Have you ever wished you could be in all places at the one time? When visiting London’s West End theatre world it’s like that and just lately it’s getting a bit the same way in the Snowy Mountains.

Last Saturday (10 th Dec) I would liked to have seen Rosie O’Sullivan’s Berridale Dance School strut their stuff, as I did last year, but having put many hours into helping the Cooma Dance Company’s end of year show as vocal coach I decided not to cut myself in two as wise old Solomon would have suggested and settle into a packed Cooma Little Theatre for an equally good nights entertainment.

Speaking of London’s West End, I’ll be there in January grappling with “what show and where?” and thinking “if only I could be in Thredbo for the Blues Festival”.

Like I said “if only one could be in all places at the one time”. Anyway back to the Cooma Dance Company's show.

Cleverly staged as a program of shipboard entertainment and linked with the onboard frustrations of a couple trying to be in all places at one time on their cruise of a lifetime it had the audience sailing along with entertainment coming from the “Lido Deck”, “Speakeasy Piano Bar”, “Fun Deck”, ”Show Lounge”, “Matinee Only”, “Sunset Cocktail Lounge” and the “Rainbow Room”.

The costumes and dance routines were impressive indeed with high kicks galore. The singing too, if I may say so having had a hand in producing the voices on stage, was excellent. “All That Jazz”, performed by the vocal group comprising Kathy Kelly, Linda Quodling, Cathy Gray and Judy Gibson was my favourite item of the evening with solid singing, tight phrasing and convincing stage presentation. Well done!

Cooma Little Theatre offers a nice little venue for staging local productions however I feel the time has come for some serious considerations to be given to upgrading stage lighting and sound, both of which were barely adequate. Sound engineers have always been a bugbear of mine over the years and that is why stars always carry their own soundman. Even Pavarotti with his huge God given voice always carries his own soundman because he knows that a concert can be destroyed at the hands of an amateur by the mere flick of a switch.

Professional performers have to start their training somewhere and currently opportunities abound in the Snowy Mountains. Local schools are pushing music and theatrical development of late as witnessed by the recent MADD night at Snowy Mountains Grammar School and the other ongoing music education programs around. The Thredbo Blues Festival (Jan 13 th to 15 th) is offering young performers the chance to perform with professional blues bands. Not to be missed. Contact Jo Hearne on (02) 6457 6882 or visit the website tourismthredbo@acr.net.au for details.

And for those who just want to exercise their vocal chords, carol singing will be taking place at the Jindabyne “Claypits Park” at 7pm on Sunday 18 th December and also Thredbo poolside at 7pm December 24 th December. So let’s hear some sonorous sounds because as I always say; “A day without a note is a day of no note!” Merry Christmas to all and have a musical new year.

Paul Dion