Past Projects

To be added

8th – 16th August 2009

Date of Performance: 16th August 2009

Young people selected for the 2009 Level 3 programme of work took part in Music Theatre 4 Youth’s second residential. It was our first fully staged production and we were delighted that the cast performed to a sold out Grand Opera House, Belfast.

Godspell is an archaic spelling of the word Gospel. The musical is a fun, modern day retelling of the New Testament parables from The Gospel According to Matthew with some material from Luke. The show is both fun and full of youthful joy at reading the bibles good news. Unlike for example "Jesus Christ Superstar" it does not at all focus on the drama and the passion of Christ. The actors, working under their own names discover and share with us the teachings of Jesus, and the resulting play has an improvisational quality. The story telling is interspersed with a variety of modern music set primarily to lyrics from traditional hymns. Godspell started as a college project before becoming a major Broadway success and movie, and we attempted in this workshop production to return to its student roots.

Of course the residential wasn’t all work and no play. The young people took part in loads of fun activities in their free time too, such as a quiz night, BBQ and a western theme night!

6th and 7th August 2009

After the success of the 2008 Boot Camp section of the residential we bought over top professionals from across Europe to work with our Level 3 participants on music theatre skills. For two days they worked on dance, drama and singing to help them limber up and bond before 6 days of intensive rehearsals for the production of Godspell!

2nd and 3rd May 2009

Our Level 2 and 3 young people had the chance to work in small groups on dance, rhythm and improvisation with members of the west end Stomp! team in a challenging master class.

10th – 12th April 2009

Date of Performance: 12th April

Young people selected for our Level 2 programme of work all came along to the Braid in Ballymena to work on the Music Theatre classic, Annie.

Young people from the Ballymena were also invited to take part through a limited number of Open Access places on the project.

“Annie” is the heart-warming tale of a little girl and her adventures. Deserted in an orphanage run by the wicked Miss Hannigan, Annie escapes to an easier life outside during the Great Depression where tomorrow is always brighter because of hope - and a certain stray dog, Sandy, who tags along for the fun. When she is returned to the orphanage she escapes again and her life is changed when she enters into the world of the millionaire Daddy Warbucks. Martin Charnin’s glorious song include “TOMORROW”, “HARD KNOCK LIFE” and “EASY STREET”

28th and 29th March 2009

The first master class of 2009 was with Annie Skates (vocal coach for Simon Cowell's team on ITV's 'The X-Factor') and Chris Egan (Elaine Paige's Musical Director).

The main aim of the workshop was to teach everyone the importance of team work through ensemble singing as well as giving everyone a once in a life time opportunity to work with such a talented and well known artistic team.

2008-09-06 to 2008-09-06

Date of performance 2008-09-06

Chosen from our Regional Auditions in January 2008, 18 of MT4Uth's top singers had the chance of a lifetime to work one-on-one with MT4Uth Patron and leading lady of Musical Theatre, Elaine Paige, in Belfast's Baby Grand Theatre on Saturday 6th September 2008

Ms Paige began the morning session with her tips for performers on Technique, Research, Memorisation of songs, Interpretation, Perserverance, Health & Fitness, Auditions and performance.

In the afternoon Elaine worked with each of the young people on their chosen song and gave them individual coaching along the way - noting ways in which they could improve.

At the end of the day Elaine showed participants a number of books that have been very useful to her in her career.

Congratulations to all those who were selected from audition and well done on representing MT4Uth so well!

2008-08-20 to 2008-08-25

Date of performance 2008-08-25

The action takes place on the S.S.America, sailing from new York to England. On board are the beautiful American heiress Hope Harcourt, her English fiance Sir Evelyn Oakleigh and hope's mother. Stowing away on board is Billy Crocker, a young admirer of Hope's who can't believe she would really marry the silly Sir Evelyn and determines to try and stop her.

Public Enemy Number Thirteen, with his moll Bonnie, is also along for the ride and he passes on to Billy the passport and ticket of a gangster friend of his who didn't catch the boat. This leads to unwelcome complications for Billy, as he and the Public Enemy have to keep changing disguises to avoid arrest. Keeping the steam at boiling point in the ship's engine room and working the stabilisers overtime is the sexy, incandescent Reno Sweeney; ex-evangelist and currently nightclub singer. With her help all the shipboard disasters are averted and all the romances sorted out - including her own.

Cole Porter's glorious songs include 'I Get A Kick Out Of You', 'It's Deloveley', 'Anything Goes', 'Blow, Gabriel, Blow', 'You're The Top' and 'Friendship'.

2008-08-16 to 2008-08-18

Date of performance 2008-08-19

Following ongoing discussions with our members, we decided that 2008 was the year to hold our first ever Residential and what a success it was!

