MPO

No longer a member

2010-12-06T23:22:00.000Z

From the MPO History on the website - written by Chris.

Milborne Port Opera is run on strictly democratic lines: we elect a Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer at an Annual General Meeting shortly after the annual show, but we have no Board of Management. The Chairman normally sounds out potential Producers who are invited to make a presentation to the AGM of what show they would like to stage the following spring. In the unusual event that there is more than one candidate those present are invited to vote on their preference and the successful Producer puts together a management team to ensure that everything happens on time. It then falls to the Producer and his or her chosen Musical Director to audition and cast the show which is done after some initial sing-throughs in the Methodist Hall in early September.

Oh Yeah ?

No longer a member

2010-11-03T09:44:00.002Z

As a minority saw fit to wreck "Beginners Please" and would have wrecked "Pinafore" I had no other possible action to take other than resignation.
I hope that the minority are pleased with themselves and are satisfied with the outcome of their machinations - well done.
If you are reading this - innocent MPO members - please note that at NO time did anyone ever come to me in person to ask questions or make criticisms - never mind offering assistance. All the carping was done by email - often when I was on holiday. The sheer cowardice of these actions from people who I had (foolishly) thought were friends is still making me both annoyed and depressed.
Nevertheless I hope that Pinafore goes well for you although I doubt very much whether I want to come to the performances.
Geoff

2009-04-21T21:02:00.003Z

Post Production

What a great show - I think everyone enjoyed it - I know I did.
Thanks to you all - singers, band, back-stage , front of house etc.

here is a link to some photos taken at the technical Rehearsal

Here

Videos will appear on YouTube etc. as and when

Cheers all - here's to 2010

Geoff

Not long now

2009-04-09T15:04:00.003Z

It's Thursday folks - last rehearsal in the school - with costumes!
I'll be videoing it too for future reference !!
Act your heads off from now on !!
Cheers

Geoff

Picture !!

From Mikado Publicity

Sunday Rehearsal

2009-03-16T13:27:00.004Z

Thanks all - excellent rehearsal on Sunday - it's coming on !! Please can everyone learn their words /lines - on Thursday 19th March we are doing the first 8 scenes or so - so men at 8:00pm and ladies at 8:30 pm please. Preferably without libs !! Then 26th March - the whole of Act 1. April 2nd the whole of Act 2 - no libs !!!
Soloists remember - Act 1 dialogue at Ruth's today Monday 16th and Act 2 dialogue next Monday 23rd March. Singing rehearsal at Carolines on Wednesday 18th.
We will be rehearsing Maundy Thursday - not Wednesday - sorry !!
Make sure that you ALL come to ALL rehearsals from now on !!! Or I shall cry - and you don't want to see that !!
Finally - here is one of Candices makeup experiments - we are going with this one !!

Cheers

Geoff

Rehearsal Photos

YumYum - just out of the shower !!

Characteristic Japanese Grovel ?

The Mikado pronounces the sentence !!

Thursday Rehearsal

2009-03-02T09:14:00.002Z

We were going to have a split rehearsal on Thursday. Unfortunately we can't have Church House (Tai Chi class!) so we will all be together in the school. Rehearsal details follow ...

Rehearsal Schedule

2009-01-28T13:43:00.003Z

29 Jan 2009

Here is a link to a new rehearsal schedule (pdf file) - see you on Thursday
Geoff

P.S.
We need to get down to learning lines/words/moves folks- I would like to see scripts
disappearing soon (apart from writing moves down as they change etc.)

New Schedule Here (sorry the one posted on Wednesday was incorrect)

Sunday Rehearsals

2009-01-11T20:26:00.004Z

Hi All,

the Sunday rehearsals in Feb and March will be at 14:00 to 16:30 at the Village Hall on
8 Feb, 15 March, 29 March 2009. At least one of these will have the band present.

Good rehearsal on Thursday - see you next Thursday - get learning those words/moves/lines

I'll do a new rehearsal schedule soon

Cheers

Geoff

Wincanton Rehearsal No.3

2008-12-04T17:41:00.003Z

Wincanton Rehearsal No.2

2008-12-04T17:29:00.003Z

Wincanton Rehearsal

2008-12-04T17:13:00.003Z

Here's last weeks efforts!

2008-12-02T20:55:00.004Z

Hi folks - excellent session in Wincanton last week - I hope you are all raring to go on Thursday.
As we said - ladies go to the school as usual - men to Church House please.

Please make sure you all come to rehearsals - we are learning the moves now - very very important to be there. I find it hard enough to learn the moves and I haven't missed a rehearsal yet !! No excuses (unless they are interesting).

Please arrive ready to START rehearsing at 8:00 pm too - we're getting a bit slack !!!!!

You will find a new rehearsal schedule to get us to the end of January here please download and look at it.

