1975 show boat

toe

Gaiety Theatre Dublin Directors Eam onn Andrews, Lorcan Bourke, Fred O’Donovan Derm od Cafferky, Tom Walsh & Joe Kearns

COMMENCING 11th MARCH 1975 RATHMINES & RATHGAR MUSICAL SOCIETY Presents

SHOW BOAT Book and Lyrics by OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II Music by JEROME KERN

10p

w A GAIETY EVENING FIRST ACT Meet in the Gaiety. Have a drink in comfort before the show.

Bars open 7.30 p.m. Order and pay for drinks for the interval.

INTERVAL Your drinks are ready and waiting for you at your table.

You’re saved time and trouble.

ENCORE Relax after the show.

Have a drink. The bars are always open for half an hour after curtain fall.

FINALE

4 liiltU U

tru st You eni°ye d y ° ur Ga ie ty evening

come a g ain !

Licenced Bars on all Floors.

GAIETY

THEATRE

SOUTH KING STREET, DUBLIN 2 Telegrams “Gaiety Dublin”

Telephone 771717

Resident M an ag er: JOE KEARNS

COMMENCING TUESDAY 11th MARCH 1975

RATHMINES & RATHGAR MUSICAL SOCIETY Presents

HOW BOAT Based on the novel “ Show B oat” by EDNA FERBER Book and Lyrics by OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II M usic by JEROME KERN (by arrangement w ith Chappell & Co. Ltd.) Musical D irector TERRY O’CONNOR L.R.A.M. C horeographer JUNE GLAZIER Assistant C horeographer PAULINE BARRY Settings designed and executed by Gaiety Theatre W orkshop Costumes by P. J. BOURKE & CO.

Directed by ALAN SIMPSON FOR RATHMINES & RATHGAR MUSICAL SOCIETY Stage D irector Stage Manager Production Secretary Chorus Master Hon. General Secretary Hon. Business Secretary Hon Treasurer Public Relations Wardrobe Master W ardrobe Mistress

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BETTY LONG PAULA RYAN URSULA WALSH F. W. DUNGAN PATRICK CAMPBELL SEAN HOGAN THOMAS MURTAGH GLADYS MacNEVIN MICHAEL CULLEN CYNTHIA TAYLOR

Block Booking Enquiries: Fred Taylor, "D a rtry", Ardtona Avenue, Dublin 14 Telephone 981249

B JE W S& M *,u{ H tZ & G E S

Reserve a box for the interval!

Made in Dublin PACKETS CARRY A GOVERNMENT HEALTH WARNING

THE SHOW WITH THE MILLION DOLLAR TITLE One day away back in 1927 Jerome Kern called Oscar Hammerstein II and said: “ How would you like to do a show fo r Ziegfeld? — It’s got a m illion-dollar t i t l e it’s called SHOWBOAT” Kern had picked up a copy of Edna Ferber’s novel of the same name. Even before he finished it, he was con­ vinced that it was a perfect story for the musical he wanted to write with Hammerstein. The plot made sense. The locales were colourful. The characters were believeable.

Losing no tim e he bought the stage rights from the author, got Hammerstein’s agreement to work w ith him and per­ suaded Z iegfeld to produce the show.

The world premiere was staged in Washington on Novem­ ber 15, 1927. It was the thirteenth musical for which Ham­ merstein contributed both lyrics and libretto. It was gener­ ally accepted as the first modern Am erican musical play.

Kern and Hammerstein were careful that each o f the songs shoufd have a definite purpose in the story, and they had the lovers, Ravenal and M agnolia in mind, when they wrote the three nostalgic numbers — "O nly Make Believe" — “ You Are Love" and "W hy Do I Love You.” Ellie’s comedy song "L ife Upon the Wicked Stage” tells of the lack of real glamour behind the lights, and Julie in "C a n 't Help Lovin' dat Man” underlines her own fife story.

To complete the show it was necessary to incorporate two more songs. One was the then 35-year-old Victorian ballad “ After The Bail” by Charles K. Harris, which Magnolia sings towards the end o f the second act.

The second song was “ B ill” jointly w ritten by Kern and the late lamented P. G. Wodehouse. It is sung by Julie during the second act.

Hammerstein’s gentle philosophy enabled him to write w ith compassion and understanding of the negro’s prob­ lems which w ere at their height in the Twenties. When the famous song, "O /' Man River” was com pleted, he decided after much thought, that it should go to one of the coloured dock workers, rather than to a major character. It is sung

by Joe early in the show and is ‘ reprised’ many times before its end. Stanley Green, in his biography of Hammer­ stein says ‘A t last an author’s concern for his fellow man could be used logically w ithin the fram ew ork of a Broadway musical’.

In London’s Drury Lane, Showboat ran for 350 perform­ ances from May 3 1928 to March 2 1929. Edith Day as Magnolia and Paul Robeson (Joe) led the cast. Such was the im pact of Robeson’s voice on London audiences, that he was forced to give special afternoon performances during the whole of that run — they were always to packed houses.

The play is in two acts. A ct One with eight scenes is set in the late 1880’s on the M ississippi, aboard the “ Cotton Blossom.” A ct Two, with seven scenes as a background Chicago’s W orld Fair in 1893, bringing the story up to 1927. “ Showboat” has twice been film ed and is the classic story o f some very loveable people set against the richly rom antic background of a great river.

SHOW

BOAT

CAST OF CHARACTERS WINDY

Pat Lawlor

KIM .......................................................... Sheila Smith

STEVE ................................. ................... Donal Dixon

JAKE ................................................. Henry Kennedy

PETE ................................... ................. Tom Cregan

MAX .............................................. Terry McLoughlin

.............................................................................

...................

