We want to tell you about an exciting new project for summer/autumn 2009.
LipService in association with York Theatre Royal, Library Theatre, Manchester, New Wolsey, Ipswich and The Brindley in Runcorn present Desperate to be Doris, a new musical based around the songs of Doris Day.
At each venue we will be recruiting a community choir, which will rehearse once a week for 10 weeks before we arrive and will be an integral part of the performance. So if you want to "shout your secret love from the highest hill" let us know. Either subscribe to this blog or e-mail us at info@lip-service.net
Come on you know you want to!
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Well,I attended the first choir rehearsal in York this week. There were nearly 60 of us there,ranging from bathroom warblers to experienced thesbians, and by the time Amanda had finished with us I think we made a decent noise(maybe best not ask Amanda for another couple of weeks!)and some of us could even do the clapping exercise! Looking forward to next week when(I think) a choreographer is expected!
“Do you want to be in a show” my friend said, of course the frustrated starlet in me jumped at the chance, then the cold reality kicked in. Audition panic overtook the rest of my week, lots of yodelling and lozenge sucking until the first meeting last Wednesday. Imagine my relief when we didn’t have to sing individually to Simon Cowell only to be humiliated and branded on the forehead with a big red cross. The lovely Amanda, who bears more than a passing resemblance to dear Joyce Grenfell (I am waiting for a “George, don’t do that!) grouped us into voice types etc. This in itself presented a challenge, my voice can vary between Barry white and Bonny Langford which should I choose. I placed myself strategically in between Soprano and Alto and hoped for the best. All was well until Amanda leaned in to hear us individually, why oh why did I choose the front row, you guessed it “Kyla don’t do that”!!
Well the rerearsals for Doris are heading into their third week and it is good fun. We are expecting to be given or rehearsal CDs this week to help us learn our parts - oh good! My problem a bit like Kyla's is which part am I exactly. If you are new to singing or a bit rusty,like me,the confusion of alto v soprano can be a challenge. I thought I would give soprano a try, well it sounds so feminine and glamorous. I was ok until we tried Steam Heat - ohmygod!!! I sounded like a strangled cat but the folk around me seemed far too polite to comment (at least within ear shot anyway!).
It is actually great to be part of a group that can make a fantastic sound when put through our paces by the wonderful Amanda or should that be Joyce(?) I could watch and listen to her all night (I doubt she would feel similalry about me!).
Amanda is absolutely super and seems to be eternally patient - although I am still not quite sure what "up beat into bar 23" means exactly!
We are also being tantalised by frequent mention of tap dancing dressed as dafodils - I imagine it might be some reference to Secret Love - I can't wait!!
So what's going to happen this week? Just loved the thing with the piano - who would have thought that you could just scatter the keys all over the floor then pop them back and carry on regardless. Me? I would have wept.
And will there be another hint about 'costumes'? So far we've been threatened with pyjamas (sorry, don't have any), stick-on sheep (not even sure that's legal) and some sort of headdress/collar/frill which may/not be a daffodil (with a short -a). Can I put my cards on the table? I want a platinum blonde wig. I wanted one when I was five and I want one now. And a fringed buckskin jacket.
How many windowleathers from Barnitts will it take to make one of those? Just don't say you'll all want one.
Tomorrow is week 6 of the York choir rehearsals. Last week there was, as "Darkside" suggests, a good few hints about what we will actually be doing and wearing in the show. I am sure I have seen a youtube video of "Steam Heat" with the cast tap dancing in black fishnets - could be fun, I am sure our basses and tenors would be a real hit in that gear.
However, we have a change of venue for our rehearsal this week, which sounds a bit ominous - "The Chapel at York District Hospoital" I am hoping this isn't some sort of omen! I have to say the idea of us beltimg out "Enjoy Yourself!" in a hospital chapel seems a bit dark; but hey-ho the production is a comedy after all!
At week six I am having a fabulous time and the rehearsal CD provides much in-car entertainment for me and my 3 year old son who is now word pefecet on the chorus of Che Sera and Black Hills of Dakota. I am not sure how his nursery will react to his new repertoire - but it makes a change from "the wheels on the bus".
I have been in the choir since the first week and was surprised at how many people came along and was glad to see it wasn't only the females of York that had decided to join. I think we've all done very well learning the songs so quickly. I'm looking forward to the choreography with so many of us on stage that will be a challenge, I can't wait to see what our costumes will be. Perhaps the rehearsal in YDH chapel tonight will give us some divine inspiration, or who knows divine intervention!
Oh my! the moment of madness I had in enrolling in this choir is now creeping up to bite me!! time is getting shorter and while I've sung in public as part of a choir before, I haven't been 'on the stage' since I was at school. My stomach sets of like the spin cycle of my washer everytime I think of it now!! Having an absolute blast though, I think we sound great once we've warmed up and am actually dying with 'aaantissssssipaaaaayshun'!!! for costumes, movement and to be actually standing on that stage! Now where did I put my pyjamas?.....
Looby
Had a great time at rehearsal last night. The chapel at YDH is really good and the choir sounded great. We met Darren for the first time and Maggie added much humour to the session, including fluffing her only singing line! Relieved to hear that our costume is black trousers and either black or white T shirt, pyjamas will be provided by the show -that should be fun. We now know all the songs by heart which is good, and should make it easier when the choreographer comes next week, must dust off my dancing shoes.
Last night I was privileged to hear the choir for the first time and I thought every single song was AMAZING. Im sorry I wasnt up to your standard, Maggie and I only went through the music a few hours before we met you all. When I heard you all come in to support my solo lines I thought this is what it must feel like to be a huge Broadway musical star. Thank you all, thank you Amanda, the audience will experience something very special when they hear you all sing. Its Magic!
