Strictly Musicals by Darlington Operatic Society - Super Heroes

noun; alter ego - a person's secondary or alternative personality

Look back through history and very best super heroes all had alter egos - Clark Kent was Superman, Peter Parker was Spiderman, Diana Prince was Wonder Woman and Eric Wimp was Bananaman. In Strictly Musicals we are treated to performances from some of the society's young superheroes and get to glimpse both sides of their performing personae.

Mark Lamb, in his first DarlingtonOS performance provides the gritty and menacing opening to "Tonight" from West Side Story - explaining that "the Jets are gonna have their day, tonight" he is totally believable as a gang leader ready to tear up the town.  Coping admirably with the difficulty of this piece (this song is notable for its prominent perfect fourth intervals and pentatonic scale) Mark gives a stirring demonstration of the concentration needed to maintain his piece in a 5 way ensemble.  Flip that to his duet with the delightful and perfectly cast Hannah Lambell in Disney's "Can you feel the love tonight" and we see Mark's alter ego - soft & smooth harmonies and a vulnerability which draws on the audience heartstrings.

Another couple who too have "split personalities" are Chloe Dargue and Jason Slater.  Chloe might be a little bundle of energy and fun, but she fills the stage with presence and draws eyes towards her regardless of the part she is playing.  In Matilda she is the epitome of a 5 year old girl; pouting, sassy, stroppy and desperate to be older than she is (and with two daughters of my own boy do I remember what 5 year old girls are like).   Likewise in the Disney medley Chloe bounces round the stage with youthful exuberance which has only gotten more with each show.  Exit stage left innocent Chloe and enter stage right sexy, sultry and slightly dangerous Chloe.  As a dancer she has moves that are hypnotic and hips that could give you whiplash.

Jason has the unique position in the show of becoming just what he is looking for - in the Rogers & Hammerstein medley he bemoans the lack of 'dames' in his deep rich baritone voice (which is like molten chocolate) as the guys collectively extol their virtues 'South Pacific' style.   In the Disney montage he takes a step further and is encouraged by the gang to "Kiss the Girl".  By the time the Hairspray finale comes alive he has obviously decided the best way to get a girl is to become one - as Edna Turnblad he gives a hilarious glimpse into his Christmas ham loving, "I don't give a damn" mama.

Continuing with the 'second selfs', Zoe Kent proves that strong acting is required just as much as singing for musical theatre.  In the Cell Block Tango she has all the sinister woman-scorned anger you'd expect from a murderess but keeps it bubbling just under the surface, making it all the more threatening.  Then, mid way through the second act she joins with Debbie Barrigan and Samantha Morrison as Alex, Jane & Sukie in the soul-searching, childhood reminiscing "I Wish I May" with some of the most moving harmonies in musical theatre.

Our final pair of dichotomic duals are Ben Connor and Zoe Birkbeck.  Ben has a wonderful comedic quality which he delivers perfectly as Will Parker, explaining that 'Everything's up to date in Kansas City' in a real Mid-American twang (especially when praising the new fangled ray-dee-ay-tors).  Zoe is a true Gemini, twins in one person - in Matilda she sings with a childlike voice (reminiscent of Bonnie Langford as Violet Elizabeth Bott-sorry, that's showing my age) full of attitude and stubbornness , but when she and Ben join together for 'Solo Saxophone' from Miss Saigon the hairs stand up, the goose pimples rise and the heart beats faster - the chemistry is almost palpable and you can hear the audience holding their collective breath.  She is a brilliant example of everything that is great about DarlingtonOS - an obvious enjoyment of performing, a genuine love for the audience and a smile that lights up the stage wherever she stands.

So, whilst there are almost 50 stars on stage through each performance of Strictly Musicals, there are really over 100 star performances.  How lucky we are !

Strictly Musicals comes to a close tomorrow night - Saturday 2nd November - but there are still a few tickets left - call the ticket hotline on 01325 486555.

ALSO - For One Night Only - Darlington Operatic Society will perform Strictly Musicals for the Mayor's Gala - Saturday January 18th 2014 at the wonderful Darlington Civic Theatre.  Tickets available from the Box Office or via 01325 486555.

Strictly Musicals by Darlington Operatic Society - Tears in the Ice Cream

"My eyes were still full of tears at the interval, I couldn't see my ice cream!"

