What is it ?
The premise of the show and workshop is that you are an actor in an amateur group beginning their rehearsing of a new Jukebox Musical . This first workshop will involve the actors exploring the characters and the storylines and rehearsing the songs. The Director and Author (Angela Courtney) guides you through the scenes and the background as you then progress through the story and songs. Your thoughts about the scenes and the songs are very much part of the unfolding story.
Its fun for those who love to sing and its interesting for those that like to understand human nature -especially Love.
Do I have to be a great singer?
You can sing or lip sync along to the well known songs in the show-the choice is yours . We will be exploring the meaning of the songs as an actor discovering a role. We often find that the lyrics and our responses to them are meaningful in relation to our own lives and so its educational as well as fun!
What’s the Story ?
The main character lives in a pub with her parents in a tough urban neighbourhood after moving from a lovely rural village pub. Angela the main character cannot adjust to life without gardens trees and the beautiful folks who were her daytime carers growing up. She feels that life is so ugly and everything and everyone hurts this empath child so she grows a thick skin and forgets all about feelings and nature as quickly as possible. Eventually she has no idea that this gentler nature girl even existed and is as tough on the outside as all the rest. She hates herself but at least she fits in!
She loves to sing and dance and fantasises that through being a famous singer she would win the love of the audience and maybe parents who are impressed by such things. But is it really for her as a living or is it a way to get love from these difficult disapproving parents. She keeps her dreams alive as an adult while working as a professional and hating it!
She is in a world she does not want to be in. What is it she needs? We see her exploring the options as she searches for security and love in marriage and subsequent relationships all seeming to be the same disappointing story over and over.
Eventually and very reluctantly her attention turns to the Road Less Well Travelled. Her father dies and something inside cannot let the relationship end there! She wants to know is he still around?
We see her grow through her trip to a medium and then a therapist and she finds her own inner Music Mentor. She learns the truth about Love and what it is and can be in her life. She has much rage and anger to deal with after what has happened to her in childhood and finds that it only keeps repeating on her until she finds a way to let it go.
The Songs:-
That’s the Way it Is – Celine Dion- Prelude to the Story explaining Love as theme
Zoom -The Commodores – Angela as a child hates her life in the concrete jungle it and longs to have a life of nature singing and dancing
Who Do You Think You Are? The Spice Girls – Angela’s boyfriend is a rat and in her teenage drama queen heartbreak she has her prayers answered much to her amazement and so she questions her assumptions about who she is.
The Sensual World – Kate Bush – Angela meets a nice man at work who takes her hand – and its magic! As she hears bells ringing is it a sign or a warning ?
We Got Married- Paul McCartney – Angela makes it into an amateur band at last and performs to 600 at a bit of a do! She and her husband sing together on stage and the refrain “it doesn’t work out if you don’t work at it” rings true.
Oh Father- Madonna Her father dies and she has a feeling for years that she should see a medium. She has a “Scrooge” moment and is “forced” to go and discover the truth. She finally begins to grieve for the childhood she will never have.
Children Will Listen- Barbra Streisand Angela sees a therapist and she explains the effects of parents on children and on reality as wishes are children too.
Special -Janet Jackson – Angela meets a friend who explains that is she wants to be g=free of the past she has to learn to look deeper in herself.
INTERVAL
Mercy –Duffey Angela is divorced and meets a man who brings a whole lot of trouble with him including the existing girlfriend who is no pussycat..
Let It Go- Idina Menzel Angel realises she has been persuing the wrong goals What else could she aspire to do?
Finer Feelings – Kylie Minogue Angela explains to her boyfriend that she has come to the end of the road with him because a life without sharing true feelings is just empty and no fun.
The Flood- Take That A crisis forces Angela her to give up all her defences against the need to love and be loved. She reflects how it was back then and who she feels she is now.
Brand New Day –Sting Angela finally understands what happened to her and recovers her voice her boundaries and who she really is. She can start again.