit with the powerful dialogue and imposing presence required.
Of the supporting ladies, Janet Millner had the most
experienced and imposing presence and voice but as usual Megan Patrick's warm personality, appropriate acting and fine voice commanded the stage whenever she appeared.
Gillian Farmery's command of the Orchestra was, as ever, very good even if it seemed at times a bit too loud for some of the principals but it could have been the acoustics in the Hall or the absence of really big voices and projection as distinct from good voices.
The set, again as ever, was perfectly suitable and it all added up to a successful and enjoyable production which the audience will have enjoyed.
OLIVER!
Rochdale Amateur Operatic Society
Entire Production and Choreography under the Direction of: Mike Cheeseman
Musical Director: Harry Butterworth
This was a good production. I am almost leaving my pen to write unaided because it is about the sixth Oliver I have seen in 18 months. Confronted at the eleventh hour with substantial changes which had to be made once the scenery arrived, probably and accidently helped this production and it is a credit to the backroom staff and management of the Society that their difficulties were resolved and I would have thought this show was originally designed this way, if I had not been informed otherwise.
A problem with Oliver can be the opening chorus which is just children and the orchestra and often starts out slightly unco-ordinated and so when the orchestra is behind scenery, with an MD only on video, this could amplify the problems. I have to write that it could not have worked better and it gave the performers more room at the front of the stage because the orchestra and the pit had disappeared. This was excellent for performers (even with microphones) who did not have to top the band.
The kids were excellent throughout and Harry Butterworth and his music were so good that I was simply not specifically aware of them and indeed, Oliver is not an easy show in which to time some of these numbers to be in balance with the performers.
The star of the show was the constant pace generated by Mike Cheeseman. Some of the performances he produced were excellent but then he had some good material to work with.
Bill Sykes does not appear until the second act and I know from personal experience what goes through a casting committee's mind when finding someone to fill the part, because apart from any other attributes, it is helpful if he is well built and can have a fearsome appearance. John Wood filled in towards the end of rehearsal and I can easily state that it was the finest Bill Sykes I have seen notwithstanding that I have seen him play it before. He was frightening without being sinister, totally believable but his performance was just simply powerful showing all those qualities he displayed in the cabaret at Blackpool.
Craig Lees was a steady and reliable Oliver and performed well but I rather enjoyed the performance of Joe Marsden as the Artful Dodger. The two youngsters were well matched in size (Dodger almost reminded me of Jiminny Cricket), worked well together and the Dodger had a real "sing along" voice which was very melodious and pleasing.
I think I mentioned elsewhere some time ago that I would like to see Alison Foy vary her Society to gain experience and she has now landed at Rochdale and her performance certainly went up a few notches. I have never heard her sing better and her acting commanded the stage and at the end the audience applause showed what they thought about her.
The only reservation I would make is that I thought to myself (I should be so lucky!) that she just looked as if I could take her out to dinner at the end of the show and Nancy should be a little bit rough, slightly scruffy and with an accent throughout (including the singing) which should be more like Eliza before Higgins has been working on her rather than after.
I wondered what Gary Davis would make of Fagin. Gary is a top class singer and has certainly developed as an actor since I saw him first some years ago. I suspect that he listened to a first class director because his Fagin was acted strongly and superbly. Not quite like other Fagins I have seen (but this is not to his detriment) even down to the make up but commanding and quite villainous in parts.
Tony Stones as Mr Bumble might not have had a high rich tenor voice which I have sometimes heard before but his singing was fine and his acting also and the only comment that I would make about Beverley Holt as Widow Corney was that she might have looked too attractive and she played it well.
Bet is not a part which figures too greatly in this show but Helen Groom stood out because of her voice.
I have written too much in the past about Mike Russell as Mr Sowerberry and I think I will wait until his performance in the role reaches double figures (he is nearly there) and although Debbie Connolly as his wife, was fine, he did seem to miss his usual side-kick who was on holiday.
The smaller parts were all well played by the various performers although I am still waiting (and I hope it will never happen) for Charles Hopwood to turn in a performance that is less than excellent in one of the smaller but very important cameo roles, in this case as Mr Brownlow.