Continuing with the in-run reviewing of Darlington Operatic Society's Strictly Musicals, I spent time on Monday evening talking with members of the audience to get their thoughts on this spectacular selection of musical theatre.  With such a variety of styles on offer it was very interesting to see what appealed to whom & whether there were any synergies between specific acts and sections of the audience.

Firstly, everyone agreed that this show is a fabulous showcase for the talent throughout the society;  a multitude of performing riches which any production company in the country would be blessed to posses.   What was noted too was how refreshing it is to see a group of people on stage who did not all fit the media portrayed stereotypical 'performer / dancer' model - these are real people with real lives outside of the theatre and this made them instantly relatable while at the same time even more in awe.

The emotional power that this cast have is quite scary at times; whether it is a solo/duet or a rousing ensemble.  Tears were once again shed throughout the show, firstly as Samantha Morrison delivered a breathtaking "Don't Cry for me Argentina" (which I have to admit is every bit as good as Julie Covington / Elaine Paige).  Just as the cheeks were starting to dry, Tina Davis led the cast into the Blood Brothers medley which, with its heart wrenching signature tune Tell Me It's not True, was guaranteed to prick at the tear ducts again.  Not wanting to let up,  the audience were whisked away to revolutionary France for One Day More which ends in a full company chorus stirring even the hardest of hearts.  Never has the Civic Theatre echoed with the rousing voices of almost 50 performers singing as one, a real call to arms.   One member of the audience was still in tears when she went for her interval ice cream, so much so that she needed a little help in seeing the right change through watery eyes.

The 2nd act is a little easier on the tissues until Claire Willmer takes to the stage with Someone Like You.   In the first act Claire gives a stunning rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone but it is this song, from the lesser known Jekyll & Hyde, that really showcases her unique voice.  It's hard to describe, think if Amy Winehouse had ever sang musical theatre - sexy, smoky, sultry and yet still innocent and a little naïve.

The brilliance of Joanne Hand's directing is that whilst there are undoubtedly some amazing musical numbers with powerful and moving voices, the dance routines give and take equal place - they are not schedule fillers allowing time for costume changes but demonstrations of collective cohesion, timing and style which have complete stage filling impact.  The choice of routines is very impressive; the opening overture is a throw-back to the Busby Berkeley directed blockbusters of the 40's with grace, glamour & feathers galore; the Fosse inspired numbers Hot Honey Rag and Sing, Sing, Sing are perfect examples of the style renowned the world over for demanding absolute precision and coordination (a style which tests even the most professional of dance troupes) but the payoff for hours of  dedication in rehearsals is there for all to see.  Selena Blain, Claire Monaghan, Lisa Forster, Annika Tang, Susy Kelly, Becky Nelson, Colette Serrechia, Karen Stone and Claire Williams are the core of this amazing dance group and again demonstrate the breadth and depth of talent (especially when you realise that these girls are on stage for many of the other numbers too in one guise or another).

The real success of this show lies with the fact that there truly is something here for everyone; traditionalists will love the Rodgers & Hammerstein Medley, modern fans will instantly recognise Wicked & Matilda, kids will sing & clap to the Disney mix and everyone can get up & shimmy to the Hairspray conclusion.

There are still a few tickets left for the remaining shows so don't spend November wishing you had been, spend it recounting the great things you've seen.

www.darlingtonoperaticsociety.org.uk for ticket details.

Strictly Musicals by Darlington Operatic Society - Battling GTA

There's no better show in town !

Darlington Operatic Society is battling against Grand Theft Auto, FIFA 14, Sky Movies and Netflix to grab the attention of local people and prove that a trip to the theatre is more fun than simply staring at a TV screen, and you know what - they are winning, hands down !!

In an ambitious attempt to demonstrate theatre is available for all ages and backgrounds, Darlington OS started their Autumn show last Wednesday to rapturous applause.  Strictly Musicals is a 2 hour spectacular of 25 of the best known & loved show tunes, performed by over 40 of the North Easts most talented amateurs.  Evita, Les Mis, Blood Brothers, Wicked, Hairspray, Phantom, Miss Saigon and many more of the biggest shows in the history of musical theatre provide the numbers with Director and Choreographer Joanne Hand providing a completely unique show.

