"They couldn't pick a better time to start in life
It ain't too early and it ain't too late"

This week BLOC kicked off our autumn 2018 season with the first rehearsals for Oklahoma!

The principals met on Monday, and on Tuesday the whole cast. With such a large cast, the enthusiasm was palpable as we tried to lift the rafters in De Kam, with our first focus on the wonderful rousing title song "Oklahoma!".

Keep an eye on this space, and we will let you know when tickets sales are open.

If you have been in a show (cast or crew) with BLOC between September 2017 and June 2018, you are eligible to vote for the Brussels United Theatre Technicians present the BUTT Awards 2018.

What? How? When?
What: if you have been in or seen a show that took place during this year's theatre season in Brussels and surroundings, you are eligible to vote.
How: by following this link: https://goo.gl/forms/R6OlsX9BSmUiaWhF3
When: from now on to the evening of July 3rd

On Tuesday the 5th of June, barely having caught our breath after the final performance of Urinetown, BLOC members threw themselves back into the fray, with our introduction and chorus practice session for our November 2018 production, Oklahoma!

The Brussels Light Opera Company's production of Urinetown came to De Warandepoort Theatre, Tervuren, just outside of Brussels, from 30 May to 3 June 2018.

Despite some early concerns within the company about being able to sell tickets to an audience who were unaware of the fantastic musical behind the terrible title, our run was a huge success, and several performances were sold out.

The cast and crew pulled it all together, and reviews from the audience came back overwhelmingly positive:

Prior to the dress rehearsal for Urinetown the Musical, several representatives from BLOC had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Rob Hopkins and Filipa Pimentel from Transition Network.

Transition Network is "a movement of communities coming together to reimagine and rebuild our world." "It is about communities stepping up to address the big challenges they face by starting local. ... [T]hey are reclaiming the economy, sparking entrepreneurship, reimagining work, reskilling themselves and weaving webs of connection and support."

We need a minimum of 50 square metres with a minimum height of 3.5 metres to build the Oklahoma set. Philip & Marie who are in charge of construction would like to hear from you if you know of such a space which can be made available between September and the end of November 2018.

Of course, ideally we would like to be able to use this space for free but there is a small amount set aside in the budget for a rental fee. If you have ideas, please write to the show email address at blocoklahoma2018@gmail.com.

DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA FOR A SHOW?

The dates of performance are end May 2019 at de Bosuil (@ 360 seats) and end November 2019 at the Auderghem Cultural Centre (@660 seats).

BLOC is looking for shows which accommodate a range of ages and nationalities, with good chorus opportunities. The November show invariably has a large cast and should be suitable for family pre-Christmas entertainment, with auditions held in June. The May show can be more edgy, innovative or
just more suitable for a smaller audience, with auditions in January.

Dear Reader!

BLOC is up and running for 2018. It’s full steam ahead with a full programme.

On the 23rd of January 2018, BLOC's cast for Urinetown: The Musical gathered at De Kam for the first time, and held a read through of the entire script. 

It was great to hear the script, to get a feel for how the show holds together, how it flows, and what it is really all about. There were lots of laughs from those who heard the jokes for the first time, and a whole lot of clapping along to the toe-tapping tunes.

After much consideration, the cast for Urinetown has been finalised. It was a very hard task for the audition panel, given the (large) amount of talent shown at auditions, and the (not so large) size of the stage. There is a huge complexity in putting together a cast of this size. Things like singing and acting ability are obvious, however the panel also need to weigh up a wide range of other factors, such as voice part, stage experience, physical appearance, and much more.