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Transcribed and presented by Greville Watson, 2018
Rushden Operatic Society

'BALALAIKA' - 1960


Cover Operatic Balalaika 1960


Presented by Rushden Operatic Society
at the Ritz, Rushden, 7-12th March 1960

by arrangement with Messrs. Samuel French Ltd.

Music by George Posford and Bernard Grun.

Books and Lyrics by Eric Maschwitz

Cast Operatic Balalaika 1960
Ron Coles - IGOR, Cecily Sanders - VARVARA, Michael Bunning - FEDYA,
June Graham - TANYA, Janet Dean - FEDORA, Peter Chambers - ALEXEY

The Orchestra
(under the direction of Oswald L. Lawrence)

Oswald Lawrence Operatic Balalaika 1960
OSWALD L. LAWRENCE,
the Music Director of the Society since the
first production in 1947. He has now
completed over 30 years with the amateur
operatic movement with distinction.

Violins


Viola
Cello
Bass
Flute
Clarionet
Trumpets
Trombones
Percussion
Harp
Piano

Tina Faulkner (leader)
Yvonne Bowness,
Edith Bridges
S. Seamarks
C. Cooke
E. Allen
R. Pettit
G. Hornsey
E. Denton, A. Smith
R. Benning, E. Webster
V. Garley
Kara Hall
Joan Hart

Musical Numbers

ACT I
"Cossack Song"
"Where is the Snow?" (Solo)
"Oh, I'm so Tired" (Ballet Rehearsal)
"The Devil in Red"

"Red Rose"
"In the Moonlight"
"Welcome, Welcome"
"Two Guitars"
"Vodka--Vodka"
"Red Shirt"
"If the World were Mine"
"Play--Play for Us"
"Hail to Thee, Russia"


Colonel Balakirev
Dancers
Varvara, Alexey, Igor
Cossacks and Dancers
Lydia and Girls
Gipsy Girl and Gipsies
(
(- Gipsies
(
Ensemble
Lydia Peter and Chorus
Chorus
Ensemble

ACT II
"Come this Holy Night of Christmas"
"At the Balalaika"
"Stille Nacht"
"Masha ! Masha ! Masha !"
"Ballerina, Sad and Lonely"
"Be a Casanova"
"At the Balalaika" (Reprise)
Ballet "Reflections"
Count Mazurka (Dance)
"Drink to our Friends

Peter and Soldiers
Peter and Cossacks
Soldiers
Dancers
Varvara, Lydia and Dancers
Masha and Nicki
Peter and Girls
Dancers
Guests
Peter and Chorus

ACT III
"At the Balalaika" (Reprise)
"Nichevo ! Nichevo !"
Tango and Paso Doble
"The Devil in Red" (Reprise)
"The Night Grows Old"
"Where is the Snow?" (Reprise)
"If the World were Mine" (Reprise and Finale)
Peter and Chorus
Masha, Nicki and Chorus
Dancers
Igor and Men
Ensemble
Colonel Balakirev
Lydia and Peter

