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A heady mix of nostalgia, poignancy, romance, catchy melodies and good clean fun were the main ingredients of Kidlington Amateur Operatic Society's celebration of Broadway last weekend. This was a sparkling, slick and dashing affair, which took the audience on a trip down memory lane to celebrate 100 years of the birthplace of the American musical.

First, though, there was a tribute to George Gershwin, the pioneering American composer who crossed the boundary from musical to opera, and in doing so gave the world Porgy and Bess, still a much-loved drama that captures the essence of the poor black community of Charleston in South Carolina. In a tasty appetiser for the main feast of the evening, the choir performed a selection of some of the most popular numbers from the opera, including I got plenty of nuttin' (strongly and stylishly intoned by Colin Ware), It ain't necessarily so and There's a boat dat's leavin' soon for New York, interspersed with some lively contributions from the band.

The second half of the evening was devoted to a lavish and comprehensive musical history of Broadway, starting with numbers from some of the earliest musicals, such as A Chorus Line, The Sound of Music and Annie Get Your Gun, all the way through the Tin Pan Alley years (Garrick Gaieties, Showboat), the phenomenon of Rogers and Hammerstein (Oklahoma, South Pacific, Carousel), the 'golden' years (Cabaret, Paint Your Wagon, Guys and Dolls, Hello Dolly!, The King and I, My Fair Lady, Camelot, Oliver!) and finally to the dawning of a new era, with the likes of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Stephen Sondheim (Jesus Christ Superstar, The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd). It was a fascinating journey, which captured the fun and razzmatazz of the earlier musicals, and the greater dramatic intensity introduced by Lloyd Webber. There was some impressive solo work, too, from several members of the choir. Wonderful stuff.

2:27pm Wednesday 14th May 2008

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