The Melody Lingers On - Autumn 2007 (Tuesday 2nd October to Saturday 6th October)
Director - Brian Rees
Musical Director - Dorothy Worthington
Choreographers - Vicky Salter, Sam Morris, Donna Heard
Berlin was born Israel Isidore Beilin to a Ashkenazi-Jewish family in Mogilev, now Belarus (according to other sources possibly in Tyumen, Russia). His family immigrated to the United States in 1893. His parents were Leah (Lena) Yarchin and Moses Baline; his father was a rabbi who obtained work certifying kosher meat.
Following the death of his father in 1896, Irving found himself having to work to survive. He did various street jobs, including selling newspapers and busking. The harsh economic reality of having to work or starve was to have a lasting effect on the way Berlin treated money. While working as a singing waiter at Pelham's Cafe in Chinatown, Berlin was asked by the proprietor to write an original song for the cafe because a rival tavern had had their own song published. "Marie from Sunny Italy" was the result, and it was soon published. Although it only earned him 37 cents, it gave him a new career, and a new name: Israel Baline was misprinted as "I. Berlin" on the sheet music.
Is a celebration of over 40 songs, in two acts, from the boy known as Israel Beilin who arrived in New York at the age of 5. He grew to be the man known as Irving Berlin who died at the age of 101. In the period between he became one of the most famous songwriters in the world. The Melody Lingers On is a compilation of his songs in roughly chronological order together with 'flashbacks', linked by dialogue from the period.
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Whats On... Well, the shows now over and done. Although it turned into something a lot bigger than any of us imagined we still managed (if I may say so!) to put together a fantastic show. There was a photo call at Pecorama at Beer on Sunday 26th August for the publicity photographs. We were, very generously, allowed extensive access to the attractions and gardens to enable costumed photographs to be taken for use in the media and our own publicity material. Some of these photographs can be viewed by following the links to the right...
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Photographs - click each image to go to the full list Pre Theatre Rehearsal Pictures....... Publicity Pictures...... In Theatre Rehearsal Pictures...... |
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A PDF of the show programme can be viewed here....Show Programme |
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