1985 hans andersen

GAIETY THEATRE, DUBLIN

Rathmines & Rathgar Musical Society

presents The Irish Premiere o f

3Cans Jlndsrsm Monday 18th March to Saturday 30 March 1985

M

PRESS

presents The Irish Premiere o f

HANS ANDERSEN Music & Lyrics by Frank Loesser Book by Tommy Steele & Beverley Cross Chorus Master, Heather Hewson Costumes, Messrs. S. B. Watts & Co., Manchester Set Design, Stanley Mills Musical Staging and Choreography, Christopher Wren Musical Director, Gearoid Grant

Entire Production by,

James Belchamber

THE GAIETY THEATRE

Information & Services Bars: C o m f o r t a b l e b a r s a r e situ ate d on all levels, an d o p e n h a lf- a n - h o u r p r i o r to th e p e r f o r m a n c e .

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A dvertising: E n q u i r i e s to G a ie ty T h e a t r e , T e l e p h o n e 771717.

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P erform an ce Inform ation: S m o k in g is not p e r m i t t e d in th e A u d i t o r i u m . T h e use o f c a m e r a s a n d t a p e - r e c o r d e r s is f o rb id d e n . T h e m a n a g e m e n t r e s e rv e s th e right to refuse adm ission , a n d to m a k e an y a l t e r a t i o n in th e ca st o r p r o g r a m m e which m a y b e r e n d e r e d n ecessary by illn ess o r o t h e r u n a v o i d a b le cause.

F or the G aiety Theatre General Manager: Peter Riley D eputy General Manager: Aileen Connor H ouse Manager: Frank Cormican

Accounts Controller: Kay Alexander Stage Manager: George McFall Chief Electrician: Sean Burke

dCans Jlndersen THE BILLIE BARRY DANCERS

DRAMATIS PERSONAE H ans A ndersen .......................................... NO EL M cD O N O U G H

TIN SOLDIERS Jean Martin, Laura Martin. Emma Gorman, Dorothy White, Celine Kenny, Jenifer Clarke, Teresa Shanahan. Debbie Gordon, Karen O ’Brien. Antoinette Whyte. Steward O ’Connor.

Jenny L i n d .................................................... BA R B A R A G R A H A M Otto ..........................................................................G R E G T R A Y N O R M ax Klaus ............................................................... FRED G R A H A M Colonel Guldberg ....................................... R O B E R T McKEVITT

SCHOOLCHILDREN Sonia D unne, Pamela Keely, Jackie Wynne, Antoinette Whyte, Melanie Nangle, Jane Massey, Elaine Harford. Lisa Lambe, Tanya Bridgeman, Ingrid Bridgeman.

K ing Christian o f D e n m a rk ................................... IVAN McKENNA M adam Louise M eisling.................................H E A T H E R HEWSON Rector Meisling ............................................ED D IE GUILM ARTIN Jonas ........................................................................ JAMES FLOOD LADIES Lynn Branagan, Kathryn Byrne, AnneCrossan, Michelle Foynes, Paula H annan, EnaH arroId, Bronach Kelly, Marian Mullins, Iris Neylan, Michele O ’Byrne, Michele O'Carroll, Angelina O ’Dwyer, Dodo O'H agan, Cathy O ’Malley, Eva Staveley, Cathy Vard, Wendy Vard.

GENTLEMEN Tony Anderson, Dominick Daly, Dorn Carroll, John Gillen, Mervyn Grealey, Seamus Greene, Joe Griffin, Clem Forde, John Hurley, Ivan McKenna, Larry Shelley, Alastair Smeaton, Paschal Walsh, Pat Yeates, Conor O ’Leary.

DANCERS Louise Byrne, Shay Connolly, Michael Fox, Paul Fox, M ary Godfrey, Isabelle Martin, Martin McKenna, Eileen O ’Carroll, Leo O ’Kennedy, Margaret Sherlock.

1

Stuart O ’Connor, James Flood, Eanna O ’Brien, Brian Dillon.

Ben Wynne, Michael Donohue. Ian McCabe.

Period: 1830 ACT I Scene Scene Scene Scene Scene Scene

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Scene Scene Scene Scene

1.

2.

3.

4.

Scene 5.

Scene 6.

The working quarter of Odense.

The stage of the Odense Theatre.

Rector Meisling’s House.

The Schoolroom — 10 months later.

The Road to the Sea. The Harbour — Copenhagen.

ACT II The Street of the Booksellers.

A Prison.

The House of Max Klaus.

The Book Ballet. (composed & arranged by Gearoid Grant) The Tivoli Gardens.

The Castle of Kronberg.

A Note from the Director This is a fairy story, a pantomime, a Hans Christian Andersen invention if you like, written in the modern idiom, originally as a film, adapted for the stage with the purpose of starring Tommy Steele, with only a nod in the direction of truth. To have gone against that style and directed more realistically would, in my opinion, have done the show a disservice; so I too have just dipped my head in acknowledgement of Copenhagen 1830.

James Belchamber.

FOR RATHMINES & RATHGAR MUSICAL SOCIETY Hon. General Secretary, Patrick Campbell Hon. Treasurer, Stephen Paul Hon. Booking Secretary, Pred Taylor Hon. Business Secretary, Denis A. Deasy Hon. Production Secretary, Brendan Galvin Public Relations, Gladys MacNevin Stage Management, Clodagh Foley & Nora O ’Rourke Hon. Wardrobe Master, Arthur Salmon Hon. Wardrobe Mistress, Cynthia Taylor Assisted by Dympna Bevan Block Booking Enquiries: Pred Taylor, ‘D artry’, Ardtona Avenue, Dublin 14.

