It was “Lights, Camera, Action!” on the society’s most recent extravaganza, as they filled Central Hall with movie musical magic.
From the moment the the curtain rose amongst glistening lights and an burst of energetic dancers, Central Hall Musical Soceity’s Autumn Showcase promised a enjoyable dance through musicals past and present.
The movie-musical themed showcase was jampacked with songs from all your favourite blockbusters, jumping from modern masterpieces such as Tick, Tick, Boom and La La Land to decadent classics like Guys and Dolls and Into the Woods with ease.
There was never a dull moment as the busy cast twirled, whirled and belted their way through decades of beloved musical moments, immersing audiences in a magical variety of musical theatre. Whilst a few opening night nerves certainly occured, this never ever took away from the sheer joy of the production, and the cast within it.
Unfortunately, with 18 vastly unique musical numbers in the show, I simply do not have time to talk about them all… but trust me the range of musical eras on show was a immense wonder to bounce through.
Starring moments of acting, dance and song sparkled throughout the showcase, however it was when these elements came together that the show truly united into the movie musical it was born to be.
Such showstoppers included ‘Beautiful’ from Heathers – directed by Giann Chan and Lowen Costello-Roberts with musical direction by Gemma Crowe, ‘Freak Flag’ from Shrek – directed by Ellie Carrier and Katie Taylor with musical direction by Rebecca Jackson, and the ever-beloved ‘Stick to the Status Quo’ from High School Musical directed by Ellie Carrier with musical direction by Niki Tsumagari. Seriously, I got way too excited when Sharpay and Ryan appeared in those fabulous costumes!
Specific performances endeavoured to show off the vast talent within the large ensemble, as a variety of solos, duets and small group numbers took to the stage.
‘The Next Ten Minutes’ from The Last Five Years orchestrated a gorgeous duet between Georgie Jasper and Louie Roberts as their characters Cathy and Jamie meet in the middle to get married.
Ella Coldron’s pitch perfect notes sparkled like the Mediterranean waves of Mamma Mia‘s greek setting, in her soulful wedding day solo ‘Slipping Through My Fingers’.
A timed explosion of stunning choreography sent us dancing into the Intermission, as Louie Roberts leds a brilliant ensemble of dancers ‘Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat’ from Guys and Dolls.
And this strong ensemble coordination continued across the night, particularly resonate in songs like ‘Yorkshire’ from Calendar Girls, ‘Master of the House’ from Les Miserables and the ever-entertaining ‘La Vie Boheme’ from Rent. Every cast member got a stand out moment with some really fun characterisation and some brilliant one liners (both sung and acted) throughout the songs.
A final particular favourite of the night has to be Joe Agnello’s intriguing take on King George III in ‘You’ll Be Back’ from Hamilton. Directed by Josh Liew with musical direction by Niki Tsumagari, the number was a wonderous ruckus to watch, as laughter filled the air and musical ‘da da das’ filled the stage. The costume (as with many costumes from the night) was an impressive improvisation on a classical musical theatre look, and I loved the ballet infused comedic dance Joe breathed into the character, creating a unique twist on a now famous role.
Ultimately, every number of the night had some intriguing and delightful element to enjoy allowing for an enlessly fun-filled night dancing through the greatest hits of movie-musicals. CHMS pulls off a evening where every viewer will know at least one song (no matter how musical-inept you feel), every performer gives their all to the energetic and fast-passed race through movie history and every morsel of interval popcorn is savoured amongst the fanstactic backdrop of various sung stories.
In this first production is anything to go off Central Hall Musical Society promises a 2022/2023 season full of fun-filled musical delights, and I for one cannot wait to see the next one.
The Autumn Showcase: Lights, Camera, Action is performing at Central Hall until Friday the 25th of November.
The society’s next production is Sunshine On Leith, at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre from the 23rd to the 25th of Febuary.