Normally, for a show review it's easy to focus on the lead characters and give a passing 'well done' to the support; well for this show every single performer is a lead, they are all given their chance to take centre stage and none of them disappoint - there's not another show in the UK that can boast of having almost 50 leading actors and what a wonderful acknowledgement for the huge talent Darlington is blessed with.

Over the course of the run I am catching time with the audience to get their thoughts & feedback; speaking to those at last nights performance, their highlights were The Disney Medley and One Day More.

Disney (see if you can guess which shows are covered........) opens with Hayley Walker sending shivers down everyone's spines as she calls for the Arsenal Manager (well it sounds like "Arsen Wenger" to me & her mum, who apparently used to be a Spurs fan).  You could well imagine Hayley's voice carrying right across the Serengeti and is a perfect call to anyone late back from the interval that" you're missing it".  From there we have homage paid to some of Walt's most endearing musical movies including; Leighton Taylor's chirpy cheeky cockney Burt (with a far more believable accent than Dick van Dyke); Michael Hirst's totally mischievous Jamaican calypso as Sebastian the crab and Selena Blain playing the epitome of a mermaid,  a gorgeous & angelic Ariel;  and some quite brilliant casting - Eddie Jones with a wonderful faux French accent as Luminaire, Neil Gooding and Stefan Curtis as Timon and Pumbaa, who seemed to have a fascination with potatoes!  Ending with a real demonstration of verbal dexterity and physical coordination led by the delightful, pocket dynamo Angela Chapman,  Walt himself would have been chuffed to bits.

The casts' rendition of One Day More is as rousing as any of the full Les Miserables productions - there were many who commented that it had all the West End impact and was quite amazing to think that it was performed by an amateur team.  There were more than a few in last nights audience who commented on Suzie Harvey's Eponine as being quite hauntingly beautiful and that Kat Newman, playing Madame Thernadier stood out, not just for her voice but also that as an inn keeper's wife, she was far foxier than any of her predecessors in previous versions of Les Mis. (Granted they were all men that I asked but I'm sure the women were just as appreciative).

What is most impressive is that all these actors are involved in almost all of the other numbers too; this is not a talent show where people are wheeled out to perform their number, not to be seen again - if they are not leading in one number then they are chorus line, dancing, supporting or performing one of a multitude of costume changes ready to launch into another high octane tune which in most musicals would be a headline in it's own right.

This is a fabulous story of local pride, a tremendous amount of hard work & dedication and some very seriously talented  people (bearing in mind that these are all amateurs with day jobs & studies too) all aiming to give the Darlington audiences a wonderful evening and further promote the Civic Theatre as one of the best venues in the North East.

There are still tickets available for this weeks performances so put down that game controller, hide the Sky Remote and call Graeme on 01325 244 659 to not only have a magical evening, but also give your support to one the UKs best loved amateur theatre societies - and it's all ours !

Strictly Musicals by Darlington Operatic Society @ Darlington Civic

A credit to Darlington and the North East - 5 stars to everyone.

What promised to be an evening full of show tunes, great music and stunning choreography most certainly didn't disappoint.  Strictly Musicals is a real mood lifter, guaranteed to banish any Autumn blues, make you forget about the weather and fill you up with a feel good factor which will last way past the final curtain.

On the build up to tonight's show I stated that this would be THE water-cooler moment of the year - well, I apologise to any employers right now because anyone who goes to see this 2 hour spectacular will probably spend the whole of the next day at said cold beverage dispenser.   From the opening overture to the finale there isn't a moment to draw breath with hit following hit following hit.

Huge ensemble numbers like the Les Mis, Rogers & Hammerstein and Blood Brothers medleys are interspersed with intimate melodies from Mack & Mable,  Phantom and Evita; new tunes from Matilda and Wicked balance perfectly with timeless classics from Chicago and Sunset Boulevard; and the dance numbers from Fosse and Dancin' are just mesmerising - in fact I think I spent the whole show in a state of goosepimples.  Heart warming and heart breaking in equal measure, there's not a single number that fails to move you.

