A Day in the Life of a Singing Waiter

Date – 28^th May 2011

Function – Wedding of Matthew Carter and Melissa Krigu

Location – St Ouen Manor, Jersey

Show – The Three Waiters

I thought it was about time you found out exactly what happens when you spend a day being a singing waiter, with the famous “The Three Waiters”. So I’ll take you through an exciting trip to Jersey from London, Uk.

On the 28^th May 2011 we were invited to sing at the lovely Melisa and Mathews wedding on the sunny island of Jersey. For me (Jason of Jay T Singers) it was an early start, leaving Bournemouth at 7am to drive the delightful M3 and M25 to Gatwick airport. As usual we all make our separate ways to the airport and it wasn’t until the departure lounge I met up with my fellow performers for the day.  Mr Robin Green would be playing Jean-marc and Mr Anders Sohlman who would be our head waiter Alfredo.

At 11.15 we take to the skies and quickly land in Jersey only 40 minutes later , although this didn’t stop Robin having one of his amazing instantaneous sleeping sessions (I don’t know how he does it but I wish I could sleep as quickly as he does).

As you may have already worked out jet lag was not going to be a problem, so we hopped into the waiting car and got swept of to a marquee in the amazing grounds of St Ouen Manor (pronounced “ONE MANOR” apparently).

We were met in the marquee by Jim Le Gros to do a sound check with us. It’s always important for us to set the levels of the tracks and voices to the venue, to make sure the clients get the best performance possible. After that we meet the Caterers “Harpers catering” who kindly lend us aprons and ties , so we can blend in seamlessly.

At 1.30pm the first guests arrive and as we blend in with the staff serving them, the Groom asked the MC, Bruce Jones if the Waiters had arrived, to which he replies “you just took a canapé from him”.

It’s always good fun for us when we serve canapés and drinks to the guests when they arrive, it’s a big part of the Three Waiters show that everyone believes we are just ordinary waiters. As usual the sight of us serving their customers brings much amusement to the real staff, who are happy to play along.

At 3.30 the guests are called through by the MC and it’s not long before the starters have been served.

Alfredo makes his first announcement at this point, introducing himself to the audience as the head waiter and wishing the happy couple all the best. This is a great way to introduce Anders to the audience as Alfredo the dashing head waiter. Alfredo is met with applause as he leaves the dance floor.

As the starters are cleared and main meals laid, we wait for a signal from catering that all the food is down and drinks have been topped up.

We are now ready to start a show that will surprise, amaze and amuse

When we nearly reach the climax of our show with Nessun Dorma we are met with a sea of smiling happy faces, standing and applauding whilst waving napkins in the air.

It doesn’t matter how many times you’re faced with a standing ovation it’s always a thrill to know, that the audience has enjoyed the show.

So after all that, there’s nothing left to do but have some pictures taken and hand out cards to excited couples.

So that’s it, we jump in a taxi, get on a plane, fly back and return to our respective homes.

After a long day, it’s always great to know that the client was happy with the show and everybody enjoyed themselves.

The Jay T Singers are proud not only to be in the Three Waiters but also to be an official distributor of the show in the UK

If this is something you would like to experience at your next event or Wedding click on the link to find out more

CLICK HERE

Success in Ponta Delgada

Portugal with The Three Waiters

Singers - Jason Jay, Joe Shovelton and Robin Green

On the 5th April 2011 we were invited to perform the Three Waiters show on a beautiful island in the Atlantic ocean called Ponta Delgada, Portugal.

Our hosts for the evening would be a selection of dignitaries from Portugal and their tobacco industry which was celebrating 145 of business. Present at the function would be the president of Portugal, the Mayor of the local town and some governmental representatives.

After two, two hour flights from Heathrow airport we arrived late on the evening of the 5th, being met by the organiser of the event Fransisco Lopes and our personnel help for the trip Luis Banrezes (who we found out later was a well know local radio DJ).

Our hotel was modest but clean and food had been organised for our arrival in true Portuguese style, four courses with fish , fish and more fish.
The next morning our infamous guide Luis took us on a car trip around the island to see the sights, which included the amazing steaming volcanic pools that bubble and spit boiling water all day and night. I will never forget the strong smell of sulphur that filled the air and the look on the boys faces as we realised our feet were getting warmer as we stood near by.

