Welcome to the Society news pages
Newark Amateur Operatic Society (NAOS) is looking for new people to join the society and is holding a “Cheese and Wine” welcome evening at the Holy Trinity School, Boundary Road, Newark on Thursday 13 October 2011 starting at 7.30. Anyone who is interested in becoming a member of the society either as a performer or one of the very valuable backstage crew is welcome to come along and meet the committee and society members.
In addition to the refreshments everyone will have the chance to join the society in performing a selection of popular songs. After that evening the first rehearsal for the current show Me and My Girl will take place at Holy Trinity School at 7.30 on 20 October. A second rehearsal will be at the same venue and time on 3rd November.
Auditions for the show will take place on Sunday 6 November at Highfields School, London Road starting at 1.30. John Bendall, Chairman of the Society said: “By holding this informal get together it will let people in the area who might like to join the society come along and meet them in a social environment. Not only are we looking for people to join to perform on the stage, but also we are always looking to get more members to help back stage with costumes and makeup. Everyone is invited to come along and we are looking forward to an enjoyable evening and to welcome as many new people to the society as possible”.
Singers set a challenge
By Andrew Milne, Newark Advertiser.
Newark Amateur Operatic Society is calling for more members to help stage one of the most difficult shows it has attempted in its 75-year history.
The society needs people for its production of Jesus Christ Superstar in March.
Its business manager and vice-chairman, Mr Chris Wright, said the show demanded a lot of members, particularly men, who were traditionally hard to recruit.
The show will be the first operetta the society has performed, which means the cast will be required to sing all the way through. It will run for seven performances at the Palace Theatre, Newark.
Mr Wright said the vocal challenge posed by the Andrew Lloyd Webber show probably surpassed that of West Side Story, which the society staged four years ago.
"The challenge is absolutely awesome," he said.
Mr Wright said they wanted to build on the success of this year's production of The Full Monty, which required a much smaller cast.
"The Full Monty showed everything we are capable of and how strong a company we are. We are one of the best in the Midlands," he said. Mr Wright said the new show provided an opportunity for an injection of new talent into the society.
He said there may even be someone who could play the lead role of Jesus Christ, which requires a top tenor voice.
Jesus Christ Superstar was the first musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice to be produced for the professional stage and made its debut in New York in 1971. The show tells the story of the last seven days in the life of Jesus Christ and features songs such as I Don't Know How To Love Him, Everything's Alright and Superstar.
To put on the production the society will require a cast of up to 50 people. Mr Wright said parts were available for all ages, and people did not necessarily require a singing background.
Auditions for the show will take place later this year but a welcome evening for new members will be held at Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Primary School, Newark, at 7.30pm on September 16. The society will celebrate its 75th anniversary with an evening at Newark Golf Club on October 22, to which past and present members are invited.
People interested in joining the society can contact membership secretary Sheila Hoare on 01636 679855.
SHOWSTOPPERS!
In October 2007, thirty members of the Society performed A Night Of The Musicals, to a sell–out crowd in Newark’s twin town of Emmendingen in Germany. Family and friends of the company asked if the performance could be repeated here at the Palace for them to see the show. It didn’t happen then, but it triggered thoughts with the Committee of maybe it happening....and it did, in the form of ShowStoppers! on October 25th 2008.
For one night only, many of those who made the trip to Germany were joined by other Society members in a re–worked version of the Germany show. It gave members, young and old(er), the opportunity to re–visit and reprise numbers from previous Society productions across Act One. Many more were reprised by the original cast members including Oklahoma!, the comedy routine for “Gee, Officer Krupke” from West Side Story, and also numbers from Crazy For You, Oliver!, Guys & Dolls and a preview of tonight’s show, 42nd Street.
Act Two explored musicals never before performed by the Society, and gave our newer and younger members the chance to display their talents with memorable performances from Rent, Blood Brothers, Chicago, Little Shop Of Horrors and a medley finale from Mamma Mia! (some of you may have heard of that one?!).
It was a highly successful evening with rave reviews and a hugely memorable experience for all those involved.
