Give My Regards to Broadway

It may sound as if your humble Noda rep has decided to reach into his cliche bag early in this show report but this superbly well crafted evening, featuring music from shows old and new, really did have something for everyone. It's also worth saying at the outset that this was the best concert it has been my pleasure to attend and, should any society be thinking of mounting an evening of musical entertainment of their own, BLOS is the place to come to to see how it should be done. Everything on stage looked good, sounded great and the whole evening was a joy from start to finish. One of the tricky things when planning a concert is knowing exactly what to put in - and what to leave out - and how to structure the evening to make for an enjoyable whole: BLOS, Anthony Williams and Jonathan Chalker got everything right, making for a magical musical evening.

To attempt to give merely a cursory run-through of the running order and the performances would be deeply unfair on all concerned yet at the same time, to fully do justice to the evening would require several thousand words and take up far more space than is possible here! I shall attempt to steer a middle course and choose my personal highlights - of which there were many - and I therefore give my apologies if any readers feel I don't quite do justice to anything or anyone in particular.

Getting underway with a selection from 'Beauty and the Beast', this inspired choice gave all the members of the ensemble a chance to shine in what was a very well conceived opening, with Joanne Gill giving a particularly fine rendition of the title song. Moving swiftly on to 'Anything Goes', a well-drilled chorus wished us a 'Bon Voyage' before Anne Mason and Matthew Norris brought a touch of class to 'Friendship': snazzy, snappy, louche and with that controlled confidence which only comes with real talent. A taster for the next BLOS production - 'Sister Act' - was followed by a reminder of last year's 'Guys and Dolls' and then the stage thundered into life with a superb routine from 42nd Street: great vocals from Joanne Gill again and a smart, slick tap routine to boot. The humour of 'Everybody Ought to Have a Maid' from '...Forum' was well expressed by the gentlemen, followed by the first of two appearances by David Gill who brought a wonderful flavour of the Golden Age of Broadway to the show. With 'On the Street Where You Live' from 'My Fair Lady' in the first half and 'Come to Me, Bend to Me' from 'Brigadoon in the second, David breathed new life into these classics and his silvery tones were a firm favourite with the audience: stirring stuff. 

Following hot on the heels of David's performance of an old classic, David Barrett and Judy Riley gave an amiably knockabout performance of a song which is fast becoming a modern classic: from 'Spamalot', the clever 'Song That Goes Like This'. I always think this is a song which has to be handled carefully - and placed strategically - in a concert, since the spoofing of the deadening slew of virtually identical modern show tunes which the song represents can have the effect of acting as an 'Emperor's new clothes' moment - after all, just how many musicals past and present do indeed have plenty of songs in them which are mainstays of concert performances and which do indeed 'Go Like This'?! Fortunately, this clever little tune was handled just right and provided a lovely bit of light relief: a rather nifty little amuse bouche as it turned out, as the following item was a soaring aria from La Boheme, superbly executed by Megan Ingham. A masterstroke of the unexpected and what was for me the highlight of the first half the concert, Musette's 'Quando M'en Vo' came via a polished jewel of a performance from Megan - really quite spectacular indeed.

Continuing the trend of giving the audience something unexpected, the next three items in the programme all came from the TV show 'Smash', which features a 'show within a show' element as the TV cast are setting about rehearsing for a musical based around the life of Marilyn Monroe. This musical ('Bombshell') is set to outgrow its TV origins as I'm given to understand that plans are afoot to present it on the Broadway stage, so here was a BLOS first! Leanne Tempest, Vicki Clarkson and Tori Green excelled in this selection: three of the North West's finest voices breathing life into unfamiliar music in the most appealing way. With the ensemble returning to the stage en masse to end the first Act with 'Bethlehem' from 'Martin Guerre', the cast had demonstrated their mastery over a wide range of different musical styles in the first half of the concert, leaving the audience in no doubt that this is a society at the top of its game. Director Anthony Williams confided to me after the show that working with BLOS is always a pleasure: the treasure-trove of talent to draw from; the positive work ethic at rehearsals; the particularly strong connection which members feel towards their society and the way new members seem able to slot in immediately to the BLOS mindset - all of these contributing to a welcoming and hard-working society where the fruits of their labours grow more impressive with each on-stage production.

Before turning to the second half of the concert, a word on the technical side of the evening which in every way matched the talents and abilities of the performers on stage. Impressive lighting and sound at every turn; a superb orchestra under the skilled direction of Jonathan Chalker which was perfectly balanced and was a joy throughout the show; thoughtful and subtle costumes which struck the perfect balance between giving a flavour of the various shows being highlighted and yet which knitted the evening together as a very distinctive and unified whole. The narration from Derek Harmer-Morris which linked the various performances was informative and understated; informing the audience in an intelligent and unobtrusive way which assisted with our understanding of the various presentations rather than impeding the flow of the evening. This is a skill which is often underrated (how many concerts have you attended where the compère for the evening thinks it's 'their' production and treat the rest of the artistes as a kind of interruption to their 'one man show'?!) and was very much appreciated. There really wasn't a weak link at any level in the entire production, all of which contributed in creating a really special evening.

