MEMBERS of Burnley Light Opera Society certainly weren’t lying when they promised Broadway Lights, West End Nights for their spring revue.

During the three-night run at the Mechanics, audiences were treated to a jam-packed programme of musical hits past and present, from both the professional stage as well as BLOS’s own recent productions.

Numbers from Priscilla Queen Of The Desert and Hairspray made for a suitable colourful opening showcasing soloists and the ensemble - which was the largest and best I’ve seen from BLOS.

And West Side Story’s America and Gee, Officer Krupke continued to showcase this strength in breadth. While the Jets were small in number they certainly made up for it in vocal and comedic talents - this should have been a great enticement for more men to join their number.

Among the many highlights was Megan Ingham’s performance of Think Of Me from Phantom Of The Opera. A daunting and difficult song in itself, Megan was faultless and did not flinch as a kerfuffle ensued among the audience, hitting the big ending amid a host of distractions. For such a young performer, this was most impressive.

The interval was called early, to allow paramedics to treat a woman who had fainted, and we picked back up with a great duet between Zoe Tompkins and Vicki Stott singing For Good from Wicked.

Tori Green led the full company into what would have been the interval with a stunning and rousing Sombody To Love from we Will Rock You, which was just perfect for her tones.

The ‘second half’ opened with a touching tribute to BLOS stalwart Cynthia Sanderson who died in November, with numbers from her favourite shows and roles, closed in fine style by Ann Mason singing I’ll Never Fall In Love Again.

Giving a highly promising teaser to BLOS’s autumn show, the company performed Eastwick Knows followed by trio Vicki Stott, Joanne Gill and Zoe Tompkins singing I Wish I May from The Witches Of Eastwick, before closing with an emotional Tell Me It’s Not True by the company led by Sophie Lord.

Revues are all too often seen as the ‘easy’ option for musical companies, but with the excellent choreography and a well-mixed programme of numbers, this is strong proof they can be as entertaining and as much work as a book show.

My only critique was the row of microphones front of stage spoiling some sightlines, and a lack of mics for some numbers, either where there just weren’t enough handheld sets or where head mics were needed to amplify singers while dancing.