Waverley Lugar Brae Players

Our own Waverley Lugar Brae Players were reflecting last year on whether they could match the quality of their  extremely successful 2006 production of “My Fair Lady”. They chose the popular musical “Oliver for 2007 and again the quality was there with attendances matching those of “My Fair Lady”. Now  the challenge for May, 2008. The Irving Berlin hit “Annie Get Your Gun” has been chosen. This show opened on Broadway in May 1946 starring Ethel Merman and was written in the new style set by “Oklahoma” a few years earlier. It was a smashing success as was the movie version staring Betty Hutton and Howard Keel in the 1950’s.

The Players presented it successfully in 1966 starring their present director Marion Morrison. A revised and slightly shorter version was released later the same year and that is the one the Players will present. All those great musical numbers are included: You Can’t Get A man With a Gun; No Business Like Show Business; The Girl That I Marry; I’m An Indian Too; My Defences Are Down; I’ve Got The Sun In The Morning; Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better and more.

The Show needs a good team and especially more men than usual: -Interested?

"Annie Get Your Gun" will be presented in the Coleman Auditorium of the Church in the Market Place on the following dates and times.

Saturday 24 May @ 8 pm          Friday 30 May @ 8 pm

Sunday 25 May @ 2pm              Saturday 31 May @ 2pm (MATINEES)

Wednesday 28 May @ 8pm        Saturday 31 May @ 8pm

Rehearsals commence on Wednesday 30 January 2008 at 7.30 pm in the hall of the Grahame Memorial Church, Victoria St. Charing Cross.  From April onwards rehearsals are then held at the Church in the Market Place.

At time of writing the cast was not full and enquiries are welcome - especially men.

Please contact Marion and John Morrison if you need more information. 9389 5361

HISTORY OF THE PLAYERS....

The Waverley Lugar Brae Players were formed in early 1959 and have been long regarded as one of the leading Community Theatre Groups in NSW for their quality of their musical productions. Their beginnings resulted from a combined effort of three local church congregations, Bondi Junction, Lugar Brae Methodist and Graeme Memorial Presbyterian- this was well prior to Church union. The Players are now officially under the auspices and part of the activities of Church in the Marketplace. 

Over the intervening years the Players have produced some 64 major productions, sometimes two a year but of recent times have concentrated on one a year. This is mainly due to the high cost and involvement required to mount a major production.

FOR BOOKINGS for the May 2008 Performance please PHONE: 9389 5361

2007 REVIEW

Reflection from 'Ad Lib' (newsletter of Waverley Lugar Brae Players) August 2007

A year ago we reflected on our production of “My Fair Lady” and its success as a quality production and the most acclaimed since we moved into the new complex of the Church in the Market Place in 1998.  The challenge for 2007 was to find a show that would be popular with cast, crew and our audience and that would retain the standard we had set in the past, culminating in “my Fair Lady”.  As a result we acquired many new patrons for whom we needed to keep up the standard so they didn’t think that MFL was a ‘one off’.

“Oliver!” was chosen and into it we went with the directing team of Marion Morrison and Rod Mounjed, with Robyn Bevan returning as choreographer after a break.  Auditions resulted in a great cast of principals, including two very talented youngsters, a great chorus and a team of energetic boys.  Realising that the enormity of the scenery requirements for MFL had taxed the scenery builder and artist to the limit, Karen Granger’s design for “Oliver!” was greatly simplified.  It still proved to be a test for Steven Wells when his professional life undertook a change.  Also the brilliance of Robyn Yeoman was not available for the artwork, although she helped with advice and poster work.  Karen came to the rescue and stayed in Sydney for 2 weeks and with the help of a great team of players and volunteers, painted the scenery in the last 2 weeks before the show, with the London backdrop being done on the morning of the opening…. “PHEW”!  Our very special thanks go to that team. 

Our thanks go also to all those who worked behind the scenes, costumes, front of house, ticket selling, hall set up etc. etc. etc. – everyone that makes the team complete.

The result was that we created a production of quite a different type to MFL, but one that matched it in quality as we had hoped.  The attendance also equalled MFL and would have been greater had we not had to knock so many people back because both matinees were full well before opening night.