West End to Broadway - Act III: June 2009
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THE INVERNESS COURIER, TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2009
Nicola was a stand-out on this
musical journey to Broadway

Review
Inverness Opera Company's
"West End to Broadway Act III" One Touch Theatre, Eden Court
****

INVERNESS Opera Company's tribute to the great musicals, "West End to Broadway", started off as a way, of keeping active while Eden Court was out of commission and it was without a suitable venue to stage a full scale production.
With Eden Court back in action, this collection of musical theatre's greatest hits has found a new home in the OneTouch Theatre, giving the company a bit more room to move than the cramped stage at Culloden Academy, home to "West End to Broadway's" first two acts.
The opera company made good use of that space, allowing for a bit of choreography to bring out the comedy or, as in Lea Mac-Laughlin's powerful reading of "Another Suitcase" from "Evita", the melodrama from the songs.
Claire Morris's choreography

reached its highpoint with her setting of "West Side Story's" "Gee, Officer Krupke".
If Inverness Opera Company's version of The Jets seemed rather mature for juvenile delin-quents, then it did not matter as Morris's inventive drilling helped them mine the maximum amount of comedy from Stephen Sondheim's lyrics.
As with any amateur company, not all the performances were to the same standard and while all performed well, some fell slightly short of excellence.
However, when they were at their best, the members of Inverness Opera Company were absolutely on the money, as with Sasha Devine's "Fine, Fine Line" from one of the more recent musicals featuring on the programme, "Avenue Q", more Sondheim from Stephanie Smart with "Send in the Clowns" and Gary Black delivering the most emotive performance of the night with "Gethsemane" from "Jesus Christ Superstar" – though his soprano contribution to "Officer Krupke" was a hoot.
The brassy "Big Spender"

from "Sweet Charity" is a song that is now impossible to take seriously and Miriam Crabtree did not even try, her blowsy version assisted by Eddie Docherty who, and I mean no disrespect in this, made his most impressive contribution to the night by not singing a note. Just looking terrified.

Well supported by a six-piece band under the direction of Bob Garrity, despite some occasionally jarring 1980s sounding synth, the company made good work of the ensemble pieces that closed and finished both halves, but if there was one stand out performance, that has to belong to recent signing Nicola Macaskill, who made a terrific impression with her debut in "Anything Goes" in March.

Not only does she have a powerful voice, she also has the acting ability to highlight the comedy in "Nothing" from "A Chorus Line", and even nailed the American accent.
It was a showstopper good enough to forgive her the "Kids from Fame" legwarmers.

CM

 


THE INVERNESS COURIER,
TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2009


Letters to the Editor

A musical night to remember

Being in Inverness I was invited to a musical extravaganza. Not Rockness but Eden Court, to hear the Inverness Operatic Company. What a treat. The tone of the evening was set by the whole company opening both halves of the concert with an ABBA classic.
   The conductor, who doubled as a saxophonist, was superb, having drilled his choir to perfection.
The evening continued with solos, duets, trios and quartets and it would be invidious of me to pick out any individual as they were all stars. Every word was clear, and although I had heard many of the songs before, it was the first time I had heard the words.
   Some of the items were funny, some sad, but all were sung with enthusiasm and panache. The small orchestra accompanying the singers added to the enjoyment. The last item, encored with audience participation, was a masterpiece.
   Well done all, from a very satisfied member of the audience.

Yours etc.,

Jim Eddie

St Mary's Court,
Dunblane.

 

Hi-Arts
16th June 2009

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JAMES MUNRO found the singing good but the pauses irksome as the Inverness Opera Company singers tackled the musicals again.

ONE OF the facts of life is that musical theatre is popular, to the extent that at times musicals can dominate both the West End of London and Broadway in New York, leaving conventional theatre to pick up the remains of the available audience.

During the second week of June Inverness’s Eden Court offered a microcosm of that reality. In the OneTouch Theatre Inverness Opera Company presented the third act of their successful “songs from the shows” format to good audiences; while next door in the Empire Theatre the joint production by two of the most respected companies in the country, Dundee Rep and the National Theatre of Scotland, played to modest numbers with a version of Ibsen’s masterpiece, Peer Gynt.

So, hats off to Inverness Opera Company for maintaining standards and putting so much hard work into their latest presentation that I am almost tempted to overlook the niggly bits. I say “almost” as I am told that I have ruffled one or two feathers in the past for judging Inverness Opera on the same standards as a professional company. But they charge a commercial rate for tickets and they perform in a professional venue, so that is the basis on which I will treat them.

In a nutshell, the parts of the show between the long dark pauses were very good. Without exception all thirty-three of the cast sang well to the accompaniment of a most impressive, but nameless, on-stage orchestra. And whoever made the inspired decision to recruit the estimable Claire Morris as choreographer deserves a medal, as her stylish imprimatur really lifted the performance into something special, resulting in the cast singing with their bodies as well as their voices.

© James Munro, 2009


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