People travelled from as far as Belfast to see Phantom of the Opera in Carrick-on-Suir

Caption: Maggie Dunne, Irene Malone, Bobby Landers and his mother Marie Dunne at the Strand Theatre last week to watch Carrick-on-Suir Musical Society's production of Phantom of the Opera. Picture Anne Marie Magorrian

Carrick-on-Suir Musical Society’s production of Phantom of the Opera was greeted with all-round acclaim by audiences that packed the Strand Theatre for six sell-out shows last week for the Irish Adult Premiere of the Andrew Lloyd Webber hit musical.

The final curtain fell last Saturday night (April 22) with the 62-strong cast receiving the ultimate show of public appreciation – a standing ovation for the sixth night in a row.

The adjudicator for the Association of Irish Musical Societies (AIMS) Awards was in the audience and according to Carrick-on-Suir Musical Society Chairperson Helen O’Hanlon he couldn’t have chosen a better performance to judge.

“He picked the best night. Everyone was in fine fettle and at full tilt on stage. They gave it their all. They were unreal,” she told The Nationalist.

Tickets for the show sold out in a record three hours and people travelled from all over the country to see the musical made famous by such enchanting songs as “All I Ask of You”, The Music of The Night” and The Phantom of the Opera”.

AIMS President Feargal Cavanagh from county Galway attended the second night of the show last Tuesday, April 18.

“We had people down from Belfast to see it. They came from all kinds of places,” said Helen.

She said there was also an influx of people signing up to become Musical Society patrons to ensure they got tickets for Phantom tickets.

Ms O'Hanlon pointed out Phantom was a demanding show to stage with a lot of high register singing required from all the cast. Some of the roles were almost operatic singing parts.

The leads of the Phantom and Christine were played by Neill Bourke and Ashley Cooke while Keith Dwyer-Greene played Raoul, Louise Russell played Carlotta, Eoin Sheedy was Piangia while Caolan Deehy-Power filled the shoes of Firmin.

Other main cast members were Alan Hearne as Giles André, Sandra Power as Madame Giry, Padraig Sheehan as Monsieur Reyer, Chris Hanlon as Joseph Buquet and Seamus Power as Monsieur Lefevre.

The show also featured a 34 member chorus and ballet troupe of nine dancers.

It was directed by Martin McNelis with Edel Quinlan in charge of choreography and Eamon O’Malley, the chorus master. Fergal Carroll was musical director and Martin Morrissey was production manager.

Ms O’Hanlon said there were some doubters when the Musical Society first accepted the challenge of staging the Irish Adult Amateur Premiere of Phantom of the Opera but the cast and production crew more rose to the challenge.

“To say we managed to do it in Carrick-on-Suir with a Carrick-on-Suir cast was just amazing. I am so proud of our town,” she declared.

Four more amateur musical societies around the country will stage Phantom of the Opera over the next year and a half.
They have a high standard to live up to after Carrick Musical Society’s trailblazing production.

This report and more social photos from Carrick-on-Suir Musical Society's production of Phantom of the Opera are published in this week's edition of The Nationalist on sale in local shops.