MAN WITH GUITAR

QUEENIE ............................ ........... Heather Hewson

C H A R LIE .............................................. Paschal Walsh

PARTHY ANN HAWKS .... .............. Pauline Smyth

LOTTIE ............................................. Imelda Bradley

CAPTAIN ANDY ............................ Eddie Guilmartin ELLIE .................................. .....

FRANK ................................

.................................................................................... ........................................

GAYLORD RAVENAL VALLON

.............. ........................................

......................................................................... ..............................

MAGNOLIA ........................

JOE

. . .

Clair Kelliher Philip Byrne

Henry Kennedy

M arjorie Fitzsimons

.......................................................................................... ...........................................

HAZEL ..................................................... Pat Pasley

Pat Campbell

RUBBER FACE ................. ........................................... Sean Hogan JULIE

DOLLY ................................................. Ann Gorman

Dolores Delahunty

.....................................

Sean Mitten

FARO DEALER .................................... Tony Carton GAMBLER ........................... ................. Paddy Joyce LOUNGER ........................... .............Barney Gorman BACKWOODSMAN ........... ................... Noel Byrne JEB .......................................

.................Brendan Galvin

H

1st BARKER ......................................... Donal Dixon

.

2nd BARKER ......................................... Peter Lewis 1

3rd B A R KER .............................................. Noel Dillon ANNOUNCER AT TROCADERO ........ Donal Dixon DRUNKEN MAN AT TROCADERO .. Michael Cullen ANNOUNCER FOR RADIO ........... Henry Kennedy 1st BOY ON LEVEE ........................ Brendan Galvin 2nd BOY ON LEVEE ............................. Jim Culliton 1st GIRL ON LEVEE ............................ Maura Cox 2nd GIRL ON LEVEE ......................... Linda Coulter SETH PURDY .......................................... Ed Delaney NEWS VENDOR ................................ Ettore Balletto

OLD SPORT ...................... ................. Denis Deasy

1st MISS ........................................ Dymps Cummins

LANDLADY ......................... .............. Dodo O’Hagan

2nd M IS S .............................................. Anne Crossan

SINGING ENSEMBLE Misses Anne McEvoy, Marie Culliton, Mary McCann, Nuala Kealy, Pat Pasley, Ena Boylan, Doreen S heridan, Susan O’ Brien, Mary Larken, Y vonne Russell, M argaret Creed, Pat Moore, Anne Gorm an, Fran Barrett, Dymps Cummins, Im elda Bradley, Sally Young, Eva Staveley, Ann Crossan, Lynda Coulter, Carmel Gibbons, Joan La Grue, Maura Cox, A ngela M cBrien, Dodo O ’ Hagan.

Messrs. Sean Hogan, Noel Byrne, Pat Lawlor, T ony Carton, M ichael Cullen, Peter Lewis, Noel D illon, Paschal Walsh, Paddy Joyce, Brendan Galvin, Barney Gorm an, Tom Cregan, Terry M cLoughlin, Paul Kelly, Larry Shelley, M ichael M cFall, Ettore Balletto, Jim C ulliton, Ed Delaney, Denis Deasy, Kevin Ryan, Jo h n C a r r o l l , George Brady, T om m y O ’Dwyer, Edm ond G uilm artin.

DANCING ENSEMBLE (C ourtesy The Dublin B allet Club) Misses C hristine Redmond, Fiona Cashman, Elizabeth Macauley, Dex M cLoughlin, Susan Byrne, M aria Kelly, Cleo O ’Neill.

Messrs. Paddy Joyce, Ed Delaney, George Brady, Barney G orm an, Kevin Ryan, Noel Dillon, Jim Culliton.

C oochie Dancer: C hristine Redmond. “ F ra n k” and “ E llie” s p e cia lity dances choreograph ed by Miss Delahunty.

SYNOPSIS OF SCENES

ACT ONE Scene 1. The Levee at Natchez on the Mississippi.

In the late eighteen-eighties.

Scene 2. Kitchen pantry of the Cotton Blossom.

A half-hour later.

Scene 3. Outside the Waterfront Gambling Saloon.

Silultaneous with scene 2.

Scene 4. Auditorium and stage of the Cotton Blossom. One hour later.

Scene 5. Box Office, on foredeck of the Cotton Blossom. Three weeks later.

Scene 6. Auditorium and stage of the Cotton Blossom during the Third Act of “ The Parson’s Bride” .

Scene 7. The top deck of the Cotton Blossom Later that night.

Scene 8. The Levee. Next morning.

ACT TWO Scene 1. Chicago W orld’s Fair, 1893.

Scene 2. A room on Ontario Street, 1904.

Scene 3. Trocadero Music Hall.

Scene 4. Trocadero Music Hall. New Year’s Eve, 1904.

Scene 5. Natchez.

Scene 6. Top deck of the new “ Cotton Blossom” .

1927.

Scene 7. Levee at Natchez. The next night.

CREDITS Captain Andy’s Show Boat ( “ Cotton Blossom ” ) IRISH CONTINENTAL LINES S hip’s Bell by W estern Marine Ltd. Cigars, Tobacco and Cigarettes by P. J. CARROLL & CO W igs by PETER MARK & CO. Musical Instruments by WALTONS

FOR G A IE T Y THEATRE

Stage Manager : PADDY JONES Assistant Stage Manager : GEORGE McFALL Chief Electrician : SEAN BURKE Lighting Equipment by Burke-Strand E lectric Ltd.

The public may leave at the end of th e perform ance by all Exit doors. Persons shall not be perm itted to stand o r sit in any of the gangways intersecting the seating, or to sit in any of the other gangways (C opy of by-laws).

The taking of photographs in the auditorium is prohibited.

D u b lin Grand Opera Society Spring Season 1975 LA TR AVI ATA THE MASKED BALL I PURITANI TOSCA DON PASQUALE

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