Actually it involves going back to the beginning.
In 1986 I was teaching in a Catholic Senior Boys' College. One of the other teachers was a keen member of a musical society and often took leading roles. He decided to join with the neighbouring Girls' College and stage Gilbert & Sullivan's 'The Pirates of Penzance'
However it was difficult to get enough boys interested. Some boys volunteered to play the Pirates and the Pirate Captain. The teacher took on the demanding role of Frederick and several male teachers were roped in to play the policemen. I also joined the boys as a pirate in Act 1. It was great fun and at the end I thanked the teacher for finally allowing me at the age of 42 to fulfill a dream and act in a Gilbert & Sullivan production. I had been a G&S tragic since my own school days.
He said ' Why don't you join your local society? I went home, checked the local paper and saw an advertisement for the Blue Mountains Musical Society. They were about to begin rehearsals for 'The Gondoliers' and so I joined up. I found it was much more professional and demanding than the school production but I loved it.
In the first photo I am 4th from the left in the back row as a gondolier in Act 1.
While in the next photo I am on the left as the gondoliers become courtiers in Act 2.
And here is the chorus of the UBC Opera of Vancouver singing one of the best and most exhausting songs 'Dance a Cachuca'. It was the beginning of extending my jigging around the lounge room to the stage in front of an audience. 
6 comments:
I was Luiz!
Oh D-P, you were far more capable and confident than me, but you didn't get to dance a cachuca.
Wow, brian, are you still doing this?
Sadly no, Susan. Just reminiscing.
Gondolier, courtier. My you've led an interesting life. And I believe you were a sailor in yet another life.
It sounds like great fun.
Yes, Grandmere, it is great to have all these different 'lives' when they are only make believe and you can ignore the worst parts. Probably a sign of never growing up :-)
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