NEW Earswick Musicals are on the home strait of their rehearsals for the American feel-good musical Meet Me In St Louis.

"Everything is going to plan and it's going to be a really fun show," says director Ann McCreadie, who is working in harmony with musical director Barbara Chan as they put the finishing touches to the familiar Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane songs: The Boy Next Door, The Trolley Song, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, Meet Me In St Louis and more besides.

The show invites you to spend a year in the life of the Smith family when Mr Smith (played by Steve Tearle) is offered a job in New York and really wants to make the move from St Louis, but the family have other ideas. Meanwhile a love story bubbles away between tomboy Esther Smith (Anna Keat) and boy next door John Truitt (Martin Lay).

The show will run from April 27 to 30 at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, where the 7.30pm evening performance will be complemented by a 2.30pm matinee next Saturday.

"After our matinees, it's the tradition of the New Earswick Musicals actors to come out into the foyer and meet the audience," says chairman Steve Tearle. "We'll be collecting for our chosen charity for this show, the Children's Heart Surgery Fund, to mark the six years since Margaux Barker, who will be playing Tootie, went through the surgery that saved her life. It's such a worthwhile fund that we're delighted to support it in any way we can."

Tickets can be booked on 07759260852 with no booking fee or at ticketscource.co.uk