Then it was of to an amazing volcanic pool where we could bathe in the natural warm water and smear some strange orange mud on our faces ( it took 2 days to get it off completely). And yes if your wondering i did have a strange tangoed look about me for the rest of the trip.
Followed by yet another fish meal we were back to hotel to ready ourselves for the evenings events.
That evening we were met by many paparazzi and body guards and warned that they might not be very responsive as this is all new to them. (That builds your confidence).
As it happens the sound, lights and staff were great and we were met by a very responsive audience who waved there napkins in the air and sang along to all of the songs. Followed by the President of the Tobacco company coming to our dressing room and asking for an encore of Nessun Dorma. How could we refuse.
After all these years of being in The Three Waiters it never fails to amaze me the reaction you can get from an audience doing this show. It encapsulates good music and comedy which can entertain people from all over the world.
It was a great trip and we have been asked to go back to perform at other functions and hopefully i can write another blog about another adventure.

Two Olivier Nominations for Michael Xavier

We are pleased to announce that Michael Xavier, one of our UK performers for The Three Waiters received two nominations at the coveted Olivier Awards 2011 earlier this month in London. The award nominations were for “Best Actor in a Musical” for his role as Oliver Barrett IV in Love Story as well as “Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical” for his role as the Prince and the Wolf in Into the Woods. Michael performed live to a packed house of the who’s who of British theatre, and entertained such icons as Angela Lansbury, Stephen Sondheim, and Cameron MacKintosh.

Michael’s other lead roles on the West End include Raoul in Phantom of the Opera, Sir Galahad in Spamalot, Sky in Mama Mia and Freddy in My Fair Lady.

By booking the Jay T Singers for your next event you can be guaranteed of a quality performer.

FACT

http://www.jaytsingers.co.uk

Twitter

We have been on twitter now for some time and we want to make our twitter as popular as possible so take a look and follow us.

We'll keep you up to date with the everyday happenings of the Jay T Singers. Who are we singing for? Where are we singing? Who have we just met?

http://twitter.com/jaytsingers

Singing to Bonnie Tyler

Last year The Three Waiters, were delighted to perform at the very beautiful wedding of Rhiannon Stock & Mark Bailey , which was set in the glorious rolling countryside of Powys Wales.

In addition to the wedding party itself who all looked fantastic, Rock Diva Bonnie Tyler was amongst the invited guests and happily posed with our delighted performers after the show.Mark Lanahan, Peter Snipp and our very own Jason Jay “They were fabulous”, she said.”Absolutely amazing!”

Quite the compliment from such a legend.

Wedding Fair

The Jay T Singers will be at the Carlton Hotel wedding fair on 20th Febuary 2011.

Organised by Bellissimo Wedding Planners

Wedding Fayre
Sunday 20th February 2011
The Carlton Hotel, East Overcliff, Bournemouth
Free entry and free parking
Bubbly and canapés on arrival
11.00am to 4.00pm
With fashion shows at 12.30pm and 2.30pm

Come along to this lovely venue overlooking Bournemouth’s East Cliff with easy access to the beach and meet a great selection of Dorset’s best wedding suppliers and relax and enjoy our fashion shows to show you a great selection of beautiful wedding gowns and mens attire.

MR BOJANGLES

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hodkbRvQUhE

In 2010 the Jay T Singers went through alot of changes. One was to start recording songs for a possible album in 2011. An exiting new time was coming so we decided to release a few songs onto You Tube to let all the organisers, brides and event teams hear what we are all about.

Here is Mr Bojangles an iconic song that gets requested alot at weddings and,by fans of swing music. Just click on the picture or link above to listen on You Tube

We also released "You Raise Me Up" which is a very popular song for all functions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=algskH3esqI

The Three Waiters

The concept of The Three waiters involves three talented and highly entertaining opera singers masquerading as “legitimate” waiters before unveiling an amusing, yet sophisticated show.

Subtly, the performers infiltrate the function as legitimate members of the real waiting staff. The guests have no clue of what is about to come, however, all is not what it seems.

Over a period of time, to the surprise of the guests, an unexpected story unfolds taking then through a dazzling show culminating in a performance a la The Three Tenors.

http://www.jaytsingers.co.uk/shows/the-three-waiters.html

Hypnotwist

A famous entertainer from the Czech Republic is introduced, having flown directly from sell out performances at the Acropolis and the Kremlin palace. He dazzles the crowd with his opening number and loud suit, singing a knock out song from 70’s.

Is he just a singer? NO. He is much more. He moves through the audience and chooses three ‘volunteers’. He announces their fate…… They are about to be hypnotised. Gasp! Unbeknownst to the audience, two of the three volunteers are in actual fact part of the act and have been seated guests throughout the evening. Anxious moments pass as the three are tested as to whom will be the most receptive to the hypnosis, and you guessed it we are left with our two ‘undercover’ guests who are by now in a deep trance.

