'…In the space of the pageant, we are giving you something in return. We are giving you a musical, something that is entertaining, educational and at the end of it I think everyone gains.' - Derek Moore, Miss Guyana World Committee Artistic Director
A THREE-DAY, glitzy, Broadway-styled production about the making of a beauty queen will hit the National Cultural Centre stage next month.
One of Guyana's premier fashion designers, Derek Moore, who saw the need for new and livelier tastes in the country's entertainment industry, has collaborated with Managing Director of Eyeful Creative Agency, Christopher Goodridge, to produce the extraordinary musical production called 'Crown, Pearls and Dancing Girls'.
Moore, who is Artistic Director of the Miss Guyana World Committee, says the fairy tale production will be a stand-in for the Miss Guyana World pageant which will not be staged this year. Instead, a representative for Guyana has been selected after thorough screening by the Committee headed by Ken Cheong.
"We have made a decision that we're not doing a pageant this year...But in the (place)of the pageant we are giving you something in return. We are giving you a musical, something that is entertaining, educational and at the end of it I think everyone gains," Moore said.
'Crown, Pearls and Dancing Girls' is centred on a girl who lived a significant part of her childhood and adolescent years following her dream of becoming Miss Guyana World, and representing Guyana at the prestigious Miss World international beauty pageant.
Moore explains: "The story starts with this little girl whose dream is to be crowned Miss Guyana World. She has been seeing pageants of this nature on television for many years, and was viewing the crowning of a Miss Guyana World on television with her mom and dad when she told them she would like to be crowned Miss Guyana World when she grows older.
"And then we took it from there. We took it into her growing period, through dance of course and, as a young lady, how seriously she took the challenge of becoming Miss Guyana, regardless of whatever obstacles came her way," he continued.
After several years of personal preparation with the pageant in mind, the girl blossomed into a beautiful, well-rounded young woman who thinks she is ready to take up the challenges of the pageant and become Guyana's beauty ambassador at the Miss World international pageant. Then Ana applied for a spot in contestant's row!
Moore explained that the sequence of events to be played out features the many stages of her personal life and her acceptance into the pageant, as well as the stages of an actual pageant and the making of a Miss Guyana World queen.
"One of the objectives of the play is to get people to understand what is it that we're looking for when it comes to choosing a young lady to represent Guyana," he said adding that through music and dance, the different elements in the pageant will be highlighted.
"We go behind the scenes to see how the girls feel when they are involved in pageants, and give the audience an idea of the judging criteria and what is it that the judges look for internationally," he added.
"(The show) deals with things that young women are faced with - their boyfriends being insecure, not wanting them to be a part of pageants; people writing some scandalous things about them in the newspaper to tarnish their character, etc. I'm trying to show women out there how strength of character is important. It's very, very important. There are people out there who are just willing to stain you in anyway, and it's for you to know how well you can overcome that and just get along with what is it you really want to do in life."
The director said through the show, he is giving people the opportunity to understand why the pageant committee operates the way it does, so that the next time it delivers a pageant, patrons would have a general understanding and give their full support.
Travelling - an eye-opener
Moore, who danced for several years with the National School of Dance, identifies music and dance as his hobbies, and hence, the reason for his choice of a production of that nature.
"I always wanted to do a musical production, probably not this but I always wanted to do a musical. I always saw the need because I like dancing... I know I have the ability to create dancing.... I have that passion for it!"
However, what pushed the idea more was his experience travelling and attending various cultural events internationally.
"Travelling opens my eyes a lot. When I travel I get the opportunity to go and see Broadway shows and musicals and I think that's something that is lacking in Guyana," he said.
"Apart from telling a nice story, (the show) is entertaining and I think we need that. Apart from getting a pageant, we need something that people can get out there and enjoy," Moore stressed.
He said the production is expected to be very glamorous and fulfilling, with a cast of 50 talented dancers, professional models, past, present and future pageant delegates.
"The main cast is already on board. The dancers (and) actors are rehearsing at Martina's Sports Club. As we get closer to the show, we will need fillers to make up that entourage of persons to make that entire cast," he said.
The three-day show begins July 22 with a presentation for children. The following two days are for a general audience.
The actors are being trained by coordinator of 'Let's Dance' company Royston King, Classic Dance Studio choreographer, Clive Powell, dancer and actress Leslyn Lashley of 'A Force to Reckon With' fame, Moore and Goodridge.
He had advertised and auditioned for professional dancers, and also selected dancers from some private dancing schools. Moore made clear that the dancers at the National School of Dance are talented and could have been used, but he "did not use that dance school for the simple reason that the other dance schools feel that they needed a chance too. I was told that and I decided to run with the idea of using them, and I was quite impressed with the audition."
He explained that finding someone to play the role of Ana, the main character who tells the fantastic story of her motivation and courage in trying to live her dream, was a thorough task since in the script she is an accomplished dancer who possesses certain qualities of a queen and model. He had to find the perfect match, nothing less! Ana is being played currently by two young ladies, one of who is an understudy.
"The script itself tells us what is it that girls need to do, and what is it we are looking for. Apart from inner beauty, outer glow, we are looking at beauty through the eyes of the camera and we're also looking at it in many other ways."
"It is just a fairy tale when you consider the script, but it has a message and through dance and music we were able to capture that," the play writer told the Sunday Chronicle.