THE GONDOLIERS OR THE KING OF BARATARIA 2006

WL

RATHMINES & RATHGAR MUSICAL SOCIETY (www.randrmusicalsodety.ie) presents

GILBERT & SULLIVAN'S

or THE KING OF BARATARIA

IR PROGR

Presents a t the

National Concert Hall * this Christmas For 10 g re a t performances only

A

¥ )

• 0

•

* •

• **

•

'

M*

*

r *

From December 27th 2006 to January 4th 2007

’

Director, Vivian Coates H r " * • • Music Director, Aidan Foughey • ^ Choreographer, Siobhan McQuillan ( •

• Tony Finnegan a ^ m d d y Warbucks Ceora Grehan a ^ f f a c e Farrell Laura Kerr as M ^ p H a n n ig a n

• •

Michael Evans a^lRooster H annigpiJ 4

The Festival Orchestra Chorus and Dancers •

•

€16, €22 , €25 , €28 , €30

» ^

,

FAMILY TICKET AVAILABLE

For Booking Information contact:^* THE NATIONAL CONCERT HALL on . *

• •

01 4 1 7 0 0 0 0 or Email: www.nch.ie

•

'^ook (>gt'hj iv awid dmppoinimnll

Rathmines & Rathgar Musical Society (www.randrmusicalsodety.ie) presents

GILBERT & SULLIVAN'S

or THE K IN G O F BARATARIA

Director: GARRY MOUNTAINE Musical Director: GEAROID GRANT Choreographer: AISLiNG DOYLE Chorus Director: JACKIE CURRAN-OLOHAN Production Manager: NORA O'ROURKE Accompanist: NIAMH McDONOUGH Set Design: JOHN O'DONOGHUE Set Construction: TPS Set Painted by: LIZ BARKER Lighting Design: DENIS TWOMEY

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL Sunday 19th to Friday 24th November 2006 inc.

Nightly at 8pm - Matinee Sunday 19th November at 2.30pm No evening performance Sunday 19th November wwmrandrmusicalsociety.ie

5r\

\

r

T.

It was only paper.

Until Mozart took a pen to it.

Some people actually know how to listen. Where others hear only problems, they sense opportunities. And then they make it happen.

When we find one o f these people, we hire them. Because it's only money, after all. it's the people who make the difference.

01 616 2000 Commercial Lending

C o rp o ra te Treasury

W ealth M an ag em en t

w ww .angloirishbank.ie

A n g lo Irish Bank C orpo ration pic is regulated by th e Financial Regulator.

There is 3 difference

WELCOME From the President o f Rathmines & R athgar Musical Society

On behalf o f Rathmines and Rathgar Musical Society, I am pleased to welcom e you to the National Concert Hall and to o u r p ro d u ctio n o f The Gondoliers.

This G ilb e rt & Sullivan masterpiece was p re m ie re d at th e Savoy T heatre in London on December 7th 1889 and was first perform ed by the R&R at the Gaiety Theatre on December 4th 1916.

The Gondoliers was th e eleventh comic opera by the 'G&S' partnership and indeed was the last truly successful one, as it was follo w e d by Utopia Limited and The Grand Duke, neither o f which proved to be 'b o x office' attractions.

Two aspects of The Gondoliers are o f some interest. Sullivan was concerned th a t his music was being subjugated to G ilb e rt's lyrics and d ia lo g u e , so to placate Sullivan he was given some tw e n ty minutes o f uninterrupted music at the beginning of the opera. Also, in o rd e r to p reve n t th e 'sta r' system d e velo pin g in the D 'O yly Carte Opera Company, Gilbert, in th e The Gondoliers, created nine principal roles, w ith the result th a t no one p e rfo rm e r could claim to play 'the lead'.

That was then, this is now.

So, thank you fo r com ing to our 2006 version o f The Gondoliers which we hope you will find entertaining and enjoyable.

^ PAT CAMPBELL, President, Rathmines & Rathgar Musical Society.

November 2006

m

2006 Autumn Production - THE GONDOLIERS

LOOKING FOR AN UNUSUAL GIFT? Looking fo r that perfect gift fo r you r parents, friend or loved one?

Why not add their name to a select group of people and become an Associate Member of

Rathmines & Rathgar Musical Society?

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS BENEFITS • Priority Booking.

