It's Showtime

Glyn and Lynn had come up with the idea for this show over a coffee one morning.  They wanted to include lots of their favorite songs from the musicals including Starlight Express, Anything Goes, Guys and Dolls and many more.  It must have been quite a task to whittle down the list from so many great  shows to ones that would work with their membership. With the help of Maria King, their MD, who had I’m sure given this cast lots of help and encouragement.

The cast itself was made up from lots of familiar faces from the Company and also included a junior ensemble aged between 9 and 12 years, including some new members making their stage debut.  They opened with five songs from Starlight Express including  ‘I am Starlight’a duet from Ray Seager and a very confident  young Evelyn Marriott. Cheryll Burton & Rob Dack treated us to their rendition of ‘All I Ask of You’.  The Juniors gave us ‘Fat Sam’s Grand Slam’ from Bugsy Malone and a lively full chorus number ‘Flash, Bang, Wallop’ from Half a Sixpence. They finished the first half with ‘Any Dream Will Do.

In the second half we heard the clear and pure voice of Sophie Bridges with a beautiful solo of ‘On My Own’ from Les Miserables. One of my favorite sections was from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ with Solos from Analeigh Perera, Kacie Johnson and Matilda Seager who all sang confidently and were absolutely delightful.  Linda Garrad & Bex Nicholls calmed down the proceedings with a touching rendition of ‘I Knew Him So Well’.  

The whole cast all did a grand job and the Juniors were delightful with plenty of energy and enthusiasm.  The choreography was well thought out to suit the differing age groups and the cast were obviously enjoying their singing and dancing. There were quite a few costume changes  which looked good and all the juniors looked very smart with their plaited hair.  It was good to see live music to accompany the singers from the six piece band lead by Maria King on the keyboard.   The cast made the most of the stage and front apron using the space well, which was enhanced by some good lighting. 

The small audience were all very appreciative.  Our thanks go to Glyn and Lynn and all their cast and production team for all their work in putting together this musical show and giving us all a very enjoyable evening’s entertainment.

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