L-R: Emma Goddard (Glinda Understudy), Courtney Campbell (Glinda), Jade Naidu (Elphaba)
& Katie Goddard (Elphaba Understudy)
& Katie Goddard (Elphaba Understudy)
Welcome!
Here we are in February already, with rehearsals for Wicked under way, and goodness hasn't it been hot?! We're fortunate to be rehearsing in the air conditioning at Bishop Druitt but the cast has still been feeling the heat, just ask any of the dancers!
We were glad to see a good turn out of our members for the auditions last month, as well as a goodly number of new faces, making for an extremely strong female contingent. Shown above are our Glinda and Elphaba, Courtney and Jade with their understudies, sisters Emma and Katie (who will perform the roles in two shows). We are pleased to announce that the show is now fully cast. You can see the full cast list here. You can also see the new Wicked poster for the first time!
During the holidays we sponsored some of our younger members to attend the Young Actors' Masterclass presented by the Eisteddfod Society. The class was very popular, and the youngsters reported that they had a great time and learned a lot. We hope this course or more like it will be offered again in the future. Well done to the Eisteddfod Society for providing the opportunity.
We are also delighted to announce that we are establishing a Junior sub-committee, specifically targeting high school ages, as part of our next phase of development. This is the result of our younger members expressing the desire to have a voice in planning future events and productions.
We will be holding an information session about this exciting opportunity and encourage any young person aged 12-18 who would like to get involved in any aspect of theatre to come along. Details below in the President's Report and Diary Dates.
We're still hoping to hear from people interesting in directing. Please get in touch if you'd like to talk to us about getting involved with directing, or any other aspect of production.
Di O'Ferrall - Secretary
We were glad to see a good turn out of our members for the auditions last month, as well as a goodly number of new faces, making for an extremely strong female contingent. Shown above are our Glinda and Elphaba, Courtney and Jade with their understudies, sisters Emma and Katie (who will perform the roles in two shows). We are pleased to announce that the show is now fully cast. You can see the full cast list here. You can also see the new Wicked poster for the first time!
During the holidays we sponsored some of our younger members to attend the Young Actors' Masterclass presented by the Eisteddfod Society. The class was very popular, and the youngsters reported that they had a great time and learned a lot. We hope this course or more like it will be offered again in the future. Well done to the Eisteddfod Society for providing the opportunity.
We are also delighted to announce that we are establishing a Junior sub-committee, specifically targeting high school ages, as part of our next phase of development. This is the result of our younger members expressing the desire to have a voice in planning future events and productions.
We will be holding an information session about this exciting opportunity and encourage any young person aged 12-18 who would like to get involved in any aspect of theatre to come along. Details below in the President's Report and Diary Dates.
We're still hoping to hear from people interesting in directing. Please get in touch if you'd like to talk to us about getting involved with directing, or any other aspect of production.
Di O'Ferrall - Secretary
From the President | CHMCC President Tim Egan |
A new venture.....
It is very exciting to be able to announce CHMCC Junior. This will be a sub-committee of young people aged 12-18 years old and the idea came from a few of our own junior members, who wanted to have a more active role in CHMCC.
The idea is that we will have a Junior committee who will organise activities such as workshops (acting, singing, dancing), possible concerts and hopefully a production of their own, in the form of a summer school.
Members of the Junior committee will also have the chance to shadow directors, choreographers, music directors and stage managers from the CHMCC productions to gain experience through a mentoring program.
It will operate under the supervision of current CHMCC committee members but they will make many of their own decisions, to provide opportunities for their own age group.
Please spread this announcement to any 12-18 year olds who would be interested and promote our information session, detailed below:
CHMCC JUNIOR - Information session
Sunday 12th February 5pm*
Bishop Druitt College - Music Rooms
111 North Boambee Road, Coffs Harbour
*Our "Wicked" directors, Pete and Dee have invited any interested Juniors to arrive at 4pm and witness the final hour of rehearsal.
