www.communityvoice.ie - Art news from Dublin 15

A good old-fashioned night out

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best.

Take one local yet nationally-acclaimed musical society. Put them on a stage and get them to belt out songs from some of the best loved musicals of recent times. Where can you go wrong?

Following the recent success of Copacabana, Coolmine Musical Society is back with a bang for what looks like being two sell-out shows at Blanchardstown’s premier theatre venue. Over 40 performers, including at least twelve soloists, will deliver an evening of Andrew Lloyd Webber songs, featuring hits from such works as Joseph, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Starlight Express, the Phantom of the Opera and many more.

“It is very strange but in all our years, we have never yet done an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical,” says marketing officer Kate Furlong. “Every time we’ve done a concert, rather than a show, we have always thrown in a couple of Lloyd Webber numbers for good measure and they have always been received very well, so this year Frank Beadle – who is multi-tasking in the directing and performing departments – suggested we do a complete evening of his songs.

“Most of the songs are very well-known but I’m sure there will be a couple that are not widely recognised as being from the ALW songbook. This is very much Frank’s baby but we are all loving it to bits. Its much more relaxed than doing a full blooded show.”

One of the advantages of just doing a few songs from each ALW show is that you don’t have to buy any rights, providing you don’t use twenty minutes worth of material from any one musical.

Among the soloists will be Fergal Harrington and Claire Quigley who won great acclaim for their portrayals of Tony and Lola respectively in Copacabana. Chorus master and band member Eoghan Connolly also featured in that production, while Dermot O’Callaghan is new to the group but is turning into a very popular musical director.

“We have been very fortunate in CMS to get new people joining at regular intervals,” says Kate. “You find that very often things can get a little jaded in the immediate aftermath of a big show like Hello Dolly or The Merry Widow, but getting new people in always brings new impetus to the troupe.

“We really feel that we have a great pool of talent here now and the rehearsals are coming on great. And just to put the record straight, we will not insist that our soloists perform on roller skates for the Starlight Express numbers.

“Music of the Night” by the Coolmine Musical Society plays Draiocht’s main auditorium on Thursday 24th and Friday 25th April at 8pm.

Tickets are €20 / €15

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