The Melody Lingers On

The Melody Lingers on is a concert style, life story of the singer songwriter Irving Berlin.

It's not a particularly well-known show and I was concerned that perhaps this wouldn't be very popular in terms of ticket sales, which in the current climate for amateur dramatic societies, can cause complications.

It's clear that Shenfield Operatic know their demographic as there was barely an empty seat in the theatre, in fact my tickets had been sold twice, which I do smile about as it means there was plenty of demand for the seats and I was kindly offered up another seat from the society before the show began.

The stage was set with the band at the back on a raised stage, dressed in tuxedo's.

At either end of the stage were flats dressed in lyric sheets. A lovely touch.

Matthew Capp played Irving Berlin and immediately wowed the audience not only with his glittering vocals but the extra magic “sparkle” he added at the beginning of the show, which extracted an audible gasp of joy from the crowd.

Matthew was a strong choice of vocals for the leading man. Not a note out of place. He's someone I could happily listen to for hours on end.

Matthews counterpart Jess Pether who played his wife Juliet was very well matched. Jess has a lovely voice with a great vocal range.

Secondary characters to mention are Rachel Johnson (Jennifer) who commanded the stage at every moment and has excellent vocals. I also enjoyed the multi talented Becca Warren (Kathy) who gave a welcome burst of comedy when she entered the stage and also played multiple instruments. Very impressive.

“Cheek to cheek” was one of my favourite numbers with Jeffrey played by Mike Rawlinson, charming his way through an array of ladies who all ended up less than impressed by his wandering eyes.

There are a total of 46 songs which is a huge ask for any cast to learn but under the musical direction of David Sherman, they made it seem like a breeze.

It can also a challenge to keep the audience engaged throughout a show with so many musical numbers yet Shenfield managed to keep the pace flowing nicely.

I was pleasantly surprised to know a number of the songs. There was something for everyone and I'm sure each audience member took their own trip down memory lane.

There were issues with lighting cues at times with soloists not being lit and some complications with the lights on the stairs as well as crackling from head mics. Kudos for cast members for projecting when their mics weren't turned on or stopped working.

The large chorus numbers were full of energy with good choreography and every cast member giving their all.

I could understand Freddie Cosseys vision and although the choices didn't always quite hit the mark, I can certainly appreciate how complicated this show is to direct in a way which tells a story rather than simply have people singing at you for 2 hours.

The injections of comedy throughout were wonderful and overall it was a charming show. 

I understand that there were many challenges facing this production with cast uncertain if it would make it to the stage but I am glad it did and pleased it was a success for the society.

Natalie Hills

District 10

NODA East

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