See you on Thursday (chaps)

Cheers

Geoff

Wednesday 26th Nov Martial Arts Studio, Wincanton

2008-11-21T11:50:00.003Z

Remember folks to meet for 8:00pm on WEDNESDAY 26th Nov at Wincanton Karate Centre (Honbu) . Paul Hacker will give us a session on Karate - it should be great fun and interesting too.
Look at the video a few posts down - you'll spot quite a few of our moves (Naomi you're marvellous !!)

The location is :

The Tythings Commercial Centre
Wincanton
Somerset BA9 9RZ

View Larger Map

See you there.

Cast and Rehearsal Information

2008-10-11T09:30:00.003Z

Well now we have got the casting we can carry on with rehearsing.
Remember
16th - men at 8:00pm Ladies at 8:30pm
23rd - All at 8:00pm and EGM
30th - Soloists at Carolines (ask if you have never been before)
6th Nov - in the school hall - walk through
pdf file of rehearsals is Here

I will print librettos over the next couple of weeks - if you can't wait
pdf file is Here

I have created a cast list - please check and let me know if you are missing - I do apologise if you have been missed !!
(Ellie and Allison not on it at the moment - I presume this is correct)
In Excel
In pdf
In OpenOffice

See you on Thursday(s)

Auditions for Mikado

2008-10-03T09:03:00.004Z

Thank you all very much for auditioning. Caroline and I (assisted by Naomi an Allison) had to make some very hard choices for the parts. You were all excellent. We could probably put forward 4 casts for the show.

I am sorry that you could not all have parts - but there are only 9 principals in the Mikado. Blame Mr Gilbert!!

- so the official line-up is :-

Yum-Yum - Jessie
Pitti-Sing - Ruth
Peep-Bo - Katharine
Katisha - Sarah

Nanki-Pooh - Tony
Ko-Ko - Lloyd Davies
Pish-Tush - John
Pooh-Bah - Andrew
Mikado - Bernard

We may appoint understudies later on. We have so much talent that we could do this this year.

Thank you all again - it's going to be a great show.

Geoff

Wincanton Martial Arts Studio Opening

2008-09-17T21:50:00.005Z

Photo of David Heath MP cutting the ribbon.

Naomi, Jan and I went to the opening of the new Wincanton Martial Arts centre on Saturday. They are going to help us with purchasing Gi s (costumes) and of course with some of the "moves".
The video is a short (very energetic demonstration Kata (martial arts routine)
We hope to base a lot of the movements in the Mikado on this type of thing (with a bit less
crashing to the ground for most of us I guess)

Links to rehearsal files and Audition Details

2008-09-14T14:56:00.004Z

Links to mp3 files of the music

Act1

Act 2

Auditions
Date : 2 October 2008, 20:00, Methodist Upper Room
Who should attend : Everyone !!! the auditions will be part of the rehearsal

The Audition Pieces

Rehearsal Schedule (vsn 1 - until half term)

The Mikado - 2009

2008-09-14T12:24:00.003Z

2009 opera - The Mikado - with a Karate / Martial Arts flavour.
I will post things in here for rehearsals, links to rehearsal files (mp3 files here and so on.

Geoff

2008 Show - Ruddigore

2007-08-15T14:59:00.000Z

New Season - new show

2007-05-03T14:27:00.000Z

The audio files of the music of "The Lost Continent of Love" may be found here:-

http://www.yenston.plus.com/camerata/MPO_Audio.htm

South Somerset District Council removes posters

2007-04-11T12:10:00.000Z

On the day of the World Premiere of "The Lost Continent" the district council removed our large posters from the A30 - thanks elected representatives.

To all our readers - if you aren't in it - come to see it !!

Wednesday 11th, Thursday 12th, Friday 13th, Saturday 14th April 7:30 Milborne Port Village Hall, off the A30 and up North Street.

Dress Rehearsal - all photos by Jan Allan

2007-04-11T08:07:00.000Z

What's in the newspaper Capn Haddock ?

Igor sings !!

Tights Tights !!

Curtain Call

Dress Rehearsal

2007-04-11T08:04:00.000Z

Dress Rehearsal

2007-04-11T07:52:00.000Z

Dress Rehearsal

2007-04-11T07:49:00.000Z

Technical Rehearsal 9 Apr 2007 - photos by Candice Marcus

2007-04-10T08:37:00.000Z

Technical Rehearsal 9 April 2007

2007-04-10T08:34:00.000Z

Technical and Dress Rehearsals 9 / 10 April 2007

2007-04-10T08:30:00.000Z

Pictures from the Technical and Dress Rehearsals - a fairly random selection

Music Rehearsal

2006-10-03T19:23:00.000Z

Anne-Marie played for us again and Geoff conducted the rehearsal, Caroline being away. Got through some of Act 2 Finale etc. Pretty good I thought - Neil's music is not easy but it is very tuneful and should make a good impression on our adoring public. More next week.

