Back In the Spotlight

Thank you very much for the kind invitation to be part of the audience for Stourbridge Amateur Operatic Society’s (SAOS) showcase called Back in the Spotlight. I was pleased to discover some names that I recognised as I flicked through the programme before the show.   

The evening was a showcase of a variety of songs from professional musicals as a tribute to London’s West End, which closed down at the start of Covid-19 pandemic. As presented in the programme and reaffirmed by a short introduction, amateur companies of course during this time were also not able to perform. So, the excitement of being able to perform, sing and dance in front of a live audience again after so long was felt by many.  However, there also seemed a simplicity and an established confidence from members of SAOS being on stage again after so long, which suggested the feeling of union and the pride of professionalism. This feeling remained prevalent throughout the evening with hints of playfulness, alongside an audience who also remained extremely enthusiastic and supportive.

It was also nice to hear a live band again as the perfect accompaniment as they dealt with some big numbers combined with some nicely choreographed pieces once again by Amy Williams who also produced the show.

There was a fast and confident start to the evening with Everybody’s Talking about Jaime which is based on a true story of a schoolboy whose dream was to be a drag queen. I first discovered this musical watching another amateur group recently, therefore I was eagerly waiting to hear this companies’ rendition of the song “And You Don’t Even Know It”.

This performance certainly was an extremely positive start which set the tone for the evening. Jonathan Hunt took charge of the stage with a very lively and energetic performance and I just loved the attitude of Emma Mitchell bursting into the song as Miss Hedge.

There was also a lovely and emotional performance of “Feed the Birds” from Mary Poppins performed by Cathy Moreton and Salli Gage and I was also very pleased to hear the company perform “Masquerade” from The Phantom of The Opera, this was simply a wonderful choice and it gave the company a perfect opportunity to showcase their many skills.

The musical Hamilton was also another opportunity for SAOS to come together and stand out. Hamilton is considered to have reignited some fires when it arrived to the UK with its combination of hip hop, rap and R&B and it has been classed as one of the most refreshing musicals to hit London in recent times. The rhythm and the great lyrics of the song “Alexander Hamilton” were performed masterly by Jonathan Hunt, Tom Homer, David Gregory, Adam Partridge, Mark Horne and Leon Davies.

Rachel Davies’ headset unfortunately was not working for this song but her presence on stage was enough to take notice, she held herself high and then with intensity, power and emotion she totally owned and smashed the next incredible song “Burn”.

Mark Horne and Anna Hough as Monsieur and Madame Thernardier from the classic Les Misérables had some brilliant characterisation and with another excellent song choice “Master of the House” the stage was alive and the performance was a personal highlight. “Bring Him Home” performed by Leon Davies was just outstanding, and “One Day More” had some noticeable performances from Hattie Rudge and Emma-Louise Vale, who also performed wonderfully and naturally together in the Wicked ensemble.

The musical Six and the song “The House of Holbein” was also very much a favourite and of course without a doubt one of the catchiest songs of the evening.
“Welcome to the Rock” from the musical Come From Away was just a genius choice for tonight’s evening. Being a musical that has a strong theme of human connection and coming together at a time of need, it helped me to reinforce the feeling of how important it is to take that little bit of time to reflect and to remain kind to one another.     

The youth ensemble in School of Rock’s “Stick it to the Man” looked like they were having a blast with the song being led comfortably by Tom Homer. This choice of song was also a wonderful contrast following the previous song (Welcome to The Rock) where it was time to stand up, fight back, take what is yours and be a rebel!  

Some performances were plain audience pleasers, such as “Dancing Queen” from Mama Mia, some had a hint of indulgence and most ensemble pieces worked very well and it was this momentum which helped SAOS take charge of the stage. Apart from some amazing stand-alone performances (Hannah Shillingford being just one of many) the ensemble pieces stood out because they gave the company breathing space to stretch out and relax and this was when SAOS shone the most.  

You do not need to be a connoisseur in musical theatre to like a song that makes you smile, toe-tap and sing along to; there were some numbers tonight which hit the nail on the head and provided a much-needed tonic which I am sure reminded the audience what they had been missing. There were some wonderfully skilled and impressive solo numbers which were delivered with believable presence and emotion, alongside some powerful voices, complimented by some enthusiastic and promising youth ensemble performances. However, there was the occasional moment where it felt distracting as the tempo and energy rose and dipped at times; I think this may have been the order of songs in some of the programme.

There were songs this evening that will forever remain staple to anyone who might require a subtle introduction to the vast world of popular musical theatre. My young Daughter who accompanied me on this evening thought her night was complete when she discovered Mary Poppins “Step in Time” was on the programme, but then again, she was totally mesmerised by hearing Les Misérables, “Master of The House” for the first time.

It was obvious that SAOS were having a great time on stage and again obvious of all the hard work that had gone into producing, working backstage and putting on a show of such quality which was much needed. I’m constantly reminded what a privileged position I am in when I watch shows of this caliber. The evening certainly reminded me of songs I’ve not heard live in a long time but it also inspired me to look into grabbing tickets to check out a couple of musicals in London that I wouldn’t have necessarily discovered if it wasn’t for this job. Thank you.

Well done everyone. It was a wonderful and exciting evening full of positivity, passion and fun.

SAOS are planning to be back in October 2022 with Kinky Boots.

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