Wicked
Auditions were held in January and a stellar cast has been assembled to present this fabulous show. It is challenging in so many ways and is set to be spectacular. Rehearsals have commenced and you can read more about it in Pete and Dee's Directors' report.
That's all for now - and please promote our CHMCC Junior information session with your friends and family.
Tim
It is very exciting to be able to announce CHMCC Junior. This will be a sub-committee of young people aged 12-18 years old and the idea came from a few of our own junior members, who wanted to have a more active role in CHMCC.
The idea is that we will have a Junior committee who will organise activities such as workshops (acting, singing, dancing), possible concerts and hopefully a production of their own, in the form of a summer school.
Members of the Junior committee will also have the chance to shadow directors, choreographers, music directors and stage managers from the CHMCC productions to gain experience through a mentoring program.
It will operate under the supervision of current CHMCC committee members but they will make many of their own decisions, to provide opportunities for their own age group.
Please spread this announcement to any 12-18 year olds who would be interested and promote our information session, detailed below:
CHMCC JUNIOR - Information session
Sunday 12th February 5pm*
Bishop Druitt College - Music Rooms
111 North Boambee Road, Coffs Harbour
*Our "Wicked" directors, Pete and Dee have invited any interested Juniors to arrive at 4pm and witness the final hour of rehearsal.
Wicked
Auditions were held in January and a stellar cast has been assembled to present this fabulous show. It is challenging in so many ways and is set to be spectacular. Rehearsals have commenced and you can read more about it in Pete and Dee's Directors' report.
That's all for now - and please promote our CHMCC Junior information session with your friends and family.
Tim
 | From the Directors |  |
First of all, huge congratulations and thank you to everyone who auditioned for ‘Wicked’. The standard was (yet again) outstanding, and you all made our decisions very difficult. It was particularly encouraging to see some new faces, as well as our 'regulars' who continue to make our shows the high quality they are.
Well, where to start! Two week into rehearsals and the show is already looking and sounding amazing. Huge thanks need to go to Maestro Egan, repetiteur extraordinaire Alice Jamison and choreographer-to-the-stars Ash Ross for all their hard work, both with the cast and behind the scenes. We have really hit the ground running and if we continue at this rate and with this much enthusiasm (and with a cast like we’ve got, it’s a shoo-in!), this will be THE show to see in Coffs Harbour this year.
It is with great pleasure that we announce that we have a full cast, with Josh Kelly returning from a couple of years in Brisbane to join the cast in the role of Fiyero. Welcome aboard Josh, and it’s great to have you back!
Our Elphaba (Jade Naidu) and G(a)linda (Courtney Campbell), along with their understudies (Katie and Emma Goddard respectively) have really been putting in a lot of work away from rehearsals and this really shows, with all of them already (for the most part) rehearsing with scripts down! The rest of the cast have all leapt into the journey with equal enthusiasm, and it’s great to start to see some glimpses of character starting to come through. Special mention must be made of the dance team, who are at the stage of polishing their first two big numbers, working under sometimes oppressive heat conditions.
We are off to Tamworth next weekend to pick up our costumes, which we are very excited about. Given the complex nature of the costume requirements for this show, we made the decision to hire them from Tamworth Musical Society and we are really excited to be able to start working and rehearsing with them. There are some VERY quick costume changes so I’m sure the cast will appreciate the extra time to start practicing.
The Shed Boys, led by Foreman Rex Madigan under the guidance of Designer Dave Tune, are already hard at work creating our unique vision for the sets. We have a couple of surprises in store, and a couple of tricks that haven’t been seen in Coffs before. Curious? You’ll have to come to the show to see what we’re talking about!
All in all we are very excited to have finally begun the journey down the yellow brick road (or to the Emerald City) and are very much looking forward to making our visions a reality.
Till next time,
Pete and Dee
Well, where to start! Two week into rehearsals and the show is already looking and sounding amazing. Huge thanks need to go to Maestro Egan, repetiteur extraordinaire Alice Jamison and choreographer-to-the-stars Ash Ross for all their hard work, both with the cast and behind the scenes. We have really hit the ground running and if we continue at this rate and with this much enthusiasm (and with a cast like we’ve got, it’s a shoo-in!), this will be THE show to see in Coffs Harbour this year.
