Ballinrobe back with a classic

Mike Finnerty

AND now for something completely different.

After scaling the heights with Titanic, sweeping the boards with The Pirate Queen, and pushing the envelope with Come The Dawn, Ballinrobe Musical Society have decided to work their magic on a Disney classic this year.

Next Sunday afternoon the curtain comes up on ‘Beauty and The Beast’, the eighth most successful show in the history of musical theatre, as Ballinrobe put their own unique twist on a show that has already attracted a considerable amount of pre-booked ticket sales.

The reason? The Musical Society’s new online booking facility, via their website (www.ballinrobemusicalsociety.com) and also the impressive reputation of a show that has captured the imagination of young and old alike around the world for decades.

“It’s a show that’s very different,” explained Pat McGovern, Ballinrobe Musical Society Chairman last week.

“And I suppose, having watched the rise and demise of the Celtic Tiger, it’s about time we presented a fairytale.

“We like to present shows of contrasting nature,” he added. “We wanted to lift people’s mood and this show is bright, colourful and happy. We’re hoping that this will lift people up.

“Adults seem to enjoy it as much as kids. We want to try and bring something different to it.

“We want to put our own stamp on it. The singing will be strong, of course, but the visual presentation and the costumes, are a huge part of the production we’re doing.

“The central characters seem to be made for the parts. We’ve got seasoned performers and new talent too. It’s a really strong cast.”

Among those to watch out for next week are Niall Conway (The Beast) and Sinead Heneghan (Belle), the show’s principals, while Grainne McConnell, Seamus Cafferkey, Brendan Duignan, Siobhan Campbell, Mike Ansbro, Ger Mahon, Padraic Costello, Mariea Sheridan, Laura Rochford and Sadbh Langan are also among those strutting their stuff.

Keep an eye out too for PJ Feerick and David Moran, two young local school-boys who have been stealing the show at rehearsals playing the role of ‘Chip’.

This production, which has been in the making since last April, is being directed by Peter Kennedy who is in charge of his 14th show with Ballinrobe Musical Society.

John Roe also returns as Musical Director while Aoife McClafferty is back as Assistant Choreographer, and Martha O’Toole has come on board as Chorus Coach.

The backstage production crew, who have won the last two Best Technical AIMs awards, have also been burning the midnight oil to ensure plenty of thrills and spills for the audience.

Pat McGovern was also keen to pay tribute to the local business community who, once again, had thrown their financial weight and support behind the Musical Society’s annual production.

“I see this as more than just a show, it’s an expression of community,” he commented at last week’s launch.

“The sponsors have been incredible. The message that that sends is this is a vibrant and a strong community. It’s an area that has so much to offer.  We’re not just a Musical Society doing our own thing, we’re part of the social fabric of the community.

“We knew it was going to be difficult for people but, if anything, the sponsorship has increased. We’ll be remembering that, and we’ll be conscious of that, when we go out on stage.”

 This article first appeared in The Mayo News on Tuesday, February 7