New Earswick Musical Society

Following on from their first musical success of Oklahoma!, Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s second musical collaboration of Carousel opened on Broadway in 1945, to great acclaim.

The story revolves around a carousel barker, Billy Bigelow (Stephen Tearle), who has a reputation for romancing the girls who visit the carousel. An encounter on the carousel with mill worker, Julie Jordan (Jo Pears), who Billy finds particularly beguiling, leads both of them to lose their jobs. They marry but it is a difficult union, with love seemingly only travelling in one direction

Meanwhile, Julie’s work colleague and friend, Carrie (Perri Barley) is keen to confide in Julie of her blossoming romance with new beau, Mr Enoch Snow (Andy Stone), whom she plans to marry (When I Marry Mr Snow). He provides a total character contrast to Billy and is somewhat comedic, being upright and proper with standing in the community.

Penniless and jobless with a wife to support and a baby on the way, Billy allows himself to be persuaded by the no good Jigger (Tim Richardson) to take part in a robbery. To escape arrest, Billy kills himself.

After spending 15 years in Purgatory for being unrepentant for his actions on earth, Billy is given the chance to redeem himself by the Starkeeper in Heaven (Colin Dearlove). He discovers he has a daughter, Louise (Gaby Richardson), and is permitted to return to earth for a single day to help her. Through his new found understanding and tenderness, Billy is able to lift his daughter out of her misery and make her understand that, as long as she has hope in her heart, she will Never walk alone.

The show is packed with musical favourites including, June is Bustin’ Out All Over, If I Loved You, What’s the Use in Wond’rin’, the well-loved Soliloquy and now anthem song You’ll Never Walk Alone. These, alongside the colourful storyline, packed with both humour and depth of emotion, a great evening’s entertainment is guaranteed.

New Earswick Musical Society is proud to present Oklahoma! – a story of rivalries – which was the first musical collaboration between Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein and the first musical to tell the story with music and lyrics.

It tells of the controversy between the cattlemen and farmers, over land and water rights in the Indian territory, played out in the energetic and humorous musical number, The Farmer & The Cowman Should be Friends.

There’s the rivalry between the cowboy, Curly, (played by Steve Padfield) and the farmhand, Jud, (played by Chris Hagyard), for the love of Laurey, (played by Stephanie Crossley), expressed in well loved ballads of Surrey with a Fringe on the Top and People will say we’re in love.

And the rivalry between Ali Hakim, a Persian Pedlar and the cowboy Will Parker, (played by Andy Stone) for the hand of Ado Annie (played by Emily Rockliffe) a fickle, somewhat naive girl who explains herself hilariously in the word of her song, I Cain’t say No!

Will Aunt Eller (played by Carol Richardson) be able to successfully negotiate an end to the feud? Is a ‘Happy Ending’ possible where love triangles exist?

There is a reason why Oklahoma! broke all box office records when it first opened in 1943 and it’s revival in the West End in 1998 received to wide acclaim.

It is a show full of fun, laughter and romance, as relevant today as when first written, packed with unforgettable melodies including the title tune Oklahoma!, and Oh! What a Beautiful Mornin', Many a New Day, and Out of my Dreams.

Energetic musical about the unlikely romance of famed Western tomboy Calamity Jane and gunfighter Wild Bill Hickok

Little Orphan Annie, the strip cartoon character started out as Little Orphan Otto; but Harold Gray, the cartoonist was persuaded to change the boy into a girl and the first strip cartoon of Little Orphan Annie was published in the New York Daily News on 5 August 1924. Gray created a fiercely independent 11-year old with a mind of her own and the ingenuity to get her through the many scrapes which she experienced in the 44 years that the strip cartoon ran. Her dog Sandy accompanied her on all her adventures. During the Great Depression Harold Gray used Annie to reflect his ultra conservative beliefs.

We follow Annie from the orphanage to the mansion of millionaire Oliver Warbucks. On the way she finds herself in a Hooverville, a shanty town built by the victims of the Great Depression. These Hoovervilles were named after President Hoover the man the down-and-outs blamed for their condition; although it is difficult to see how he could have prevented the Great Depression. Throughout the musical we are impressed by Annie’s constant optimism and her unremitting efforts to find her parents. Despite the plots of Miss Hannigan, the mean orphanage director, we follow Annie to a happy ending at a Christmas party where everybody, including President Roosevelt, looks forward to a rosy future.