• Two seats of their ciioice for both the Spring and Autumn Productions free of charge.

• An invitation to attend the Society’s A.G.M. and elect two of their members to represent their interests - on tiie Society’s Executive Committee.

• Social Functions during the year.

Annual Subscription is €110 W H Y N O T J O IN a s ?

G if t T o k e n s o f A s s o c ia t e M e m b e r s h ip A v a il a b l e .

Complete the form below and post.

--S^ a T .............................................................. ..................................... ...................................................................................................................................................................... ...........................

/ wish to become an Associate Member of Rathmines & Rathgar Musical Society.

N a m e ___________________________________________________________________________ Postal A d d r ess___________________________________________________________________ E-Mail A d d ress_____________________________Signature ____________________________ Contact Phone Numbers: Landline___________________ M obile______________________ Please forw ard to: Dodo O ’Hagan R&R Assistant Hon. Treasurer: 16 El Greco, St. Jam es Court, Serpentine Ave., Dublin 4.

Telephone: 0 1 -6 6 8 5 8 6 2

THE COMPOSERS W ILLIAM S. GILBERT & ARTHUR SULLIVAN: O f th e ir partnership is often said th a t th e im portant part was neither G ilbert nor Sullivan b u t the ampersand. They first collaborated on a small opera en title d Thespis or The Gods Grown Old, which opened in 1871. The opera was not a notable success and the score was later lost. However, a producer Richard Doyle McCarthy (D'O yle Carte) saw the potential o f the pair and three years later g o t them to g eth e r to w rite a supplemental piece fo r the production o f Offenbach's La Perichole. The piece, Trial by Jury, was so successful that it far overshadowed th e play that it had been meant to supplement.

Lost Chord) fo r hymns (Onward Christian Soldiers) and incidental music. He also w rote ballets and operas (Ivanhoe). Because he enjoyed mixing with the high society, entertaining and gambling at M onte Carlo (where some biographers say there is little mention o f his leaving the table winning), the money he made in his partnership w ith G ilbert was necessary to keep up his lifestyle. This led to internal conflict; music critics fe lt his gifts were being wasted and Sullivan often fe lt th a t he w ro te at the beck o f G ilbert. He was in ill health much o f his life - suffering from long periods o f pain, presumably from kidney stones.

The tw o collaborated to create many successful operas. G ilbert would create the plots, w rite the te x t and Sullivan would w rite the music (often very late). If Sullivan was not com fortable w ith th e te x t and humor, it would be rew ritten. Certain o f Gilbert's pet plots were never orchestrated. N either member of the partnership was totally com fortable w ith the other, but, primarily because o f the skill o f D'O yle Carte, they stayed together fo r 25 years. A fte r Sullivan's death, G ilbert called him "th e perfect collaborator - I (G ilbert) never had to explain a jo ke ".

Sir Arthur Sullivan: (1842-1900) was born into a very poor but musical family. (His m other had to put him out fo r care while she worked as a nurse.) On scholarship he studied at th e Royal Academy o f Music and Leipzig Conservatoire. A fte r returning to England, he became one o f the m ost famous musicians o f the period. He was known fo r songs (The

William S. Gilbert: (1836-1911) came from a more prosperous family. He w orked as an assistant clerk in the Education Departm ent of Privy Council fo r four unhappy years until he came into an inheritance. He used the inheritance to become a lawyer. He was not very successful as a lawyer, but, unlike the ju dge in Trial by Jury, he did not marry a rich ugly daughter. Instead he made enough money w riting to leave the profession. While he always fe lt his "s tra ig h t" plays were his best, he worked very hard at obtaining th e most from the G&S operas. He acted as director and controlled all steps o f the cast, positioning, voice inflexion, m otion, etc. He was very protective o f his young female cast members and defended them from im proper advances (However he was not above enjoying th e ir company). He was not known fo r his love o f music, having stated "I know tw o pieces o f music - one is God Save the Queen and the other is n 't". Consistent with this lack o f musical appreciation is his reported dislike o f tenors.

FOR GILBERT & SULLIVAN FANS HO W M A N Y CAN YO U ANSWER? 1. Who combines the "manners of a Marquis with the morals of a Methodist"?

