Broadway Lights, West End Nights

After years of consistently high-quality productions, a plethora of talent and a loyal following, you can pretty much guarantee that you are in for a theatrical treat at any Burnley Light Opera production and I am very pleased to say that this year’s interim offering of Broadway Lights, West End Nights is no exception.

Devised and staged by Anthony Williams we are treated to a medley of musical theatre highlights, from classical Rodgers and Hammerstein through to the latest Broadway offerings. With a cast of 36 performers, wonderful costumes, imaginative lighting, well-drilled chorus numbers, a superb band and some very talented soloists, we are transported from the Burnley Mechanics to the glitzy glamours of Broadway and the West End quite effortlessly. The programme of numbers flows smoothly, with a perfect blend of chorus numbers, trios, duets and solos. Our attention is never lost for a second in this fast-paced variety of complementary musical theatre highlights.

The musical numbers are finely woven together by narrator Derek Harmer-Morris. Sitting in his scroll-wing leather armchair, complete with green glass bankers’ lamp, Derek’s script, orated with perfect clarity and diction, is a perfect compliment to the fine talent we have on-stage. Never overstepping the mark as a narrator, Derek shows suitable deference to the main action of the evening, whilst injecting a perfect balance of information and light relief in-between the musical segments.

The three full company numbers in act one, really show this theatre company off to its full formidable strength. Right from the opening number of Downtown from Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, the energy and enthusiasm is infectious, with the audience’s cheering and whistling a testament to that. The attention to detail of every meticulous, choreographed move in the company numbers really set Burnley Light Opera in a field of their own. The numbers have such polish and finesse, which complemented with a strong musical accompaniment from Jonathan Chalker’s band, an inspiring lighting plot and wonderful costumes, give a glossy overtone to the entire production, such as is rarely found in amateur theatre. The closing number to act one, Somebody To Love from We Will Rock You, shows off a superbly directed tour de force of multiple harmony from the entire ensemble.

Other ensemble highlights in the first half include Officer Krupke from West Side Story. This offers a comic, light relief to the evening, which just about balances on the acceptable side of male testosterone fueled yobbery. America, also from Bernstein’s seminal production, is expertly fronted by Zoe Tompkins and ably backed by the Female Dancers.

Burnley Light Opera has an impressive arsenal of solo vocalists and these fine performers give some memorable performances throughout the show. None of them strangers to the audiences of Burnley, each solo artist has an unique voice and performance style, complete with commanding stage presence and commendable talent.

The highlights of act one includes Megan Ingham giving a mesmerizing rendition of Think Of Me from Lloyd Webber’s much loved Phantom of the Opera. With a stunning voice and a masterful command of the audience, Megan breezes through the musical complexity of the vocal score with ease, hitting the high note of the cadenza with aplomb. Megan is definitely a performer to watch out for. This was followed by James Cockerill’s Music of the Night. If anybody can follow Megan Ingham, James is definitely the man. With a wonderful tenor voice and an insightful understanding of the lyrics, James delivers a powerhouse performance. I could quite happily have been sat in a professional production watching these two performers.

The final number of exceptional merit in act one is Who Am I Kidding from Copacabana. David, Tori, Sue, Charlotte, James, Paul and Paul thoroughly entertain in this snippet from Barry Manilow’s popular musical. Although not a stranger to this part, David is superb as Sam, lamenting the fact he is being coerced to go Havana under duress. David has some wonderful comedy moments, with just the subtlest of facial expressions and throw away lines generating huge laughs. He is extremely watchable, with a wonderful, natural stage presence.

And that’s just act one!

Act two builds upon the high level of performance set out in act one. Opening with the Nuns’ Chorus from The Sound of Music, the ladies chorus give a wonderful rendition and a welcoming return to the evening’s entertainment.

The following three numbers in act two are quite fittingly dedicated to the memory of Cynthia Sanderson, who sadly passed away last year. Fiddler on the Roof, Oliver and My Fair Lady were amongst her favorite shows and the sterling performances from the soloists in these numbers were fitting to the memory of a lady greatly missed within the society.

The remainder of act two sees an eclectic mix of numbers from such popular musicals as La Cage Aux Folles and Sweet Charity right up to the West End runners of We Will Rock You and the recently closed Shrek.

David Norris’ performance of I Am What I Am, is outstanding. David has practically become synonymous with the role of Albin in the region, but his years of experience in this role, with a complete understanding of the lyrics and his character, give rise to the most believable performance of the evening. James once again shines in ‘Til I Hear You Sing from Love Never Dies and David accompanied by the company give a show-stopping rendition of Sit Down (You’re Rocking The Boat).

Act two closes with a tantalizing teaser of Burnley Light Opera’s next production of The Witches of Eastwick and believe me, if the standard seen here tonight is anything to go by, this is one show this year you do not want to miss out on!

The main and indeed only criticism of the evening comes not of the production team or society, but of the technical. The sound design and operation is really substandard for the level of quality seen on stage. The mixing between soloists and chorus in the ensemble numbers is highly unbalanced, often leaving us struggling to hear the chorus. On more than one occasion, solo lines are not amplified at all, and we completely miss what is being sung. The five microphones placed across the front of the stage on stands, looked like they were rigged for soloists, but were presumably used for omnidirectional sound pickup. However, they were invasive and distracting. Only hand mics are used during the show, which, when the soloists are passing and sharing between themselves, often distracts from the singing and disjoints the action. I would go so far as to say that on several occasions the level of talent on stage is let down by this poor sound setup and is a surprising flaw in this otherwise superb production.

Burnley Light Opera proves that once again it is somewhat of a trailblazer in amateur theatre in the area. Playing to packed houses, with a professional production team, superb vocalists and a male chorus to die for(!) Burnley Light Opera somewhat sets the standard that other societies must surely set theirs by.

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