Carrick-on-Suir Musical Society will proudly present its 114th production, ‘Into The Woods’, in the Dick Meany Auditorium at the Strand Theatre from Saturday, March 3rd until Saturday, March 10th.Directed by Liam Butler, this fantastical adventure tells the story of a Baker and his wife who wish to have a child, Cinderella who wishes to attend the King’s Festival as well as Jack, who dreams of his beloved bovine, Milky White, giving milk.
Louise Mulcahy plays Cinderella
But when the Baker and his wife learn that they cannot have a child due to a Witch’s curse, they set off on a journey in a bid to break the curse.
And while many wishes are indeed granted over the course of this challenging production, the original brainchild of Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics; book by James Lapine), based on the Brothers Grimm fairytales, audiences are reminded of the old adage: be careful what you wish for!
As productions go, ‘Into The Woods’ represents a considerable undertaking from a performance, orchestral and set design perspective. Chorus Master Eamon O’Malley and Musical Director Fergal Carroll have been sanding off the melodic/harmonious edges synonymous with any show getting ready to hit the boards, with the 19 principals and ensemble chorus working well to strike the right notes between now and curtain up on March 3rd.
The Munster Express's own Dermot Keyes plays Rapunzel's Prince
‘Into the Woods’ is not so much about fantasy as it is about tolerance, the importance of family values, the value of parent/child relationships and an entertaining dose of reality!In the original Broadway production, the show’s Narrator was played by a man but the version staged at the open air theatre at Regents Park re-cast the role for a young boy, one which Liam Butler decided to emulate, with Cristian Nolan and Cormac Hennessy sharing the role, whose dedication has wowed the grown-ups in recent weeks!
The Baker is being played by Ray Nolan while Sandra Power will play as his wife, both of whom have played a litany of principal roles in the past. Multiple AIMS winner Irene Malone will play the Witch to wonderful effect while the remaining principal parts are:
* Louise Mulcahy as Cinderella
* Keith Dywer-Greene and Dermot Keyes as the Princes
* David O’Donovan as Jack and Pat Quinn Bolger as Jack’s Mother
* Ashley Cooke will be “high in a tower” as Rapunzel
* Jennifer Williams (Cinderella’s mother) and Helen Hahessy (Cinderella’s Stepmother)
* Tarryn Attley and Sheridan Brady (Lucinda and Florinda)
* Tobie Hickey returns to the Strand stage as the Mysterious Man
* Henry Fitzgerald and Laidhain O’Shea as Milky White
* Marie Kelly will be playing the sweet but knife wheeling Little Red Riding Hood and
* The Big Bad Wolf will be played by Chris Hanlon.
There’s never been a show staged like this in Carrick-on-Suir. You won’t want to miss it!
* With thanks to Caolán Deehy-Power.
Booking for ‘Into The Woods’ is now open at the Strand Theatre Box Office. Marian and her team are ready to take your order from Monday to Friday from 11am to 3pm (051-645050 – credit card bookings are available).
