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PENZANCE AMATEUR OPERATIC SOCIETY

FEBRUARY 2010 SHOW

Just Too Much Glamour !

Some of the gals

glamourgirls

boys

and don't forget some of the boys

FEBRUARY 2010 SHOW

IT WENT WELL !!

Brigadoon Handbill

From "The Cornishman":

The clans are clamouring, the heather is on the hill, tartans and tam o'shanters are the dress of the day, and Brigadoon, according to the myth that is, is making its first appearance in one hundred years all this week in St John's Hall.

In reality, courtesy of Penzance Amateur Operatic Society, it was last seen here 23 years ago and, in keeping with the legend, is just as ageless and fresh now as it was then.

First produced on Broadway in 1947, when it was hailed as "A bonny thing for Broadway", and made into a film in 1954 starring Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse, it was also the first of the musicals by Lerner and Loewe to be a hit. Wisely, they subtitled it "a whimsical musical fantasy".

A Highland fairy tale, in fact, with a story line which at times is hard to swallow; somewhat surprisingly, it has a dark moment when one of its characters meets with a fatal accident. Yet despite this it remains upbeat and with such numbers as Almost Like Being In Love and The Heather on The Hill to name but a couple, is a singing and dancing winner.

Directed by Angela Thomas, who deploys her large cast with skill, uses the hall well and with the help of musical director Timothy Hosken, suitably attired for the occasion in his Cornish kilt, plus the neat choreography of Lizzie Webb, not forgetting the back stage efforts of stage manager Chris Tyack and his crew, makes the very most of both its wedding and funeral set pieces while injecting the whole production with pace and passion and ensuring that it is as good to look at as it is to listen to.

She would be the first to acknowledge how fortunate she is in having such a talented cast, principals and dancers and ladies and gentlemen of the chorus alike, to perform the necessary acting, singing and dancing.

Led splendidly from the front, as it were, by Leisel Parris as Fiona, the girl from Brigadoon, who falls for the visiting American tourist Tommy played by Andrew Beard, from Christian Hosking (Jeff), Stephen Bennetts (Angus), Gerry Gunn (Donald), Rachael Benney (Sandy), Julia Smith (Maggie), Ken Jaggard (MacGregor), Reg Hosking (Stuart), Ian Davies (Harry), Mary Moores (Meg), John Weetman (Andrew), Debbie Rudge (Jean), Rob Cooke (Charlie), John Tremelling (Frank), Ruth Matthews (Jane) to sword dancers Helen and Rowan Muser – they are excellent.

A musical with a message, as Jim Saulter who plays Mr Murdoch, the village guru, tells us "When ye love somebody deeply, anything is possible, even miracles." A miraculous production which succeeds in not only making the Lost Horizon, dream-like Brigadoon a "blessed place" but also believable, you'll be sorry if you miss it.

The review by the NODA Representative is on the Members Page

We are very honoured to have a good number of Patrons, and we are always glad to welcome more. Off the top of my head, I think it's only £5.00 to become a Patron.......but I've heard that most give us a bit more, for which we are extremely grateful. Patrons have priority booking for our big show in February, and their names are printed in the Show Programme. Please contact the Hon Secretary, if you would like to become a Patron of the Society.

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