Imagine this. You're sitting in the corner of a hospital chapel, in your night clothes, with a drip attached to your person, listening to fortyodd(forty-odd? forty odd?) people belting out a chorus of "Enjoy yourself". How does that feel?
Our first audience, and they were all/both wearing pyjamas. Was it some sort of show tribute, like dressing up to go to the Rocky Horror Show? Nice thought.
Meanwhile, the word is out. We will be provided with pyjamas to wear on stage. So look out Manchester, Ipswich, Runcorn, wherever. Second-hand jim-jams are heading your way.
Pyjamas, daffodils, hats, sheep on sticks, that is normal for a Lip Service show! What worries me is the conversation I overheard in rehearsal today between Sue and Maggie; "It would be really great if we could have a real forklift truck onstage...." at that point I put my head down and continued sticking the sheep to it's stick.
OK, so our first audience were hospital patients in pyjamas but what about our next unsuspecting victims; who might they be? I am beginning to think it could genuinely be the lingerie / nightwear department customers at good old M&S. I actually found myself seriously considering the space availability / exits & entrances etc. as I was doing a spot of lunch time shopping in there today. But I resisted the urge to break into "Steam Heat" not least because it is still my least favourite of our numbers. But I do love the idea of being "back-lit" always more flattering I find! and dancing (or maybe moving around a bit on the spot!)with bowler hats for that one! This is a truly fabulous experience and I am soooo glad I decided to join in. Darren & Maggie were great fun at the rehearsals last night; I just worry that I may be too distracted by their performances in the show to remember what I am supposed to be doing. But Dear Director (and Amand)if you are reading this I promise to concentrate!!
Had a great rehearsal on Wednesday at the hospital, Darren sounded great ! i really think it's starting to come together. I must admit I had tears in my eyes when a member of our (small) audience joined in to Secret Love....
I'm still struggling with the Alto verses Soprano thing i keep jumping from one to the other... must keep listening to the cd. Anyway if anyone is reading this, if you fancy a sheep, daffodil or anything else (umm within reason) I’m your girl x. PS I'll stop looking at the nice PJ's in La Senza bring on the flannelettes
Oh Lord why couldn't I have grown to 6'3" instead of 5'3"? I'm now on the front row of the choir on stage - nil desperandum - the audience will be too enthralled with Darren, Maggie and Sue to bother what I am doing. However, In my head I could hear my friend (who is coming to the matinee) pointing and laughing as she sees me in the front row. The hats, feather boas, check jimjams and fluorescent jackets look interesting, glad I didn't have to wear the crash helmet, although by the time the performances arrive I might be wishing I was wearing it. The choreography isn't too bad at present, however, steam heat with the knees bending, arms out and in, and up and down whilst singing is testing my coordination. I am probably the only person in the universe who can't pat my head and rub my tummy at the same time - honestly I've never been able to do it, I either rub or pat both, but I can walk and chew gum at the same time,so watch out Barak Obama I'm fully qualified for your job in 4 years time! I just want to say a big thank you to the choreographer, technical director, and Amanda (sorry we didn't sing in the right place) for all your patience with us last night as we amateurs tried to coordinate everything. I won't be there next week, so no doubt by the 17th June we'll have a life size stagecoach on stage - now there is a challenge!
So we're going to wear the pyjamas over whatever fetching little black numbers we wear the rest of the time. That's going to be Steam Heat alright. Hot July nights, stage lighting, forty odd chorus persons shuffling on and off in two layers of clothes. Hot, hot hot.
Still it does ease those little concerns about changing facilities. You know, the door with the star on it, the little light bulbs all down the side of the mirror, the flowers, the champagne.
Sounds more like a basket full of pyjamas and you just pull on whatever you pull out. Nice.
Hmm - beginning to get both excited and just a little concerned after last night's first atempt at 'Enjoy yourself'. WE certainly did - but not for the right reasons I'm afraid :) I'm hoping that after countless rehearsals next week we can manage to go in the right direction at the right time - oh and remember to sing. Did I detect an ounce of seriousness in Maggie & Sue's departing line of 'that's the last you'll see of us'. Hope not!
Well this is it, we are to be unleaashed on the unsuspecting public of York tonight. This week has gone well except for the feather boa bringing me out in a rash - I can't wear it. Last night was hot in the theatre so we are trying to keep cool upstairs. Well everyone Good Luck and as the old saying goes "Break a Leg".
"I just don't know what to do with myself..."
Nearly 36 hours to go before we get back on stage again and I've come over all Dusty.
Walked home with an audience member / neighbour on Saturday, who said that the audience was ready to join in for "Enjoy Yourself". All they need is a signal from someone - bit like us really.
Hi to all in the york show. Several of my friends ave been to see it, and have really enjoyed it. everyone said a "Big Thanks" to all the people involved in the show, and for helping us in the choir to achieve such a high standard. I look forward to doing it again tonight. I am only sorry I can't go to see "Doris" in Manchester, as I am not free on a saturday afternoon, after the 15th August.I hope all the future chiors "enjoy temselves" as much as I have. regards to all Sandra
Pulled from the laundry basket this morning - a single silver thread from a feather boa.
Poignant or what? Over to you, Manchester.
Manchester calling....
We have a samller stage than York and a cast of (if not thousands) then dozens. How do we fit it all in? How to ensure that (mostly) the audience laugh with, not at us?
I'm taking your tea towel up onto the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square tonight!!!
Really enjoyed seeing the play in Manchester.
Lx
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