BMTG Glossary

Welcome to the BMTG glossary. Used by members, patrons and customers alike, it's a quick and easy way to find out what a particular musical theatre (or BMTG specific) term means. Simply scroll down to find the word you're after or look for blue highlighted text on the website - click on these to open the glossary at the correct word.

Alto
The alto (Italian: high) is the lower female or unbroken male voice, or male falsetto of similar range.

Baritone
The word 'baritone' describes a type of male voice of middle range. This reference isn't usually used by BMTG, instead the bass section is divided into 'top bass' and 'bottom bass'.

Bass
The word 'bass' describes the lowest type of male voice.

BMTG
Abbreviation for Beeston Musical Theatre Group. The society has been named this since 2002 (previously Beeston Operatic Society).

BOS
Short for Beeston Operatic Society. This was the societies name until 2002.

Character Shoe
A character or jazz shoe is worn in many theatrical productions. The female character shoe is very much like a street shoe and comes in similar sizes. It has a low heel and a strap or tie to secure it to the foot. The men's shoe also resembles a street shoe but has a soft sole like that of a ballet slipper.

Entr’acte
This is the name given for another performance, as of music or dance, provided between two acts of a theatrical performance.

Finaletto
Rarely used as a term now, a "Finaletto" is a small finale at the end of a scene, whereas the Finale or Grand Finale comes at the very end of the show.

Forte
Forte (Italian: loud) is used in directions to performers. It appears in the superlative form fortissimo, very loud. The letter f is an abbreviation of forte, ff an abbreviation of fortissimo, with fff or more rarely ffff even louder.

Flats
These are items of stage scenery - large timber constructions, covered with muslin and painted.

Front of House
The person responsible for "Front of House" at a theatre manages the audience, whether this is showing people to their seat, general greeting or selling tickets - this is in contrast to those who work "behind the scenes" in wardrobe, props, etc.

G&S
Short for Gilbert and Sullivan. Playwright/lyricist William S. Gilbert and composer Arthur S. Sullivan defined operetta or comic operas in Victorian England with a series of their internationally successful and timeless works known as the Savoy Operas.

Get-in / Get-out
A get-in is when we are given access to the theatre in which we are performing, and start building the scenery, putting up lighting and helping with the sound equipment. It often starts early in the morning and requires the efforts of as many members as possible. A get-out is the opposite - the dismantling of sets after the final show.

Harmony
The sounding of two or more notes simultaneously.

House left/right
The right or left side of the area of the theatre where the audience sits from the point of view of a person sitting in a seat facing the stage.

Ivor Novello
Ivor Novello left all the copyrights in his works (except for The Dancing Years, which left to his godson Tom Arnold) for the benefit of four major theatrical charities: The Actors' Benevolent Fund, The Theatrical Ladies Guild of Charity, King George's Pension Fund for Actors and the Actors' Charitable Trust. The copyrights are administered by Samuel French Ltd. on behalf of Ivor Novello Charities Ltd. and since Novello's death in 1951, this magnificent and imaginative bequest has benefited the charities to the extent of nearly a quarter of a million pounds.

Libs
This is short for 'libretto' and is the text or script of a musical.

Moderato
Moderato (Italian: moderate) is used as an indication of the speed to be adopted by a performer. It may be used to qualify other adjectives, as allegro moderato, moderately fast. The letter m is an abbreviation of moderato.

NODA
The National Operatic and Dramatic Association.

Répétiteur
Originally from the French word répété, meaning repeated, is the name given to the person responsible for playing the piano at rehearsals.

Scores
The sheets of music that you sing or play from.

Soprano
The soprano is the highest kind of female voice. These are usually divided into top soprano (or 'top sop') and bottom soprano ('bottom sop').

Stage Left/right
This is left or right from the point of view of the person onstage facing the audience.

Tenor
The tenor voice is the highest male voice, except for the falsetto.

Unison
Unison is the simultaneous sounding of the same note by two or more singers or players. Unison songs are not in different parts, with all singers singing the tune together.