75

Alderley & Wilmslow Musical Theatre Company were back on stage with ‘75’, a concert celebrating the 75th anniversary of the group. This was a fantastic way to celebrate this milestone. Lauren Ricketts made her directorial debut with this production, choosing songs from musicals from the past 75 years. The songs chosen were a great mix, with lots of well-known musical theatre classics and songs from current shows, which may be new to audience members. Lauren had assembled a confident cast, who delivered the songs well throughout. Each cast member had their chance in the spotlight, which was lovely to see. The pace could have been pushed just a little bit with maybe some incidental music to go from one number to the other. What was clear was the enjoyment and happiness radiating from the cast. The audience reciprocated these feelings as well.

The small band led by Ceri Graves, were great. With the concert covering musicals over the last 75 years, there were going to be many different styles, which were handled well by Ceri and the band. The cast delivered good vocals throughout, with some great harmonies in the ensemble numbers.

Emma Swain choreographed the concert. On the whole, the choreography was good and delivered well by the cast. There was some hesitancy in some of the routines by some of the performers. The cast looked like they were having a blast performing some of the routines!

The technical aspects of the production were really good. The lighting design by Megan Ashbrook worked well with the different numbers, using different colours for them. Sound was also good. The balance between cast and band was good – the audience could hear both well.

The set was simple, with stage blocks creating catwalks. It was utilised well by the cast throughout.

Costumes were used well throughout. In some numbers, the cast wore costumes appropriate to the musical the song they were performing was from. In other numbers, the cast wore branded polo shirts that worked well, give a cohesiveness to the cast.

Act One covered musicals from 1948 to 1980. Particular highlights from this section of the concert were ‘Who Will Buy?’, ‘Jacob and Sons/Joseph’s Coat’, ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’ and the ‘Les Misérables Medley’. The soloists in ‘Who Will Buy?’ were very good and the staging with the ensemble was good. The energy that the ensemble brought to the song was very good. The stage was filled with colour for ‘Jacob and Sons/Joseph’s Coat’. It was a vibrant number with some great singing from all. ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’ was very well performed. The acting through song was very good, and it was a standout performance. The ‘Les Misérables Medley’ was a fitting way to end Act One. It was performed well by the cast, with some good acting through song.

In Act Two, the audience were treated to songs from 1986 to 2023. Highlights from this section were ‘Defying Gravity’, ‘When I Grow Up’, ‘You Will Be Found’ and ‘Roar’. ‘Defying Gravity’ was well performed with some great vocals on show. The staging was effective as well, with half the stage lit green and the other half pink, coordinating with the colours of Elphaba and Glinda. This was a standout performance. ‘When I Grow Up’ was a lot of fun. The audience could sense that the cast were enjoying letting their inner child out in this number. ‘You Will Be Found’ from ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ was a moving tribute dedicated by the group to Mental Health Awareness Month. The way the number was staged was simple, but effective. The acapella section was a joy to listen to. This was a highlight of the concert. The acoustic version of ‘Roar’ from ‘& Juliet’ was fantastic! The vocals blended well together and the harmonies produced were great to listen to – well done!

Overall, this was a good production, with good performances, a great band, and some good technical aspects.

Thank you to Alderley & Wilmslow Musical Theatre Company for their warm welcome and kind hospitality. All the best for your next production, and your 75th anniversary celebrations!

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