Entertainment
Tuam Youth Theatre in spotlight with new production of West Side Story
It has been some journey for Tuam Youth Theatre since the group was founded just six years ago. In those few years, it has gone from strength to strength.
Its members have performed some challenging shows and the group has had a solid if a continuously revolving cast.
Now the young performers are performing West Side Story, which will run from Wednesday, August 5, to Friday, August 8, in the Mercy Secondary School.
Tuam Youth Theatre was established by Gillian Geraghty, the daughter of Esther and John Geraghty, who have played a huge part in the success of this group.
A superb cast of local talent will join forces to present West Side Story, the award-winning modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet.
The feuding families from Shakespeare’s Verona have become two warring New York City gangs in this American musical – the white Jets led by Riff (Conor Flaherty) and the Puerto Rican Sharks, led by Bernardo (Jamie Harte).
Their hatred escalates to a point where neither can coexist with any form of understanding. But when Riff’s best friend (and former Jet) Tony (Conor Walsh) and Bernardo’s younger sister Maria (Hannah Rhatigan) meet at a dance, no one can do anything to stop this relationship.
Maria and Tony begin meeting in secret, and begin planning to run away. Then the Sharks and Jets decide to have a rumble under the highway – whoever wins gains control of the streets.
Maria sends Tony to stop it, hoping to end the violence. It all goes terribly wrong, and before the lovers know what’s happened, tragedy strikes and doesn’t stop until the climactic and heart-breaking ending.
Other performers in this production of West Side Story include: Hannah Wright (Anita), Jack Lee (Action), Sam Lee (A-Rab), Thomas Connern (Chino), Eoin Mullins (Baby John), Cian Forde (Snowboy), Eoin Greally (Big Deal), Neal McHugh (Diesel), Áine Neenan (Girl), Kate MacDonnell (Rosalia), Ollie Turner (Doc), Mervyn Fahy (Schrank), Mike Flaherty (Krupke), Róisín Fowley (Velma), Caoimhe Glynn (Graziella), Alisha Garvey (Consuela) and Mary Newell (Francisca).
Tuam Youth Theatre has become synonymous with providing the highest standard of amateur musicals in the past six years. The group has previously staged Hairspray, Our House, Footloose, Beauty and the Beast, The Wizard of Oz, Les Miserables, and Miss Saigon and this is will be its eight production.
A cast of almost 60, from all parts of the county, who are both in second and third level education, will present this latest classic musical, which is sure to appeal to audiences of all ages.
West Side Story will be staged in the Mercy Secondary School at 8pm nightly. Tickets cost €15 and there is a special on Wednesday night only for €10. The tickets are available from Quinn’s shop on Bishop Street and Geraghty’s Maxol garage.
Folk duo Niall Teague and Pádraic Joyce are launching their new album What Will We Be, a blend of folk, Americana and acoustic music, this Friday, May 19, at 8pm in An Taibhdhearc.
The success of their well-received 2020 release Taobh le Taobh, as well as recent successes at the Pan Celtic and Oireachtas Song Contests, spurred the duo on to record this new album which represents many years of collaboration and musical development.
It features Niall and Pádraic on vocals, harmonies, and acoustic guitars, Maidhc Ó hÉanaigh on double bass and Neil Fitzgibbon on fiddle. The catchy title track, What Will We Be, features contributions from percussionist Jim Higgins (The Stunning, Christy Moore, Paul Brady) and haunting, driving melodies on vocals, guitar, and fiddle.
Themes of love and hope are woven through Come Away with Me which features interplay between piano and fiddle as well as rich vocal harmonies.
People, places, and broken dreams are celebrated and lamented on Martin and Tom, Guitar Gold, Memories of You and Achill Island. The influence of David Henry Thoreau’s novel Walden features on the tracks Simple and Wise and Walden, with the beauty of nature, escape and simple pleasures at their core.
The album moves from minimalistic folk ballads such as Galway Ghost to swirling, string-laden arrangements on the song Neptune, both of which are influenced by maritime tales from Galway. Much of the work on this album was supported by the Arts Council, including work with musical arranger Eoin Corcoran and the string ensemble Treo.
The album will be launched this Friday, May 19, at 8pm in an Taibhdhearc. Tickets €22, plus booking fee at Eventbrite.ie.
Dunmore is the place to be this weekend for lovers of traditional music, as the Galway County Fleadh will take place there from this Friday, May 19, to Sunday, May 23.
It is 10 years since Dunmore last hosted a fleadh and the local Comhaltas branch, which has re-formed since Covid, is looking forward to facilitating this gathering of music, song, dance and craic.
The official Opening Concert will take place in Dunmore Town Hall this Friday at 8pm with the acclaimed Mulcahy family from Limerick. Mick, Louise and Michelle are well known throughout the country, thanks to their live performances, television appearances and numerous CDs. They were the winners of the TG4 Gradam Ceoil Grúpa Ceoil Award for 2023. Tickets for their concert can be purchased on the door and a great night of music is promised.
Two days of competitions will kick off this Saturday at the town’s Community School, with more than 1,500 competitors taking part. Participants will be hoping to qualify for the Connacht Fleadh 2023, which will be held in Ballina, County Mayo, from June 23 to July 2.
Competitions for those aged Under 10, Under 12 and Under 15 will be held in a large variety of instruments on Saturday, as well as in singing and Comhrá Gaeilge. Sunday’s competitions will be for the Under 18 and Over 18 ages groups, as well as in dancing.
On both days a large entry is expected for Grúpaí Cheoil and Céilí Band competitions across all age groups.
Seventeen Comhaltas branches from across Galway will have participants in this weekend’s competitions, which will result in a large number of visitors to the Dunmore area.
Members of the public are welcome to attend the competitions, which offer a great opportunity to hear and see the talent on display. There will be sessions in local pubs over the weekend as well and everybody is welcome to attend these.
For more information on the County Fleadh, go to www.galwaycomhaltas.ie.
Music for Galway’s concert with renowned Swiss pianist Cédric Pescia which had been due to take place on April 27 but which had to be deferred, will now take place next Tuesday, May 23, at 8pm, in the Emily Anderson Concert Hall at the University of Galway.
This concert of German classics with Bach at its core, will brings the Bach element of Music for Galway’s 41st season to an end.
This world-class pianist who won the famous Gina Bachauer International Artists Piano Competition, has a repertoire that spans many eras from baroque to contemporary and he is widely known for his elaborate programmes. Cédric Pescia describes music as ‘language and movement at the same time’.
Audiences will have a chance to experience his soft, clear touch as he performs a programme for solo piano that will include classics such as Schumann’s popular Waldszenen (Forest Scenes), a suite of nine short pieces, and the penultimate of Beethoven’s piano sonatas, No. 31. These pieces will be interspersed with French Suites by Bach.
■ Ticket for Cédric Pescia’s concert are available at www.musicforgalway.ie, or by phone 091 705962 and on the door on the night. They cost €20/€18. The price for fulltime students of all ages is €6 while MfG Friends can avail of the friends’ rate of €16.
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