2009 - The Producers

Dates: 27th April - 2nd May

Irish Premiere Production of "The Producers"

Press Release - April 2009

The Producers is the ideal show for Wexford Light Opera Society to present this year given the current downturn in the economy, what everyone really needs at this time is a good old laugh and with the producers you are certainly guaranteed that.

Packed full of side-splitting comedy and great upbeat tunes you are bound to leave the Opera House in good humour. We welcome director Christine Scarry who returns after our successful run of Ragtime last year and Christine is assisted by a very able production team to include Fintan Cleary - Musical Director, Eanna McKenna - Chorus Master, Aisling Doyle - choreographer and John O' Donohue - Set Designer all of whom have worked with the Society before and we're delighted to have them on board once again this year. We're also delighted to welcome Robert Bradish - Stage Manager to Wexford for his first time working with the Society and I hope you're enjoying your time here with us. the cull cast is as follows:

Max Bialystock - George Lawlor
Loe Bloom - James McDermott
Roger De Bris - Tony Carty
Carmen Ghia - Pat Lawlor
Ulla - Tracy Leonard
Franz Liebkind - Owen Brady
Hold me, Touch me - Catherine Walsh
The Stormtrooper - Eric Hayes

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 receptions 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 shown simply would not go on and we thank you most sincerely.

Thanks to the Franciscan Community for the use of the Secular Franciscan Order Hall, Pat Gately for the use of St. John's Road School and Sr. Marie Jones for the use of the Faythe School for rehearsals. Grateful thanks must also go to our local media organizations - namely the People Newspapers, the Wexford Echo, the Wexford Free Press and South East Radio for their generous coverage or all our year round events.

The society has been busy since we were all here this time last year - Ragtime played to packed houses, as did our presentation of Hits from the Musicals in October. We collected €16000 for local charities through Carol Singing over the Festive Season.

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 year's production of The Producers is presented once again in association with bank of Ireland and I'd like to thank in particular Anne Kelly - Manager of the Wexford Branch for all her help and co-operation.

Press Release January 2009
Book and Music: Mel Brooks
Monday 27th April to Saturday 2nd May 2009.

This year's production "The Producers" is an outrageous, hilarious, a teeny bit naughty, off the wall, musical extravanganza with songs such as "We can do it" "I wanna be a Producer" and "Along came Bialy". The story features an impresario Max Bialystock and his accountant Leo Bloom who raise a lot of money to produce a show that has to fail on the opening night so that they can make off with the surplus cash to a life of luxury in South America. The two set about employing a washed out producer and a bunch of useless actors. Max finds a badly written sure flop script called "SPRINGTIME FOR HITLER" , a gay romp with Eva and Adolf at Berchtesgaden featuring songs such as "Springtime for Hitler". The opposite happens and the show is a hit. Pandemonium breaks out and Bialystock ends up in prison.

Comedy and mayhem from the onset you will find yourself holding your sides with laughter.

Our front line cast this year is as follows:

George Lawlor - Max Bialystock
James McDermott - Leo Bloom
Tracy Leonard - Ulla
Tony Carty - Robert De Bris
Pat Lawlor - Carmen Ghia
Owen Brady - Franz Liebkind
Eric Hayes - Storm Trooper
Catherine Walsh - Touch Me Feel Me

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