Solo stand out moments from tonight were; Hannah Mundy as a hilarious good fairy singing "Popular" from Wicked, Neil Harland explaining where the money went in "Rollin' In" from Evita, Glyn Bigham's super powerful performance of the title song from "Sunset Boulevard" , a beautiful "I could have danced all night" by Rebecca Feary, and Beth Stobbart & Nicholas Holmes with an emotionally charged "All I Ask of You" from Phantom.   As for the best group number, the Cell Block Tango, from Chicago was stunningly choreographed and lit in such a deep vibrant red that it made you feel quite guilty watching and a tad scared of the 6 murderesses.  Joanne Mason, Angela Chapman, Selena Blain, Claire Williams, Tina Davis and Zoe Kent give powerful, confident and brilliantly acted performances worthy of any full production of the Fosse penned blockbuster.

Joanne Hand (Director and Choreographer) has brought together the very best that musical theatre has to offer, but rather than simply present a selection box of songs she has produced a show with an energy that flows throughout and a continuity which means it never feels disjointed  - truly a whole that is far greater than the sum of its parts.

Special mention to Michael Trotter as the Musical Director who has assembled a wonderful orchestra, and to Gillian Shevels, the DOS chairman, for whom Strictly Musicals is a show to be very proud of.

Keep watching for more Strictly Musical blogs in the next few days.

Strictly Musicals runs until the 2nd November with tickets available from www.darlingtonoperaticsociety.org.uk

Opening Night of Strictly Musicals by Darlington Operatic Society

After months of prep, weeks of intensive rehearsals, a few bruises and a couple of dropped flags, Darlington Operatic Society's Autumn spectacular, Strictly Musicals, opens tonight and I've not been this excited for a show to start.

Bringing the hits of Broadway & The West End from over 50 years of musical theatre, the North East's premier amateur theatre company are guaranteed to receive a huge reception - lets face it, with almost 100 people involved in one way or another, there's a lot of family & friends to come and support the 1st night but what is testament to the pedigree of this group is the number of tickets sold to those from outside the area.  

Sister amateur companies, Darlo ex-pats, stars from professional touring companies and repeat visitors who happened on previous shows almost by chance are all coming to see one of the 10 shows.  With local & national radio, BBC & Sky TV and of course the social media networks all buzzing about this 2 hour extravaganza there is no shortage of focus and rightly so.  With songs & dance from Chicago, Blood Brothers, Evita, Les Mis, Phantom, Miss Saigon, Wicked, Carousel, Disney's Lion King, Hairspray, Matilda plus many more, it's like the best ever pick 'n' mix musical.

Director and choreographer Joanne Hand has created a celebration to musical theatre paying homage to the great and the good whilst retaining an individuality which will leave the audience in awe at how you can pack so much action into a small, intimate stage.  Add to this some simply stunning vocal performances and the 10 piece live orchestra and everything is in place for the water cooler moment of the year - just make sure you're the one talking about it at work the next day.

There are still some tickets left - see the website www.darlingtonoperaticsociety.org.uk for full details and come have the best evening of your year so far.

Strictly Musicals by Darlington Operatic Society - interview with Samantha Morrison

It won't be long now .........................

Time is ticking and the excitement is certainly building.  Continuing on with my preview of the build up to Darlington Operatic Society's Autumn spectacular, Strictly Musicals, this week there have been plenty of tears shed as rehearsals for one of the shows most emotional numbers took place.  This piece comes from one of the more modern shows and whilst I might be slightly biased as Becca played the lead in her GCSE production, I have to admit that it's hard not to cry when you hear this one, especially when it follows the high tempo, upbeat numbers.

Whilst at this weeks rehearsals, I was really lucky to bump into Samantha Morrison, a well established member of the Operatic Society and a real favourite leading lady of mine.  Sam was just waiting to start her rehearsal of ...... (come on, should know by now I won't give too much away) but I managed to grab a few minutes to find out what it's like to be a part of the North East's {premier Amateur Theatre Companies.

AB – When did you join Darlington Operatic Society and what prompted you to ?

SM – I studied performing arts at Stockton and Billingham College.  After that I took a year out to decide if I wanted to pursue an acting career full time and move down to London.  During this time I got a job and started to enjoy the freedom of life.   It was around this time I joined Darlington Operatic Society and took my first part as a chorus girl in Sweet Charity.  This gave me the avenue to continue performing without having to take the plunge and make it my career.  It also meant I could act without the pressure of it being my job and I think that has helped keep it more enjoyable.

AB – You have been a member of the society for quite a while now (obviously starting very young means you are still young!), what was it like when you joined?

