2008 - Ragtime

Dates: 26th April - 3rd May

Tony Carty as 'Coalhouse' in Ragtime

2008 AIMS Awards For WLOS

Congratulations to WLOS for winning three AIMS awards for their production of Ragtime.

At the annual AIMS Seminar in the INEC in Killarney, from an overall seven nominations, WLOS accepted the Best Gilbert & Sullivan/Pre 1935 Show/Modern Opera Award, the Best Technical (Lighting, Set & Sound) and Tony Carty won his second Best Singer award in three years for his portrayal of Coalhouse Walker Jr.

WLOS also came 2nd place in the Overall Show Award.

Other categories in which WLOS were nominated were Best Musical Director - Fintan Cleary, Best Stage Manager - Nora Cosgrave, and Best Chorus.

Well done to all the cast and crew for this great achievement!

Ragtime

Press Release April 08

Ragtime is a story about life in America at the beginning of the 20th century. The show illustrates issues of the day - from immigration, racism and politics to industrialisation and social upheaval. Historical figures intermingle with fictional characters. The show focuses on three families - one upper-middle class, white Anglo-Saxon Protestant, one socialist immigrant Jewish and one Harlem Black - whose intersecting lives are influenced by the Ragtime era's social challenges.

Those of you unfamiliar with the show itself, will certainly be acquainted with some of its music, 'Till We Reach That Day' and 'Your Daddy’s Son', both of which featured in our Hits from the Musicals presentation last October.

Nicky Kehoe, Laura Power as 'Little Girl' and Pat Lawlor as 'Tateh' in Ragtime

There seems to be a great buzz around about Ragtime at the moment, not just locally but nationally – amongst other Musical Societies – this is partly due to the fact that Ragtime is rarely presented. It’s rarely presented because it’s a huge show to stage – saying that – I think (and I’m sure the cast will agree) we’ve risen to the challenge once more. During rehearsals last Thursday night there was a great sense of excitement about the whole thing – but then you couldn’t help but be excited about Ragtime. It’s packed full of beautiful tunes and also a great dramatic piece.

The full cast for Ragtime is as follows:

Daniel Furlong as 'Little Boy' in Ragtime

Coalhouse Walker Jnr. – Tony Carty
Sarah – Maria Fitzgerald
Mother – Siobhan Fawsitt
Father – Owen Brady
Tateh – Pat Lawlor
Younger Brother – James McDermott
Little Boy – Daniel Furlong
Little Girl– Laura Power
Grandfather – Thomas Murray
Evelyn Nesbitt – Catriona Nolan
Emma Goldman – Elizabeth Rose Browne
Booker T Washington – Bill Stafford
Harry Houdini – Eric Hayes
Henry Ford – Maurice McCarthy
JP Morgan – Michael Dunbar
Will Conklin – Noel Butler
Sarah's Friend – Esse Agesse

There are a host of other named parts, too numerous to mention.

Members of the 'Harlem Chorus' in Ragtime

We welcome Director – Christine Scarry who joins us for the first time this year and Christine is assisted by a very able production team to include Fintan Cleary – Musical Director, Éanna McKenna – Chorus Master and Nora Cosgrave – Stage Manager – all of whom have worked with the Society on previous productions and we’re delighted to have them on board once again this year. We’re also delighted to welcome Aisling Doyle – Choreographer and John O’Donohue – Set Design to Wexford for their first time working with the Society and I hope you’re enjoying your time here with us.

Catriona Nolan as 'Evelyn Nesbitt' & James McDermott as 'Younger Brother' in Ragtime

The production department is ably assisted by a great Front of House and Backstage team of people who work in all the various departments from Box Office to Wardrobe, Make-up and Hair to Red Room Bar or Crew to Canteen, they’re all very important elements that make up the bigger picture that is Wexford Light Opera Society and without the dedicated team of people in all these departments – the Show simply would not go on and we thank you most sincerely.

The Gala Performance of Ragtime, The Musical takes place on Sunday night the 27th April and the proceeds of the night go to the Brand Spanking New Wexford Opera House and I’m sure we’ll have a Full House for that performance.

Members of the 'Harlem Chorus' in Ragtime

Thanks to the Dún Mhuire Theatre for providing us with a home for the last three years and in Particular thanks to Fr. Jim Fegan Parish Administrator and Jackie Whelan for all their help. Thanks also to The Franciscan Community for the use of the Secular Franciscan Order Hall for rehearsals. Grateful thanks must also go to our local Media organizations – namely People Newspapers, The Wexford Echo, The Wexford Free Press and South East Radio for their generous coverage of all our year round events.

The Society has been busy since we were all here this time last year – The Gondoliers played to packed houses, as did our presentation of Hits from the Musicals in October. We collected €20,000 for local charities through Carol Singing over the Festive Season and indeed we take to the road shortly after Ragtime to perform Hits from the Musicals during the AIMS Choral Festival in New Ross.

