Magic of the Musicals

With less than three months to go before their May production AMT needed to change course.  The Guildhall was booked, the cast was keen to begin work and so "Magic of the Musicals" was born.  

This concert was an excellent evening's entertainment.  Well planned and performed by this enthusiastic and talented group.  With so little time for rehearsal they must have worked hard as a team to create this polished result.

There were many aspects of this concert that ensured a thoroughly enjoyable evening.   The programme of musical numbers varied between well known, not so well known and some that were new for many in the audience.  Some were funny, some romantic and some were filled with nostalgia.  The cast was dressed in dark suits and black dresses, very smart and it somehow made for a very comfortable atmosphere.   (Be wary though of too short a skirt length, remember the stage is elevated and the view for the audience is not the one they would have if you were on the same level).  The set was simple, Magic of the Musicals spelled in lights across the backcloth,  designed and constructed by a member of the cast, and it was most effective.  The front legs were decorated in different sizes of stars made by local school children.  The movement had been well thought by the two choreographers.  It was interesting and well executed but not too involved and did not draw attention from the singing.  For any society one attraction of staging a concert is the chance to sing a solo or duet.  AMT has many lovely voices within its ranks and it was a joy to hear and be very pleasantly impressed by some who are more often in the chorus.

Using backing tracks for many of the numbers worked well.  Extra depth though was added to the enjoyment when Joe Binmore, the musical director, left the stage to accompany the singing on the piano.  It was interesting to feel the additional buzz of delight from the audience when this happened.   To save the cost of an orchestra/band some societies are performing their main shows with accompaniment from backing tracks, thankfully AMT does not.  

Sound can be a tricky problem.  Many performance areas are not truly theatres and acoustics can be difficult.  Where we were sitting the sound balance was good.   Many on stage were wearing mics, but not all.   This was the first night and for one of the early duets, one of the singers was without a mic.  This was an oversight and would not happen on the following evening.

The lighting was in safe hands and although for a concert the lighting plan would not have been as involved as for a show it was good and certainly enhanced the production.  The slight delay with the house lights going up somehow added to the charm, it definitely didn't affect the enjoyment.

Many congratulations to the director and musical director, incidentally both of whom are under twenty-one, and to the cast who so impressively supported them.   For the audience, this was a very enjoyable evening which was also excellent value for money.  For the group it may have been a financially low-cost production but there clearly had been no corners cut with investment in time, commitment, preparation, and planning.

 

 

 

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