SM – When I started, the Operatic Society was like many other societies in Darlington; the WI, the Round Table, the Lions etc – they were all made up of Darlington people and were social and cultural hubs.  Members of the operatic society were very active in the community and our audiences were heavily made up of members from these other groups.  We were supported because we were Darlington Operatic Society, the town’s amateur theatre group, and felt quite a connection to and with the town.  As such the shows we staged were quite traditional to appeal to the audience we had.

AB – How has the society changed over the years ?

SM – Culture in general has changed an awful lot over the past 10 or so years.  Theatre has had to compete with so many other leisure pursuits all vying for time and money; cinema, home movies, the change in drinking habits, even video gaming have all drawn on people so theatre in general has had to up its game and come up with more innovative shows to grab the audiences’ attention.  Being an amateur production company means we really have to be on the ball in show choice to try and appeal to as many people as we can.  When the society’s long standing director left we had a series of guest directors, each of whom had to try and appeal to new audiences whilst not alienating our traditional fans.  It’s not been easy as there is a real fine balance between staging the long established shows (Sound of Music, Guys & Dolls, Sweet Charity) which will appeal to a more mature audience with the more modern ones (Full Monty, Footloose, Blood Brothers) needed to capture the younger theatre goers, but with Jo (Hand) and the team we have a great understanding of how to deliver the best and most exciting shows.

AB – Picking up on your point of being an amateur company, how difficult is it to compete with other, professional theatre productions?

SM - we don’t have the time and resources to compete directly with the professional touring companies, yet when someone comes to see our show they need to feel that they have had a great evening, value for money and want to come and see our next production.  We are very lucky to have a wonderful theatre to perform in which always give us such a buzz come opening nights but with it comes the pressure to make sure we don’t disappoint (ED Which you never do!).  Like any production company we are reliant on our cast being committed to putting in the hours in rehearsals, the back stage crew building and running the sets and of course our Director and Choreographer giving us a great show to present.  It is perhaps because, rather than in spite, of us being an amateur company that we can tackle the shows we do as everyone is here because they want to be not because it is their job.  We have a great team and whilst many of the society have been with us for years, we still attract a good number of people auditioning to join.

AB – For someone thinking of applying to join Darlington Operatic Society, what is it like to be a member?

SM – I guess we are the epitome of one big family; we are such a diverse group of people that there will always be someone around to talk to, laugh with, help with steps, practise, rehearse or just listen.  There are times when you’ve had a really bad day at work but when you walk into rehearsals you can forget all about it and just throw yourself into performing.  Often when we start preparing for a new show we will spend time at someone’s house, watching DVDs and just practising steps or singing.  Think of the fun you had at school with your group of friends extended into adult life – in fact after the thrill of performing on stage it really is the best part of being a member.

AB – Personally, I loved your portrayal of Vi in Footloose but which has been your favourite role to play ?

SM Having been a Chorus girl first time around, it was great to be able to play Charity in Sweet Charity when we next performed it.  I really enjoyed playing Nellie Forbush in South Pacific and also as Mrs Barnum opposite Julian (Cound) – me & Julian have played opposite quite a few times now so we have a good understanding of each other’s’ style.  I do find that I am getting offered the ‘more mature’ roles now ….. (ED – yeah but these young girls need someone to show them just how it’s done!)

AB – Finally, rehearsals for Strictly Musicals are well underway – without giving away too many secrets, what’s it going to be like?

SM – 'Strictly' is an amazing show, packed with some of the biggest stage numbers which normally we wouldn’t get chance to perform.  Jo (Joanne Hand, Director & Choreographer) has worked so hard on designing some really fantastic numbers, challenging to perform but really exciting and powerful – the audience will be amazed and moved throughout the show. The best thing is that in a normal show there will be perhaps 5 or 6 lead characters with the rest of the cast taking chorus line roles etc, in this show there are over 24 numbers which are shared around so lots of us get to take centre stage for a bit – it gives the younger members a chance to lead without the pressure of carrying a whole show.

So there we have it from the lovely Sam;  the Operatic Society is much more than just a production company putting on two shows a year, it's a club, a school, a family, an institution and one which Darlington should be very proud of.

Strictly Musicals, a show packed with the biggest hits from the biggest musicals of the past 70 years is on from October 23rd until November 2nd at the wonderful Darlington Civic theatre.  Check out the website for tickets and make it a night to remember.  http://www.darlingtonoperaticsociety.org.uk/