Hey There, Broadway

This was a concert honouring the best of Broadway musical theatre songs and it certainly lived up to its billing. Compere for the evening was Mark Clegg with his ‘unique’ sense of humour (you had to be there...) whose jokes and patter ranged from the cringe-worthy to downright surreal but who engaged the audience brilliantly and set the tone for the evening – as he said “We don’t take ourselves too seriously”. Well in my opinion perhaps they should, because this was a superb evening’s entertainment showcasing the talent that was within the group.

Opening with a full company number from “Oliver!” the group showed their versatility from the offset. Guesting for the evening, after one of their numbers was taken ill, was the extremely talented Graeme Smith with a note perfect rendition of “This is the Moment” from Jekyll and Hyde.
Each age range was covered in the show with their ‘in-house’ youngsters performing a short medley from both “Annie” and “Matilda” whilst the youngsters from the St Mary’s RC Primary School Choir regaled us with medley’s from West Side Story, We will Rock You and others – difficult arrangements for adults let alone primary school children.

There were many stand out moments but a few worth mentioning were the ensemble piece “Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat” which was energy personified with solo by Mark Clegg, “Out There” performed expertly by Mathew Hutchinson, “Sweet Nothings” by the talented Raynor Garside, “I know it’s Today” from Shrek performed by the three Princess Fiona’s, Libby Jobling, Raynor Garside and Fiona Clegg.
Last but not least was the sheer energy, performance and talent which was Ethan Luke with his falsetto voiced renditions during the “Jersey Boys” medley.

Stage lighting and dressing were simple but effective and costumes very appropriate. An excellent Saturday evening’s entertainment – here’s looking forward to your 20th anniversary production next year.

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