THE premiere of Elaine Pechacek’s new musical, The Lady Juliana, will bring together American and British actors at the York New Musical Festival this weekend.

The American composer arrived in York on Tuesday to work with her transatlantic cast on her story of triumph in the face of adversity, set aboard the British transport ship, The Lady Juliana, as she sails from England to the Australian colonies in 1789 with a cargo of resilient women convicts.

“Deemed throwaways by their society, these women find friendship, unity and strength as a band of sisters that may be guilty but are far from worthless,” says Elaine, whose musical has been presented only as a read-through in the USA so far.

The Lady Juliana will be Elaine’s second contribution to the annual festival run by Jim Welsman, after York company Pick Me Up Theatre were invited to present Seasons at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, under the direction of Robert Readman, in 2013.

Joining Elaine in rehearsals this week have been American cast members Beki Herrbach and Sarah Hanchar and British performers Jessa Liversidge, Gemma Beck, Rebecca Gowland, Simon Trow, Daniel Wilmot and Larry Gibson.

“I am so excited and humbled by the talent that has stepped forward to join me in England,” says Elaine.

“A million thanks go to Jessa Liversidge for putting me in contact with some amazing vocalists and to Sarah Hanchar and Beki Herrbach for having enough faith in my work to travel halfway around the world with me to make this production happen.”

The Lady Juliana will be presented at the 41 Monkgate theatre, in York, on Saturday at 8.30pm and Sunday at 4pm, while Elaine Pechacek will team up with Sarah Hanchar for musical comedy cabaret performances between shows at this weekend’s festival under the guise of Happy Pink Girl Sings!

 

• HUDDERSFIELD company Cardona Productions will showcase their new work in progress, Out Of Place, in four performances at 41 Monkgate, the first at the York New Musical Festival on Saturday at 7pm.

Three more will follow at the same venue from June 4 to 6 at 7.30pm, when the cast and creative team will hold post-show question-and-answer sessions with the audience to assist in the show’s further development.

Based on Marta Cardona’s book, Spanish Rose, Yorkshire Thorns, the show opens in 1957 under the vivid blue skies of Catalonia. Wearing a white satin gown in a church surrounded by pine trees, Maria Salvans marries James, putting faith in their future together despite her family’s doubts.

The young couple emigrate to Yorkshire to work at a grand house on the outskirts of Leeds, but Maria’s hopes of a better life turn to disappointment.

The romance soon fades as her husband proves to be feckless and selfish, more interested in repairing cars than taking care of his growing family.

Faced with betrayal by those around her, Maria calls on her resourcefulness to raise her children and keep a roof over their heads, eventually finding strength and independence.

The cast will perform seven songs by lyricist Clementina Herrero and composer Luke Simnett, along with such dances as the passion-fuelled Pasodoble and a traditional Catalan dance, the Sardana, while the performance will be accompanied by tapas, Sangria and the smell of roses. Tickets for Out Of Place can be booked online at cardonaproductions.com

 

• NAOMI Lane, an 18-year-old Hampshire student in the middle of her A-levels, has composed the music for Danube Blues, the 4pm work in progress on Saturday at the York New Music Festival.

Naomi, from South Downs College, Waterlooville, is working with Sussex author David Boyle, who is writing the book for the musical, set in 1913 Vienna, where Sigmund Freud and Leon Trotsky agree reluctantly to swap places for a day to try to see each other’s point of view.

Freud finds himself editing readers’ letters for Pravda; Trotsky psycho-analyses two visitors: the Austrian Expressionist artist, poet and playwright Oskar Kokoschka and another Austrian resident of the time, by the name of Adolf.

Four songs by Naomi, with lyrics by David, will be presented in York. “I came across Naomi through my sister Serena Ludford, a teacher in the Hamsphire Music Service, who said there this remarkable young composer already writing musicals,” says David.

“Danube Blues is actually her second musical; her first she wrote when she was 14, about King Arthur. She’s something of a phenomenon.”

Naomi will arrive in York tomorrow afternoon for the final preparations for the Saturday performance at 41 Monkgate.

 

• ROBERT Drane and Jessica Burgess, two students in the University of York’s department of theatre, film and television, will stage Beneath The Mask on Sunday at 5.30pm at 41 Monkgate.

Writer Jessica, pictured right, who is in the second year of her film and television production studies, says: “Having been inspired by many trips to the West End as a child, I’ve nourished a passion for theatre and participated in different projects, working both on and backstage.

“After writing drama, poetry and novels, Beneath The Mask is my first exploration in musical theatre and I look forward to seeing it come to life on stage.”

The show revolves around Robert Catesby, mastermind of the Gunpowder Plot, who is a committed Roman Catholic living in the tumultuous times of 17th century England, where religion defines loyalty. A man of duty, brought up in the shadow of a rebellious father, he feels life has presented him with only a singular path to restore “the proper faith” to England. However, with the Protestant powers growing consistently stronger both nationally and within his own family, Catesby must decide between honour and happiness, ultimately questioning “For whom do I act and why?”