5
weeks to go ...............
Following on from last weeks initial preview of Darlington
Operatic Society's forthcoming production, Strictly Musicals,
I was allowed back to watch another number being set. This time is
was an evocative and rousing piece from Evita. Director Joanne
opened the session by exclaiming that this was one of the easier
numbers (!?!) but nonetheless needed absolute concentration to ensure it
continued to look easy. All I know is that after a 2 hour
workout of both the mental & physical the component parts came
together into another stunning and exciting number adding to the already
bulging set list.
Again, I marvelled at the ability of the cast to focus on
their stage positions, remember their dance moves (which for this piece have a
tango/flamenco feel) and still manage to sing, in harmony and in
breath. Of course, this is only one of over 24 numbers that
will be performed, proving that staging and performing a show like this is as
much a test of memory & mental ability as it is of song & dance.
I couldn't help but feel a swell of excitement akin to the build up to
Christmas - you know it's coming, you know it's going to be great but you still
aren't sure exactly what you're going to get (well, I have a better idea than
most but I'm not telling !)
As promised last week, I was able to grab a little time out of
Director & Choreographer Jo's very busy diary to ask a few questions:
AB
- Strictly is a full-on musical review / concert – how different is it to
design & set this type of show compared to a traditional show with dialogue
and a few musical numbers ?
JH - the main difference is that from the outset you have no set parameters to work from. For
normal 'book' shows eg 'The Sound of Music' you are provided with the libretto
and associated songs and for this kind of show you are literally starting with
a blank page. For a book musical you know the songs come in a particular
order, there are certain key companies who provide the set, the orchestrations
demand a set number of instruments and musicians, the parts are fairly defined
for the performers and the costumes need to fit a set period or look demanded
by the piece. In this kind of show none of those are in place. You
determine the songs, the order, the theme, the look, the staging and set and
cast required. In many ways its a lot more work than a book musical but
provides great opportunities for large numbers of performers to be featured.
In most musicals there are a limited number of lead players whereas this
kind of show allows us to showcase the breadth of talent that exists within the
company.
AB
- What was the process for deciding which numbers made it into the show, were
there any you knew immediately to avoid, and any which you wished you could
have included ?
JH -I think this was probably the hardest choice. There
are so many great songs in musical theatre and I could have easily had a show
that lasted 6 hours if I wasn't careful! I worked the concept around a
loose theme of songs from shows that were nominated or had won Tony and / or
Olivier awards. If nothing else it helped me to start cutting things
down. In a show like this its important to consider the balance of
content so - ballads vs upbeat numbers, dramatic pieces vs lighthearted pieces,
full company numbers vs solos, duets and trios. You also have to consider
what will work for the band you have. We wanted there to be a comfortable
balance of the classics and also provide some pieces from lesser known musicals
to give the audience something new as well. You also have to consider
what songs work 'out of context' of a show. There are many shows that I
adore but the songs are quite specific to the storyline and therefore don't
necessarily work in a concert style setting. There are still songs now
that I wish I had been able to include but they would have had to be at the
expense of another number - maybe we will have to consider 'Strictly Musicals
2' (ed - you heard it here first, folks)
AB
- You’ve worked with DOS since Oliver! in 1993, what changes have you seen in
the past 20 (gulp) years ?
JH - The society has changed a lot since my initial
association but the constant has been the quality of productions which has
always been incredibly high and something the society has prided itself on.
Like any good organisation, DarlingtonOS had had to modernise to keep up
with things like technological changes. 20 years ago I am not sure we
even knew what a website was - now I don't think we could do without it.
We communicate with the cast in a number of different ways as well
regarding social events, changes to rehearsals etc eg SMS messages, Facebook,
online surveys etc which solely relied on someone making loads of phonecalls
when I first started. I think we try to celebrate our heritage and are
very proud of where the society has come from but at the same time know that we
all have a duty to make sure the society is here in another 50-100 years.
AB
-The ratio of girls to boys looks around 2:1 – does this have any
influence when deciding on which shows to put on ?
JH - The cast for Strictly Musicals is only a selection of our
full membership. As we stage 2 musicals per year we hold auditions for
each show and then select the cast to meet the specific demands of that show.
We are quite fortunate in Darlington that we have a relatively high
number of young men involved in the society. Women still outnumber men
but we always get new men wanting to join us every 6 months when we hold our
new members auditions.
AB
- I’ve watched as you set a couple of numbers and the preparation is phenomenal
- What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced in getting Strictly ready for
rehearsals ?
JH - I think as with most musicals 50% of the work is done
before you even get to the first rehearsal. By the time it comes to
setting you have to have been able to visualise how the number will look in its
finished state with the lighting, staging, performers and any other effects.
In Strictly Musicals we have a cast of 47 so the full company numbers
take a lot of planning of how to move the cast from A to B ensuring the soloist
is where they need to be by a specific bar of music. I think the biggest
challenge for Strictly has probably just been ensuring that the running order
allows for costume changes, mic changes and balancing out the voice parts in
the various numbers. As I love a good spreadsheet once that was cracked
it really is just business as usual
AB
- Do you have any superstitions or lucky routines for opening
night ?
JH - No - I don't believe in superstitions. I think I am
too practical. I believe more in hard work and organisation and those
things will see you right on the night.
AB - If
you could stage & direct one show (regardless of cost, venue needed,
production etc) which would it be ?
JH - Probably a few different ones for different reasons so
its difficult to tie it down to one. Les Mis as a 'biggie' - its
the show that really turned me onto musical theatre and I love the various
interweaving storylines and the music and of course to stage this with a
fantastic full working set and large company would be fantastic. On the
other extreme I would love to direct 'Parade' in a black box with a small cast
or 'Drowsy Chaperone' which
is a fantastic show within a show.
AB - Have you any advice for
someone who is interested in theatre but feels that they could never sing,
dance, act well enough to take a part ?
JH - There are so many ways to be involved other than being on
stage which are just as rewarding if not more so. As well as the people
taking part on stage, DarlingtonOS has a range of backstage helpers ranging
from props and costume departments to crew, lighting and sound. All of
these departments are vital to the final production that the audience sees and
we are always on the look out for willing volunteers.
AB
- Which number are you most excited about
JH - Gosh - not really sure. I think I am looking
forward to just in general seeing all the bits coming together so when you get
the choreography on stage with the lighting, costume and LED screen and it
looks somewhat like it did in your head then thats always exciting. I
liked xxxxxxxxx when I was setting it and am pleased with how that is turning
out as I have a solid group of really good girls. I also like how the
xxxxx number is coming along from a dance perspective. Of course the
sheer power of 47 people singing 'xxxxxxxx' always brings a tingle to my spine.
(ED - you really didn't think I was going to let
you know which ones Jo chose - you'll just have to come and see for yourself
!!)
Well
folks, that wraps it up for this blog, the excitement is definitely building
and we have yet to see costumes, set and the use of some very clever
tech - look out for the next preview blog where I will have caught up
with some of the society's members & cast to get their thoughts on
preparing for autumn spectacular.
Strictly Musicals is on at Darlington Civic from 23rd October to the 2nd
November - check out the website for more details and to purchase tickets
(better hurry, they are selling like the proverbial cakes of heat) http://www.darlingtonoperaticsociety.org.uk/
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