Half way

We made it!  Guys and Dolls is well and truly up and running at the Marlowe Theatre.  So far, the Society has performed the show three times, to extremely enthusiastic audiences, which means that you have three more chances to catch the show.

People have been buzzing about the production, praising the performers, creative team and crew – some have even booked to see the show a second time!  So if you still haven’t come along yet, there are still seats left for Friday 4th May at 7.30pm and on Saturday 5th May at 2.30pm and 7.30pm.  Just come down to the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury and enjoy.  Britain has most definitely got talent, and it’s live on stage!

Our Guys and Dolls

As this post goes live, we are now only three days away from the first performance of Guys and Dolls, and so many preparations are being made all the time.  Our wardrobe mistress is busy finishing off the costumes for the Hot Box Girls, and various items of set, props and technical equipment are making their way towards the Marlowe Theatre, where a team of willing people will meet them tomorrow morning.

Our cast and crew have been spreading the word about the show as well.  One of our Hot Box Girls appeared on Radio Kent to promote the show, and on a recent sunny morning, a bunch of our guys and our dolls went into Canterbury to spread the word.  Many shoppers stopped to talk to us, and several said the show is one of their favourites.  If it’s your favourite too, please do come along to the Marlowe Theatre next week (1st to 5th May 2012)!  Box office 01227 787787, online or in person at the theatre.  In the mean time, here are some of our cast as they headed out to promote the show :

The guys and dolls, doing it for the show.

Who wouldn't want to come and see this lovely lot in action?

Dancing in the streets!

The cast of Guys and Dolls are so determined to deliver a good show that rehearsals have recently been spilling out of our usual halls on onto the streets of East Kent.

On a sunny Sunday afternoon, the Hot Box Girls took advantage of a moment when the men were working on ‘Luck Be a Lady’ to take their rehearsal outside.  Double benefits – extra practice and beautiful weather!  A vigorous warm-up culminated in an exercise in seeing how high they could kick, which was followed by run-throughs of their two dances.  As the kicks got higher and higher, they attracted the attention of several passers-by.  Miss Lola Sapola was heard to shout “Come and see Guys and Dolls” – surely there can have been no better advert?

Elsewhere, one Nicely-Nicely Johnson has been working on his tap dancing, using any available moment for rehearsal.  As a commuter, he changes trains every day at Faversham, and takes the opportunity to practice for five minutes or so.  Finding a spot on the platform that’s secluded from his fellow travellers, he’ll pick-up, shuffle and spin around until his train comes in.  To our knowledge he’s only been spotted once, and the station staff gave him 8 out of 10 for his efforts!

So keep your eyes peeled – you might just spot some gamblers or Hot Box Girls breaking into a tap dance or busting out some moves anywhere from Medway to Thanet.  And don’t forget to book your tickets!  Guys and Dolls is on at the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury, from 1^st-5^th May.  Tickets from £10-£20.  Book online or call 01227 787787.

Canterbury Operatic : Society

You could say that Guys and Dolls is a story about two couples and their relationships. And you’d be right. But it’s also the story of a community, which is handy because Canterbury Operatic Society is a community as well (if we weren’t we’d probably call ourselves a Company or something similar, rather than a Society). Our members are a diverse group of people, and the cast of Guys and Dolls is no exception.

Damon Runyon’s stories, which the musical is based on, feature a whole range of different people – different ages, genders, races, shapes, sizes, personalities and so on. And so the gamblers, Hot Box girls, Salvationists and others in the show are naturally a very varied group. For example, in our production, our gamblers range from students to those of the ‘third age’.

Some of the cast, rehearsing 'Sit Down you're Rockin' the Boat'

The cast includes people from all sorts of professions – education, health care, business, the arts and much more. But we all love performing and want to put on the best show possible. Few other activities bring together such different people for the same goal. The Society presents a community on stage for the enjoyment of the community in Canterbury and the surrounding area. Come and join us at the Marlowe Theatre during the first week of May!

Tickets available from the box office now!

Guys and Dolls at the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury, 1st to 5th May 2012

Who’s who in Runyonland?

It’s the new year, and that means that rehearsals are back on.  Some reminders last Friday of the opening sequence, plus ‘A Bushel and a Peck’ and ‘The Oldest Established’, and now we’re breaking new ground, with some of the principals starting work tonight on their scenes and songs, including almost the end of the show – Sarah and Adelaide’s duet, ‘Marry the Man Today’.

And speaking of the principals, who is playing who?  The main characters are as follows :

• Sky Masterson – Michael Anders
• Sarah Brown – Alice Martin
• Miss Adelaide – Clair Beechey
• Nathan Detroit – Derry Martin
• Nicely Nicely Johnson – David Bedford
• Benny Southstreet – Paul Cook
• Rusty Charlie – Terry Shea
• Arvide Abernathy – Sid Moon
• General Cartwright – Angela Bowden
• Lt. Brannigan – Bill Brand
• Joey Biltmore – Barry Simmons
• Big Jule – Jeff Harwood
• Harry the Horse – Colin Epps
• Angie the Ox – Dave Stevenson
• Miss Mimi van Dussen – Angela Gallone

As rehearsals progress, we’ll learn more about these people and all the other gamblers, Hot Box Girls and Salvation Army members who populate the Broadway of Guys and Dolls.

Don’t forget that you can follow the director’s blog on Stage Corner, and more importantly that tickets are on sale from the Marlowe Theatre.  Mark the date in your diary and get your tickets booked now!

I got the award right here!

At Friday’s rehearsal, the full cast of Guys and Dolls had their first taste of the show’s choreography, beginning with a quick lesson in basic tap dance.  Yes, tap dance.  Before long, the assembled gamblers, Hot Box Girls and Salvationists were merrily time-stepping.  Or making a very good first attempt at a time step, anyway!  Sadly, photographic evidence of this milestone cannot be uncovered, but of course the finished product will be on display in May!  Once everyone had recovered from this, we set about staging the opening scene, which introduces the colourful inhabitants of “Runyonland”.

Also on Friday, Stephen Cresswell (our director) received the Accolade of Excellence which Into the Woods won for our NODA district.  Here he is, with the Society’s chairman, Derry Martin, both of them looking pleased as punch about the award :

What’s in the Daily News?

As most performers will tell you, auditions are generally not their favourite things.  However, for many members of the Society, Friday night was the time.  From 7.45, there was a steady flow of nervous auditionees for the roles of Nathan, Sky, Miss Adelaide and Sarah as well as the numerous gamblers the script demands.  There was a buzz in the air as one by one, people went in to face the audition panel, presenting a selection of the show’s most famous songs.

A group of auditionees wait to face the panel

The gamblers went first, leaving the ladies auditioning for Sarah and Adelaide time to worry, or perhaps it was time to go over their words?  Some did it together :

Two potential Adelaides look over the score together

Some on their own :

One of the potential Sarahs, taking time to gather her thoughts

At the end of the night,  it was obvious that the panel had been given lots to think about.  Their deliberations went on for quite some time – crossing over into the witching hour!  But on Saturday morning, phone calls began to be made and the auditionees started to find out the results.

And what were the results?  Check back soon for a cast list!