A Music Hall for Today
Park Productions
Date:
4 October 2014
Venue:
Burn Park Church Sunderland
Type of Production:
Concert
Producer / Director:
Ken Thain and Alwyn Coates
Chorographers
Arran Bell, Emily Harrison, Nick Thompson, Katrina Wake, Suzy Wake
Musical Director:
Suzy Wake
Review
Author: Peter Oliver
Park Productions proudly presented “A Music Hall for Today”, a cavalcade of music, dances and sketches produced by Ken Thain and Alwyn Coates, musically directed by Suzy Wake, and choreographed by Arran Bell, Emily Harrison, Nick Thompson, Katrina Wake and Suzy Wake with compère Steve White filling in the gaps and entertaining the audience with his jokes and innuendoes throughout the production which was very entertaining. .
The programme started with a full chorus number from the all time classic “Cabaret”. Singing its feature song, the whole cast ensured that the opening number was eye-catching and full of energy. Moving swiftly on to the 1965 film “The Sound of Music”, Kathleen Carter, June Whitfield, Elma Morgan and Margaret Metcalfe delivered the numbers “Maria” and “My Favourite Things” beautifully together. Euro Knight followed, a funny sketch starring Joyce Howe as the story-teller, Nick Thompson as the White Knight, Katrina Wake as the Euro Knight , Natalie Bowmaker as the Blue Knight and Kathleen Carter as the Master, all very funny and entertaining. Following on was a cavalcade of local songs sung by Jim Kirkland, Suzy Wake, Olivia Knowles, and Elma Morgan and this section ended with June Whitfield, Natalie Bowmaker and Kathleen Carter encouraging the audience to sing “Blaydon Races”. A beautiful ballet number followed, performed by Ellie Somerville to the music from “Beauty and the Beast” which was very well performed with confident footwork. Katrina Wake and Natassia Cole delivered “One Short Day” from “Wicked”, again well sung with good harmonies and delivered perfectly. The full cast sang the number “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from “Hairspray” with excellent choreography before ending the first Act with the whole chorus singing “All that Jazz” from “Chicago”.
The second half opened with the whole chorus singing a medley from “South Pacific”, followed by Joyce Howe reciting a monologue ”The Dream” which was very funny and enjoyed by the audience. There followed a tribute to World War , and I particularly liked the soloist Jim Kirkland’s interpretation of “Roses of Picardy”. Jim has a fantastic tenor voice, very moving and pleasing for the audience. It was the turn of the younger members next who gave a very fitting choreographed dance to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” followed by Jack Wake giving a trombone solo “Let It Go” from the popular” Walt Disney’s Frozen”. Katrina Wake sang “Seasons of Love” from “Rent”, which I particularly enjoyed, followed by Olivia Knowles and Emma Bailey singing “America” from “West Side Story” which was excellently delivered, and again the chorography was very well done. The show concluded with a medley from the musical “We Will Rock You”, with soloists Natalie Bowmaker and Nick Thompson leading the chorus with ”We Are the Champions”, and the show concluded with the full ensemble singing “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from “Hairspray”.
This was a really nice performance of a great selection of musical numbers which pleased the audience, and I was particularly impressed with the choreographed pieces which looked really good and were well polished. Well done to all the cast and production team for a very sound production.
Park Productions
Date:
4 October 2014
Venue:
Burn Park Church Sunderland
Type of Production:
Concert
Producer / Director:
Ken Thain and Alwyn Coates
Chorographers
Arran Bell, Emily Harrison, Nick Thompson, Katrina Wake, Suzy Wake
Musical Director:
Suzy Wake
Review
Author: Peter Oliver
Park Productions proudly presented “A Music Hall for Today”, a cavalcade of music, dances and sketches produced by Ken Thain and Alwyn Coates, musically directed by Suzy Wake, and choreographed by Arran Bell, Emily Harrison, Nick Thompson, Katrina Wake and Suzy Wake with compère Steve White filling in the gaps and entertaining the audience with his jokes and innuendoes throughout the production which was very entertaining. .
The programme started with a full chorus number from the all time classic “Cabaret”. Singing its feature song, the whole cast ensured that the opening number was eye-catching and full of energy. Moving swiftly on to the 1965 film “The Sound of Music”, Kathleen Carter, June Whitfield, Elma Morgan and Margaret Metcalfe delivered the numbers “Maria” and “My Favourite Things” beautifully together. Euro Knight followed, a funny sketch starring Joyce Howe as the story-teller, Nick Thompson as the White Knight, Katrina Wake as the Euro Knight , Natalie Bowmaker as the Blue Knight and Kathleen Carter as the Master, all very funny and entertaining. Following on was a cavalcade of local songs sung by Jim Kirkland, Suzy Wake, Olivia Knowles, and Elma Morgan and this section ended with June Whitfield, Natalie Bowmaker and Kathleen Carter encouraging the audience to sing “Blaydon Races”. A beautiful ballet number followed, performed by Ellie Somerville to the music from “Beauty and the Beast” which was very well performed with confident footwork. Katrina Wake and Natassia Cole delivered “One Short Day” from “Wicked”, again well sung with good harmonies and delivered perfectly. The full cast sang the number “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from “Hairspray” with excellent choreography before ending the first Act with the whole chorus singing “All that Jazz” from “Chicago”.
The second half opened with the whole chorus singing a medley from “South Pacific”, followed by Joyce Howe reciting a monologue ”The Dream” which was very funny and enjoyed by the audience. There followed a tribute to World War , and I particularly liked the soloist Jim Kirkland’s interpretation of “Roses of Picardy”. Jim has a fantastic tenor voice, very moving and pleasing for the audience. It was the turn of the younger members next who gave a very fitting choreographed dance to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” followed by Jack Wake giving a trombone solo “Let It Go” from the popular” Walt Disney’s Frozen”. Katrina Wake sang “Seasons of Love” from “Rent”, which I particularly enjoyed, followed by Olivia Knowles and Emma Bailey singing “America” from “West Side Story” which was excellently delivered, and again the chorography was very well done. The show concluded with a medley from the musical “We Will Rock You”, with soloists Natalie Bowmaker and Nick Thompson leading the chorus with ”We Are the Champions”, and the show concluded with the full ensemble singing “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from “Hairspray”.
This was a really nice performance of a great selection of musical numbers which pleased the audience, and I was particularly impressed with the choreographed pieces which looked really good and were well polished. Well done to all the cast and production team for a very sound production.