BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING…

In a previous blog, I expressed my concern that these days, many amateur drama and operatic groups appear to be frantically following fads.

Recently, I received an e-mail message from someone planning to direct a pantomime, informing me of his choice of a particular musical number, with which he planned to end the show. I had never heard of the ‘song’, or the singer, so I did a Google search. This brought up a vainglorious video, which must have cost more than the GDP of a medium-sized, European country.

The flick lasts 234 seconds, and the average length of shot was no more than 2 seconds long. Subtract the special effects, the sound enhancement, and the hundreds of extras leaping about, and you are left with a trite, tuneless, con trick. As far as I was concerned, it was a load of phonus bolonus! Opium for the masses!

How on earth could an amateur group putting on a show in a village hall hope to come close to this presentation?

More importantly, why would they want to?

“But it’s popular!” would probably be the justification.

“Popularity is the one insult I have never suffered.” Oscar Wilde

Apart from the fact that this offering had little to offer, I would advocate cutting one’s coat according to one’s cloth. Surely, rather than trying to match this technological tarradiddle, why not go for a lively, bouncy number packed with pep… one that the chorus, dancers, children and principals can join in and enjoy.

For example, for my version of ‘Hickory Dickory Dock’, I suggest finishing with ‘Rock Around The Clock’, which even has some relevance to the story. There is the possibility of bringing on some teddy boys and girls to bop, and ‘musicians’ with inflatable saxophones and guitars. It’s an easy number to learn, the choreography could be quite simple. Add a mirror ball or searchlight effect, get the audience clapping along, and the joint really would be rocking.

I once saw an amateur pantomime which included the character Little Bo Peep, who had three sheep. They came on for the finale and started off the musical number with, “Baa, baa, baa…”, leading into the Beach Boys’ ‘Barbara Ann’, with the rock ‘n’ roll element described above. Quite frankly, what had gone before wasn’t up to much, but the show did end with a bang.

Any road up, I was looking through a Sesame Street website the other day, and I came across reference to one episode, where Bob McGrath, who played the part of the character ‘Bob’ on the show, sang ‘Good Morning Starshine’, with some hippy Muppets.

The song is from the rock musical ‘Hair’, which dates from 1967. I saw the show on tour, maybe around 1970.

This started the creative juices flowing. For me, most modern music is unmemorable, but here is something that I reckon has stood the test of time – news yesterday that the musical production of 'Mary Poppins' (film -1964) dominated this year's Helpmann Awards in Australia, winning eight of the 12 categories in which it was nominated, including best musical – so I played some versions of it, posted on YouTube.

Normally, I like a pantomime to have a lively opening, to maybe convince the audience that it’s the start of a good show. However, just as a variation, for those who might want something that bit different, I thought that ‘Good Morning Starshine’ could work… providing of course that it’s done well.

So, here goes… yes, I know I have switched from an ending to an opening, but one has to begin somewhere. Here’s my idea… feel free to use it if you wish.

The houselights go down, the curtains are closed, and a golden glow, sunrise lighting effect is brought up slowly. A dawn chorus sound effect is played over the PA, and this fades as the curtains open to reveal the village setting, and the lights come up slowly to full.

The lead singer enters…

(http://youtu.be/Kl8O7NHkrPY – for the la-la opening and the attack. There is also a hint of an instrumental section, if you want to include dancers.)

…and is then joined by chorus and dancers, who wander on singing from all entrances to the stage. Opportunities for some nice grouping.

(http://youtu.be/-SzuZBotgCU - from 59 seconds into the video. Just one verse, one chorus, and then the finish, which could actually be bigger than it is here.)

Slow start, leisurely build up, then lots of pizzazz to the big finish. End the musical number with a tableau, then lots of animation, and sotto voce adlibs from the assembled throng, as you go into the opening dialogue… quickly followed by a crash, bang, wallop entrance, with sound effects and drum cues. 

(http://youtu.be/gkav2kjB0qc youtu.be/gkav2kjB0qc – for the ‘chorus’ involvement.)

Don’t make the tempo too slow.

I reckon it could be a knockout.

CLASS ACT #4

Actress Carmen D'Antonio performs an hilarious operatic spoof in the classic Vaudevillian style from the MGM movie, "Broadway Melody of 1940", which starred Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell. She was born in Philadelphia in 1911. Had she been born on this side of the Atlantic, she would probably have had a very successful career in pantomime.

Notice how she doesn't try too hard to be funny. She gives the impression that she has confidence in her abilitiy and the material.

"Never stress or over-emphasize a point – let the gag do its own work." Billy Bennett (1887-1942)

Miss D’Antonio reminds me of Betty Jumel (1901-1990), who was billed as “A Bundle of Fun”. She appeared with Norman Evans in the 1944 Leeds Theatre Royal production of Humpty Dumpty, which set a record with its 22-week run from Christmas Eve to Whitsun. She also became one of the few successful female Dames, notably in 1948 as Dame Trot in Babes in the Wood at London’s Princes Theatre, and later starred alongside Terry-Thomas at the Palladium in Humpty Dumpty.

I like physical comedians… and comediennes!