Dear Blocnotes Reader!
The leaves are beginning to fall from the trees, the evenings are drawing in, clocks have changed and we’re just 10 days off the first night of Crazy for You. Watching the dance routines and hearing the BLOC voices in full volume is marvellous – by the end of November we’ll either be completely knackered or there will be a new vitality of a fitter, lighter BLOC. Hopefully the latter!
The set is looking good – construction is done bar the inevitable little fiddly bits, and painting process well under way. It will be a bit like a doll’s house effect as the New York theatre opens up cleverly to morph into the Deadrock scenes. Philip, Marie, JohnK, JohnH & JeanP have been working hard and now Janet’s GrayTouch is making it come alive. So looking forward to the finished product. Oh yes, and you should see Peter Mountain’s car….wow!
So, what other news? The Annual BLOC bbq in September went well – inside the Grotezaal again as we were expecting torrential rain. Of course, the sun shone but there was a bit of vindicating drizzle so we did the right thing. Thank you to all those who brought delicious desserts to compliment the splendid meat and salad main course provided by caterers and thanks to Tony Lowe for serenading us so enjoyably as we socialised. Thank you to Dennis Elslander for all of this organising and to those who set up and struck the tables and chairs.
Denise Wicken finally had her foot op – hope that continues to heal well. Janet Gray’s father passed away this summer, as did Mossy Roche’s (SD for Mikado at the Seaside), and most recently Bridget Pierson-Davis’ father. Our sincere condolences to all the families involved as they grieve. Janet & Alan Gray welcomed a new grandson into the family. I attended Diane Gray’s funeral in Alcester on 30th September and although not without tears, it was a joyous celebration of her life and she was buried in some style with a coffin specially customised, her son playing violin to lead her in to her service and the Halleluja Chorus to play her out.
Jeremy Thomas organised a concert in September to raise money for a new roof at St. Anthony’s RC church. The musical efforts of our talented younger BLOC members – BeatrizF, ZoeS, AlisiaB, MarieR, RoisinN, ThomasL-N, PierreH, EmanuelleV and Jeremy - with George Rahim at the piano raised €1000 with songs from musicals like Wicked, Beauty & The Beast, Oklahoma, Annie, WOZ, Fiddler on the Roof, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Cabaret, LaLaLand, Joseph, LesMiz, Mikado, Threepenny Opera, Porgy & Bess and of course a sneakpeak at CFY. Check it out on YouTube. Bravo to all who rehearsed it all one Sunday afternoon and gave polished performances the same evening. It was such fun (and they were so good!) we may include some of it at the BLOC Xmas Party on 12th December.
Ticket sales for Crazy For You are slower than usual - at time of writing we’re only half full so far - and the committee will review our ticketing system and pricing for the next shows. So we need to pull out all the stops and sell sell sell to ensure we get those bums on seats – this is an Appeal From The Chair! Thanks to Marie & Meera who joined me at the ING welcome fair on 8th November where we collected info for our mailing list, networked for the club and hopefully sold quite a few tickets.
You will have heard on the grapevine that it has been decided to do Oklahoma in November 2018 and so the May/June 2018 show will be Urinetown – the Musical directed by Emanuelle Vergier. This will be a great opportunity to target auditionees and audiences of teens and twentysomethings. Those who discovered Urinetown a couple of years ago have been hoping to do the entire show: this is their opportunity! The Intro Evening is on 5th December at De Kam. BUT watch this space for more surprises on the spring show….clue: ‘the jury is out’ on this one for now…………..
Hope to see you at Crazy For You and, of course, see you at de Kam!
Diana x