Don't Stop Be'glee'ving

DON’T STOP BE’GLEE’VING....a concert presented by Rainhill Musical Theatre Companies Youth Group at Rainhill Village Hall on Saturday 13th April, 2019.

This was my first occasion to see Rainhill Musical Theatre Companies Youth Group in action, and I do hope it won’t be my last! I have said this before and I will say it again, there are occasions in life when we all think “Oh I wish I was young again”, this was just another one of those occasions!  When you see young people, performing and enjoying themselves so much on stage, giving of their best - so jealous!

To put any type of youth show/concert on stage takes a vast amount of time, leadership, effort and dedication especially when the age range of the ‘cast’ is from 4 to 16 years old. There’s little doubt that Rainhill Musical Theatre Company is blessed with many dedicated and experienced theatre people who are prepared to give of their time in the development of youth.  So congratulations to Samantha Moores - Director/Co-ordinator, Amy Balfour – Choreographer, Claire Jones –Producer and Jess Hope - Musical Coach all your time, effort and dedication has been rewarded.

The concert was divided up into two acts both of which included solo and group songs plus solo and group dance routines.......

Act 1 -
I know ‘Your Lips Keep Moving’ and you’re still ‘Very Superstitious’ about that ‘Man in a Mirror’; the ‘Candy Man’!  But you can ‘Count on Me’, you know; I’ll never ‘Forget You’ that you ’Wannabe’ a ‘Daydream Believer’ cos ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ to.. so when that ‘Firework’ goes off and smashes the ‘Chandelier’ we’ll both ‘Jump’ and by ‘Defying Gravity’ we’ll be taken ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ and I will ‘Marry You’!!

Act 2 –
Please ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ that ‘Star Ships’ actually do ‘Run the World’!  You know, just by ‘Turning Tables’ our ‘Rhythm Nation’ could dance a ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’  or end up ‘Rolling in the Deep’....so just ‘Let it Go’, it’s just a ‘Memory’ right ... I mean we’ve been ‘Crazy in Love’ and ‘Hopelessly Devoted’ for so long, let’s just say ‘Bye, Bye, Bye’ and call it a day!!

I have purposely excluded cast names from this review simply because I honestly believe that all the young people involved gave of their best and that’s all you can ask!  But having said that, I really do think it would be remiss of me not to highlight my four personal favourite performances...

These are purely ‘my choice’ and I’m sure if you asked any other person in the audience that night, I’m sure they would come up with a completely different list...so here we go...

For me 8 year old Poppy Trigwell stole the show....whenever she was on stage she just lit it up! Her rendition of ‘Your Lips Keep Moving’ a song that I’d never heard before, but which I’ve since listen to on ‘You Tube’, was amazing and her dance routine to ‘Crazy in Love’ - outstanding. She never stopped smiling....well done!

Not far behind, and I’m using 2 of my 4 favourite performances here.. were songs from Rihanna McEwan and Georgia Nicholas.  Both girls’ sang a number of songs but Rihanna’s rendition of ‘Rolling in the Deep’ was superb - a ‘Huge Adele song’ ... well done!  Georgia tackled another massive song ‘Defying Gravity’ one of my personal favourite songs ever ... again she ‘knocked it out the park’ ....congrats!  A couple of stars for the future...without doubt!

Final one and I’m back to the ‘littlies’ ... Millie Sutton was amazing. Millie took on a Bruno Mars song ‘Count on Me’.  It was terrific, she should be so proud!  Again another ‘dancer’, who never stopped trying ... well done Millie!

The set and staging was minimal but worked really well.  Loved the inclusion of the ‘Circular Shaped Scrim’ that allowed the ‘dance silhouette effect’ in two of the numbers – it worked really well and created a great effect – Congrats to Tony Dagnall (Stage Manager) and his team.  Lighting was simple but effective; sound; a bit wobbly at times, but didn’t detract at all from the overall performance.  Costumes and Props were appropriate and in keeping with the production.  

Having seen this production, the young talent on show and having noted the leadership, guidance and dedication given by their mentors, there really is little or no doubt that the future of the senior section at Rainhill Musical Theatre Company, is in safe hands!

Thank you so much for inviting us and thanks to Pip Bradshaw and Julie Molyneux for making my wife and I feel so welcome and allowing me to speak with the cast after the show. I do hope I get a further opportunity to see Rainhill Musical Theatre Company’s Youth Group in the very near future. Thanks to everyone…..

 

 

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