2. Rent was nominated for a further 19 awards and won all but four of them.

3. In 2003, Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs got married, having met in the Broadway production of Rent as the original Benny and Maureen.   There’s nothing like a good  Showmance!

4. Musoc won Small Supreme Club at the 2010 UCSA Supreme Club Awards.

5. Musoc’s 2011 show The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas won best show at the UCSA Madcaps awards.

Musoc and RENT – a winning combination!

Contact producer@musoc.org.nz NOW to book your audition time, or check out our Get Involved! page to find out more.

If you’re keen to take part, whether on stage, or behind the scenes, check out the “Get Involved!” page for updates.

Musoc members also picked up the following…
Best set design – The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Best marketing – The Threepenny Opera
Best director – Erin Harrington for The Threepenny Opera
Best Supporting Actor – Lance McBride for The Threepenny Opera
Best Supporting Actress – Erica Wilkinson for The Threepenny Opera
Best Actress – Lucy Mulholand for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Best Costume – The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Best Choreography – Hamish Russell for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

A whole lot of of hard work and talent went into these shows and you all absolutely deserve to be recognised and celebrated.
Well done, everyone!

The Threepenny Opera, by German dramatist Bertold Brecht with music by Kurt Weill, is well known for its bawdy, sharp humour and its songs ‘Mack the Knife’, ‘Pirate Jenny’ and ‘What Keeps Mankind Alive’.

It tells the story of Macheath, the most notorious criminal in Victorian London – after Mack convinces Polly, the daughter of the leader of the beggars of London, to run away and become his wife, her father swears to find Macheath and have him hanged. Complicating this is the fact that the chief of police is Mack’s best friend, but also that Mack can’t keep out of harm’s way: it is the day of the coronation of Queen Victoria, and the public wants nothing more than a good old fashioned public hanging to add to the festivities.

The Threepenny Opera will satisfy all your musical and dramatic needs. With a fantastic cast and production team, it takes us to Victorian London with all its damp, dirty, dark tales – and darker humour.

Directed by Erin Harrington, with Assistant Direction from Sam Creed, The Threepenny Opera is not to be missed.

Music Direction by Cameron Stewart, with Assistant Direction from Daniel Leadbeater

Featuring:
Jason Pemberton
Rachael Norcross
Lance McBride
Maria Webb
Oonagh Beharrell
Matt de Villiers
Erica Wilkinson
Harriet Prebble
Harriet Wise
Will Duignan
Tineke Matthewson
Alana Boyd
Dan Richardson
Dean Wansborough
Emma Price
and Jennifer Brown

The show runs from 7pm until late on:
Tuesday 13th
Wednesday 14th
Thursday 15th
Saturday 17th

Tuesday 20th
Wednesday 21st
Thursday 22nd
Saturday 24th September

Tickets $12 students/$15 everyone else online, at the UCSA Winter Wonderland Market, or at the door. Check out the event on Facebook.

Photographs by Emma Blick

Thursday June 2nd
7pm
UCSA Big Top, 90 Ilam Road
Tickets $20 – available from Unimart and the door

Mademoiselle is inspired by strong, independent, sexy women of music from the past century. Brought to you by Musoc and Dance Co-Op, the clubs that gave you The Sinnerman, Whorehouse, and the gorgeous lounge dancers at The Perfect Storm, the show is a talent-filled evening of singing, dancing, and jazz, with just the right ratio of sexual innuendo to fun.

The music is a mixture of old and new, featuring a stellar cast of talented performers.

Tickets are just $20 – an incredible price to pay for this evening, including fancy nibbles, dessert, and a top-notch show. The Foundry Bar, temporarily located to the Big Top, will also have all the usual deals happening throughout the night.

Tickets are available from Unimart in the UCSA Big Top – get in early!

Friday June 3rd
7pm
UCSA Big Top, 90 Ilam Rd
Gold Coin Donation

“We don’t use Auto-Tune.”

Hey you! Yes, you!

Have you ever wanted to hear some of the songs from Glee live? Have you ever wanted to hear them in a big tent? If so, then we have the event for you!

