30th November 2024
Sleeping Beauty
Turnpike Community Theatre, Turnpike Gallery. Civic Square
The Sound of Music
Author: Ed McGee
Information
- Date
- 30th March 2019
- Society
- Whitehaven & District Amateur Operatic Society
- Venue
- Whitehaven Civic hall
- Type of Production
- Musical
- Director
- Ann Simpson
- Musical Director
- Mike Ames
- Choreographer
- Tracy McOuat
Thank you for inviting Phyllis and me to your production of The Sound of Music. It was good to see such a big audience at the Civic Hall, I hope the houses have been just as good for the rest of the run.
The set looked really good and congratulations to the crew on the swift and quiet scene changes, very well done. Perhaps occasionally the changes could have been simplified, because overall I felt the set looked rather large for the venue. Maria and the Von Trapp family costumes were excellent, but at times I felt that some of the costumes of the other characters were not always in period. This is no reflection on the company.
Musical Director Mike Ames led the six piece band really well, which gave good support to the singers, enabling the audience to hear the lyrics, and never overwhelming them, however on the night I was there the sound was very hitty missy throughout the performance.
Laura Mc Carten was excellent as Maria, her interaction with the Von Trapp children and the Captain was effortless. Her singing and acting was faultless throughout, an outstanding performance overall. Liesl, played by Willow Jarvis did a sterling job looking after her stage siblings, and her duet, Sixteen going on Seventeen, with Rolf, played by Jonathan Lucas was well done. The other Von Trapp children’s singing and acting was very engaging, well done. Alistair Jones, playing Captain Von Trapp, began by being suitably regimental, but it was good to see the change as Maria softened his character. He suited the character very well. It was good to see Pat Nelson treading the boards again as Mother Abbess. Her rendition of Climb Every Mountain was very moving. Her and the Nuns Chorus sang the Gregorian Chants admirably. All the other characters played their parts well.
Ann Simpson and Tracy McOuat as Director and Choreographer, must be very pleased with the overall standard of the production
Thank you once again for lovely evening’s entertainment.
Ed McGee ( North West 10 NODA Rep)
30/3/19
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