What little the chorus had to do was well done, particularly in the "Who will buy" number and it was nice to see Anne Birchenough particularly (who has played so many leading roles) still remembering her loyalty to this Society and on this occasion, not being in the lead.
I sometimes think that the end of Oliver is the worst written part of the show and from past experience it is sometimes not Mike Cheesman's best part in a production and I did not feel that it quite matched the rest of the show.
The scenery, whilst pretty standard, just also gave the impression that it was not the most mobile and it did not make some scene changes too easy.
This was a very good Oliver and one which would have been thoroughly enjoyed by all who came to watch.
OLIVER!
St. Dunstan's Youth Theatre
Producer and Choreographer: Linda Ash
Musical Director: Peter Robinson
We always associate Oliver with kids and the fact that it brings in the audience.
But this is the first time I have seen the show performed by youngsters and I was very curious to see how it would work because apart from the workhouse children, Fagin's gang and Oliver and the Artful Dodger, the other parts are very adult, super for the right performers and difficult for performers who are not quite the right ones.
Linda Ash took on the challenge with this family Society and she can be very proud and no doubt by the end of the week she would have felt that she done a good job.
Despite an odd hitch with the youngsters (which sometimes added to my personal entertainment) they all did quite well with some performances which stood out and showed promise for the furtue (we all hope!).
I do not always mention individuals in the youth productions but without in any way detracting from the others, I feel I should specifically refer to some.
Peter Ash (Linda's son) gave quite a mature and strong performance as Fagin and put his numbers over quite well and quite commanded the stage whilst Lucy Donnelley was a most assured Nancy, also with a lot of stage presence in one so young and a confident and strong voice to match, whilst Helen Turkington did rather well as Widow Corney.
None of the other Principals to whom I will not specificity refer let the side down and I enjoyed the evening very much.
The show was helped by Peter Robinson and his Musicians who could not have played better if this had been a normal adult production.
Well done St. Dunstan's.
THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD
Saddleworth Musical Society
Producer: Brian R. McEwen
Production Liasion: Frank Boocock
Musical Director: Harry Butterworth
Perhaps this was not quite as dramatic a Yeomen as I have sometimes seen but certainly it was a very enjoyable one.
A collection of competent performers and performances helped to make this a most acceptable production by Brian McEwen, well assisted by Frank Boocock.
Louise Taylor was a delightful and attractive Elsie with a fine voice whilst Mirriam Lawton gave her usual reliable performance as Phoebe with a fine sense of timming and comedy to match her voice. Brian McEwen, the producer, also played Sgt. Meryll with all the necessary attributes for the part and with quite a genial flair and warm performance whilst Peter Crichton (very fresh from the part of Hilarion in Princess Ida) did all that was necessary and sang reliably.
I was rather surprised at the excellent quality and tone of Martin Williams' voice as Shadbolt. He had grown a beard which made him look quite right and imposing, yet still a little simple and my only comment was that in his efforts to get the right accent and inflection, his words were at times sometimes hard to determine.
John Butterworth was not a typical Jack Point. This is probably the most difficult but rewarding part in the whole show but at the same time gives an opportunity for the best interpretation.
It was perhaps more of a performance of a comedy player than a dramatic actor and perhaps lacked the pathos which I have seen in other performances whilst it was nonetheless very good.
The supporting roles were well played particularly by Maureen Samuels as Dame Carruthers, Mike Nash as Lieutenant and David Rigg as Leonard Meryll and the chorus singing and music under Harry Butterworth's competent control (as well as the staging and movement) were both good and sound.
Disaster almost stuck on Friday evening when Louise Taylor (Elsie) reported in unwell in the morning but with no rehearsal or warning Margret Kelly (whom I had seen play it at Hope and had fairly recently done it for another Society) stood in for her on the Friday night and I understand that she was super and sang as well as ever without a prompt.
I am only sorry I was otherwise engaged as I would have been up to Uppermill to see her as her experienced and delightful voice as well as her stagecraft are always a pleasure to watch and hear.
Fortunatly, Louise was back on the boards on Saturday although Margaret, a true trooper, was there just in case.