Let’s Hope Lightning Doesn’t Strike Twice

In the last few weeks, probably during the last thunderstom there was a lightning strike to a tree at the rear of Pennybridge Hut resulting in one of the branches exploding from the tree and hanging precariously on the railway bank. It meant that there was a remote but potential diffciulty should then branch roll down the bank onto the track so Andy and James, Stage Manager and Chief Electrician respectively, contacted Network Rail to let them know. Within an hour they arrived and assessed the risk deciding to return first thing the following morning to chop down the tree and make the branches and the whole area safe. Unwittingly the Irishman Risk assessor actually gave us a pantomime joke because the arrangement was for “tree fellers” to come and sort out the problem when, in fact, they actually sent four!!

Timber!!!

A Job Well Done

Network Rail subsequently attended and chopped down the tree to reveal a gap in the undergrowth and a hole in the fence which they then fixed. Great job and very quick and impressive. If you are travelling down the bit of railway line between Flixton and Chassen Road then you can be safe in the knowledge that members of UMT have saved the day by alerting the powers that be to the dangers of lightning strike fallen tree bits.

Enquiry from ITV

This is a message from Sarah Ledbury at ITV:

“I’m working on a new pilot show (not for broadcast) at ITV and we are looking for contributors to take part. Basically it is a new dating/ property show and I’m looking for single men between the ages of 30 – 55 who want to take part. We have cast the woman and are currently looking for the men who will take part.

The show will focus on one lady who will visit 3 homes and go on a house tour of each home. She won’t meet the men (potential dates) until the end of the show but must choose a date from what she can gleam about their personalities through the house tours.  We will be filming in the Blackburn/ Bolton/Wigan kind of area and I wondered if you knew if any men who fit the bill and who might like to take part.

I’ve attached a flyer for you and if you do know of anyone who might be interested then they can contact me directly on 07824 528 191.

It will be a fun and light hearted experience and any help you can give would be appreciated.”

Over to You

There you have the information and good luck if you decide to use it. Maybe one day we’ll see you on telly

And so to the week-end

Off With Her Head!!

Alice the Musical is drawing to a close. By popular demand I have placed three of the best pictures on the blog.

Anyone for Croquet?

Another great show and successful week for the junior members of the Urmston Musical Theatre. We really have some talent in our society. The reviews of the show have been very positive which is great as I know the cast have worked very hard to get this show to be as good as it has. Behind the scenes there were simply too many people to thank indivdiually but, as I like a challenge, here goes.

The Court Scene

Thanks to Jane, Anita, John, Janet, Alan, Jan, Angela, Nicky, Nicky, Andrew, Mel, Matt, James, Rick, Paul, Adam and his poorly thumb (saw it on facebook, eeeugh!), Sally, Laura, Yvonne, Lisa, Jo, Gordon, Betty, Sarah, Kate, Sheila, John, Duncan, Stewart, Andrea, Daniel, Leon, Jeanette, Jean, Kathryn, Judy, Steph, Aidan. If there is anyone I have missed just message me. As you can see, it is not a small task to put on one of these shows.

The UMT Committee are most grateful for all your assistance.

If you like the pictures then you have a couple of chances to get to see the show. That is tonight (Friday) and tomorrow afternoon. After that we resort to the world famous UMT Get-Out. Just ring 0161 408 1288 or simply turn up and pay on the door. I am sure we can accommodate you.

Just had to say it!

Just got in from the opening night of Alice the Musical and, boy, what a show. I have to say that the cast pulled all the stops out and gave a massive performance to wow the audience that were lucky enough to attend. Some outstanding performances and a very appreciative audience combined to make this an opening night to remember.

If you didn’t manage to make it tonight then don’t worry as there are still shows all week and tickets available all nights. Unfortunately, I haven’t got access to some of the show photographs but I will try to get some of them online later this week. In any event if you want to see the action then get down to St Antony’s Catholic College and be royally entertained.

My congratulations to all the team and society for a marvellous show. You should be really proud Of yourselves.

Nail Biting Time

I want my iPad 2!

The last 7 or so days have been extremely nail biting for yours truly as I have been waiting for a gadget to be delivered to my house. Not an ordinary gadget you might wonder but an iPad 2. The process of ordering such an item from the online Apple Store is challenging, not in the sense that placing the order is difficult. It’s not. It is simple to dispose of your hard earned cash to Apple. The difficult bit is getting the product you have ordered delivered to your house.

Now, I need to outline that when I ordered I was told that the delivery date would be 1 to 2 weeks away and we are still not near the 2 week mark. The frustration stems from the fact that Apple keep sending me emails about my order telling me that the iPad is ordered and that it will be delivered. Each email from Apple raises my fluttering heart just a little only to crestfall back down again when I realise that there is still no change and the coveted iPad will be with me when it is with me!!

