Sunday, 8 September 2013

Rehearsals & Behind the scenes of Strictly Musicals by Darlington Operatic Society

Let the countdown begin .....

With only 6 weeks to go before curtain up, this is the first of a series of blogs giving a peek behind the scenes as Darlington Operatic Society prepare for their Autumn show - Strictly Musicals, all your favourite musicals in one spectacular show - and to meet some of the stars of what is undoubtedly going to be yet another mega smash hit in their long line of fab productions.

For some, Sunday mornings are all about having a lie in, lazily reading the papers, perhaps a leisurely walk to the pub or catching up on the weeks Sky+, but not for the dedicated cast & crew of 'DOS';  they are working mighty hard to ensure that their latest musical extravaganza is practically perfect in every way, and on today's showing it's going to be breathtaking from curtain up to their last encore.  Many had been up well before Dawn*, stretching, flexing and readying themselves for the physical and mental tests ahead.

The task of taking some of the biggest West End and Broadway show tunes from the past 80 years and moulding them into a unique song and dance review full of energy, passion and excitement lies on the slender, but no less strong shoulders of Director and Choreographer Joanne Hand .  Make no bones about it, such a review is far more demanding than any usual production - each number needs to capture its essence, emotion and purpose but has to do so without the preamble of the original production from which it is taken.  Song choice is therefore uber important to ensure that there remains a flow throughout and Joanne has styled a show which will not only bring hit after hit to the Civic stage, but will serve to showcase the depth of talent which the Society has in its ranks.

I was unaware just how hard it is for adult 'amateur' production companies to get permission to stage some of our most famous musicals; schools and youth theatres have relatively easy access to them, but as Julian Cound, marketing manager and one of the leading men at DOS explained, once you move into adult production the performing rights owners are very guarded about who & what they allow; so much so that even recognisable dance steps and costumes are often prohibited from being 'copied'.  All this adds to the challenge faced by Joanne, but on today's showing, it's a challenge which she not only relishes, but overcomes with aplomb.

Today's rehearsals focused on running through 4 key numbers (I could tell you which ones, but then I risk being shot) plus the 'setting' for two more (I'm already learning the terms).  The cast already know their singing parts so this was very much focused on the dance & stage routines; at over 4 hours rehearsal today covering approximately a 5th of the overall show, and being only one of 3 rehearsal sessions this week,  it was a clear demonstration of the amount of time and effort everyone puts into ensuring the show will be ready for first night.  Lest we forget, this is an amateur production company but with dedication and passion that would put many professional groups to shame.

What was very evident is the genuine enthusiasm with which everyone approaches their parts; forget any preconceived ideas of rehearsals being a quick watch from the front and then everybody is step perfect;  these numbers need the utmost concentration coupled with precision timing (and knowing your left from right - and whose left & whose right) while singing, acting and being aware of the audience.  With up to 40 people on stage, many of the numbers are multi-layered with multiple cues,  harmonies and counter points so it is testament to the dedication of the cast that they very quickly grasped their directions for each number and did so while still smiling - after all , it is meant to be fun.

I left today's rehearsals with a head full of tunes (which no doubt I will be humming in my  sleep), a greater insight into the complexities of choreographing (it's all done with numbers and letters, like A level maths, only much harder)  plus I now know the difference between my Dozy Doe, my Grapevine and a Shadows Step, just don't ask me to show you.


"Strictly Musicals" will be a night filled with music & dance from the nations favourite shows including Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, West Side Story, Chicago, Beauty & The Beast, Matilda, Blood Brothers and many, many more.  

The show runs from 23rd October to the 2nd November at Darlington Civic and tickets are available from the website http://www.darlingtonoperaticsociety.org.uk/tickets/

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