A Night on Broadway

It is always interesting when an established group decides to stick its head above the parapet and take a new direction, and when SNADS announced their intention to tackle a more musically-based approach, I was naturally curious as to how they would go about it.  SNADS are well-known for their strong dramas and popular pantos, so it was no surprise to find they had prepared a stylish, well-balanced programme of music, packed with emotional highs and lows, a dash of community singing and a mixture of voices across the range of age and experience.  The stage was very nicely set, with silver slash backdrop, impressive velvety lighting and cabaret-style tables.

With Broadway as the link, the music was pleasingly familiar but kept light and true; I was particularly delighted that 'You’ll Never Walk Alone’ didn’t contain a single drunken slur, and the entire programme was kept sharp and tight under the direction of SNADS’ new musical director and the excellent accompanist, the company working as a single unit throughout.

SNADS presented themselves well and although so many are completely inexperienced singers, everyone threw themselves into the show, resulting in some assured performances and very professional treats.  It is impossible to list every item, but some personal highlights include: a sweet rendition of ‘Where is Love?’, which met with riotous applause; the characterisation and facial expressions in ‘If I Were a Rich Man’; everyone showcasing their individual skills in the ‘South Pacific’ sequence; excellent diction in ‘Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat’; the wistful and controlled ‘Who I Am’; the lovely, rich voice of ‘I Remember it Well’; sassy Pink Ladies and the junior dancers; a fruity-voiced 'Girl Who Can’t Say No’; ‘Oklahoma’ and the bright and lively opening to Act Two; ‘Anything You Can Do’ went down really well with the audience; the promising performance of ‘If My Friends Could See Me Now’; the strong voice of ‘When You’re Good to Mama’;  ‘All That Jazz’ and its tappers was a particularly smart number; the wonderfully professional and expressive performance of ‘Gimme, Gimme’; the sustained power of ‘So in Love’; and the enjoyable ‘Brush Up Your Shakespeare’.

SNADS experimented with the use of the stage and floor, and joining forces with Sturminster Dance School brought an extra dimension of physical energy to the programme along with some bright young singers; there was a nice family feeling to the way they worked together. I look forward to seeing SNADS’ adventurous core membership tackling tap and jazz routines in future productions and extending their musical theatre skills still further.

Well done, SNADS, for stepping out into the unknown and for doing it so stylishly.

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