28th April 2010

BRIDPORT: That's entertainment!

AN evening of “show stopping” performances helped Bridport Musical Theatre Company (BMTC) cement their exceptional reputation in the town.

BMTC’s Showstoppers offered something for everyone on its three-night sell-out run at the Bridport Arts Centre.

The dance skills of the cast were evident from the outset with a fast paced dance section in ‘On Broadway’ followed by a relentless torrent of high-energy tap in ‘Sing, Sing’.

The Rat Pack then brought some cool to the stage, swinging their way through ‘Sway,’ ‘Lady is a Tramp’ and ‘Ain’t That a Kick in the Head’.

The high energy continued with songs from West Side Story and Dirty Dancing tinged with moving performances of ‘Maria’ by Tony Glover and Blood Brothers’ ‘Tell Me It’s Not True’ by Kerren McAllister Bell, proving she can sing as well as she dances.

Finishing the first half was a trio of songs from the longest running West End Musical, Les Miserables.

There wasn’t a dry eye in the house following Jamie Isaacs performance of ‘Empty Chairs and Empty Tables’ and Tilly Boulay’s rendition of ‘Castle On A Cloud’.

The second act started with a bang with the ladies of the cast performing the hits of Chicago. A trio of songs from that show were rounded off with a tap routine to ‘Hot Honey Rag’ which highlighted the cream of dance talent in the company.

No musical showcase would be complete without at least a glimpse of an Andrew Lloyd Webber number. Jodie Glover took on one of the most challenging vocal songs of the evening and executed ‘Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again’ from The Phantom of the Opera perfectly and Richard Chubb looked like he was born to play Joseph in his rendition of ‘Any Dream Will Do’.

Ally Hughes and Tom Staple riffed well with the audience as the fast talking, quick footed Blues Brothers before Sophie McAlister Bell brought the house down with her performance of ‘As Long As He Needs Me’ from Oliver.

The finale ended the show perfectly with the audience on their feet and dancing in the aisles to a medley of songs from the recent smash hit Mamma Mia.

Musical director Murray Davis provided the perfect accompaniment to the show throughout the evening, taking on a number of challenging songs on the piano and playing them faultlessly.

The show proved to be another big success for the company and was a credit to choreographer Rebecca Mather, ably assisted by Greg Horton and Sophie McAllister Bell, who showed her versatility and creativity in a performance of huge variety.

BMTC will be holding auditions for their next production 42nd Street this Sunday (May 2nd).

Auditions for character parts will be at 10am and, for dancers, 2pm. Both will be held at Bridport Youth Centre.

PICTURE: KERREN DOES JUDY - Kerren McAllister Bell put smile on faces with her take on the Judy Garland number 'Get Happy', as originally performed in the classic MGM musical Summer Stock.

BRIDPORT: That's entertainment!

Comments

Add new comment