NODA national programme award for Mack and Mabel

The programme for our 2019 production, Mack and Mabel has won the national competition for best deluxe programme.

West Side Story wins Tailby Trophy!

Our 2017 production, West Side Story has won the Tailby Trophy for Best Production in the East Midlands area. This follows the successes of Grease, Legally Blonde and Sister Act. The 2018 awards winners were announced at the East Midlands Noda AGM day on 10th June 2017 at Loughborough Town Hall.

Grease wins best production award

Our 2016 production, Grease has won the Hinks-Cole trophy for Best Production in the East Midlands area. This follows the nomination of Legally Blonde last year, and the success of Sister Act in the 2015 awards. The 2017 awards winners were announced at the East Midlands Noda AGM day on 11th June 2017 at Loughborough Town Hall.

Sister Act wins best musical award

Our 2014 production, Sister Act was awarded Best Musical for the Nottinghamshire NODA region at the recent NODA East Midlands Regional Awards. Monique Henry and Ray McLeod, our Deloris and Eddie, collected the award at a ceremony at Loughborough Town Hall on 14th June 2015.

Over £1300 raised for local hospice

Fundraising efforts by the society, and collectors for the charity at the performances of our 2015 show, Legally Blonde, raised a whopping £1389.50 for local charity Rainbows hospice for children and young people, located in Loughborough.

Thank you to all those who took part in the carol singing, and to everyone who generously donated to this fantastic charity.

Bridging The Gap!

This year we are trying something new, by running some workshops about auditioning for new (and existing) members, with some hints and tips from our production team about what you should (and what you shouldn't) do in an audition for a musical theatre group and/or production.

The workshops have been partly supported by funding we have received from the Nottingham Post as part of the "Cash for your Community" programme, so we are able to run them this year at a cost of £1 per person per session.

We're running them over the course of 5 weeks – on the evenings of Thursday 3rd, 10th, 17th & 24th September, and Thursday 1st October. You do not have to attend every session, but the content will be different from week to week so to get the maximum benefit you should try to attend as many as possible. We will cover topics such as how to choose the right song, what the panel are looking for, and how to make the right impression in an audition.

Although they are being run by Carlton Operatic Society specifically to help new members understand how to do their best in our new members auditions, we hope that they would prove useful to anyone wanting to audition for any show in any group.

Following the workshops, we will be running the new members auditions for the 2015-16 season – our production for the season is the musical Grease, to be performed at the Nottingham Theatre Royal from 1st – 5th June 2016. These auditions will take place on Thursday 15th, 22nd and 29th October; more details on these will follow in a separate email.

If you would like to take part in the workshops, please take a look at the information and then follow the instructions in the how do I get involved? section. Please contact us using those instructions as soon as possible, as there will be limited spaces available for each session.

Search is on for Bruiser and Rufus

Carlton Operatic Society are looking for 2 loveable dogs to star in the up-and-coming regional premier of Legally Blonde the Musical.

This show is known for its fun filled music, vibrant dance routines and two very talented dogs that are key to the show. Bruiser is a short-haired Chihuahua that looks perfect in Pink, while Rufus is a bulldog that is as lovable as can be. Now if your lovable pet is not this type of breed, please get in contact as we will consider all breeds of dogs.

Director of the show Amanda Hall is calling out for two special dogs to play these key roles within the show. Auditions have taken place for the cast and rehearsals have now started. All that is left is to seek canine companions for the show.

"I've got every faith that we will find our Bruiser and Rufus - it's just the last piece of the puzzle to complete. Both dogs need to be extremely loveable, both on stage and off. They will even have their own dressing rooms" said Amanda.

What we are looking for:

• Both dogs need to be well trained and be able to enter the stage on command
• Both dogs need to get on well with adults and like lots of attention
• Bruiser (Chihuahua) needs to be able to bark on command
• Both dogs need to not be freighted of loud music and lots of applause
• Both dogs need to allow for cast members to handle them on stage
• Dogs and owners need to be available for the full week of the show from Tuesday 5th May to 9th May 2015 and attend rehearsal up to the run up of the show.

So what will you get out of it?

It's a great opportunity for an owner and their dogs to take part in a fun show and also experience something that perhaps they have never done before.

Legally Blonde will be showing at Nottingham Theatre Royal from Tuesday 5th May to 9th May 2015. If you would like to register your interest or want to know more, please contact Rachael Rees on 07811 976511 or email lbdogs@carltonoperatic.com.

Skip me fit!

As featured in the Nottingham Post

The cast of Carlton Operatic Society are getting fit for their next production Legally Blonde The Musical by skipping their way to fitness. Everyone is wanting to shed those few extra pounds that we have gained over Christmas and New Year but none more so than the cast of Legally Blonde who thought that joining a musical society would never have involved skipping! Well this fun packed show is a musical adventure with lots of dancing and singing. One of the hardest numbers to perform is a four minute song that involves various skipping combinations. This is proving to be an exciting number that has really meant that the cast have had to increase their fitness levels to enable them to get the number to the standard that is needed for the show.

Fitness sessions have started with the cast. Jessica Royce who is playing Brooke said:

"I have not skipped since being at school, but I had forgotten how enjoyable skipping can be. We are having lots of fun and it really gets your heart rate up. We not only have to skip during my number ‘Whipped into Shape' but we also have to sing in four-part harmony, so it's testing all our skills at the moment. If you fancy losing a few pounds then skipping will certainly get you losing those inches!"

Rachael Rees, Choreographer for the show said:

"We have four months to get the cast ready for the show and that's not just learning their lines, songs and dances but it's also about getting them fit. Skipping is a cheap way of getting in shape that can be done at your own pace and in the privacy of your own space, so why not get out your skipping ropes and get fit this year. We would like people to tweet us their photos, success stories and achievements over the next four months using the hashtag #SkipMeFit, to share in the pain and reward with the cast!"

Deck the Halls for Carlton Operatic Society & Rainbows

Carlton Operatic Society will be fund-raising over the Christmas period for Rainbows hospice for children and young people, located in Loughborough.

As the East Midlands' only hospice for children and young people, Rainbows is a place where life-limited children and their families can find care and support. The team at Rainbows Hospice helps relieve symptoms, improve quality of life, support parents and siblings through their bereavements and care for children until the end of life.

Just like everyone else, children need a place to play, laugh and love life and Rainbows provide this to everyone they meet.

A children and young people hospice offers children, young people and their families the chance to build memories as a family. Children that attend the hospice are diagnosed with a 'life-limiting condition'. This is a term which means the child's or young person's life will be shorted or they have a terminal illness and they are not expected to live far into adulthood. Many of these medical conditions continue over many years and get steadily worse.

The hospice provides nursing and medical care that can help to relieve distressing symptoms caused by the child's or young person's condition. Care is offered for the whole family at the end of the child's or young person's life and while you are grieving. Carlton Operatic Society will be singing Christmas Carols at the following locations during December, please come and say hello and listen to some wonderful singing by the society and support this wonderful charity.

• Saturday 29th Nov 11am - 2pm - Victoria Centre, Nottingham
• Thurs 11th Dec 6.30-9pm – Asda West Bridgford
• Wednesday 17th Dec 7.30pm-8.30pm – WI, Netherfield
• Saturday 20th Dec 2-4pm – Victoria Centre, Nottingham
• Sunday 21st Dec 2-4pm – Wheatcrofts Garden Centre, West Bridgford

For more information about Rainbows please visit their website.

This page was last updated on 22 May 2023.

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