July 2004

AWARDS

Chicago (1996)

A Little Night Music (1997)

Into the Woods (2000)

Little Shop of Horrors (2002)

Company (2003)

July 2004 Newsletter


TOADS SMall Talk The Newsletter for TOADS STAGE MUSICAL COMPANY July 2004 SUBS OVERDUE !!!! If a red blob appears here, you have still not paid your 2004 sub of £20. Should this remain unpaid after the end of August, we will assume that you no longer wish to remain a member of the society, and we will remove your name from the membership list and will not trouble you again with newsletters etc. We do hope that you wish to remain a member, and hopefully you will now forward your cheque for £20 (payable to Toads SMC) to me (Iain) at Flat 1, Vaughan House, 4 Lisburne Crescent, Torquay, TQ1 2LA. Address for all correspondence : Hon. Sec – Iain Douglas Flat 1, Vaughan House, 4 Lisburne Crescent Torquay TQ! 2LA TOADS STAGE MUSICAL COMPANY IS THE PROMOTIONAL NAME OF TORBAY OPERATIC AND DRAMATIC SOCIETY TOADS SMC IS A REG. CHARITY CHARITY NUMBER – 268829 This newsletter contains information about “Red Hot and Cole” rehearsals, and future social events including the Garden Party (July 18^th) and BarBQ (Aug 28^th) and Sidmouth Trip (Aug 6^th) and Derek’s Walk (Sept 12^th). It also contains reminders about subs and sponsor money. PLEASE READ

RED HOT AND COLE – autumn 2004 production DATES AND REQUIREMENTS Rehearsals commence with a get-together/rehearsal on MONDAY JULY 19^TH (as advised in the May newsletter) at ST. LUKES CHURCH HALL, SHEDDEN HILL, TORQUAY commencing at 7.30. The production team will be available to talk about the show, how they will be staging it, and what they are looking for from the cast. If you are interested but cannot make that night please call me (Iain) on 290371 to register your interest. Music Rehearsals will then continue on THURSDAY EVENINGS JULY 29th, AUGUST 5th AND 12th . AUDITIONS will be held on SUNDAY AUGUST 15th at ST. LUKES at 2.30pm. The entire cast will be auditioned. Music Rehearsals will continue thereafter on Thursday nights and floor rehearsals will start sometime in Mid September. The show runs at THE LITTLE THEATRE from Monday October 25^th until Saturday October 30^th Nightly at 7.45 with a Saturday matinee at 2.30. SHOW FEES : Any new members will be required to pay the sub of £20 BEFORE they audition, and to attend at least 2 of the rehearsals before audition date. Existing members should have already paid a sub, but if you haven’t, then you need to do so before the auditions. The cast will be expected to pay an appearance fee of £15 (payable sometime during floor rehearsals) and there is a hire charge for the scripts/scores of £10 per book (non refundable) payable at first rehearsal. Director is JOE McNULTY and Musical Director is JONATHAN WATTS. A choreographer is yet to be chosen. We will also require offers for help with props, call, prompt, and stage management. Please call 290371 with offers of help.


	GARDEN PARTY SUNDAY JULY 18^th WOODAH, 377 BABBACOMBE RD 200 yds before the Palace Hotel on the opposite side of the road Courtesy of Hamish Turner ALL MEMBERS AND FRIENDS WELCOME COMMENCE FROM 2PM SMALL ENTRY FEE VARIOUS STALLS AND GAMES REFRESHMENTS & FOOD PLEASE PUT THIS DATE IN YOUR DIARY ONE OF OUR FUND RAISING EVENTS YOUR SUPPORT IS NEEDED !!!! PLEASE BRING YOUR FRIENDS. The 2003 Garden Party was very enjoyable and attended by about 60 people. BUT it was a hot day and perhaps the beach was more attractive. We raised about £200. We could do with it being more successful still this year. The garden is fantastic and a beautiful place to hold an event. PLEASE DO COME ALONG, even if only for an hour or so. CALL 01626-364929 (MARGUERITE) TO LET HER KNOW YOU ARE GOING BLACK AND WHITE BALL – JULY 9TH By the time you get this letter, the ball will either be imminent or have just been held. Lets hope it went well. At this stage it promises to be a great evening, SPONSORED DANCETHON Held in May, and raised approx £904 which was a fair result. Thanks to all who attended. If you have still to pay me your sponsor money a red blob is here !

