That’s Showbiz A Golden Celebration

That’s Showbiz marks the 50th anniversary of Molesey Operatic Society’s formation and first production. It was a lovely idea to use selections of songs from past shows.

We received a warm welcome and good hospitality. Our attractive programme was crammed with colour photographs and information about this show and the history of the group. I liked the use of past posters as watermarks on each page.

Elizabeth Cooper led a strong band. Their music was very enjoyable and gave good accompaniment to the singers. Sound mixing was well handled by Steve Lonsdale & James Rogers. Only once or twice were solo singers overwhelmed by the backing music. The five choreographers produced some lovely dance routines. The Ladies danced particularly well and their sequences were a joy to watch.

Andrew & Row Midson ran the lighting very successfully. The vintage posters were lovely to see…but the projections were slightly crooked. Teething troubles with the new machine ? The flickering stars were also a bit of a distraction as we kept looking for a pattern. But all the cast were well lit and if there was any use of follow-spots, it was unobtrusive and effective.

The set and props were minimalist; and this facilitated movement and dance. All changes were dealt with very smoothly.

Costumes were most attractive and were well chosen by Joan Cannell & Rita Anderson. Because the show covered a half-century of productions, they had sourced a huge number of appropriate outfits. Many cast members had to cope with quick changes. From out front, these appeared to have been handled very adroitly.

We had a bit of a shaky start, as the keyboard had been unplugged. Fortunately this was soon righted and the show began with a selection from the company’s first full production, The Mikado. The Gentlemen of Japan sang lustily; but their movements needed more precision. Heike Heath, Debbie Groves & Robyn Hunt performed Three Little Maids beautifully and The Sun Whose Rays was very well sung by Elise Stannard.

The Narrator, Kevin King, then made his first appearance. His speeches were relaxed and extremely amusing. He summarised the group’s history and introduced the show’s sections.

In the Compilations section, Just Arrived crackled with energy; and the other songs were nicely presented. From High Society, Emily Bastin sang True Love beautifully. Val Carr sang and danced the comic number I’m Getting Myself Ready…ably supported by Ken Smith.

Then it was Calamity Jane, with the men & women singing Black Hills. Heike presented a lovely, powerful Secret Love. Hannah Kitchener gave us a vigorous and very fine Windy City; and we finished the section with an enthusiastic Deadwood Stage from the cast.

The ever-popular Me and My Girl featured next. Darryl Tullett performed an animated Leaning on a Lamp Post; and then dueted with Robyn on Me and My Girl…both of them singing and acting very well. Lambeth Walk featured the cast in delightful Pearly King & Queen costumes.

James Hardy began the Rodgers and Hammerstein set, with a beautifully enunciated Younger Than Springtime. Val led the men’s ensemble in a fun Honey Bun…good singing and dancing. These were followed by There is Nothing Like a Dame and Clambake. Andy Bloomfield & chorus gave us an enjoyable Oh What a Beautiful Morning; and Oklahoma was a stirring finale to ACT I.

The Ladies’ The Sound of Music was a delightful opening to ACT II, followed by the Ladies’ and Men’s ensembles in Climb Every Mountain.

Perfect Young Ladies was great fun, with a sparkling team of young ladies. It’s Never too Late, with Iain Cannell & Polly Ashton, was neatly performed; and Val led both ensembles in a well-choreographed It’s Nicer in Nice.

There was a fine selection of songs from My Fair Lady, with Darryl in Get Me to the Church on Time, I Could Have Danced all Night by Hannah and Iain gave us I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face. All three numbers were performed beautifully.

The Spamalot songs were an absolute  hoot ! Val & Ken were very funny in The Song That Goes Like This; and Heike gave us more of the same with Whatever Happened to My Part.

What a Life, from Jack the Ripper, was an excellent ensemble number.

Elise was exquisite in Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again. She partnered with James to give an outstanding rendition of All I Ask Of You, …great singing and crystal-clear diction.

Big Spender was a precisely performed number by Val, Debbie Groves, Hannah, Joan Cannell, Heike, Robyn & JJ Cogan; and Polly Ashton gave an excellent rendition of If They Could See Me Now.

The Ladies’ & Men’s Ensembles gave a stately performance of Tradition from Fiddler on the Roof; and Emily, and others, sang a lovely version of Tell Me It’s Not True from Blood Brothers.

The cast truly rocked Forbidden Planet’s Monster Mash/Great Balls of Fire mash-up…great fun !

The finale was Ken’s fine solo Be Like a Bluebird, followed by the entire cast in a wonderful Anything Goes.

One of the great features of a compilation show is that it gives everyone an opportunity to shine…and shine you ALL certainly did ! The songs and dances were beautifully chosen and executed. There was good pace & precision; and all entrances and exits were well timed.

It's delightful that Molesey Musical Theatre has been able to celebrate their Golden Jubilee…and has done so to such a high standard. 

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