Last month I finished by saying I would wave the flag for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. With pleasure.
The first I knew of this show was a thing starring Donny Osmond I saw on TV as a kid. Quite liked some of the songs and was very impressed with the Pharaoh song about seven fat cows on the banks of the river Uh Huh…. and the harem girls. When it was decided to produce it this year I didn’t get what all the excitement was about. Now I do!
Some of the cast did an extract from it up at The Levin Little Theatre a few weeks ago. Just a taste and it was short on orchestra and staging, but when it was over many in the audience were clamouring for tickets and exclaiming how brilliant it was!
I’m getting ahead of myself. The Otaki Players do these big shows very well and I want to take a few lines to celebrate how it all comes together.
First there is the vision, enthusiasm and sheer talent of a director and their team. In this case a director (Linda), a musical director (Graham) and a choreographer (Nicky).
Then there is the dogged determination of the Production Manager (Roger) who builds a production team around the thing to give it lift off. Set, Costumes, Lighting, Sound, Props, Front of House, Bar, Backstage Crew, Promotions and Make-up.
Now the problem with a list like this is the potential to miss someone, but the point is there are a lot of people involved off stage who put in days and days and nights and nights of creative hard slog.
I know of one person who having spent twenty four hours painting the backdrop settled down with a glass of wine to catch her breath before packing to leave on holiday…when the phone rang. Could she paint some props please, only take another six hours or so? She stayed up till 1.00am.
Just one story, but a similar one has been played out across the spectrum and I know there has been a huge sacrifice of time and talent gone into this production. If you are one of those heroes reading this, I know whom most of you are and I really do salute you. You are amazing. Thank you.
So from noticing our billboards and posters, to buying a ticket, to being greeted and shown past our friendly bar to your seat from where you will see and hear our stunning production of Joseph …. you have been served by a very special and hard working team.
Back to the stuff on stage that had an audience shouting for tickets. That doesn’t just happen either. They have put in many hours of rehearsal. I haven’t seen too much as yet, but from what I have seen let me tell you, these people are good, very good.
To create something of value takes effort. And by the amount of effort and skill gone into this show I know it will be of the highest value
Bye for now
Pete