	COMMITTEE 2004/05 Chairman – Jean Macer - Tel 01803-212698 Secretary – Iain Douglas – Tel 01803-290371 Treasurer – Elaine Gard – Tel 01803-402367 Margaret Aulton – Tel 01803-298106 Marguerite Green – Tel 01626-364929 Chris Hawes – Tel 01803-872518 Amanda Jenkins – Tel 01803-875925 Miles Opie – Tel 01626-356752 Jane Stewart – CHRISTMAS DINNER – FRI 10th DEC 2004 VICTORIA HOTEL – TORQUAY Always a good evening. As usual we will be one party in with lots of others, and you will see we have moved hotels from the Toorak next door to the Victoria. 30 places have been reserved. Please call Miles (See above) to book your place. Book early as the places go quickly. DEREK HEXTER’S EXETER WALK SUNDAY SEPT 12^TH – COST £1 After lunch on the Quay at Exeter, (not included in £1 cost !!) Derek will lead a walk through some of Exeter’s more historical nooks and crannies. Call Derek on 01626-352162 to let him know you are coming and want the lunch. SIDMOUTH TRIP - FRIDAY AUGUST 6^TH Possibly the last time Sidmouth will host a festival on this scale. This is the closing day. Bus will depart Torquay at 12.00pm returning at 2am after the torch lit procession and closing ceremony. £25 including coach and entry into arena with extra £3 for seating – or sit on grassy bank. Time to take part in Parade afterwards, and look round town beforehand. A Real good day out. CALL HEATHER APPLEBY 01803-325648 FOR BOOKINGS. 2005 PRINCESS THEATRE SHOW Not chosen yet, but will be shortly, information in next newsletter. Also the dates of June 21^st – 25^th may have to change by one week, but we will let you know in good time

TOADS Stage Musical Company . Founded in 1930s. TOADS presents a major musical each June at the Princess Theatre and a smaller musical at The Little Theatre in Torquay. It is a registered Charity. Registered Charity No. 268829

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		RED HOT AND COLE – OCTOBER 2004 WHAT IS IT ABOUT ? The show is a revue style show about the life of Cole Porter (who wrote many famous shows) and features music from such shows at “Kiss Me Kate” “Anything Goes” and “High Society” . It requires a cast of approx 15 (50/50 male/female) who should all be singers. There is some dancing. The cast arrive at a party and decide to present the life of Cole Porter for the want of anything better to do. They all assume the characters of the famous people he associated with. The musicians are on stage with the actors (the show is scored for 3 musicians) and Joe envisages the show being in 2 skips. i.e. the cast will be dressed in “modern style” and will obtain the various bits and pieces they require to play their various characters, from the skips. Some of the cast will be required to dance. Virtually all the cast will be required to solo sing, and the script lists each role as Actor 1, Actor 2, Actress 1, Actress 2 etc etc and lists what each person needs to do in the show (which songs they sing etc) This could be changed, but at auditions, as most will not really have a clue which part to go for the panel will listen to general auditions based on excerpts from the show and then decide who will play what (unless of course anyone has a strong preference). Joe also envisages back projection onto a screen at the rear of the stage, with scenes from the period and pictures of the people Cole associated with. Miles Opie has agreed to prepare those. The show should be popular box office as the music appeals to the people who are our main supporters. We have already taken a number of group bookings. This show will be another first for Torbay, and co-incides with a NODA Incentive – Amateur Theatre Week – which we hope to become part of this year with this show. In addition, there is a new film about Cole Porter due to be released soon, which is adding to the interest about this composer. GARDEN PARTY – JULY 18^th – BE THERE !

	GUYS AND DOLLS We had another fantastic show with a very happy week. All the social events were well supported, the show ran smoothly with a fantastic set, wonderful lighting, an excellent bit band, and first class performances. The feedback has been 100% praiseworthy. However, a funny thing happened, that has never happened before. The excellent advance bookings did not live up to an overall excellent result. Bookings at the theatre in the week before the show were not as good as usual (show week was as usual) and the end result was slightly disappointing. The final result is not yet known but it looks likely that we shall either break even or make a smallish loss. 3829 saw the show (3284 were payers) (which was adequate) but needed to be higher. The theatre think that the football was to blame, and the very poor weather on one night didn’t help matters. It was a show of ups and downs. While 2 eve perfs were poorer than expected, we had a very good matinee and a good Wednesday. The slump in bookings the week prior to the show indicates that it was the locals who did not support the show in sufficient numbers. The Golden Toad Award went to Jonathan Hunt, and thanks go to Richard Clark, Wendy Jackson, Jonathan Watts and John Amery (Our excellent production team), and to Andrew Pryce (a brilliant SM), Russell Payne ( Lighting design par excellence), Sarah Hope (a superb directors assistant) , Jane Stephens and Lydia Dockray (props supremo’s) and to Andy Head who organises the props team so well. Thanks also to the myriad number of other people who helped with the show, and helped make it the artistic success it undoubtedly was. BAR BQ – SAT 28^TH AUGUST – 6.30 PRICE TO BE CONFIRMED COURTESY OF VIV AND JULIAN NIETRZEBKA 14 ASH HILL RD, TORQUAY CALL MILES ON 01626-356752 WITH BOOKINGS Last years BarBQ was very enjoyable, and attended by about 25 members. Please do come along for a nice lazy time in the garden, nibbling away. PLEASE SUPPORT THE GARDEN PARTY – JULY 18^th SEE DETAILS ELSEWHERE IN NEWSLETTER. Please pay your sponsor money if not yet done so. Please pay your sub if you wish to carry on receiving information about the society.