Pride and Prejudice, The Musical began at the 1998 Annual Meeting when Candace came up with lyrics for the Canon Collins from the P&P2 Soundtrack. We've forced her to sing it for us at Annual Meetings ever since. At the Ocean Park meeting in 2001, Debra R, Carol and Carolyn, most accomplished ladies, gave us Lydia's Lament, The Gardiner's Song and The Lady Catherine Song, respectively.

Suffice it to say I have new songs I can't get out of my head. Fitzwill is haunting me as I write.
--Linda(Ann)
With these songs as a foundation, Cheryl, Pemberley's National Music Master, and her crack team of lyricists put together PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, THE MUSICAL. The call for singers and Maggot Dancers went out in March, and by April, music was arranged, distributed to choir members and being practiced in preparation for the Craigville Meeting in July.

Those who participated in the Musical, didn't get to do much else except rehearse that first day of the Annual Meeting, for the performance was that evening. We began the day with a choir rehearsal, where we sang the songs together for the first time, and were amazed and pleased at how well we sounded. We were also blown away by Lynn's Mrs. Bennet imitation. Such palpitations and flutterings she gave us!

After lunch, those who were dancing Mr. Beveridge's Maggot had their chance to practice. All of these ladies were also at the Annual Meeting in England the year before when we all learned how to dance the Maggot. Michele S. was our Dance mistress and whipped them back into shape.

Later in the afternoon was the Dress Rehearsal with Myretta doing the narration and Mrs. Golda Allen and her troop there to dress the performers by means of cravats, fichus, mobcaps, etc. It happened that all the designated ladies doing the Maggot had regency style dresses they had brought with them and they were very elegant, indeed.

Lady Catherine is another very strong image, she was a sensation. Cheryl does haughty very well indeed.
--Darlene
A quick dinner break and then it was time for the show to go on! It was fun from the beginning to the end and jam-packed with memorable performances. Highlights included Karen G., brought in at the last minute to do Mr. Bennet and Mr. Collins imitations (complete with hats!) and she was a bit too good at being Mr. Collins for our comfort. Speaking of too close for comfort, Cheryl seriously freaked some people out by channeling Lady Catherine a bit too accurately. Lydia and the Superior Sisters wowed the crowd with their fans and long, sexy gloves.
But everybody's favorite moment may have been Jezkalyn's Darcy. Being five months pregnant already guaranteed that her performance would be unique, but her idea to sing Mr. Darcy's second proposal, Dearest Elizabeth to the tune of Love Me Tender as Elvis Presley, complete with guitar and shades, had us all rolling in the aisles. When she finished and walked off stage, a wag called out, "Mr. Darcy has left the building!"

It was tremendous fun, and the company repaired back to the Lodge where their admirers plied them with food and drink and laughed the night away. There were immediate calls to make this an annual event, with a different Austen novel as the basis of the musical. Cheryl says, "We'll see…."

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