That’s right, the UC Glee Club (as seen on TV) is putting on a performance, featuring a great selection of songs. And for the low low price of a gold coin donation, you too can attend!

So what are you waiting for? Come along to this once-in-a-lifetime show! Cheap show! Great songs No telemarketers! What more could you ask for?!

Reviews for UC GLEE:

“So you’re not from the real Glee?” The New York Times

“Fans can get a song and dance fix closer to home.” stuff.co.nz

“F*** off.” ENSOC member

Set in the fictional town of Gilbert, Texas, this outrageous and controversial show is based on the true story of the legendary “Chicken Ranch”, a small town brothel with a big reputation.

“The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” is set to continue the exponential growth achieved by Musoc’s “Reefer Madness” and “The Sinnerman”, and is sure to extend the well known cheek and flare Musoc has become famous for.

We’re looking for old and new singers, dancers and actors from all walks of life who will bring with them plenty of enthusiasm and an eagerness to re-establish or further themselves as performers.

Character list below.

AUDITIONS:
Will consist of singing a song of your choice, followed by a cold reading from the script, and a small section of choreography. There are specialist roles available for actors singers or dancers so don’t worry if you’re “not that good” at one or two of these skills.

Piano accompaniment available for auditions, please inform us when requesting a time slot.

WHEN:
Auditions are:
Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd of October
Monday 4th October – 5pm onwards

WHERE:
The Ngaio Marsh Theatre in the UCSA building at the University of Canterbury

WHY:
Why not? The show is hilarious going to be great fun.

Flick us an email at producer@musoc.org.nz for a timeslot or with any questions or concerns.

CHARACTER LIST:

FEMALE:
Mona Stangley – alto
Angel – mezzo
Shy – mezzo
Jewel – mezzo or soprano
Doasty Mae – alto
The Girls Working for Miss Mona – various or spoken
Plus 10-15 chorus for minor roles, dancers and/or singers

MALE:
Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd – baritone
Melvin P. Thorpe – baritone
Mayor Rufus Poindexter – spoken
Senator Wingwoah – spoken
C.J. Scruggs – tenor
Governor – tenor
Narrator/Edsel Mackey – Barritone
Plus 10-15 chorus for minor roles, dancers and/or singers
Tap dancing a plus

Rehearsals will be AFTER the UC exam period running two evenings and Sunday afternoons through November and the first weeks of December, then January through February. Peformance dates are late February.

Remember to email producer@musoc.org.nz for a timeslot or with any questions or concerns.

Produced By Sam Creed and Sarah Kelly
Directed By Jason Pemberton (Jesus) and Seb Boyle (The Devil)

AUDITION WORKSHOP INFO COMING SOON!

Do you want to be a sweet committee member and have heaps of fun organising events, coming to meetings and doing jobs?? President, Treasurer, Secretary, and all committee positions are up for grabs – commitment is essential!

We’ll hopefully be announcing the 2011 Summer Musical, and we’re hoping The Sinnerman DVD will be ready in time to have a look too!

Get down to the Shelley Common Room at the UCSA on Wednesday 18th August at 7.30pm!
…
Be there!

Musoc is proud to present the Ballantynes season of The Sinnerman!  It’s a devilish journey through the seductive worlds of Jazz and Power.  Wrath and Jealousy, Lust and Pride – A simple southern boy becomes a wicked jazz trumpeter.

The Sinnerman will be amazing – don’t miss out!

————————————————————————————————————————

In other news, Glee Club has been on PlainsFM, and has appearances lined up for TV3 news, and children’s TV show What Now!  Head on over to the facebook group to keep up with when and where rehearsals are happening, and get involved.  It’s so much less work than being in a big musical, but keeps you singing and dancing and getting to know folks.

But if you are interested in full scale musicals – THIS WEEK is when we’re taking proposals for shows for next year.  They’re due Wednesday 14 July at 5pm.  If you’re really desperate to propose a musical, and you’ve been caught off guard by the rapid advance of the deadline, flick an email to me at secretary@musoc.org.nz and I’ll see if I can arrange an extension for you.  If you’re interested, we’ve got a pretty awesome proposal guide right here.