NODA Long Service Awards
The Society congratulates Robert and Rita Crowe who will both be presented with NODA silver bars recognising 45 years of service to the amateur stage.
We can only include a very brief resume of their ‘90’ years, so here are the key points: they met during the NAOS production of Bless The Bride (1964).
Robert started with the Society as an electrician. He went on to be Production Manager for many years and was made a Vice–President in 1992. Rita was on stage for many productions and then became Patrons’ Secretary.
Wunderbar, Wundervoll, Wunderschön!
These were just some of the superlatives which were used to describe our visit to Emmendingen during October 2007.
Thirty-five Society and family members made a 4-day trip to Newark’s twin town of Emmendingen in the Black Forest region of Germany. The two towns have been twinned since 1983 when Roland Cope, as Town Mayor, initiated the setting up of a Twinning Association.
The main reason for making the visit was to perform a varied concert, ‘Night of the Musicals’ in the impressive Steinhalle in the town. The concert was a sell-out, playing to an audience of 350. It received a standing ovation for our final ABBA numbers from Mamma Mia! The friendly, enthusiastic atmosphere is something that the group will certainly remember.
We also have happy memories of the fantastic hospitality and entertainment we received. Some members already had host families as friends, and now many more friendships have been forged. As well as rehearsing and performing the concert, we had time for guided tours, coach trips, an alfresco picnic lunch, and a superb dinner for the whole group plus hosts. We are indebted to the Oberbürgermeister of Emmendingen and the Emmendingen Twinning Association for their generosity. We have produced a DVD which records many memorable moments of our visit.
Fifty Years on Stage with the NAOS!
Jean Robinson has certainly earned her NODA Fifty Years Gold Award. As you will have seen from the cast credits, Jean has not missed a single annual production since ‘The Country Girl’ in 1957. This is an achievement worthy of the Guinness Book of Records! During this time she has played over forty principal parts, and enjoyed being a member of the chorus in the remaining shows.
On many an evening, particularly in the depth of winter, for over twenty-five years, Jean would have audiences in the villages, and in church halls enthralled with her rendering of the great contralto songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein, and the next moment have them convulsed with laughter in sketches (particularly as Hilda Baker with “Cynthia”) and Old Time Music Hall favourites.
To add to the annual productions and the Society concert party, Jean appeared in every Society music hall performed in Sheringham’s Little Theatre, in every music hall in Newark’s Town Hall during Newark Tradesmen’s Week, in both pantomimes ‘Mother Goose’ and ‘Cinderella’ at the Palace Theatre, in both concerts in Newark’s twin town, Emmendingen, and was a chorus member in all the Gilbert and Sullivan For All concerts.
She also took part in the four spectacular productions in the Castle grounds between 1969 and 1991 and played leading roles in the Society’s Gilbert and Sullivan productions at the Palace between 1980 and 1983.During this long period of active involvement Jean also found time to serve on the Society’s executive committee.
Everyone associated with the Newark Amateur Operatic Society congratulates Jean on such a superb and distinguished record.
Jean was presented with her Long Service Medal by Eric Smart the President of NODA at the opening night of Crazy For You in 2006.
Please welcome our new President
Mavis Ackroyd became our President in May 2005 following the retirement after 13 years of the extremely supportive Joan Thomas. We wish her well.
Mavis joined the Society in 1957 and appeared in the chorus of ‘White Horse Inn’ the following year. She was elected Assistant Secretary in 1959, and for several years also worked back-stage as (the often unrecognised job of) Prompt.
In 1967 she became Secretary and worked hard when the Society had theatre accommodation problems. Other ventures which were in her capable hands included the outdoor productions of Gilbert and Sullivan in the grounds of Newark Castle, as well as Old Time Music Halls in the Town Hall, and at the Little Theatre, Sheringham for five years in the 1970s. Mavis retired as Secretary in 1981 and was elected a Vice–President in recognition of her service to the Society. She was Patrons’ Secretary from 1988 to 1994.
Having experienced so many aspects of an amateur society she is ideally suited to the role of President and will undoubtedly be capable of looking after our interests.
