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Dates & Time:
  • Friday, 17 Oct 2014, 20:00
  • Saturday, 18 Oct 2014, 20:00
  • Sunday, 19 Oct 2014, 20:00
  • Friday, 24 Oct 2014, 20:00
  • Saturday, 25 Oct 2014, 20:00
  • Sunday, 26 Oct 2014, 20:00
Sponsors:

The Great Big Radio Show

By Philip Glassborow - Composed by David Rhind-Tutt

3+
Directed By: Polly March
Venue: Manoel Theatre
Dates: 17 October 2014 - 26 October 2014
Doors Opening Time: 19:00
Starring:
Joe Zammit, Alan Montanaro, Katherine Brown, Justin Mamo, Katja Brauneis, Michael Mangion, Nicola Azzopardi, Mariele Zammit, Alexander Gatesy Lewis, Luke Saydon, Andre Mangion
Synopsis:

Synopsis

New York, 1933…… ‘The Great Big Radio Show!’ is America’s top rated variety programme, due to go out live at 8pm. But the star has not arrived! What to do? 

The producer, Bernie Bernstein, his P.A. Myrtle Gray, and the bandleader and host, Blue Woodward, have to find a singer to take her place. And the main sponsor of the show, Prof.Zannenberg, turns up– AND STAYS!……….. Could things get worse? Oh, yes. And they do……

Blue, together with Jerry Palmer, the production assistant, have a bright idea and head off to the studio cafeteria, in the hopes of finding a singer from another show up there. Polly Appletree, America’s Singing Sweetheart, tries to help out…….

Meanwhile…..

Enter Freckles Murray, new in town. A jobless, singing, violinist. What else would you expect? This is a musical comedy, after all……She was to have auditioned at The Green Fedora, a rather shady speakeasy, but was so alarmed she snatched up her fiddle and ran. The receptionist suggests she could cover for a missing waitress in the cafeteria……..

…….Where Blue and Jerry hear her trilling away, and persuade her to come and sing LIVE! on radio……That’s how stars were made, back in the day – and perhaps also play her violin?

Bernie has been desperately keeping the show live on air…..he is plagued by ulcers and all this anxiety is not helping. A breakdown looms…

Meanwhile…

Enter Big Louie Rosenbaum and Two-Gun Shapiro, two very bad eggs. They are in search of Big Louie’s missing gat. Which is in a violin case. And who has their gat? Freckles Murray, who snatched it up by mistake. And what has Big Louie got? A violin. He stands a good chance of losing his credibility as a hoodlum if he pulls out a fiddle instead of a machine gun…….They’ve got to get their gat back……Breathless chases ensue..

 Meanwhile…….

Enter Olga Schadenfreude, the mega-star who outshines Marlene Deitrich and Greta Garbo. And she agrees to sing on the show! All is well! But there are yet more surprises in store….

The well known story of boy meets girl, loses girl, finds girl (times four) moves at breakneck speed until the final, happy (of course!) ending.

The MADC is happy to present, as the opening production of the new season, THE GREAT BIG RADIO SHOW! This  will be happening at The Manoel Theatre, from October 17th for two weekends.

Winner of the prestigious Vivian Ellis Award, and the winner also of The Quest for a British Musical, it is an enchanting and affectionate pastiche of the great musical comedies of the 1930s. It premiered at The Watermill Theatre and later played at The Bridewell, in London. There will be a revival in London next year. The book and lyrics are by Philip Glassborow, with dance arrangements by David Rhind Tutt, and Geoffrey Thomas. 

Credits

Bernie Bernstein                       Alan Montanaro
Myrtle Gray                               Katherine Brown

Blue Woodward                       Joseph Zammit
Freckles Murray                       Nicola Azzopardi

Jerry   Palmer                          Justin Mamo
Polly Appletree                        Mariele Zammit

Alfred Zannenberg                  Michael Mangion
Olga Schadenfreude               Katja Brauneis

Big Louie Rosenbaum          Alexander Gatesy Lewis
Two Gun Shapiro                 Luke Saydon

Stanley (bellboy)                  Andre Mangion

 

Music and lyrics by Philip Glassborow

Book by Philip Glassborow, with additional material by Nick McIvor

Dance arrangements by David Rhind-Tutt and Geoff Thomas

Directed by Polly March

Vocal Coach: Cathy Lawlor, Choreographer: Alison Bird