Page 10 - GO ents and lifestyle - Thu, June 22, 2017

Friday,June16,2017 www.halifaxcourier.co.uk
MYWEEK 11
Cantorelli’s Summer Concerts
Leeds, Huddersfield
Choral music by great English composers Purcell, Stanford, Holst, Elgar, Vaughan Williams and Finzi are being performed by Calderdale’s Cantorelli.
On Friday, June 23 at 7.30pm they’ll be at St Peter’s Parish Church, Rawdon, Leeds while
on Saturday, June 24 they’ll be appearing at All Hallows, Almondbury, Huddersfield, again at 7.30pm.
Tickets: £8 at the door.
Sky’s the limit for good guy Ben in hit musical
Gardener goes from chorus line to lead in Brando role
The old showbiz story of someone being plucked from the chorus for a star role came true for one member of the cast in Halifax Light Opera Society’s next production. Ben Garbett unexpectedly found himself cast as lead Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls late into the rehearsal sched- ule.
“When they asked me to come in specially, I thought I was in trouble because I’d missed a dance rehearsal,” said 26-year- old Ben.
He will step up to play the role in the show at the Halifax Play- house next week (June 20 to June 24).
Director Steve Tetlow said:” When we were thinking about having to find a late re- placement, I thought about how impressed I’d been with Ben when I heard him do a few lines for a small bit in the show,
“We know he will do a great job.”
Ben, who lives in Norland and works as a gardener, had been playing the guitar since he was 12, but had done no perform- ing until he went to university and eventually joined in with the folk scene.
On returning home he was enticed into the local musical theatre circuit and was in the ensemble for a few produc-
Autumn Chamber Music
Howard Assembly Room, Leeds
Summer may only just be upon us but the Howard Assembly Room at Opera North, Leeds, has already announced some outstanding chamber concerts on sale for its autumn season.
Among the highlights
is Leeds Lieder’s partnership with Opera North, continuing with a debut from one of today’s foremost young song recitalists, Gramophone Young Artist of the Year 2016 Benjamin Appl. www.operanorth.co.uk
In costume: The cast of Guys & Dolls.
tions before joining the cast of “Guys and Dolls”.
“When they asked me to do the part it was a bit of a shock. I had not seen the show before and had to do a lot of research – and I must have watched the movie several times too,” said Ben.
“Now I’m just looking forward to being out there and doing the role justice.”
Photographs by Jade Smith
The film starred Marlon Bran- do as Sky, with Frank Sinatra, Jean Simmons and Vivian Blaine and it recently had a successful West End revival. In the HLOS production the four principals are Ben Gar- be (Sky), Emily Hurst (Sarah Brown), Craig Tucker (Nath- an Detroit) and Louise Whyte (Miss Adelaide).
In the show some of the ac-
tion surrounds a New York Salvation Army mission, so it proved an appropriate choice for the society as it us- es the Salvation Army hall in St James Street, Halifax, as its rehearsal room.
The show has several classic songs including “Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat”. Tickets at www.halifaxplay- house.org.uk or 1422 365998.
SOUNDS OF STAGE AND SCREEN
Square Chapel arts centre, Halifax, June 30/July 1
James Bond classics, songs from the shows and popular film music will feature in Halifax Musical Theatre Company’s show on Friday, June 30 and
Saturday, July 1. The show will be hosted by Halifax entertainer Neil Hurst, who will also perform songs, and the orchestra will be under the musical direction of Graham Robbins. The show starts at 7.30pm and tickets are available on 01422 349422.
entertainment