Music by Charles Strouse; Lyrics by Martin Charnin; Book by Thomas Meehan

Two unemployed musicians — bass player Jerry and saxophone player Joe — witness the St Valentines Day massacre in Chicago. In order to escape gangster Spats Palazzo and his henchmen, they dress as women and join Sweet Sue and Her Society Syncopaters, an all-female band about to leave town for an engagement in Florida.

Complications arise when Joe, now known as Josephine, falls in love with beautiful band singer Sugar Kane, who has a slight drinking problem that tends to interfere with her ability to choose a romantic partner wisely. More than anything, Sugar wants to marry a millionaire, prompting Joe to disguise himself as the man of her dreams.

Meanwhile, wealthy and elderly Osgood Fielding, Jr. is pursuing Daphne, unaware she really is Jerry in drag. As much as he knows he needs to reveal his true gender to his over-amorous paramour, Jerry is beginning to enjoy all the expensive gifts bestowed upon him on a regular basis. Total chaos erupts when Spatz and his gang descend upon the hotel and realise who Josephine and Daphne really are.

With upbeat music, great songs, and plenty of comedy throughout, this show will have you laughing and tapping your feet all the way.

Based on the 1956 film of the same name starring Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, High Society tells the story of a search for ‘True Love’.

Meet Tracy Lord (played by New Earswick Musical Society newcomer Stephanie Crossley) - society's darling, preparing for her marriage to George Kittredge (Ste Kenwright), the dullest man on earth. Plans start to go awry as her younger sister Dinah (Imogen Gibbs) tries to convince her ex husband Dexter (Steve Tearle) to win back her heart. To make matters worse, a pair of reporters for a scandal magazine, Mike Connor (Steve Padfield) and Liz Imbrie (Jo Pears), will be attending the wedding, in an attempt to uncover the rumours about her fathers’ rumoured indiscretions. To confuse the spies, she introduces Uncle Willie (Martin Rowley) as her father.

With the pre-marriage party in full swing, the action flows faster than the champagne. Uncle Willie is chasing after Liz, who has only got eyes for Mike, but Mike meanwhile is falling for Tracy. The confusion and alcohol continues, culminating in one big hangover the next day. However, George has left, so a wedding is set but no bridegroom in sight. Dexter volunteers, and this time it looks like ‘True Love’ is going to last.

With an excellent score with well known songs such as Who Wants to be a Millionaire, True Love and Well Did You Evah, large dance numbers, comedy and romance, this show has something for everyone.

An idyllic Edwardian Christmas in London is interrupted by a knock at the door and a family’s life is changed forever. Father is wrongfully arrested and Mother and the three children, Roberta, Peter and Phyllis, are forced to move to Yorkshire. Discovering a railway near their new house is just the beginning of a series of adventures set over one long summer.

Local children take the parts of the Perks young family and of course the Railway Children themselves, with Emma Craggs, of Tadcaster Grammar School, returning to a principle role to play Bobbie (following her successful portrayal of the title role in Annie) and 12 year old William Hartley and 10 year old Gabrielle Richardson (both of St Olaves School), as her brother and sister, Peter and Phyllis under the skilful direction of Ann McCreadie, the show’s Producer.

This endurable story, which has been enjoyed by generations of families, is brought to life in a new dimension by heartfelt ballads, stirring choral numbers and tuneful melodies

"And what do you do for a living, Mrs. Levi?" asks Ambrose Kemper in the first scene of this musical comedy. "Some people paint, some sew... I meddle," replies Dolly.

HELLO, DOLLY! is full of memorable songs including Put On Your Sunday Clothes, Ribbons Down My Back, Before the Parade Passes By, Elegance, Hello, Dolly!, It Only Takes a Moment and So Long, Dearie. And we are off on a whirlwind race around New York at the turn of the twentieth century, as we follow the adventures of America's most beloved matchmaker!

The original show ran for 1646 performances and has had two revivals, in 1952 and 1984. Enjoy Leaning on the Lamp Post, The Lambeth Walk, Me and My Girl and other favourites.

A well-known musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. Originally entitled Tevye, the musical is based on Tevye and his Daughters, or Tevye the Milkman, and other stories originally published by the Russian Jewish author Sholom Aleichem in 1894. The story centers on Tevye, the father of five daughters, and his attempts to maintain his family and religious traditions while the world and civilization around him change rapidly. He must cope with both the strong-willed actions of his three older daughters — each daughter's choice of husband moves progressively further and further away from established custom, and with the edict of the Tsar that upends his village.