In Second Week of Rehearsal,
‘Brigadoon’ Is Looking Great

The youth musical "Brigadoon" opens Thursday, July 5 at Chandler Music Hall, and already the directors and staff are feeling cocky.

More than 100 youth will perform the musical through Sunday, but they’ve only been given two and a half weeks to prepare it, from start to finish.

But that will be time enough for a great show, the directors said.

On Tuesday at noon, dramatic director Charlie McMeekin reported he had finished the blocking rehearsals for every scene in the show. Music director Marjorie Drysdale was shortening rehearsals because the music was so well performed. And choreographer Kim Nowlan had taught every dance, and more important, the dancers had learned them!

"This bodes well for the holiday production," McMeekin said, as the remaining days of rehearsal will be spent polishing, sharpening, and blending in the technical aspects, such as lights, props, sound effects, scene changes, and sound amplification.

The relaxed pace gave the directing team the chance to get some of the cast out and performing in public.

The elementary chorus performed the Highland fling along Main Street and inside the Three Bean Café. The entire high school section of the cast spent more than an hour Tuesday afternoon reviewing songs and dance steps on the front lawn of Bethany Church.

"We’ve got an incredibly talented cast this year," added McMeekin. "We have a chorus filled with focused, enthusiastic, quality singers and actors, and talented dancers as well, who picked up Scottish folk dancing with ease.

"This is not a show to miss."

Tickets for "Brigadoon" are available at the Chandler box office, which is open weekdays from 3-6, or may be reserved by calling 728-9878 during the same hours. The show runs on July 5, 6, and 7 at 7:30, and on July 8 beginning at 2 p.m.