Casting Note.

I think that Sir Gayford Jantzen is to be played by John Forrest - what a trouper !!

Snark

The casting so Far

2006-09-22T14:32:00.000Z

From Neil's Email

The grouping may look strange, but this is how people are paired up atthe end in true G&S fashion. Not necessarily in this order.D, E and F are free to choose their own names as long as they begin withD, E and F. This will aid the reading of diagrams for the stage-work inNo. 16. (Although I'd sort of like to keep Evadne as a nod in thedirection of Dr. Hinge and the late Dame Hilda Bracket).So here it is:
Earl - Geoff Allan
Ermintrude - Sarah Bignell
George - James Craw
Nancy - Sarah Fraser
Arthur - Andrew Armstrong
Alice - Allison Edwards
William - Matthew Baker
Elizabeth - Jessie Copper
Mrs. Manion - Linda Mumford
Sanderson - Nick Grundy
Adele - Katharine Boyd
Jarvis - Tony White
Beatrice - Ellie John
Igor - Chris Bailward
Chloe - Charlotte Allan
Kearsley - Lloyd Davies
Daphne - Tina Firth
Rumworth - Nick Presdee
Evadne - Scilla Copper
Walkden - TBA
Francesca - Naomi Booth
Sir Gayford Jantzen (a guest) - TBA
Underhenchman - TBA

3rd Rehearsal - The Auditions - 3

2006-09-22T10:45:00.000Z

Three Little Mai .. no wrong opera - we want a man !!

Three little .. no but could be three Williams/Igors etc.

3rd Rehearsal - The Auditions - 2

2006-09-22T10:37:00.000Z

The Author - steely eyed looks for any errors in the notes !!

Jessie manoeuvres her way round the patter song with
exquisite timing.

Sarah ! where are the notes ?

3rd Rehearsal - The Auditions - 1

2006-09-22T10:29:00.000Z

Over several ladies applied for the leading roles !!

Can I be Igor please !!

Caroline keeps a stern musical eye on the score !

2nd rehearsal

2006-09-15T07:15:00.000Z

This went well too - Caroline put us through our paces, scales etc. then we were off. Neil keeps apologising about the inner parts but they are fun to sing. Don't panic mate we'll get there. We have sung through quite a lot of Act 1 and a bit of Act 2. Next week - auditions !!

Geoff

Milborne Port Opera - The Lost Continent

2006-09-10T19:06:00.000Z

Milborne Port Opera - The Lost Continent
I'm still trying to put together a full list of email addresses but when I sent out my last comuniquee I had 2 returned, including one where the person involved wrote down their details for me and I copied them faithfully! The frustrations of being a Producer. It is certainly the easiest way to communicate with everyone once the system is up and running, although I suspect a lot of people don't check their Inbox very regularly.

The first rehearsal was very encouraging. A few more people still needed but we could just about manage with what we have. I'm confident that we shall have a good show next Easter and that we shall enjoy the journey.

Chris

Rehearsal 1, 7 Sept 2006

2006-09-08T07:32:00.000Z

First rehearsal went very well I thought. Nice to see some returnees to the MPO fold - particularly Mike Mortimore and the lovely Jessie Copper. A new face was Tina - probably a soprano. Chris and Neil did their introductions, Anne Marie arrived and off we went. I took the chorus through the opening and ending of Act 1 plus a couple of others. All went well but Neil's scoring package has the same sort of fault as Noteworthy Composer in that chromatic notes often get the wrong accidental e.g. D# instead of Eb. This makes some of the lines a bit hard to read. still once we got the sense of the music it all proved pretty good. Chris thinks that with those who turned up last night plus a few others (e.g. Tony White and John Forrest) we will have a good show. Caroline was at a prom last night but hopefully will be there to take the baton next week.
Geoff

Pre Rehearsals

2006-09-07T08:10:00.000Z

Neil has spent about the last 2 years writing The Lost Continent. During this summer a small group of us have sung through some of the numbers and have read through the libretto. Caroline D'Cruz has made some suggestions for changes to the SATB harmony parts but apart from that it is as Neil has created it. We are all excited about starting rehearsals tonight.
One worry is - have we enough sopranos ?
I think that I (JGA) am taking this first rehearsal as Caroline is at a Prom - here we go !!
Geoff

Last Year's Opera

2006-09-05T18:22:00.000Z

Last Year's opera was "The Gondoliers" and this is the logo.

This blog is about ... The Lost Continent

2006-09-05T18:14:00.000Z

"The Lost Continent" is a new musical, book, lib and music by Neil Edwards. The world premier will be performed by Milborne Port Opera at Easter 2007. This blog will record the progress of rehearsals until the big day arrives.

Main Web link http://www.milborneportopera.co.uk

Geoff