A Royal Invitation to you...

So what has this to do with UMT. Well, in my nervous excitement at the thought of having a new gadget to play with I suspect that a similar nervous excitement will now be befalling the cast of Alice the Musical. I witnessed the full rehearsal on Wednesday and thought it was fantastic. Even the hard bit ( I won’t spoil the plot) was brilliant and showed just how hard the cast had worked. I was going to give you some details of some “watch it moments” but I will leave them up to you as there are too many to list in this short blog, written just before we embark on the world famous “UMT Get In” at St Antony’s Catholic College. I know that the cast will now start feeling the nerves. Younger members do not get nervous like some of us “old giffers” but I suspect there energy comes from the buzz of being on stage.

This really is a show you should not miss and my hat goes off the the production team for their input to the youngsters. Make a date of it an come and see the stars of the future. If you want tickets then visit www.umt.org.uk or simply ring 0161 408 1288 and leave me a message and a return telephone number. After the equipment lumping of the get in I always attend to any outstanding orders.

Support your local theatre!

A Brief History of UMT

On March 1st 1911, following correspondence in the local newspaper the Western Telegraph, a meeting was held in the Urmston Public Hall resulting in the formation of Urmston & District Operatic Society which subsequently was renamed as Urmston Amateur Operatic Society in 1947 and then Urmston Musical Theatre in 1997. Among its founder members were Fred Millington, Tom Teare, Fred Clark and Arthur Dyson. The first production, ‘H.M.S. Pinafore’ was in January 1912 and the annual subscription was 7s 6d.

The Urmston Amateur Operatic Society circa 1911

Two years later came World War One and with it the impossibility of carrying on with regular productions. Whilst many members fought for their country, others helped the staffing and maintenance of the B.R.C.S. Wibbersley Auxiliary Hospital. Over £2000 (a great deal of money in those days) was raised by Concerts, Carnivals, Fetes, Garden Parties etc. In 1919 following the end of the war the Society resumed its normal productions starting once again with ‘H.M.S. Pinafore’.

Unfortunately by 1930, due to a series of losses, the Society was in serious financial trouble with only £3 left in its account. A strong move was made to close down, but members Doris Teare and Sidney Axon spoke up and won the case to continue. Members Maurice Herd, Tim Healey and Fred Colbourn produced several shows without fee. Successful efforts were also made to encourage younger people to join.

With thanks to Anita Partridge, UMT Chairman, for her research into our history. If you have any other historical facts about UMT then either leave a comment or email me at webby@umt.org.uk.

It’s That Time of the Year Again!

You will have heard on this blog of the phrase that this is the week before the week before the Alice the Musical Show and if that makes sense then you are a better person than I am. However, it is the week before the week before the Alice the Musical show and the sales of tickets have begun to rise sharply. A difficulty in the UMT advertisement posters was encountered by Daniel, the Publicity Secretary, involving the sign company being late in the supply of them for display around the Urmston area. However, they are now up and they look very pretty.

The important fact that they all contain is that the tickets are on sale now if you ring 0161 408 1288. If the ticket secretary is not around then leave a message and he will get back to you. On Monday of this week we had sold less than a tenth of our tickets, now we have just passed the one fifth mark and as all seats are allocated at purchase then it makes sense to get your call in and get those tickets booked. Then you can sit down and enjoy the Royal Wedding Weekend.

Would the Happy Couple have come to Alice the Musical if they weren't on their Honeymoon? Who knows.....!

The great thing about this show is that it has not been done by our juniors before so it will be new to everyone. A slightly wacky, off the beaten track show which has some really great performers. You will know exactly who I mean when you come and see the show. I think it is great to see young people enjoying themselves and showing so much talent. Coupled with our new sound and personal microphone system each nuance will be heard which will be apparent in many of the songs. Only three or four more rehearsals now left so the nerves are beginning to jangle.

This then brings us to Get-In weekend. If you know of a capable pair of hands willing to assist, build, paint, brew-up or even climbs ladders/scaffold, hangs cloths or lump some scenery then we will be most grateful of their help. There is always loads to do at the theatre to make it look as brilliant as we possibly can make it.

AGM

The UMT Annual General Meeting takes places on Tuesday the 26th April 2011 at the Urmston Cricket Club. Hopefully we will get a decent turn out to deal with the business at hand. Otherwise April is an extremely quiet month for news and information as you can only write about Alice the Musical so many times before I turn you all off. By the way, have I mentioned that tickets are on sale now and are selling? If you don’t order yours soon, you may not get in or you may end up sitting at the back of the theatre. Maybe I have mentioned it, I can’t remember. 0161 408 1288 is the telephone number.

