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 Thurles Musical Society Committee 2010 Noel Dundon, senior reporter with the Tipperary Star Newspaper and PRO for Thurles Musical Society, posts this exciting community news.
Thurles Musical Society will premiere the hit show Jekyll and Hyde in the Premier Hall, Thurles from Tuesday March 23rd to Saturday March 27th, 2010 with the promise of great music, entertainment, song and dance.
With music by Frank Wildhorn and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse, Jekyll and Hyde has become one of the most popular musicals on Broadway and the West End and has packed theatres throughout the world.
The mammoth role of Jekyll and Hyde will be played by Michael McLoughlin, a well known and popular figure in Thurles who has starred in many previous productions. This is a huge role for Michael whose last outing was as Coalhouse Walker Junior in Ragtime – a role which earned him an AIMS nomination.
Linda Ryan plays the part of Lucy Harris; Joan Farrell is Emma Carew; Jonathon Gleeson plays John Utterson; John Scott is Sir Danvers Carew; John Hayes is Mr Simon Stride; Dixie Byrne – Lord Savage; Brendan Bailey, taking his first outing with Thurles Musical Society, is the Bishop of Basingstoke; Nina Scott is Lady Beaconsfield; Brian Gleeson is Sir Archibald Proops; Barry Derby is General Lord Glossop; Shane Willoughby is Spider; and Nellie is played by Michelle O’Connell.
Almost everywhere it has has been staged, Jekyll and Hyde has thrilled audiences with it’s passion, secrecy, darkness and of course single-minded desire.
Thurles welcomes back Director Tony Finnegan for this show. Tony has previously directed the society’s huge success Jesus Christ Superstar in 2009, and The Hot MIkado in 2000, which won Best Overall Show at the annual AIMS Awards. Tony will be ably assisted by Mary Butler as Assistant Director.
Mary Rose McNally is once again the Musical Director/Conductors chair while the Choreography is being looked after by Trisha McElgunn and Rosalie Butler. Tommy Sweeney returns as Stage Manager while Rita Callanan will be Stage Director.
The original stage conception for Jekyll and Hyde was by Steve Cuden and Frank Wildhorn. The music was composed by Wildhorn and the lyrics were written by Leslie Bricusse. Adapted from Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 novella “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” Jekyll & Hyde tells the story of Dr. Henry Jekyll, a brilliant young doctor and research scientist who, distraught over his father’s mental illness, embarks upon a quest to isolate the dual elements of good and evil that are constantly struggling for supremacy inside every human being. However, when his experiment backfires, Jekyll inadvertently gives life to Edward Hyde, his evil alter ego, a murderous being who will let loose a reign of terror on the city of London and those who had ridiculed Jekyll’s research.
Jekyll & Hyde was originally produced in 1990 at the Houston’s Tony Award-winning Alley Theatre. An instantaneous success with audiences and critics alike, it went on to break box office records, and its original run was extended four times during that first summer. In 1995, the show was remounted by Houston’s Theater Under the Stars and Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theater. Adding to the shows momentum, stars such as Liza Minnelli and The Moody Blues soon began to record songs from the show. Finally, on April 28, 1997, Jekyll & Hyde made its Broadway debut at the Plymouth Theatre. Another resounding success, this production was nominated for 4 Tony Awards. Robert Cuccioli (Jekyll/Hyde) won the Drama Desk award for Best Actor in a Musical. And Linda Eder (Lucy) won a 1997 Theater World Award for Outstanding Debut Performer in New York City. The show ran for 1,543 regular performances, closing on January 7, 2001 and is the longest-running show in the history of the Plymouth Theatre.
Tickets can be booked at the Booking Office in Hickey’s Pharmacy, Liberty Square, Thurles (0504 21423).
Note: Balcony seats cost €20 for adults and €10 for children. Tickets for downstairs are €15 for adults and €10 Euro for children. OAP’s will be half price on Tuesday and Wednesday’s only. Family tickets costing €50 for balcony and €40 Euro downstairs are now also available.
Watch this site for further news as TMS go into rehersals and remember to book tickets early to avoid disappointment.