The project consisted of a Music Theatre Boot Camp and production of Anything Goes.

From 15th - 23rd August 50 members stayed in Portora Royal School, Enniskillen, where they took part in an exciting and fun-filled Music Theatre Boot Camp.

Participants had the oppotunity to work with a variety of top theatre professionals during a series of intensive workshops.

Between completing the "Boot Camp" and begining rehearsals for the musical Anything Goes, participants went on an outing to The Marble Arch Caves arranged by Fermanagh District Council and MT4Uth. Not only was it the very first outing for MT4Uth, but more importantly for our wonderful Head Chaperone Rosemary Grogan all the way from Bournemouth.

On returning from the caves all participants put together a Cabaret for the amusment of the new Artistic Team. The highlight of the night being a song re-written by the young people themselves and dedicated to 'Rosemary', sung to the tune of 'Valerie' (The Zutons / Amy Winehouse).

Evening entertainment throughout the Boot Camp was headed up by our fantastic young people's reps Christina Bennington and Aaron Gordon and included such activities as a table quiz, DVD night and even a Grease theme night!

2008-06-30 to 2008-07-06

Date of performance 0000-00-00

Vocal Masterclass - looking at telling a story through words and music.

2008-04-18 to 2008-04-21

Date of performance 2008-04-21

Bill Snibson is the newly found heir to a great nobleman's fortune and title, however, having been raised in Lambeth, in London's East End, he needs to be 'ejercayted' in order to fulfil his role as the Earl of Hareford. His new family, and in particular Siur John Tremayne, are not at all convinced that Bill can be made into a gentleman but Bill's aunt, the Duchess, is sure she can bring him up to scratch. She is abetted in this by her fortune - hunting daughter Lady Jaqueline who ditches her current fiance, the Honourable (and empty-headed_ Gerald Bolingbroke, as soon as she realises that he will no longer inherit.

While not wholly resistant to gentrification, Bill does draw the line at abandoning his girlfriend, Sally. Sally however feels strongly that she will only drag him down, and loves him too much to want to ruin his chances of becoming an aristocrat. She tries in every way she can think to show hom how unsuited she is to the gentry, but Bill would rather give up his new life than lose her. In despiration, she runs away.

Bill follows Sally to Lambeth but is told by her landlady that she has gone away. Sally the received a visit from Sir John, who has a brilliant idea...

"Me and My Girl" is bursting with all the energy and playfulness of a 1930s popular musical and features such well known musical classics as 'Leaning on a Lamp Post', 'The Lambeth Walk' and 'The Sum Has Got His Hat On' to name a few.

2008-02-24 to 2008-05-11

Date of performance 2008-05-11

With the support of Frist Trust Bank and Arts & Business NI we developed the Dance Studio - a projecr that gives a wide range of participants the opportunity to develop their skills.

30 young people were selected by Audition in January 2008 to take part in the training. For some this was there first experience of dance, whilst others were able to polish existing skills.

For 6 Sundays between February - May young people from Newry to Donegal met in Belvoir Players Studio. Working with top choreographers Ryan Jenkins (London) and Stefan Wmhey (Germany), they were exposed to different forms and styles of dance. On each day the group worked on a different staged routine from a well known Musical, these included: Chorus Line, Cabaret, Fosse, Cats and Saturday Night Fever.

2007-10-26 to 2007-10-29

Date of performance 2007-10-29

Selected Project.

45 young people between the ages of 15/16 - 22 will be selected by the Artistic Team to participate in this project.

Music by: Cy Coleman Lyrics by: Dorothy Fields

The musical that offers fun, laughs, good times!

With all-time show-stopping numbers such as "Hey, Big Spender", "Rhythm of Life", "If My Friends Could See Me Now" and many more...

2007-08-24 to 2007-08-27

Date of performance 2007-08-27

Frank Loesser's classic musical!

New York in the 40s: small-time gambler Nathan Detroit bets his big time pall Sky Masterson that he can't make the next woman he sees fall in love with him. When the next doll happens to be the neighbourhood missionary Sarah Brown, the stage is set for an unforgettable evening's entertainment.

With classic hits such as Luck Be a Lady, Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat and of course the wonderful title song Guys and Dolls.

2007-05-25 to 2007-05-28

Date of performance 2007-05-28

Selected Project

32 young people between the ages of 11-14/15 were be selected by the Artistic Team to participate in this project in May 2007.

Bugsy Malone is a 1976 musical film, very loosely based on events in Chicago, Illinois in the Prohibition era, specifically, the exploits of gangsters like Al Capone as dramatized in cinema. The tongue-in-cheek musical stars children as the gangsters and their molls.