It is with great pleasure that we announce that we have a full cast, with Josh Kelly returning from a couple of years in Brisbane to join the cast in the role of Fiyero. Welcome aboard Josh, and it’s great to have you back!
Our Elphaba (Jade Naidu) and G(a)linda (Courtney Campbell), along with their understudies (Katie and Emma Goddard respectively) have really been putting in a lot of work away from rehearsals and this really shows, with all of them already (for the most part) rehearsing with scripts down! The rest of the cast have all leapt into the journey with equal enthusiasm, and it’s great to start to see some glimpses of character starting to come through. Special mention must be made of the dance team, who are at the stage of polishing their first two big numbers, working under sometimes oppressive heat conditions.
We are off to Tamworth next weekend to pick up our costumes, which we are very excited about. Given the complex nature of the costume requirements for this show, we made the decision to hire them from Tamworth Musical Society and we are really excited to be able to start working and rehearsing with them. There are some VERY quick costume changes so I’m sure the cast will appreciate the extra time to start practicing.
The Shed Boys, led by Foreman Rex Madigan under the guidance of Designer Dave Tune, are already hard at work creating our unique vision for the sets. We have a couple of surprises in store, and a couple of tricks that haven’t been seen in Coffs before. Curious? You’ll have to come to the show to see what we’re talking about!
All in all we are very excited to have finally begun the journey down the yellow brick road (or to the Emerald City) and are very much looking forward to making our visions a reality.
Till next time,
Pete and Dee
Wicked
So much happened before Dorothy dropped in!
The show tells the story of how two young girls met in the Land of Oz, became rivals, and then friends. One was born with emerald green skin, with a brilliant mind and a fiery spirit. The other was classically beautiful, with great ambition and incredible drive.
The green-skinned Elphaba was ostracized by her family and by everyone at school. The beautiful Galinda was destined to be forever popular. Over the course of Wicked, we discover how these two young women became rivals and then the closest of friends – and how they ended up as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.
Superficially this is a glitzy musical filled with laughter, fun, magnificent sets and costumes, and wonderful music, and you can certainly enjoy it on that level alone. But the characters in Wicked grapple with moral dilemmas and ethics in a way that is unique among Broadway musicals, exploring notions of good and evil.
The story pays homage to the classic Wizard of Oz story while simultaneously changing our understanding of it forever. A cautionary tale about love, friendship and trust, Wicked explores contemporary moral dilemmas such as tolerance and prejudice, and political themes including media manipulation and government corruption. It seamlessly integrates these modern socio-political themes with contemporary music and references to the Wizard of Oz to leave the audience spellbound.
We challenge you to think more deeply about some of the issues raised, and if you don't think they're relevant to us today, just turn on the TV news...
The show tells the story of how two young girls met in the Land of Oz, became rivals, and then friends. One was born with emerald green skin, with a brilliant mind and a fiery spirit. The other was classically beautiful, with great ambition and incredible drive.
The green-skinned Elphaba was ostracized by her family and by everyone at school. The beautiful Galinda was destined to be forever popular. Over the course of Wicked, we discover how these two young women became rivals and then the closest of friends – and how they ended up as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.
Superficially this is a glitzy musical filled with laughter, fun, magnificent sets and costumes, and wonderful music, and you can certainly enjoy it on that level alone. But the characters in Wicked grapple with moral dilemmas and ethics in a way that is unique among Broadway musicals, exploring notions of good and evil.
The story pays homage to the classic Wizard of Oz story while simultaneously changing our understanding of it forever. A cautionary tale about love, friendship and trust, Wicked explores contemporary moral dilemmas such as tolerance and prejudice, and political themes including media manipulation and government corruption. It seamlessly integrates these modern socio-political themes with contemporary music and references to the Wizard of Oz to leave the audience spellbound.
We challenge you to think more deeply about some of the issues raised, and if you don't think they're relevant to us today, just turn on the TV news...