Roland Evans Operatic Balalaika 1960
Roland Evans
- Prince Karagin

William Clarke Operatic Balalaika 1960
William Clarke
- Colonel Balakirev

Rose Drage Operatic Balalaika 1960
Rose Drage
- Madame Petrova

Alan Goulsbra Operatic Balalaika 1960
Alan Goulsbra
- Marakov

The Story of Balalaika

Russian New Year’s Eve! The doorway of the “Balalaika,” a Russian Cabaret in Montmartre! The doorman was once a Lieutenant in a crack Regiment of Cossacks; his former Colonel is now a street singer; his brother-officers work in the cabaret inside. Exiles, these men cling together in poverty. To-night after the last guest has left the “Balalaika,” they will hold their New Year party.
Mrs. Randall P. Morrison, of Cincinnati, in Paris with her husband for the first time, is “out for the evening.” A few drinks, a row with the taxi-driver, and behold her, outside the “Balalaika,” demanding stridently what it is all about! She does not believe the story that ex-officers and former aristocrats work there for a living. As her voice dominates the crowded street, like an answer to her questions, the story begins!
In St. Petersburg, in July 1914, the corps de ballet of the famous Marinsky Theatre were pursued by the wild young Cossack officers—so much so that the ballet mistress, Petrova, had set Nicki, the assistant-assistant stage manager to keep them out of the theatre. The dancers were none of them averse to flirtation, except Lydia, daughter of professor Marakov, whose contempt for men was a joke.
Nicki loved Lydia and was in his turn adored by Masha, the head dresser, but try as he would, he never dared to speak, though Masha, self-sacrificially, did her best to help him. When Count Peter Karagin discovered his officers amusing themselves with the dancers he pretended to be angry—although he, the most notorious Casanova in the Imperial Army, had come to the theatre to see Lydia who had previously slapped his face. This time he stole a kiss and invited her to a party. When she refused he assured her coolly that she would turn up all the same!
Later in the day Peter’s father, Prince Karagin, visited the ballet mistress to warn her that his son must not become seriously entangled with her dancers. To make doubly sure he paid a surprise visit to his son’s wild party at the “Balalaika” gipsy restaurant which was kept by one Maniev. There he found Peter and Lydia not only in love, but talking of marriage!
Another unexpected visitor was Lydia’s father. Marakov showed scorn for the aristocracy and their philandering which few men in Russia would have dared to express. Peter and Lydia, refused to be parted, but Fate had a blow in store or them; the celebrations were interrupted by the news of the out-break of War; the Cossacks had to leave immediately and Lydia made her lover promise not to return until the enemy were beaten.
Christmas Eve and the third winter of the War . . . the Cossack Officers are at dinner. Peter is told by the Colonel that he is to be transferred to Petrograd, owing to the growing fear of Revolution and the need for a personal bodyguard to the Czar. So Peter, released by his orders from his promise to Lydia, returned home. With him went his orderly, Nicki, who had joined the Army to look after Peter.
They reached Petrograd on the night of the Grand Gala at the Marinsky Theatre. Peter’s first duty was to be with the Czar in the Imperial Box. Nicki found Masha a very changed person; instead of adoring him from a distance, she now advanced upon him and grabbed him for her own. After an affecting reunion with Lydia, Peter promised to call for her later and go with her to speak with her father.
The performance of Petrova’s new ballet, “Reflections,” was reaching its climax when a bomb was thrown from the gallery into the Imperial Box and only prompt action by Peter saved the life of the Czar. Later, when Peter and Lydia arrived at Marakov’s house, they discovered that Lydia’s father had thrown the bomb. Marakov wildly accused Peter of being a spy—a story which Lydia, too, believed when Denikov of the Secret police came to arrest her father and congratulated Peter on having got there first. Before Peter could explain Denikov’s mistake, Lydia rounded bitterly on him and told him that she never wished to see him again.
A few weeks later Prince Karagin gave a Ball. Revolution was in the air. At the height of the evening the storm broke. Led by Marakov, the revolutionaries broke into the Karagin Palace and overcame the unarmed guests.


Phyl Payne Operatic Balalaika 1960

Miss Phyl Payne of London,
who has had complete
charge of the Production.


Iris Davis Operatic Balalaika 1960

Iris Davis, the Ballet
Mistress, who has taken
the classes and assisted
with the routines.



Synopsis of Scenes
ACT I
Scene I

Scene I

Scene III


Outside The Balalaika, Montmartre, Paris
after the 1914-18 War
The Rehearsal Room in the Marinsky
Theatre (July 1914)
Maniev's Balalaika Restaurant (Same night)
ACT II
Scene I

Scene II
Scene III
Scene IV
Scene V

A Regimental Headquarters in Galicia
(Christmas 1916)
Corridor in the Marinsky Theatre
Stage of Marinsky Theatre
A Room in Marakov's House
The Great Hall of The Karagin Palace
ACT III
Scene I

Scene II

Outside the Balalaika (After the 1914-18
War
Interior of The Balalaika

Pauline Bailey Operatic Balalaika 1960
Pauline Bailey
- Lydia Marakov

Geoffrey Sanders Operatic Balalaika 1960
Geoffrey Sanders
- Count Peter Karagin

Rita Yeomans Operatic Balalaika 1960
Rita Yeomans
-
Masha

Edgar Stock Operatic Balalaika 1960
Edgar Stock
-
Nicki

Characters
(in order of their appearance)
ALEXY VASSILYEVITCH
COLONEL BALAKIREV (Street Singer)
CHESTNUT VENDOR
SERVANT GIRL
COOK'S GUIDE
FRENCH GIRL
POST-CARD SELLER
ENGLISHMAN
1st ENGLISH LADY
2nd ENGLISH LADY
MRS. MORRISON
RANDALL P. MORRISON
TAXI DRIVER
VARVARA . )
TANYA . . . )- Dancers
FEDORA . . )
MADAME PETROVA (Ballet Mistress)
IGOR SERVERSKY )
FEDYA . . . . . . . . ) (Cossack Officers)
NICKI
MASHA
LYDIA MARAKOV
COUNT PETER KARAGIN
PRINCE KARAGIN
MANIEV (Proprietor of the Balalaika
Gipsy Restaurant)
COOK
GIPSY DANCER
MARAKOV
SERGEANT (Regimental Headquarters)
STAGE DIRECTOR
DENIKOV (Police Commissioner)
SERGEI