The plot concerns the manufacture of a brand of custard, which is used first in cream-topped pies (being hit with one "kills" the character) then later in "splurge guns" that enable the dessert to be deployed on unprecedented level. The musical centers on Fat Sam's Grand Slam speakeasy.

2007-02-16 to 2007-02-19

Date of performance 2007-02-19

The most colourful musical ever!

Since the first production in 1968 the show, based on the biblical tale of Jacob's son Joseph and his 11 brothers, has proven to be one of the most enduring and endearing shows of all time.

The story of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat:

In the summer of 1967, Andrew Lloyd Webber was asked by Alan Doggett, head of the Music Department at Colet court, St Paul's Junior School who taught his younger brother, Julian, to write a 'pop cantata' for the school choir to sing at their Easter end of term concert.

Andrew immediately approached his friend Tim Rice to ask if he would write lyrics for the project. After toying with ideas about spies, 007's and the like, Tim suggested the story of Joseph.

The first performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was on a cold winter afternoon on 1st March 1968 at the Old Assembly Hall, Colet Court, Hammersmith.

Accompanied by the School orchestra and conducted by Alan Doggett, the performance was only 20 minutes long.

It was such a success that a second performance was arranged on 12th May 1968 at Central Hall, Westminster, where Andrew's father was the organist. Julian Lloyd Webber gave a classical recital in the first half, along with Bill Lloyd Webber. The audience of approximately 2,500 consisted mainly of parents of the Colet Court boys. To Andrew and Tim's surprise, Derek Jewell, Jazz and Pop Critic for The Sunday Times, saw the show and wrote a favourable review of Joseph, which appeared on 19th May 1968. A third performance took place on 9th November 1968 at St Paul's Cathedral, where Joseph was expanded to include songs such as 'Potiphar' for the first time.

2006-08-25 to 2006-08-28

Date of performance 2006-08-28

One of the most famous musical creations in the history of entertainment. The robust and exuberant re-telling of the 'Romeo and Juliet' story dances its way to ever-greater success. Famous songs include "Tonight", "Maria", "I feel pretty", "Somewhere" and "America".

2006-04-07 to 2006-04-10

Date of performance 2006-04-10

The timeless, classic musical...

Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera in two acts with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice and based on the last seven days in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. It first exploded onto the stage in 1971 and it was clear that the musical world would never be the same again. (The Really Useful Group).

2006-02-17 to 2006-02-20

Date of performance 2006-02-20

The heartwarming story of the dairyman Tevye, his family, and the village of Anatevka in Czarist Russia where faith and love inspire a generation.

One of the most successful and long-running musicals of all time, the score includes such favourite songs as "If I Were A Rich Man", "Match-maker", "Tradition" and "Sunrise, Sunset".

2005-11-04 to 2005-11-07

Date of performance 2005-11-07

The Sparkling story of Curley the Cowboy and his fight for the affections of Laurey is known and loved the world over.

Rodgers and Hammerstein's first show together, Oklahoma! was, more than any other musical, responsible for moving back the boundaries of what was considered possible in a musical comedy.

The Dream Ballet, originally choreographed by Agnes de Mille, was a giant leap for dance in musical theatre, and with a positive wealth of classic songs, including "Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin' ", "The Surrey With The Fringe On Top", "I Cain't Say No", "People Will Say We're In Love" and "Oklahoma", this outstanding show is guaranteed to give actors and audience alike a wonderful time.

2005-05-27 to 2005-05-30

Date of performance 2005-05-30

Henry Higgins, a Professor of Phonetics, encounters Eliza Doolittle, a cockney flower girl, one cold March night at Covent Garden market. He declares to his friend Colonel Pickering that in three months he could transform Eliza into a duchess.

Over the course of several months Eliza, who moves into the Higgins household, is put through a gruelling course of phonetics and elocution lessons by Higgins. Eliza's moment of triumph comes at the Embassy Ball.

She is beautiful, elegant and well-spoken and proves to be an enormous success particularly with the young gentleman Freddy Eynsford-Hill who falls desperately in love with her.

After the ball Eliza feels sadness as she sees Higgins celebrating his triumph in passing her off as a duchess, showing little consideration for her feelings. Unnoticed, she slips out of Higgins' house and seeks consolation with Higgins' mother.

Higgins comes in search of her but Eliza refuses to return with him. Higgins realises that he has become accustomed to Eliza and she reappears. She has forgiven Higgins and has decided to return.

2005-02-11 to 2005-02-14

Date of performance 2005-02-14

MT4Uth launched in February 2005 with a spectacular performance of 'Oliver' in Stranmillis University College, Belfast