Anyway, back to the AGM. 2011 is our centenary year. We were formed in 1911 although our first show was not until 2012 so I will probably be posting pretty much the same information this time next year when I talk about our 100th year show. To celebrate this occasion we are going to have a birthday bash in December at Flixton Golf Course. Numbers are limited so, if you want to go, you need to get in touch with us pretty quickly. At the moment we are looking to have a sit down meal type function which will change, if we get close to over subscription, into a buffet type dancy function. No doubt there will be a bit of singing and drama, after all that’s what we do best.

Roll Up, Roll Up…

A Royal Invitation to you...

The Alice the Musical Online Tickets site is now open for business and what exciting new developments await? Well, for one, we now have a new payment facility which we believe will be far more efficient and cost effective than  previous. In the past we used Paypal to provide us with the online payment and also the ability to take payments over the telephone. This has been very effective and appears to have gone without a hitch in the main. As a result of some research by yours truly, we have now signed up with Card Save Community who can offer the exact save service as Paypal (better, in fact) at a more cost effective price.

Normally I would have had the online site set up waiting for the system to “go live” but, as with all new technology, there has been a few technical issues. Such as, I needed to update the shopping cart software which I did but then had to rebuild the ticket site. No mean feat. Then I had to update the php software through the SQL server. A sharp learning curve if ever there was one.

Card Save Community

However, what it has now produced is a more efficient and lean service which allows online payments either through the website or over the telephone. The payment facility is completely secure  and can be relied upon to protect your details. Card Save Community are specifically designed for charities and not-for-profit organisations. In my research I recall that they used to have associations with the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Allied Irish Bank, but don’t quote me.

Anyone want the honour of being first to use the service? Simply order your Alice the Musical tickets online or ring me on 0161 408 1288 and leave a message outlining your ticket order and a contact number. I will call you back to complete the transaction. Couldn’t be simpler, could it?

Call 0161 408 1288 or visit www.umt.org.uk

We’ll Call You

This could be a typical UMT audition queue if we had this number of people wanting to audition

As it happens one of the two audition dates has passed for the Oliver show. Last Sunday saw all the auditions for Fagin‘s Gang and the workhouse kids together with those for Oliver, Dodger and a few other roles. It also saw a few adults who are unable to make this Sunday (10th April 2011) perform their own auditions. I have to say that the audition waiting room was rockin’ with all the junior members waiting and sometimes practising together before they went to face the panel. I know that there were some proud parents of prospective new members who heard their charges sing for the first time with any gusto and were clearly moved by the experience. Got to admit that I tried to recruit a few for the adult chorus. Let’s wait and see.

This Sunday sees the turn of the adult auditions so the Unitarian Church on Queens Road will be a hive of activity whilst decisions are made as to who gets what in our centenary year main show. Although we formed in 1911 our first show was actually in 1912. Have I told you that we are 100 years old this year? Of course I have because it is a fantastic achievement for us and one which we should be rightly proud of. We even have a picture of the cast for that very first performance of HMS Pinafore:

The Urmston Amateur Operatic Society circa 1911

What is very noticeable about the cast is the fact that it is awash with men. A rare commodity in the field of amateur theatre. We are almost always short of blokes who are prepared to stand on stage and perform. We joke that the requirements of an audition for a male chorus member are that he can breathe unaided to be allowed in is sometimes quite close to the mark. If you fancy having a go then come along and just do one show with us. Mondays are normally the rehearsal night with a few Wednesdays as the show gets closer and then a number of Sundays during September/October. Rehearsals are normally at Urmston Cricket Club or the Unitarian Church and we would never ask you to do something you weren’t comfortable with. It can be great fun and we often perform to nightly crowds of between 300 and 400 people. Either ring Jane on 07815 703613 or email secretary@umt.org.uk. Good Luck to all of you who have chosen to put yourself through this process. I know how you are feeling.

Alice The Musical

A quick final point about Alice the Musical. Went to a rehearsal for the show last night and the kids were great. The show is funny and has new music. It would be a shame for our stars of the future to not have a massive and appreciative audience to perform to. I hope to have the ticket website up and running at www.umt.org.uk very soon but if you want to pre-order tickets I can take those orders and put them on a list to deal with when I get the tickets delivered, which should be very soon. Ring 0161 408 1288 to place you order or email to umttickets@umt.org.uk. I can take online payments and also payments over the telephone by credit or debit card.

Support Your Local Theatre!