The inaugural Carrick Music Theatre Festival will be held at the Strand Theatre this Saturday and Sunday, September 28th and 29th and promises to showcase ‘Irish musical theatre at its best’.
The event, which was launched at the Strand Theatre on August 8th shall see four Musical Societies – Carrick-on-Suir, Thurles, Wexford Light Opera and St Michael’s New Ross compete for the Dick Meany Trophy, with Tony Finnegan adjudicating each performance.
“Tony brings a vast experience of Musical Theatre with him and was highly regarded during his time as adjudicator for the Waterford International Festival of Light Opera,” said Festival Chairman Pádraig Sheehan.
“Tony will give a verbal adjudication from the stage each night and a written adjudication for each society after the festival. Tony offers his apologies as he cannot be with us this evening.”
“When this theatre was officially opened in 2003, the late Dick Meany and myself had the idea of a festival for Musical Societies that did not feature a major cost involved in competing,” Pádraig added.
“It would give musical societies an opportunity to perform in front of a new audience other than their usual loyal supporters. There would also the opportunity to compete in a competition, and as we know everyone likes to compete and hopefully win.”
With that in mind, the latest Carrick-on-Suir Economic Forum, co-ordinated by the town’s Tourism, Development, and Economic Committee (COSTDEC) agreed that the Strand Theatre could be used “to generate some tourism in Carrick”.
Pádraig added: “With that in mind, I was approached by COSTDEC regarding the Strand Theatre and I brought up the idea of a festival and it was agreed to look into the possibility of running it.