Hereunder, is a brief sneak preview of shows planned for February 2010, at the Source Arts Centre here in Thurles.
Yes indeed, February promises to be an exiting month for all who enjoy their night out to the Theatre.
February 3rd.
The Twitters
The Twitters’ live performance presents children with classic songs like Nelly the Elephant, Puff the Magic Dragon, There’s a Big Ship Sailing on the Ille Alle O and many more, agus tá cupla amhraníocht as Gaeilge
Time: 10am and 12noon: Ticket Price – €10.
February 4th to 25th inc.
Saints and Scholars Revisited
 The Source Arts Centre A unique virtual heritage experience, presented by Thurles Library
Time: 10am – 5pm daily
February 10th.
A Serious Man
Imaginatively exploring questions of faith, familial responsibility, delinquent behaviour, dental phenomena, academia, mortality and Judaism – and intersections thereof- this is a pitch perfect black comedy of despair.
Time: 8pm. Ticket Price – €8/€6 concession €5 Film Club Members.
February 11th.
Eduardo Niebla
Hailed as one of the world’s great guitarists, Eduardo Niebla appears with his internationally acclaimed guitar duo (Ricardo Garcia) to present an evening of flamenco gypsy jazz.
Time: 8pm. Ticket Price – €18/€16 concession
February 12th.
David O’Doherty: David O’Doh-Party.
Award winner returns to The Source Arts Centre with a tiny keyboard and a brand new show. Uplifting! Hilarious! Surprising!
Time: 8pm. Ticket Price – €18/€16 concession
February 13th.
Nun the Wiser
Sister Triona recounts the bittersweet, comic story of a modern, emancipated woman answering ‘The Call’ and reveals what really goes on beneath the habit.
Time: 8pm. Ticket Price – €18/€16 concession
February 22nd to 27th inc .
Thurles Drama Group Present “The Aristocrats” By Brian Friel
Three sisters and their ‘peculiar’ brother are home for a family wedding. An unexpected tragedy disturbs arrangements. Exploration of family and other relationships highlight the impact of unreal expectation in a home where they were ‘different’ from the villagers.
Time: 8pm. Ticket Price – €15/€10 concession
Hereunder, is a brief sneak preview of shows planned for January 2010, at the Source Arts Centre here in Thurles.
Yes indeed, January promises to be an exiting month for all who enjoy their night out to the Theatre.
JANUARY 6th 2010.
The First Day of the Rest of Your Life.
This is the first of a new film programme. A funny and moving portrait of a close but chaotic French family.
Tickets: € 8 / €6 concession / €5 Film Club Members. Time 8.00 pm.
JANUARY 9th 2010.
 The Source, Thurles,Tipperary's No1 Theatre Venue. The Zeroes.
Come and support Thurles’ very own rock band, celebrating the release of their new single!
Tickets: € 5. Time 8.00 pm
JANUARY 13th 2010.
Fish Tank.
The long awaited second feature film from Andrea Arnold – director of the internationally praised Red Road.
Tickets: € 8/ €6 concession / €5 Film Club Members. Time: 8.00 pm
JANUARY 14th 2010.
Music Network Present – The Homecoming (Ireland).
Forget all the hype about the Irish Brand –these guys are the real deal. All four left Ireland to ply their musical trade in the United States in the 1980s and 90s. They went, they played and they conquered.
Tickets: € 18 / €16 concession. Time: 8.00 pm
JANUARY 15th and 16th 2010.
Pranked.
Thurles’ Fracture Youth Theatre – with their own live band!
Tickets: € 7. Time: 7.00 pm
JANUARY 20th 2010.
Goodbye, Lenin.
Schools’ Film Club screening of this funny look at life before and after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Tickets: € 4. Time: 10.00 am
JANUARY 23rd 2010.
Brian Kennedy.
The moment Brian Kennedy springs onto stage and the first notes ring out, you know the magic is about to happen!
Tickets: € 28 / €26 concession. Time: 8.00 pm
JANUARY 28th 2010.
CoisCeim Dance Theatre’s Double Bill.
A dynamic double bill from one of Ireland’s greatest dance companies who put theatre into dance!
