SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS

Producer/choreographer Kath Lunn discusses her production for The Deanery Players, Harrogate.

The Deanery Players chose this show to celebrate their 40th CASl7ING Anniversary eason. Six performances were given, in Our auditions for the broth February 1999, at Harrogate consisted of two sections Theatre, which was built in 1901, dialogue and song. The brides and has a seating capacity of 500. selected all had dance training a

I hoped they would "carry" the m~ in the choreography. I had set: ama teur productions where . lengthy dances had been cut h~

The saga of Sevell Brides for Seven minimum, but the production tea

Brothers began when famous took an early decision choreograph them in their enti American writer Vincent Benet We hoped that the youth ­published a short story entitled exuberance of the cast, the dao "The Sobbing Women" in the May trilining of the brides and tl1of 1928 issue of Country Gentleman gymnastic training of some of th Magazine. Based on Plutarch's tale brothers and suitors would create of the abduction of the Sabine the competitive and !i" e! women by the Romans, the story atmosphere required for the chu rc

told of the seven Ponti pee brothers, socia l. There is also an equally 101) _

pioneers in the Oregon of the new Wedding Dance finale to the sho~\

West, and the courting of their seven brides. The romance between Gideon (t

yOlLl1gest brother) and Alice (Ih.. Metro Goldwyn Mayer presented it yo unges t bride) is writte as a screen musical in 1954, starring sympathetically - the audienct' Jane Powell and Howard Keel. It instilntly warming to them. Th was an instant hit and won an need to be played by young peopl~ Academy Award. It became a stage who have charisma and sweetne. f musical on Broadway 30 years Two 17-year-olds were ideaUy Cd t later, in 1982. TIle British premiere was presented at York Theah'e Royal in 1984.

The first four weeks were giVeJ;As in the original story, the film over to the dancing - eightand stage versions tell of Milly, a rehearsa ls in all. This went bettwaitress, falling in love at first sight than I had first expected. We with Adam Pontipee, marrying discovered brothers who could d

him, and then discovering that he split jumps and axe jumps and

lives with his six younger brothers several with the ilbi lity to execute

and that she is expected to cook, cartwheels and somersaults.

clean and run the home for all of them. Milly's plan to marry off the Once we started dialogue and

brothers and tlw taming of the singing rehearsals the individu;L personalities of the brothers started chauvinistic Adam provides the to emerge. They were a ven plot for the show. talented group, who needed littl

TIle stage script is almost word for other than basic direction, and word that of the original film script. many of their improvisation~ TIle show has a small cast with proved humorous and virtually no chorus work. There entertaining. Most of th l. are parts for 9 women and 16 men, experience of the brothers anel preferably with dancing brides came from school experience. Adam and Milly, the productions, but their application leading roles, both need s trong could not be faulted as they sough. singing voices and the brothers and to emulate the polished brides all have to sing. performances of our experienced

Adam and Mill y.The film version is remembered with <)ffec tion, the over-riding The brides also developed memory being the Barn Social and contrasting cha racteristics - one

the dancing and acrobatics of the flirtatious, one cheeky, one romantic, one practical, one naive brothers (several in the film were and one sweet and caring. This is members of the New York Ballet written, but with very littleCompany).

16 APRIL,"'I

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: u e our brides skilfully , t out these facets of their

~a l songs from this film are Jed in the stage version but

~ew music is melodious with :rics an integral part of the

"We've Got to Make it 'Ugh the Winter", which the ers sing when banished by

to /jve in the barn, rously relates their

~t ra tion and longing for the -, whilst Milly's "One Man" Tibes her desire to be loved but dominated by Adam.

r Musical Director had strong , \5 on the pace of the music, p ing it lively, and only

tantly slowing the tempo for romantic moments. The

_hestration is for twenty us ici,uls but our budget only ' wed the Musical Director,

anD, bass, drums, trumpet, mbone, 2 reeds and a violin. is combination proved more

" n adequate in our SOD-seater eatre and the balance between gers and orchestra was good.

e set was hired from Proscenium Lancashire. It consisted of five

rg,' trucks wi th town buildings nd farmhou se built on both sides. llere were also two gauzes, I back ·Io th, 4 cut-cloths and a very heavy fIench-f1a t.

'1ur dress-technical rehearsal is on .e evening of get-in day and Ithough our production manager

d previously made models of . ach tTuck and plotted their many -,;loves, it was a slow a.nd tedious

hearsa!. The trucks illl moved on -ee-running castors, without

{; ke.~, and due to the sharp rake of ." stage there was a danger of

. e ir ending up in the pitl This was

sol ved by the thea tre agreeing to our drilling holes for drop-bolts in the stage, to hold the bigges t trucks, and large wedges were purchased from the local builders' merchant to secure the smaller pieces.

By the second performance our many stage hands h~d mastered the complexities of the moves and cut the running time by seven minutes. It WilS a very impressive set and im ingenious avalanche, created with a swipe track and trick cloths, drew applause at every performance.

COSTU~ The Deanery Players have always des igned and sewn their own costumes. For this show the brides wore colour co-ordinated outfits that had been made for previous productions of A'leel lIIe in 51 LOllis

and Hello Dolly (of the sa me period) and our wardrobe mistress produced new wedding gowns for the fi nale. TI1e heavy dark check of the brides' winter clothes were in sharp contrast to the frills, flounces and bright colours or their spring dresses.

TIle brothers started the show in worn jeans and checked shirts, which they provided from their own wardrobes, but their church social outfits and the suits of the Townsmen and Suitors were hired. . '

We hired six radio microphones. These were circulated amongst the cast as required, supervised by one of the s tage staff. The theatre provided three £\oat mikes.

There were no special lighting effects - just a contrast between summer and winter settings, and plenty of colour during the dance routines. The abduction scenes were played behind the frontiscloth gauze and the avalanche behind a black gauze.

The show was most successful - it sold itself! The audiences were enthusiastic - "such a happy show" - "great family en!ertainment" - "I always loved the film" - " . .it was exceptionally good" - all comments heard over and over again. It was an excellent choice for our

anniversary season and the cast had a wonderful time.

However, a note of ca ution - we are a young group and a fairly small one - I could foresee difficulties keeping everyone happ ily occupied in a society with it wider age range and larger membership ­AND, you must have thirteen young men capable of learning to "move" if not to dance!

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