Central Operatic Society
Central Musical Theatre Company is an amateur theatre company based in Derby, England. It is affiliated with Central United Reformed Church.
History
The company was founded in Derby in 1932 by members of Normanton Road Congregational Church. They presented an opera entitled Cupid and the Ogre to raise money for the church. The first performance took place on 11 January 1933. Its success led to an Operatic Section being formed to perform a show annually. Following the 1939 production of Gretchen, World War II began, and the society did not resume until 1953 with the staging of Highwayman Love in 1954. The society thrived, and a larger, more accessible venue for performances was needed. The company moved to Derby Guildhall in 1973 for the production of Viva Mexico.[citation needed]
In 1980, following the amalgamation of three churches, the society was renamed Central Operatic Society; annual performances continued. In 1997 the company moved again, presenting Funny Girl in the auditorium of Landau Forte College, Derby. Following the 2013 production, Little Shop of Horrors, another change of venue was made to The Robert Ludlam Theatre at St Benedicts School, Derby.[citation needed]
In 2015, the society removed "operatic" from its name to reflect its musical theatre and concert repertoire and was renamed Central Musical Theatre Company (abbreviated as CMTC). To strengthen its financial security the society expanded its range of productions to include concerts, murder mysteries and one act plays, some of which have been written by members. These are performed in addition to the annual musical which is staged in March each year.[citation needed]
The society has raised many thousands of pounds over the years for the Church to use for its own charitable purposes. Membership is not restricted to church members, and the entire company enjoy various functions alongside the Church throughout the year.[citation needed]
Past members include Kelli Young, a founding member of the pop group Liberty X.[citation needed]
Awards
Central Musical Theatre Company has received the following "Best Production of a Musical" awards at The Eagle Award', presented annually by Derby Theatre.
- 1998 - Jesus Christ Superstar;
- 2001 - My Fair Lady;
- 2012 - The Drowsy Chaperone;
- 2013 - Little Shop of Horrors
The 2005 production of Calamity Jane won the NODA Regional Award for "Best Production of a Musical".
External links
- Central Operatic Society
- Central United Reformed Church Archived 29 December 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- National Operatic and Dramatic Association
- Peter Wedd
This article "Central Operatic Society" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Central Operatic Society. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