Tickets: € 18 / €16 concession / €12 for groups of 10 plus. Time: 8.00 pm
JANUARY 30th 2010.
Love Letters.
Starring Bryan Murray and Una Crawford O’Brien from Fair City.
Love Letters chronicles the relationship between Andy and Melissa through their hilarious and moving correspondence.
Their poignantly funny friendship and ill-fated romance takes them from second grade through adolescence, maturity and into middle age. A compelling story.
Tickets: €20/€18 concession. Time: 8.00 pm
JANUARY 31st 2010.
Ardal O’Hanlon.
A highly acclaimed stand up comedy, with extensive TV credits including Father Ted, My Hero and most recent Val Falvey TD.
Tickets: €25. Time: 8.00 pm
 The Pied Piper The Pied Piper, a community Panto featuring a cast of over 60 children, teenagers and adults, with surprise appearances from a different celebrity Mayor for every show begins on Saturday next at the Source Arts Centre here in Thurles.
This year expect Rats n’ Rappers, Music n’ Songs, Stolen Sausages, nibbled Christmas Cake, Holey Cheese and a Magical Mountain, all set in a video wonderland!
This wonderful show opens on the 12th December next and runs until December 20th.
It’s clever, it’s hilariously funny, it’s a guaranteed midwinter tonic.
Will it be Michael Lowry TD, Thurles Mayor Evelyn Nevin or Austin Broderick?
Who is going to save our town?
To find out come along and celebrate the spirit of Christmas at this year’s Source Christmas Panto.
Special group child rate and family tickets available.
Tickets available by phoning 0504-90204 or visit www.thesourceartscentre.ie
 The Hot Mikado is a show that should be familiar to every respective musical romancer in Thurles, even to those of you who only fleetingly flirt with the odd show here and there.
Established traditions of changing The Mikado by theatre land
Adapted from the original 1885 The Mikado, the Swing Mikado, the Cool Mikado, the Hot Mikado and even the Condensed Mikado have all, at one stage or another flown the flag for The Mikado in theatres across the world. However, in a bizarre fusion and synthesis of cultural stereotypes and trans-pacific taboos, an almost 125-year-old light opera was merged with 1940s swing music to create probably the most famous contemporary version to spawn from the throngs of the original Mikado’s primordial soup. The result, David H. Bells and Rob Bowman’s collective brainchild, the Hot Mikado, a jazzed-up version of Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Mikado. This is the version which will flex its musical muscle before you, between August 5th-8th (four nights only showing) here in the Premier Hall, Thurles, Co.Tipperary.
The miracle that is The Mikado
Despite its constant re-invention and adaptation, it’s nothing short of a miracle that the original story which beats at the heart of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado has remained intact and unscathed over the years. Ostensibly set in Japan, The Mikado was originally intended to poke some fun at the England’s Victorian bourgeoisie, many of whom had seized on a fad for all things Japanese. With the Hot Mikado, Bowman and Bell created a spoof upon a spoof, playing broadly on Gilbert & Sullivan’s story of the minstrel Nanki-Poo, who, so desperate and keen to marry the girl of his dreams, Yum-Yum, agrees to be beheaded, after only a month of wedded bliss so that Yum-Yum’s guardian, Ko-Ko can claim her as his bride and please the bloodthirsty and unruly ‘ruler’ of the land, the Mikado. Despite its modern gloss, the story of the Mikado essentially remains as it was originally conditioned in our hotter rendition, as do most aspects of Sullivan’s score as well as Gilbert’s original humorous satirical twang.
The first chapter is surely the most important in any book, setting the tone for every laugh, every celebration, every scandal, every disaster, every tear shed, every joyous shout and every ringing cheer that lies ahead. That in mind, this Thurles’ Hot Mikado’ production have achieved just that, setting a precedent for the rest of their second decade as show stoppers. So why not come along and meet, first hand, the ladies and gentlemen of Phoenix Productions.
This show has all the qualities of mainstream professional theatre, portraying West End quality with not a hint of amateur production in sight.
Diary Dates
Venue: Premier Hall, Thurles, Co.Tipperary.
Date: August 5th, 6th, 7th & 8th next 2009
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