Julie Ballantyne

Julie Ballantyne - Musical Director It is a little known fact that our talented Musical Director was once a stage performer! Her first ever performance was as Grandma Tzeitel in a school production of Fiddler on the Roof aged 12. But she left the stage behind in the pursuit of musical excellence and is now in charge of school productions for Port Glasgow High School in her position as Principal Teacher of Music. For Theatre Guild she has taken the 'musical helm' in Half-A-Sixpence, South Pacific, Anything Goes, Sweet Charity and Oklahoma!. And a steady course she has steered, too! In 2005 she returned as Musical Director of Hello Dolly! and in 2007 she maintained the cast's Texas drawl in The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas. In 2008 she takes her familiar position in the orchestra pit as musical director of Barry Manilow's Copacabana. Her keen sense of humour is a big hit with club members. When asked what she did in her spare time she replied "Wave my hands about in a dark pit and try to stop the band from rushing the music to get to the bar"! She remembers that one of the funniest things she has seen on stage happened during a production of Grease. While singing 'Beauty School Dropout', the 'Angels' had to hold a pose for 5 minutes due to the main singer appearing drunk on stage and asking the prompt for the words of his song! Wasn't funny at the time, though. (Julie's secret: She "accidently" saw one of the male chorus naked in the changing rooms. Sounds like she was planning an unusual performance warm up!?)