Diary Dates
Information session for CHMCC Junior (ages 12-18)
Sunday February 12th at Bishop Druitt College, 5pm in the Theatre.
Stop Press.......
Anyone attending the information session and would like to visit the final hour of a "WICKED" rehearsal - you are all welcome! Thank you to directors Peter and Dee for this invitation.
Come along at 4pm and experience a rehearsal in action.
Sunday February 12th at Bishop Druitt College, 5pm in the Theatre.
Stop Press.......
Anyone attending the information session and would like to visit the final hour of a "WICKED" rehearsal - you are all welcome! Thank you to directors Peter and Dee for this invitation.
Come along at 4pm and experience a rehearsal in action.
CHATS presents Terry Pratchett's 'Wyrd Sisters' Thursday 23 March- Saturday 1 April
Jetty Memorial Theatre 02 6652 8088
Jetty Memorial Theatre 02 6652 8088
What else is on?
CHATS Social Play Reading Night
7.30 pm Friday 17th February
Café Bellissimo 28 Harbour Drive Coffs Harbour
CHATS Members and Friends are invited to a social play reading night. We will read the brilliant and witty “The Importance Of Being Ernest” by Oscar Wilde.
Why? You might ask. Why not? We would say! This play has been produced by CHATS in the past (2003) and was a popular choice for a social play reading. The evening will be a BYO drinks affair (alcohol ok) and CHATS will provide supper at interval.
Members and Friends are also invited to submit expressions of interest in being pre-cast as a reader, especially those who are willing to get to know their character of interest somewhat and the other characters they will interact with. We would love to see and hear some “first class snobbery” on the night to help make the characters come to life.
The part of Lady Bracknell has been offered to (and been accepted by) a “mystery local celebrity”, whose identity will only be revealed at the reading. There is a prize for a “guess the Oscar Wilde quote by charade” to be performed at end of interval.
An electronic copy of the script is provided with this invitation for your perusal.
Come one and all and enjoy a relaxed, informal evening of good cheer and company.
Marty Elliott, CHATS Play Reading Coordinator.
[email protected] 0409329185 or [email protected]
Why? You might ask. Why not? We would say! This play has been produced by CHATS in the past (2003) and was a popular choice for a social play reading. The evening will be a BYO drinks affair (alcohol ok) and CHATS will provide supper at interval.
Members and Friends are also invited to submit expressions of interest in being pre-cast as a reader, especially those who are willing to get to know their character of interest somewhat and the other characters they will interact with. We would love to see and hear some “first class snobbery” on the night to help make the characters come to life.
The part of Lady Bracknell has been offered to (and been accepted by) a “mystery local celebrity”, whose identity will only be revealed at the reading. There is a prize for a “guess the Oscar Wilde quote by charade” to be performed at end of interval.
An electronic copy of the script is provided with this invitation for your perusal.
Come one and all and enjoy a relaxed, informal evening of good cheer and company.
Marty Elliott, CHATS Play Reading Coordinator.
[email protected] 0409329185 or [email protected]
Orientation Day for CHATS 'Legally Blonde Junior'
Orientation - 2pm, Saturday March 4th, Coffs Harbour High School Hall
(enter from Camperdown St. gates, opposite the Pier Hotel)
Auditions - 10 am, Saturday March 25th (same location)
Callbacks - 10 am, Sunday March 26th (same location)
Please note- all performers must be 18 years old or younger at the time of the performances (July 20th to 30th 2017)
For further information or enquiries email David Tune - [email protected]
More information at chats.org.au
Orientation - 2pm, Saturday March 4th, Coffs Harbour High School Hall
(enter from Camperdown St. gates, opposite the Pier Hotel)
Auditions - 10 am, Saturday March 25th (same location)
Callbacks - 10 am, Sunday March 26th (same location)
Please note- all performers must be 18 years old or younger at the time of the performances (July 20th to 30th 2017)
For further information or enquiries email David Tune - [email protected]
More information at chats.org.au
