News from our April 2009 newsletter From the Chairman's Dressing Room ... Firstly I must mention a very special lady, Pat Richardson, who has decided to retire after a long association with the Society. Pat has been a member for many years and performed in many shows, she retired from the stage and became a very active Committee member and then, of course, tea maker extraordinaire. I’m sure you all join with me to wish Pat a very happy and healthy retirement. She will be missed very much. Congratulations to everyone involved in the Young Arcadians production of “The Wizard of Oz”, which they performed at Plinston Hall in February. Although involved myself I really think everyone worked extremely hard and the feedback from Members, Patrons and our public has been fantastic. Thank you to everyone who supported YA to make this a really successful show. I was delighted to announce recently that “Copacabana” had won the National Operatic & Dramatic Association award for “Best production of 2008” in District 9 of the Eastern Region. Congratulations to the production team and everyone involved. Best Wishes, David Walker, Chairman Other news Mick Wilson has let us know that a production of ‘The Yeoman of the Guard’ that he was in has won the NODA award for the best musical and best production in District 11. So we shall have competition for the Smart Cup - awarded for the best production in NODA East. On March 17th we were pleased to welcome Carla Poole, Hertfordshire Fundraising Manager for Macmillan Cancer Support, to our rehearsal. She was presented with our 2008 charity donation of a cheque for £500. Young Arcadians We have all recovered now from the wonderful ‘The Wizard of Oz’. I hope you will all agree it was a great success and David Walker and Gilly Mackilligan pulled out all the stops with the production and choreography. We have auditions for new members coming up and have lots of interested youngsters for relatively few places. However, it’s great to know there’s a still lot of interest out there. This review of The Wizard of Oz was sent to us by an appreciative customer. The Young Arcadians production of The Wizard of Oz. From the first bars of the overture to the final curtain call of the show it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening. The sheer energy of the cast was tremendous, as was the continuous action, which showcased the talent of these young performers. The large cast clearly enjoyed themselves throughout and that enthusiasm rubbed off on the audience who were soon wrapped up in the magic of this timeless plot. The script followed the film version and needed a strong cast of principals. Sarah Wingfield was a captivating Dorothy and carried her part as the lynchpin of the story extremely well. She has a good clear speaking voice and sang beautifully, particularly her poignant rendition of Over the Rainbow. Stephen Loriot was a sensational scarecrow, staying in character the whole of the show, his legs seemed incapable of holding him up at times so good was his acting. Anyone with half a brain could recognize the talent he brought to his role! Dean Sayer was a terrific Tinman. He was a good contrast to the scarecrow with his jerky, awkward movements. His performance was anything but rusty! Brett Sayer played the part of the cowardly lion with maturity, endearing the audience to his character with his comical portrayal. What a talented quartet. They worked well together as a team. The parts of Glinda and The Wicked Witch of the West, played by Lucy Walker and Kirsty McQue were very well cast. Lucy performed with precision and shining optimism casting a spell of serenity and magic on the whole audience. Kirsty had the confidence to embrace the role of the Wicked Witch with a convincing and thoroughly professional performance. Her cackle was truly wicked. Aunt Em (Isobel Talks), Uncle Henry (George Rule), Miss Gultch (Hannah Scanlon) and Professor Marvel (James Fletcher) had difficult roles to portray. Coming right at the beginning of the show they have to set the scene for the rest of the story. They carried their adult roles well, contrasting with the youthfulness of Dorothy. Each of the Young Arcadians should be congratulated on their individual performances. It was lovely to see a show where there are so many minor roles; the crows’ raucousness complimenting the scarecrow, the trees’ elegance and fluidity of movement complimenting the Tinman’s ungainliness. From Munchkins to Jitterbugs, Citizens of Emerald City to Poppies and Snowflakes, the whole cast performed with skill and enthusiasm. The costumes were really outstanding and reflected the fantasy of the story extremely well. The trees brought many favourable comments from the audience whilst the Munchkin costumes were particularly delightful. Congratulations to Siân Spencer and her team. A show such as The Wizard of Oz has a plethora of movement and dancing. Gilly Mackilligan as choreographer has achieved wonders with the youngsters to reach such a high standard. The full cast numbers were lively and well executed. The principals’ dances suited each character well; complementing but not overwhelming the songs. There are so many other people involved in a production of this calibre, too many to mention, 53 cited in the programme! The band, directed by Ben Wiles provided the lively and entertaining music. Special thanks to Gilly Nott (Production Secretary), without whom the show would not take place. It takes a lot of time and dedication to put on a show, the planning of which starts a year ahead. David Walker has to be congratulated on a tremendous production, getting a committed performance from every member of the cast. He has been an inspiration to the young people that he has directed. This production has revealed the talents of The Young Arcadians and it bodes well for the future of The Arcadians. Gilly Nott The current committee is:- David Walker Chairman Gilly Nott Secretary Anne Lavelli Treasurer Margaret Dinmore Membership Secretary Geoff Downing Richard Lambert Gilly Mackilligan Sam Moutrie Helen Saunders Dean Sayer Elizabeth Shaw Contact for Patrons President’s Postscript How privileged we are to be performing another Cole Porter show! Born Cole Albert Porter to a wealthy family in 1891, he could so easily have led a life of the idle rich but, fortunately for us all, he became one of the most prolific composers and songwriters of the 20th century. Arguably, his Kiss Me, Kate ranks as one of the all-time great musicals. Porter’s list of song hits is almost inexhaustible and includes such delights as ‘Night and Day’, ‘You do Something to Me’, ‘Begin the Beguine’, ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’, and ‘Don’t Fence Me In’. And who could fail to be moved by Ella Fitzgerald’s rendering of ‘Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye’? In the words of the song itself “There’s no love song finer/ But how strange the change”….and as the music changes key ….”from major to minor”. Genius! Cole Porter wrote a number of musicals, many of which didn’t come up to his 1934 Anything Goes – although they often launched some terrific songs – but, undoubtedly, Kiss Me, Kate (1948) was his most outstanding success. The broadcaster Alistair Cooke once described Kiss Me, Kate as the perfect musical, with a string of hit songs that parody a number of musical styles. Just think about ‘Wunderbar!’ (Viennese operetta), ‘Were Thine that Special Face’(Beguine), ‘I’ve Come to Wive it Wealthily in Padua’ (Medieval adventure films, Robin Hood and all that), ‘Tom, Dick, or Harry’ (A Capella style with syncopation), ‘Too darn’ hot’ (Jazz and boogie-woogie), ‘Cantiamo D’Amore’ (Italian folk style), and ‘Brush up Your Shakespeare’ (Music hall in simple waltz rhythm – perhaps a concession to the terpsichoreally challenged type of actors that usually play the gangsters!) Whatever the style, we shall certainly relish the opportunity to perform Cole Porter’s best. Make sure your friends and relations don’t miss the chance of some timely escapism either. Roger Newman Turner. Thanks to Graham Albone for musical expertise