Carrick-on-Suir Musical Society's sell-out Phantom of the Opera show is delighting audiences this week

Carrick-on-Suir Musical Society's sell-out production of Phantom of the Opera is in full swing at the Stand Theatre this week and audiences are loving the show, which runs until Saturday night.

Association of Irish Musical Societies President Fergal Kavanagh attended last night's (Tuesday, April 18) performance and the audience displayed its appreciation at the end with a standing ovation. The opening show on Monday night also concluded with a standing ovation.

“We have had great feedback. Everyone seems to be loving it and they love the three main principal cast members,” said Carrick Musical Society PRO Caolan Deehy-Power.

Neill Bourke plays the mysterious Phantom while Ashley Cooke plays the lead female role of Christine and Keith Dwyer-Greene fills the shoes of Raoul. 

Martin McNellis is the director, Edel Quinlan is the choreographer, Fergal Carroll is the musical director and Eamon O’Malley is the chorus master.

Tickets for the show sold-out in a record time of three hours when they went on sale on Monday, April 3.

Unfortunately, Carrick Musical Society says it won’t be able to put on extra performances for the disappointed people unable to get tickets.

Mr Deehy-Power said they would love to put on more performances of the famous Andrew Lloyd Webber show to satisfy local demand but the rules attached to the rights they secured to stage the show prohibited the Society from doing so.

“We are only allowed to stage six performances. We applied for more but didn’t get permission,” said the PRO who plays Firmin in the musical.

A long queue of people formed outside the Strand Theatre in Carrick-on-Suir ahead of the theatre’s box office opening at 10am on April 3 to sell Phantom of the Opera tickets.

Caolan said Carrick Musical Society has never sold out a show as fast as this one. “The last time we had a big sell out was for Evita (2014) and that show was sold out over three days.”

The Society even had to close off its waiting list for tickets because it became so long.

Caolan appealed to anyone unable to use a Phantom of the Opera ticket they have purchased for any of the remaining shows to message the Musical Society’s Facebook page and the Society will arrange to sell them to those on the waiting list through its box office.

He said this was the safest way to resell show tickets to avoid people being caught out with online scams.