Act Two opened in fine style with an excellent 'Matilda' section from the newly minted 'BLOS Juniors', a new youth group. Winning over the audience from the outset with their enthusiasm and sheer gusto, these youngsters set the stage alight with a bright and breezy display. I look forward to seeing and hearing from them again soon, particularly as under the expert guidance of Zoe Tompkins and Kathy Louise Foster, I imagine that their next appearance will be one to watch. 'The Addams Family' followed with a very jolly rendition of the show's opening song, a couple of numbers from 'Joseph' following close behind; Leanne Tempest and Gary Leonard leading the company in fine form here. Two solo spots followed, with David Barrett and David Norris presenting what were obviously personal favourites from the Broadway repertoire. David Barrett gave a very powerful performance of 'Being Alive' from Sondheim's 'Company' - a great rendition of a superb song - with David Norris following with 'I Am What I Am': heartfelt, emotional and obviously a very personal statement, this was an inspired choice.

There is probably a lengthy paragraph in the 'NODA Rep Rulebook' threatening death and damnation on any District representatives expressing favouritism of any kind in a show report. Nevertheless, at the risk of having my jolly red NODA ribbon removed, shredded and used as set dressing for a production of 'The Hot Mikado' (shudder), my favourite part of the whole evening was the 'Pirates of Penzance' section. Lively, energetic, beautifully sung and with a real feeling for -  and understanding of - the whole piece, this was perhaps a highlight for many more in the audience too, starved as we are of amateur G&S productions these days in District 3. A beautiful 'Poor Wand'ring One' from Megan was the jewel in the crown of the G&S section - and for me, the whole concert - with David Norris a most amusing model of a Modern Major General, taking the tricky patter song in his stride with a cheeky twinkle in his eye! The ladies of the chorus in particular were quite magnificent in their support and the whole Savoy section made for something really wonderful. Perhaps next April, BLOS might treat us to the whole of 'Pirates'...? Just a thought.

Sue Avanson followed next with my favourite song from 'Little Shop of Horrors', 'Somewhere That's Green', singing sweetly and with real feeling. We were then treated to a classic from the world of operetta, 'Vilia' from 'The Merry Widow', which really was quite magnificent. Led by Judy Riley, the ladies took us back to the Golden Age of operetta: sumptuous vocals, magical staging and all the girls dressed to kill, this was a wonderful chance to hear a beautiful song from a neglected jewel of the amateur repertoire. Bringing things right up to date, Tori Green then exploded onto the stage - as usual! - with 'I Know Where I've Been' from 'Hairspray', again, more than ably supported by the chorus. This was a perfect choice of song for Tori and she really made the most of this bluesy, smoky, heartfelt number. The only slightly clunky note of the evening followed with Abba's 'Super Trouper': I wasn't sure this really worked, despite the girls' best efforts. For me, the bar had been set so very high throughout the rest of the evening that a bit of Abba (as fond as I am of their work!) seemed like a bit of an anticlimax after all that had gone before. Nevertheless, the audience seemed to thoroughly enjoy it - the mayoral party sitting next to me certainly did! In any case, the glorious finale more than made up for the slight Abba-shaped blip: a wonderful performance of 'Circle of Life'. This ended the concert on an appropriately epic scale with everyone on stage clearly revelling in this final emotional musical statement: a suitably fitting end to a fantastic concert.

I opened this show report by apologising for any unwanted cliches creeping in but again, I intend to make my next point anyway! Everyone on stage gave of their best and everyone played as important a part in the concert's success as everyone else. One of the really gratifying things about BLOS in general - and exemplified by this concert in particular - is the fact that there are no 'stars' on show; no prima donnas; nobody lording it over everyone else, thinking the rest of the ensemble is there merely to provide ballast for their own inflated ego. Everyone at BLOS is a part of the whole and it is the whole which everyone is striving to make as good as it can be. The real team effort was evident in every smiling, engaged face on stage; every note sung; every step taken and every dance move mastered.

This wonderful evening and the stirring finale in particular has, in retrospect, something of a poignant side. Colin Sanderson - BLOS chairman of 30 years - sadly passed away a few days after the concert, after failing health had prevented him from playing his usual vital and energetic role in organising the society's concert and its progress to the stage. A stalwart of the amateur dramatics scene and a pillar of the local community generally, Colin will be sadly missed. A recent recipient of the NODA District 3 Special Achievement Award, Colin was also awarded the prestigious Special Achievement trophy at the Regional awards dinner in Manchester and a more worthy winner it would be difficult to imagine. His unwavering commitment to BLOS, his hard work, dedication and good humour was a constant throughout the many years Colin was at the helm and he really will be sorely missed both as chairman - and as a man. Colin really was something special. As both a glorious farewell gesture and a summation of a wonderful lifelong involvement with the local amateur dramatics scene, this superb concert did Colin proud.

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