Jukebox

Beeston Musical Theatre Group presented Jukebox at the Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton. This production was a fully costumed and choreographed concert, with a 1950’s & 1960’s musical theme.

Taking to the reins, chairman and producer, Lisa Smith, devised an ambitious, fully performed, musical roster, requiring plenty of dedication, energy and enthusiasm from all involved. Musical Director, John Maddison, certainly had a mammoth task in delivering the 37 songs. Evidently working extremely hard with his cast, it was impressive to hear so many prevalent group harmonies throughout the evening. There were quite a few musical problems, however as I attended the final dress rehearsal, it is not fair to be overly critical on these points. The choreography was energetic, vibrant and visually different, suiting a cast of differing abilities nicely. At times, it was perhaps too complex, with several contextual inconsistencies, and felt very cramped on stage. Aesthetically, excellent visuals were created with the American Diner set and array of colourful vintage costumes, which were a delightful touch and added great artistic value to the occasion. Technically, the sound and lighting were well handled, although again not without problems, and backstage work was handled well. Overall, Lisa and her team have the makings of a good production that is conceptually very strong and full of potential to grow over the next week.

With a large cast, choral sound was rich and full. BMTG have numerous talented vocalists within the group, however surprisingly (and somewhat disappointingly) they were not used for the solo numbers as frequently as one would have preferred, reconfirmed by several unfortunate solo renditions. Allowing everyone the opportunity to have their moment in the limelight is by no means a bad thing and something that should be encouraged, however it is imperative that strengths are played to during solo numbers where performers are exposed. Of particular highlight and promise was the unaccompanied rendition of Donna by George Lamb and the Dinner Staff, which sounded very strong, and the gripping performances provided by Zoe Brinklow, Abby Riddell and Andrea Nicolaou; all of whom had incredible vocal ability, with lovely tone, and I would have liked to have seen more of. Finally, look out for the animated enthusiasm, enjoyment and excitement of Rob Holsman who is a pleasure to watch.

This is an ambitious production, full of fun and energy for all to enjoy. From all at NODA Nottingham, we wish you the best of luck for opening night and look forward to seeing your next production.  

Show Report by Matt Fry

NODA Nottingham, District 3, East Midlands Region

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