"Brigadoon"

In March, 1959 (that's 54 years ago) I directed "Brigadoon" at EOC.

                                                                Here's our program cover

Here's the cast (most of them college freshmen or sophomores)

Page 3 - We included the lyrics of the prologue (sung off stage by the ensemble)

                                          Printing the lyrics helped the audience get involved.

And here's the back page of the program. (We had a finale at the end.)

The college newspaper article the week before we opened for a fabulous 4 day run.

We double cast the female lead: Here's Jan Robertson as "Fiona"

"Tommy" and his sophisticated New York girl friend.  (Admit it--she's gorgeous)

Two of the dancers

"Tommy" and the other "Fiona"

The ballet number

The finale  (The backdrop is a scrim, behind which "Fiona" and others appeared and disappered.

 

                                  I have very fond memories of that production; it looked a lot better
                                                                     in color.

Last Saturday 13 of us saw the Hale Theatre's closing night performance of
"Brigadoon".  These two remember the 1959 show.

Some of those 13 weren't even alive in 1959.

Theatre fan congratulating one of the leads. 

                                          

And here's the Hale Theatre program cover.

 

 

 

Their production was fabulous, from the opening solo by a bagpiper, to the reappearing of "Fiona" and "Mr. Lundie."  Great voices (solo and chorus), great dancers, imaginative use of theatre in the round staging.  We all loved every minute of it.

But I still have a nostalgic preference for the one from 1959.  We didn't need to use microphones to be heard.  Our actors projected.  Is that becoming a lost art?   I know, I know --get with it, Hiatt.