In the Ballet:
COUNTESS
COUNT

Peter Chambers
William Clarke
Pat Corbett
Angela Storrey
W. Ainge
Peggy Cherry
Ian McLoughlan
Harold Clayton
Phyllis Clarke
Marie Pogson
Mary Jackson
Alan Lester
John Pack
Cecily Sanders
June Graham
Janet Dean
Rose Drage
Ron Coles
Michael Bunning
Edgar Stock
Rita Yeomans
Pauline Bailey
Geoffrey Sanders
Roland Evans
John Williams

Sid Smith
Gary Warwick
Allen Goulsbra
John Williams
W. Ainge
R. Williams
Roger Tye


Jose Shortland
Bob Savage

Chorus of Tourists, Gipsies, Cossack Officers, Soldiers, Revolutionaries, Guests, Waiters, etc.

Chorus Ladies
Mary Brayfield, Carol Burgess, Christine Carter, Elizabeth Chapman, Peggy Cherry, Jeanette Corbett, Jane Garley, Joan Glenn, Christine Jordon, Jeanette King, Olive Kitchener, Cicely Langley, Mavis Pettit, Pat Stout, Irene Turner, Elizabeth Tuson, Rene Welsford, Doreen White, Lilian Wright, Marion Wood.

Chorus Gentlemen
W.Ainge, Harold Clayton, S.Coleman, Pat Corbett, Peter Garley, Pat Higgins, Alan Lester, Roy Lilley, Wilfred Kitchen, Robert Minney, Trevor Mould, John Pack, Sid Smith, Roger Tye.

Dancers
Marion Buckby, Kathleen Clements, Vivian Dean, Dorothy Garley, Lyn Holland, Angela Loughton, Janet Onley, Ann Payne, Tina Port, Rosalind Powley, Angela Storrey.

Costumes by CHARLES H. FOX LTD.

Amplifiers specially installed for this production by C.PACK (Radio and Electrical) Rushden.

Entire Production and Choreography by PHIL PAYNE, London.

Scenery by STAGE SCENERY LTD.

Additional Light Equipment: STRAND ELECTRIC & ENGINEERING CO. LTD.

Cast Operatic Balalaika 1960
Ian McLoughlan - POSTCARD SELLER, Mary Jackson - MRS. MORRISON, Alan Lester - RANDALL P. MORRISON,
(In the Ballet): Jose Shortland - COUNTESS, Bob Savage - COUNT

Stage Staff
Producer: Phil Payne.
Accompanists: Joan Hart and Harold James.
Chief Steward: Edward Wadsworth
Prompter: Kathleen March.
Make-up Artistes: Michael and Judith Eady.
Dancing Instructor: Iris Davis.
Wardrobe Mistress: Nellie Hart.
Assisted by - Dorothy Lawrence, Gladys Mann and Ivy Smith.
Property: Eva Bryant, Peggy Coles, Rosemary Hall.
Stage Managers: Bernard Palmer and Pat Palmer.
Stage Electricians: Bob Tysoe and Pete Sturgess.
Call Boy: Keith Robinson.

Support Staff
Programme Sellers
Arranged by Lily E. Cooke and Rose Frost.
Audrey Annies, Nancy Bailey, Janet Baron, Jill Claridge, Marie Coleman, Elizabeth Elliott, Gwen Hardwick, Patricia Hart, Hilda House, Ivy Ingram, Dorothy Johnson, Janet Wood.
Stewards
(Under the direction of Edward Wadsworth)
S.Bailey, J.Barker, A.Binder, N.Bursell, E.Clark, H.Cox, L.Darnell, A.Frost, H.V.Ingram, C.E.Knight, M.Knight, S.Knight, I.Lawrence, P.Mould, D.Reeves, C.E.Underwood, I.Wilbur.

John Williams Operatic Balalaika 1960
John Williams
- Maniev




Acknowledgements

The Committee and members of the Society wish to offer their very sincere thanks to all of the following whose assistance and co-operation have made this production possible.

The Northamptonshire Education Committee (Mr. G.E.Churchill, MA, Chief Education Officer) and Mr. N.Lamford, Head of the Rushden Evening Institute, who has given every help in the arrangements of rehearsals at the Institute.
The Headmasters and Caretakers of the Schools.
The local traders who have  taken advertising space in this programme.
The Nursing Sisters and St. John Ambulance for attendance at the Theatre.
The Stewards and Programme Sellers.
Mr. W.Hewitt, his co-directors, Mr. Knighton the Manager and all the Staff of the Ritz, Rushden, for their continued interest and assistance.
The Stage Staff and all others who have worked behind the Scenes, each one of whom has contributed so much to the success of this Production.

Everyone who has assisted the Society in presenting Balalaika, whether or not mentioned in these pages.



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