All Together Now

All Together Now! was a great idea and did exactly what it set out to do, that being to bring amateur theatre back to life again.

Mike Payne, the director and MD chose not to use the backing tracks provided by MTI for the company but live music and although there were no back projections, we were however made aware of the whole concept of the evening by watching a short video provided by MTI. 

Mike and his creative team brought this whole concert to life, giving everyone in the cast a chance to shine. In fact, the response at auditions was so positive that Mike decided to double cast.  The energy and enthusiasm from every person on stage was a sight to behold. 

Many of the musical numbers that were performed were recognised by the audience, but there were also some lesser-known numbers that stretched the company and made the audience sit up and take notice.

 “Writing Down the Story Of My Life” from Junie B Jones, The music was spellbinding and superbly sung by Sharon Curtis. Singing along side her with strong harmonies were Ross, Slava, Steve, Tom and Richelle. This number set the tone for the rest of the evening.

“Back Before Time” from Ragtime was sung with conviction by new member Carly Reynolds. Here we had a good connection with the audience, and I shall be very interested to see how this talented vocalist progresses in the future.

“This is the Moment” from Jekyll and Hyde was sung brilliantly by Bob Sulzbach. A very characterized performance, Bob had perfect vocal control throughout, and I enjoyed his performance very much.

 “The New World” from Songs for a New World was brilliantly brought to life by Allie, Carly, Ross, and Louise. Musicality was on pointe and the voices blended perfectly together. 

“She Used To Be Mine” from Waitress was brilliantly sung by Richelle Pitt-Chambers. Facial and body language matched the delivery perfectly and the rhythm changes were expertly handled. Well done, one of the highlights of the evening.

“When I Grow Up” from Matilda the Musical, proved to be a great company number and I loved the poses the company adopted which reminded me of an infant school playground. Well-presented and choreographed the audience really enjoyed this number

“Stop the World” from Come from Away was thoughtfully sung by Sharon and Joe. The voices blended well together and were perfectly balanced. A good choice for these performers.

“Astonishing” from Little Women was perfect for Louise Edwards. Louise had an instant connection with her audience, giving a strong performance and a masterclass in total breath control. Her personality shone through and for me this was one of the best numbers throughout the evening. I loved it.

“Good Riddance” from Time of your Life was the penultimate number of the evening. Accompanied by Ross, Bob and Austin on guitars, Richelle and Amber held the number with conviction. Two strong voices that matched perfectly. 

The song chosen for the finale was ‘You Can’t Stop the Beat” from Hairspray. This rendition was very upbeat and had the audience tapping their feet and, in some cases, singing along until the very last note. The audience left the performance on a real high.

Although I have not mentioned every single one of the fifteen numbers chosen from a total of thirty-six by Mike and the company, I have tried to mention those which I believe are less familiar to most. As I mentioned earlier, Mike took the unusual step with adult performers to double cast. I am sure that the alternative soloists were just as proficient, and I am sorry I missed them.

My congratulations go to everyone involved in the production, thank you for inviting me and to Bob for looking after me throughout.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.