Music Theatre 2000
History
Founded in 2000 by Simon Gray, Music Theatre 2000 aims to present high quality performances of concerts, semi-staged and full productions of opera and musical theatre, using experienced professional performers alongside some of the very best local singers.
Since it’s inception the company has produced full productions of La Boheme, Madama Butterfly, The Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado, La Traviata, Café Puccini, Die Fledermaus, The Impresario, The Telephone and Pagliacci, Brenda Bly – Teen Detective, Opera Bytes, Tosca, Acorn Antiques – the Musical, An Old Time Music Hall, A Tribute to Anna Russell and Cinderella
Concerts have included Café de l’Opera, A Night at the Savoy, The Broadway Diner, A Musical Theatre Spectacular, The West End Comes to Southwick, A Night of Italian Opera, Opera under the Stars, An International Opera Gala, Cabaret & Canapes, Viva Puccini, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Opera, With a Smile and a Song and The Broadway Show.
Music Theatre 2000 has also made appearances at the Peterborough Festival, The Adur Festival, The Brighton Festival and the Chelmsford Festival supporting Russell Watson.
Performers
Some of the well-established singers who have appeared with the company include Miyuki Morimoto, Irene Cerboncini, Gordon Christie, Glenville Hargreaves, Andrew Mackenzie-Wicks, Yvonne Patrick, Jacquelyn Fugelle, Natalia Kompaniyets-Jouri, Ian Belsey, Fenton Gray, Hyacinth Nicholls, Jane Money, Stephen Caira, Nicholas Buxton, Barry Clark, Joseph Shovelton, Daniel Meads, Christopher Parke, Darren Jones, Margaret Pearman, David Hillman, Tim Flavin, Rosie Ashe, Darren Bennett, Jill Pert, Cassidy Janson, Ray Gabbard, Tania Newton, Emma Edwards, Barry Haywood and Lucy Newton, all of whom have appeared with the UK’s major opera companies or in West End and Broadway musicals - often both.
Venues
As a Brighton-based company, the majority of the group’s appearances have been at the Theatre Royal, The Dome, The Old Market, The Windmill Theatre in Hove, the Barn Theatre in Southwick, The Capitol Theatre in Horsham and, more recently, the Ropetackle Arts Centre in Shoreham. Further afield, the company has performed in the Peterborough and Chelmsford Festivals. In addition to theatres, MT2000 also perform at corporate events and private functions.
Cabaret
Our light hearted cabarets, full of comedy songs from the worlds of music theatre, cabaret and satire, have proved to be a huge success with our audiences.
Opera Concerts
Concerts can be themed, such as Viva Puccini! (see below), Viva Verdi, A Night of Italian Opera etc., or can be specifically designed to include your favourites. We also present a light-hearted programme entitled A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Opera which includes arias, duets and ensembles from the world’s most popular operas, as well as one or two not-so-often heard pieces, performed by a superb cast of experienced opera singers with piano accompaniment. The world of opera is one of larger-than-life eccentricity and, sometimes unintentional, high comedy, both on and off the stage! Our master of ceremonies will regale the audience with witty anecdotes and hilarious, if occasionally irreverent, introductions.
Musical Theatre Concerts
Songs from the shows is always an audience favourite and we can devise programmes featuring highlights from the best of the West End and Broadway featuring an experienced cast of musical theatre performers. See also First Night.
Viva Puccini!
Viva Puccini! - the story of the life of one of the greatest operatic composers featuring arias and staged extracts from all his operas. This show is performed by a cast of eight singers and a narrator with piano accompaniment.
Full Operas
MT2000 has a number of full scale operas in the repertoire which can be performed on different scales to suit the venue, from a small group of costumed soloists with piano accompaniment to full scale with scenery, chorus and full orchestra. Past productions have included: La Boheme, Madama Butterfly, La Traviata, Tosca, The Mikado, Pagliacci, The Impresario, The Pirates of Penzance and Die Fledermaus.
Opera Bytes
Opera Bytes are MT2000’s “mini operas”, staged and costumed with piano accompaniment,
abridged to about forty minutes each, sung in English, telling the story and featuring
the musical highlights. The operas available are Carmen, The Magic Flute,
The Barber of Seville, La Traviata, Das Rheingold and
Turandot.
Two or three “Bytes” can be performed in one evening or each opera can be performed
individually as part of an evening’s entertainment.
A Tribute to Anna Russell
The late Anna Russell was an English/Canadian singers and comedienne who has been described as “the world’s greatest satirist” famous for her send-ups and parodies of Wagner’s Ring Cycle and Gilbert and Sullivan operas among many others. This tribute stars Jill Pert, a well-known principal singer with the D’Oyly Carte Opera and the Carl Rosa Opera.
Bespoke Concerts
We can also perform concerts tailor made to suit your requirements and can include a pot-pourri of all styles of music. Contact us to discuss your requirements.
Charity Performances
Let us help you make money!
Music Theatre 2000 has been very involved with the Martlets Hospice in Hove, and regularly stages concerts and gala nights to help raise funds. We are more than happy to help other charities with fundraising and we can offer our services at a much reduced rate.
Please contact Simon Gray direct to discuss your requirements.