Dun Mhuire Theatre 26th April - 3rd May

Cost’s of staging a Production as big as Ragtime are enormous and Box Office receipts alone don’t make ends meet. The Society is fortunate to have very generous Sponsors on board and I’m delighted to announce that this years production of Ragtime is presented once again in association with Bank of Ireland. This is in fact the tenth year that Bank of Ireland have been our main sponsors and I’d like to thank in particular Anne Kelly – Manager of the Wexford Branch for all her help and co-operation and we wish them well with the opening of their new state of the art premises which opens in the next few months.

We thank also our other nightly Sponsors – Diageo, Nationwide Fireworks, The Ferrycarrig Hotel, The Environmental Protection Agency, The Talbot Hotel, Bolands of Wexford and C&D Providers. Greentree Developments are our Programme Sponsor, Impression Print sponsor our Poster Design and Print and Simon and Nicky Lambert of Simons Place sponsor our Holiday Raffle. Thank you all most sincerely.

Esse Agesse as 'Sarah's Friend' in Ragtime

Ragtime

26th April - 3rd May 2008

Wexford Light Opera Society have set themselves an ambitious project for next year, by selecting the smash hit musical Ragtime' as their 2008 production.

This will be the first time that the award-winning musical has ever been staged in the south east, and promises to be another smash hit for the multi-talented members of WLOS.

Ragtime' is an epic musical by composer Stephen Flaherty and lyricist Lynn Ahrens. It paints a nostalgic and powerful portrait of life at the turn of the century in America.

The story unfolds in such varied settings as Ellis Island, Broadway, Harlem and Manhatten's Lower East Side.

Owen Brady as 'Father' & Siobhan Fawsitt as 'Mother' in Ragtime

Interwoven with major historic events at the time, the heart of Ragtime' is the story of three remarkable families - one upper middle class, one socialist immigrant Jewish, and one Harlem Black. All of their lives become dramatically intertwined with one another, and with the historical characters of the period.

The scale of the musical, which will be staged in Dun Mhuire from April 26 to May 3, presents a huge challenge for the Society, and auditions will begin immediately after this years Hits from the Musicals'production in November.

Anyone interest in taking part should pass their name along to any Society member.

More details of auditions will be published closer to the date.

Press Report - Wexford People - Wednesday April 16 2008.

One of the most epic of modern musicals lands on the Dun Mhuire stage next week, when Wexford Light Opera Society present Ragtime'.

This is undoubtedly one of the biggest productions ever undertaken by the award-winning group, who have previously staged to critical acclaim shows like Jekyll & Hyde', Sweeney Todd', Chess' and Man of La Mancha'.

Ragtime' is set in New York at the turn of the 20th century, at a time when America becomes a melting pot of cultures. Characters range from the wealthy and white New Rochelle family who live on a mansion on the hill, to the immigrant Latvian widower, Tateh and his daughter who come to the US on a death ship'.

The show also chronicles the story of Coalhouse Walker jnr, a Harlem ragtime musician, and Sarah, the woman he loves, and loses.

All of these complex and varied characters collide in Ragtime', and their lives are never the same again. The show illustrates many issues from immigration to racism, politics and industrialisation and social upheaval.

Once again Wexford Light Opera Society have gathered together an array of award-winning local talent to play the many complex characters in Ragtime'.

Playing the part of Coalhouse Walker jnr is Tony Carty, whose portrayal of Jeckyll & Hyde two years ago earned him an all-Ireland award for best male singer'. He plays opposite the beautiful Maria Fitzgerald in the role of Sarah'.

Heading up the New Rochelle household is matriarch, Siobhan Fawsitt as Mother'. Another multi-award winner, Siobhan is joined by Owen Brady as Father', James McDermott as Younger Brother', Thomas Murray as Grandfather' and Daniel Furlong as the little boy, Edgar.

Playing the role of the immigrant Tateh is Pat Lawlor, while his daughter is played by the talented 10 year old, Laura Power. Racist fire chief, Will Conklin is played by Noel Butler.

There are also a host of historical characters in the show who include Elizabeth Rose Brown as the anarchist, Emma Goldman; Catriona Nolan as vaudeville star, Eveylin Nesbitt; Bill Stafford as black civil rights motivator, Booker T. Wishgton; Eric Hayes as escapist, Harry Houdini; Maurice McCarthy as Henry Ford and Michael Dunbar as J.P. Morgan.

Directing the show this year is Christine Scarry who is assisted by Fintan Cleary as Musical Director, Aisling Doyle as Choreographer; Eanna McKenna, chorus master and stage manager, Nora Cosgrave.

The show was officially launched at a reception in Greenacres last Tuesday night, but will hit the Dun Mhuire stage on Saturday, April 26 until Saturday, May 3 (inclusive).

Tickets go on sale this Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Telephone 053-9123061 or 053-9174808.

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