Ron Drew's Music Page - Activities

Singing - South Shields Amateur Operatic Society

Chapter 5.14 - Snippets of Chorus Lines

OKLAHOMA - 1960:
Our very first show (we're in the Amateurs at last!)
Geoff. [Davison] (Curly) split his pants nearly every night as he climbed onto the 'surrey' during the wedding scene. Well, he would wear them tight! A repair job was needed - usually Madge - complete with needle and thread.

OKLAHOMA - again:

Meg and I had to catch Ali Hakim (Sandford Goudie) each night as he pretended to faint. One night we missed!
Oops!! Sorry Sandford.

THE MERRY WIDOW:
Meg, Ethne [Brown], and Beryl [Henderson] entered stage left to walk across the rostra at the back of the stage - a balustrade was held in position by heavy weights. Ethne said to Meg, "Be careful you don't trip over the weights. I nearly did at dress rehearsal."
Ethne 'made it' beautifully; Meg tripped, but regained her poise. Beryl tripped and nearly demolished the balustrade.
We still laugh about it today!

CALAMITY JANE:
Ann McLennan (Calamity) fired a gun during the saloon sequence. One night she fired low.
She singed Meg's false eyelashes and Jim Grey's moustache. Sandford was left clutching - well, you know where!
Everyone was so amused we could hardly sing.
The director was not amused!

CAROUSEL (G&S)
Line up of ladies across the front of the stage. We are kneeling, swaying and singing 'When I Marry Mr Snow'. Beryl swayed a little too far right and bumped me. I fell against Meg; it resulted in a domino effect - we nearly all ended up on our bottoms. Beryl did apologise though - as we fell she whispered, "Sorry Madge!!"

SOUTH PACIFIC:
The Regent, if you remember, was inhabited by very large cockroaches. One night a huge specimen was actually on stage. George Turnbull (Emile) walked across to Nellie saying, "I love you Nellie." He spotted the beetle and trod on it, much to everyone's relief!
We were waiting in the wings - wearing grass skirts. In the next scene we sat on stage to sing - and who wants a cockroach in her grass skirt!

A further feast of stories from the 'terrible twins' can be found in the 15th edition (August 2000) of CHORUS LINES. (Not available through these web pages)


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Copyright (c) 1999-2000 Ron Drew.
Last revised: February 05, 2004 .