MUSICAL DIRECTOR CLOCKS UP 50TH PRODUCTION
Reviewed by Julie Petrucci

Brian (Tommy) Thomas clocked up his 50th Festival Players production by taking the show on a tour of Cambridge and the surrounding villages in February which proved a resounding success.
The Concert Tour was coordinated by Warren Clark and Tommy and concerts were performed at Godmanchester Primary School, Foxton Village Hall, The Vine School, Cambourne and St Faith’s School, Cambridge.
The programme featured a range of solos, duets and ensemble numbers from musicals, loosely based around the theme of The World in Musicals. Very often with this type of programme we get the old tried and tested ultra-popular numbers from shows. Many good show tunes don’t work well out of context but this programme was very cleverly put together.

Each song/show was introduced by a narrator and the song set in context for us and this worked splendidly and the extra information given was interesting. Little scenes from the shows were re-enacted. I particularly enjoyed Well Did You Ever? Cell Block Tango, Kansas City, A Little Priest, We Can Do it, and The Song That Goes like This. The audience even got to participate with Master of the House.
As one would expect we heard some superb soloists plus brilliant ensemble numbers. I can not, and should not, pick any one person out so I will say well done and congratulations to Angela Carr, Janice Chambers, Leas Chambers, Warren Clark, Davinia Denham, Rachel Duncan, Suzanne Emerson, Oliver Fisher, Matt Gregory, Connie Kam, Cat Nicol, Liz Simmonds, Anna Stanley, Kristian Turner, Leslie Wheeler and Roger Wood for giving us such a grand evening.
I saw the concert at Cambourne where our enjoyment of this great show was enhanced by special guests The Rhythm of Life, Cambourne’s own ladies-only singing group. Formed just over a year ago, the ladies gave a stunning performance (particularly soloist Phillipa) so watch out for other dates they may have coming up. They are definitely worth seeing (and hearing).
The Festival Players used their concert tour to raise money for charity and are pleased to announce the tour raised 475 for Red Balloon and 150 for the Vine School, Cambourne.
This must have been a huge organisational undertaking. Congratulations to the organisers, singers, compilers of the excellent programme, musical director and all concerned with The World in Musicals.. As one member said to me when confirming the amounts raised “… with the monies raised, the positive feedback received and the celebration of Tommy’s 50th production it was a win, win, win situation all round”.