What follows is an incredulous display of uninhibited talent from two unassuming guests who are now under the spell of the Hypnotist. From ballroom dancer to Rock Star, meet an Operatic tenor, be treated to a ‘Pop’ Medley featuring all your favourite hits from Tom Jones to Elvis, Bee Gees to Abba, culminating with an appearance of The Three Tenors. The show comes to a dramatic climax as the audience realise they have just been had by ‘HypnoTWIST’.

http://www.jaytsingers.co.uk/shows/hypnotwist.html

JAY T SINGERS VISITS BRIGHTON

JAY T SINGERS VISITS BRIGHTON

After a successful show in Brighton at the weekend Jason Jay was met with rave reviews from his clients about the unique and stylish show he produced for them.

The company, Vigla Natura invited a handful of past guests from there resort in Kefalonia, Greece, to an intimate weekend at the the Seattle Hotel, Brighton.

http://www.hotelseattlebrighton.com/

Many Thanks from all at the Jay T Singers for a lovely time.

Below details the show Jason did for Vigla Natura.

My kind of music

What is it? The script encourages people to get involved as much or as little as they feel comfortable, by singing along to songs like, “Volare” or “You Raise me up”. But a show wouldn’t be complete without the legendary “Nessun Dorma”.

The powerful songs and light hearted script are the perfect way to accompany your event.
What makes it unique? Unlike many cabaret shows the performance takes place in the audience. It’s a proven style that we have been using to make sure everyone has a good time.

‘My Kind of Music’ is a 30 minute high impact cabaret designed to work whilst people are seated during a meal/wedding breakfast. This can be a one or two man show and the songs can be adapted to your taste and style.

http://www.jaytsingers.co.uk/shows/my-kind-of-music.html

Four Voices In Concert, Regent Centre, Christchurch

ANYONE who was around when Big Little Theatre Company was formed in the early 90s will remember what a breath of fresh air it brought to the local theatre scene, so it was a huge treat to attend the inaugural concert by four of those people - Jason Jay, Giselle Summers, Tracy Challen and Nolan Dark.

All of them have moved into the professional world since those early days, singing in the West End and on cruise ships as well as locally, and I have no doubt that as Four Voices they will quickly and deservedly make their mark.

The evening consisted of mainly show music with a final classical section, and there wasn’t a single number that was less than superb. If I say that they didn’t always take themselves too seriously, that is no reflection on the excellent standard of singing and presentation – but when did you last watch a soloist performing O Sole Mio (great one Jason!) as someone else wandered on eating a cornetto? Whether this delicious ice cream came from Italy or the Regent I couldn’t say, but…
There was also a running gag concerning Nolan’s t-shirt from the Les Miserables 25th (yes Nolan, not 21st!) anniversary concert at the 02, which he wore when he took part in the performance. One of several hundred, ‘tis true, but even so…

From Mary Poppins and Chess to West Side Story and Les Miserables, from Phantom Of The Opera and Jesus Christ Superstar to Love Never Dies and Spamalot, and from La Donna Mobile to Nessun Dorma, we heard four voices as the peak of their powers in this beautifully staged evening that was a real privilege to attend and which well deserved its standing ovation.

I do have just a couple of criticisms though. Financial constraints meant that they performed to backing tracks, and I did feel that these were sometimes too loud and did not complement the voices as much as live music would have done. It would also have helped to have a star cloth or even a couple of potted palms at the back of the stage, as black curtains and mostly black costumes made for a slightly dull look – when the girls changed into deep pink towards the end it made a tremendous difference.

Linda Kirkman

www.jaytsingers.co.uk

Four Voices review by Ray O' Luby




GIVE a big hand for the Big Little Four. Back together after ten years, Jason Jay, Giselle Summers, Tracey Challen, and Nolan Dark, are all ex members of the renowned local Big Little Theatre Company, having since achieved success on the national stage.

With Musical showstoppers and light classical evergreens, their powerful vocal quality, along with their engaging humour, all made for a splendid top of the scales packed house entertainment.

From the USA we had the rhythmic city sounds of Bernstein and Sondheim's West Side Story and, though set in Edwardian London, a Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious selection from the Sherman Brother’s Mary Poppins.

ABBA’s Bjorn and Benny’s Chess included the moving I Know Him So Well.

Les Miserables flew the flag for France, while Britain proved her worth with Lloyd Weber standouts, and for ‘something completely different’ the Python's Spamalot with The Song That Goes Like This hilariously sending up the whole Musical Big Number tradition.


www.jaytsingers.co.uk