APRIL 2011
The
Price
40p
T he Vo i c e o f B a l q u h i d d e r, L och earn h ead , S t rat h yre & S t F illans
Dolly Is a Triumph! Callander Amateur Operatic Society staged one of its best productions in recent years at the McLaren High School from 9-12 March. In this show the title role and supporting cast is so important that it is too easy to compare the performances of past ‘Dollys’ such as Barbra Streisand, Ginger Rogers, Betty Grable and Pearl Bailey, to name but a few. It’s a great role that requires great talent, great enthusiasm and above all, great courage. Dolly at the McLaren ticked all the boxes. Hannah Sanderson was just great! Bashing out the show favourites like Call On Dolly, It Takes A Woman and Put On Your Sunday Clothes. So cleverly supported by the chorus
of New York singing and dancing Before The Parade Passes By, Brian Collie looked and sounded the part of Horace Vandergelder, playing the bad guy role and contrasting with the excellent comic duo of Mark MacDonald and Callum McNeill-Ritchie. The ladies did a clever job of painting the stage with colour and fun, moving expertly in the cramped space at the McLaren. Unfortunately no review can mention everyone in the cast but I couldn’t let a show pass without saying ‘Well Done Again’ to Bob Johnston (Rudolf) and Olga Watson (Ernestine). Costumes, music, stage direction and scenery were as good as you would
expect to find outside London - and that is praise indeed! If there was a weakness in the show it could be on pace. The first half sagged slightly but that could be put down to the structure of the storyline. It was obvious that the company enjoyed the show. The audience certainly did and despite the absence of really ‘big’ songs it was a great evening. Thanks also to the company, to James Cassidy, Director, to Ian Milligan, Musical Director and to Alan Clarke, Company Pianist. Another Good Show! J A Hannah