Marionettes Choral

by Ralph & Connie McNeil

See other article by Ralph & Connie – “Grande Rivière”

Jesse did it again! We’ve learned in our nonconsecutive mere 4 months of being in Trinidad that when Jesse organizes an outing to a musical event, it’s first rate entertainment. The Marionettes Chorale conducted by Gretta Taylor at the very smart Queen’s Hall the first weekend of July was no exception.

As Jesse dropped us off our eyes went directly to the obvious ladies of the night leaning against the Hall’s pillars. Their tight black short dresses and bright red feather boas did rivet the eyes! The ladies eyed the arriving patrons with a knowing nod. Then we realized…ah yes, Cabaret & Chicago are on the program!

The night was billed as a Mosaic, the fifth of it’s kind for the Marionettes who do this type concert every three years or so. This year was a taste of Opera and Broadway. Selections from 5 operas and 7 Broadway shows had a bit of something for everyone. There must have been 50-60 singers performing in most of the pieces, quickly changing brightly colored costumes between each number. Over 30 soloists belted out their numbers with gusto! Some produced near goose bumps while others’ lyrics brought wide grins and outright laughter. Even someone who doesn’t particularly appreciate opera could be wooed with the lively pace of this mosaic and the lithe dancers who could sing wonderfully as well. .

The young lass who sang the selection from Annie was precious–an orphaned child looking to be someone’s special baby. The Youth Chorale’s presentation of parts of High School Musical was full of energy and motion. While those in the foreground were singing, those in the background were often frozen in time for long periods. How they held their awkward positions for the duration of a song was amazing. It definitely added to the magic of what they were about. No wonder its the winner of 5 awards with numerous requests to stage it in its entirety sometime soon.

There was no question about getting full value. The concert lasted about 2 1/2 hours (including a 20 minute intermission) and seemed to be thoroughly enjoyed by Jesse’s bus load of people.

The opera selections came from Die Fledermaus, Magic Flute, Romeo et Juliette, Madama Butterfly & La Traviata with parts of the Broadway shows My Fair Lady, Annie, Chicago, Rent, Cabaret, Elton John’s Aida and High School Musical.