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Spring Concert: Intro & Exits
Presented by: MDMS
Venue: Maroondah Secondary College
Reviewer: Jennie Kellaway
Date Reviewed: 26th October, 2007
The MDMS Spring Concert was held at
Maroondah Secondary College from the 26th- 28th
October. I went to the opening night and took a colleague from work
who recently caught the ‘go and see a show’ bug. With champagne in
hand we joined the audience in the foyer of the theatre and caught
up with numerous local theatre identities waiting to see Intros and
Exits. An atmosphere of excitement was evident and we were all keen
to join the throng streaming into the small but comfortable theatre.
Director Brian Dixon made an entrance and joined Daniel Puckey on
the keyboard and Marlon Young-Healy on drums. Brian deftly and
authoritatively conducted both musicians and cast, at times
assisting those who had trouble remembering their words. The
lighting, also designed by Brian and operated by Rod Hird, came up
on a very minimalist set, again designed by Brian. Several blue
arrows pointing in various directions were positioned on several
black rises. One large arrow with the word ‘intro’ on it sat on the
prompt side of the stage.
The cast of 31 arrived on the stage and the evening began. All
dressed in black, in a variety of individual styles of day and
evening wear the cast began with ‘The New World’ from The
New World.
As the first act progressed, a variety of songs in different
styles featuring many of the company were delivered with a good dose
of nervous and enthusiastic energy. Highlights of the first half
were the very unusual arrangement of ‘The Sound of Music’, sung by
the female company and the finale of the act, ‘Nothing To Do With
Love ‘from Personals which was sung by the entire company.
Act Two was infused with comedy and a great deal of tongue-in-cheek
delivery. I don’t think I have ever seen a group of more keen female
auditionees who sang ‘One’ from A Chorus Line complete with
laminated numbers pinned to their chests. Other numbers that were
given an unusual treatment were ’I Feel Pretty’ from West Side
Story, sung by the male contingent of the company, complete with
their own mirror to confirm their lyrics, and ‘I Will Never Leave
You’ from Side Show, where the ladies draped
themselves over one lone male.
As a group, the company sang with verve and a rich sound. There were
numerous costume changes and props to achieve a mood or provide
assistance with comedy. All members seemed to enjoy the experience
and had obviously spent time rehearsing their numbers. There were
times when the company seemed to stand and just sing, and this
device was perhaps over used. The audience were entertained and were
very vocal in their support for the performers. My colleague
remarked that this was indeed the embodiment of community theatre as
all members of the company had their moment to shine.
Jennie has just completed The Producers at Whitehorse and is
currently rehearsing for Fab Nobs First Five Years Concert in
November. Earlier in the year she also was a member of the
Return to the Forbidden Planet cast at Fab Nobs. A
teacher, with post graduate qualifications in Arts Education, Jennie
has been performing for many years in all forms of theatre and she
has worked with many companies including CLOC and The Lilydale
Atheneaum and Last year she was nominated for a Guild Award and a
Lyrebird for her perfomance in Fab Nobs aclaimed production of
Honk!
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