P h o n e :981249

Acknowledgements: The Society gratefully acknowledges: Garden Furniture from : Paul Sexton & Co. Ltd., Garden Centre, Cornelscourt.

Furniture from : Edward Carroll & Co. Ltd., Bachelors Walk.

Coat Stand by the: Deasy Family, Foxrock.

Programme Notes T h e story of Hans Andersen will arouse happy memories of our youthful days, as his name and his songs conjure up all the enchanting fairy tales so important to us then.

N ow , with the story of the little shoemaker permanently surrounded by adoring children, all of them come alive once more.

O n e of th e first delightful songs — Thum blelina’ is sung by the ‘tiniest, littlest, smallest’ girl with Hans and chorus.

T h e irascible Rector Meisling, local schoolmaster, is a sore trial to H ans, and his termagent wife, Louise, is not much better.

H an s has been writing stories — his ‘makeups’ — and even the outline for a n opera, but no one will listen.

O tto Pedersen (a musician) comes for a badly needed shoe repair, befriends Hans, and together they travel to the theatre in O dense, where Otto has an engagement. He promises to introduce H a n s to Jenn y Lind, the Swedish nightingale. Hans is enthralled with her and falls deeply in love.

T h e elegantly sardonic Max Klaus (Jenny’s manager) arrives with Colonel Guldberg, Governor of Odense, and Jenny herself enters with a great flourish. She charms everyone with her song ‘Truly L o v e d ’. Although she is kindness itself to Hans, she agrees that he needs further study. She kisses him goodbye.

T e n months later, Hans, still surrounded (Pied Piper-like) by all the children, is working hard at his music. He has composed ‘The Little Tin Soldier’. Soon he and Otto are on their way to C openhagen — here we get the swinging ‘Wonderful, Wonderful C o p e n h a g e n ’ — usually a show-stopper, bringing Act One to a conclusion.

A ct Two brings H ans to the street of the booksellers where, now m o re confident, he introduces himself as Hans Christian Andersen, a nd sings his song. B u t Max orders his arrest. Soon, however, Jenny L ind sends for him and suggests that he gather all his songs and she will get them published for him. H ere comes the ‘Ugly Duckling’ song made famous by Danny Kaye. Soon the songs are into the third edition, a n d Hans confesses his love for Jenny, but, sadly her affections a r e otherwise engaged. Louise calls it ‘the love story that n ever was’.

It is a delightful show with many lovely songs including ‘A n yw h ere I W and er’ sung in the first act and again at the fall of the final curtain.

Gladys MacNevin

Associate Membership T h e R a th m in e s and R ath gar Musical Society invites you to b e c o m e an A ssociate M em ber.

V e ry p ro b a b ly you are a regular supporter of our Shows at the G a ie ty , th e re you will have noticed the happy atm osphere which prevails in o u r Society; this is a tradition of over 70 years.

O u r Associate M em bers are an im portant and valued section of o u r Society, and as such enjoy significant benefits.

1. A ssociate M em bers take a m ajor role in the affairs of the Society; they elect two of their m em bers to the G eneral Com m ittee annually.

2. T w o seats o f their choice to both of o u r A utu m n and Spring pre se n ta tio n s, at no charge.

3. Priority booking facilities for ou r presentations in advance of th e general public.

4. N otification of all social functions during the year.

T h e crippling financial costs involved in presenting two Seasons o f shows e ach y e a r could put the financial viability of the Society in je o p a r d y except for the loyal support of the active m em bers, the associate m e m b e rs and the public.

N o w th a t you have found out quite a lot ab ou t this Society, decide to b e c o m e an Associate M em ber. Y o u are most welcome.

T h e a nn ua l subscription is £30.00.

H a v in g m ade u p your m ind, just tear out this page, add your n a m e a n d add ress and hand to any m e m b e r of o u r Society, o r send to o u r H o n . B oo k in g Secretary.

M r. F red T a y l o r , ‘D a rtry ’, A rd to n a A ve., Dublin 14.

GAIETY THEATRE Forthcoming Attractions C O M M E N C IN G W ED . 10th APRIL 1985 For Three Weeks D UBLIN G R A N D OPERA SOCIETY Presents

Don Carlo

Tosca

Macbeth

(Verdi)

(Puccini)

(Verdi)

C O M M E N C IN G M O N . 29th APRIL 1985 For T w o Weeks

The Colombaioni Brothers “ M ost hysterically funny night you’ve had in your life.”

— Kevin Myers (Irish Times) “ E v e r y bit as good as a night with the Marx Bro th ers.”

Adelaide News “ Dazzling f u n . ” — L o n d o n Times “ A night of fun that set the whole town talking.”

— Evening Herald

C O M M E N C IN G M O N. 13th MAY 1985 For T w o W eeks

Peter Bowles in Some of my best friends are husbands A C om edy by Hugh Leonard

HB Ice C rcani Ltd., Whitehall Rd., Rathfarnham, Dublin 14, Ireland. Telephone: 984344. Telex: 30360.

P r i n t e d b \ E l o P r e s s L t d . D u b l i n 8.