0 0 0 0

The Duke of Dunstable Robin Oakapple Prince Hilarion Lord Mountararat

2. Who "at children's parties drove the conjuror wild explaining all his tricks before he did them"?

Q 0 0 0

Lady Lady Lady Lady

Jane Sophy Ella Psyche

3. Who describes himself as "a peppery kind of King"?

0 0 0 0

King Hildebrand King Paramount The Pirate King The King of Barataria

4. Who claims to have gypsy blood in her veins?

5. "Wine when it runs In abundances, enhances The reckless delight of that wildest of dances."

Name the three dances mentioned In this chorus number from The Gondoliers.

0 0 0 0

Cachuca, Cachuca, Cachuca, Cachuca,

Fandango and Sarabande Fandango and Bolero Sarabande and Bolero Sarabande and Gavotte

6. "Toffee In moderation Is a capital thing".

Who says this?

9. Which characters sing the madrigal "Strange Adventure" in The Yeo m en o f th e G uard?

0 0 0 0

10. Name tw o songs sung by the Edwin in Trial b y Jury.

0 0

0 0 0 0

The Duke of Plaza-Toro Major Murgatroyd The Duke of Dunstable Prince Hilarion

Fairfax, Meryll, Dame Carruthers & Phoebe.

Fairfax, Meryll, Dame Carruthers & Elsie Maynard.

Fairfax, Meryll, Elsie Maynard & Kate.

Fairfax, Meryll, Dame Carruthers & Kate.

0 0

"When first my old, old love I knew" and "N ow Jurymen, hear my advice " "W ith a sense of deep emotion" and " 0 gentlemen, listen I pray" "When first my old, old love I knew" and " 0 gentlemen, listen I pray" "When I, good friends, was called to the Bar" and " 0 gentlemen, listen I pray"

7. Whose favourite toy was "a great big squirt"?

0 0 0 0

,/e jd \ ueisi| 'u9lu8|Ius6 q ,, pue „Mau>j | aAO| p |0 'p |0 h u jsjij - q io aie)l p ue sjaijjnjje^ atueQ 'xejjiej :p -

Teasing Tom Gentle Jane Gaffer Gadderby Ruth Rowbottam

•u9iLU|Bd 0 D j e ^ :D - 8 D

ujoi6u!se3x:e-/o •8 |qe}suriQ | 0 a ^ n Q aijj_ 3 - 9 0

0J9|Og pue o 6 u e p u e j 0 0 0 0

Princess Ida Julia Jelllcoe Little Buttercup Lady Blanche

8. In The G o ndoliers who sings "Take a pair of sparkling eyes"?

0 0 0 0

Giuseppe Palmieri Don Alnambra del Bolero Marco Palmieri Annibale

:q -

50

•dnDjaung 3|un :d- i?o ■pu sjq sp ilH 6ui)| : e - £ o

■s|ddsTO“m :q-lO S83AASNV

2006 Autumn Production - THE GONDOLIERS

7

R&R E xecutive C o m m itte e (som e m e m b e r s missing a t tim e o f p h o t o g r a p h )

R&R Cast o f 'The G o n d o lie rs ' in rehearsal

THE MANAGEMENT TEAM President: Pat Campbell EXECUTIVE C O M M ITTEE MEMBERS T O JULY 2007 Chairman General Secretary Treasurer

Louis Clohessy Camillus Mountaine Michael Clark

Assistant Treasurer

D odo O'Hagan

Business Secretary

Liam Carroll

Production Secretary Rehearsal Secretary W ardrobe Master W ardrobe Mistress Press & PR M arketing Secretary

Nora O'Rourke Michelle Foynes Michael Horan Denise O 'M ahony Diarmuid O 'N eill Shay Gibson

Block Booking Secretary

Barney Gorman

Social Secretary

Imelda Bradley

Associate Members' Representative Active M em bers' Representatives

Helen Hurley Robert Devereux Lorraine Frewen Brendan Galvin John McCall

All Executive C om m ittee M em bers serve the Society in an Honorary Capacity

2006 Autumn Production - THE GONDOLIERS

OUR CREATIVE TEAM GARRY MOUNTAINE - Director Garry studied w ith Dr Veronica Dunne at the Leinster School o f Music and at the RIAM w ith Professor Paul Deegan.

He appeared in M a h og an y Songspiel fO pera Theatre Company, Dublin Theatre Festival) and In C o m p an y With S ondheim (Sceanario, National C o nce rt Hall). He has played many roles including Tevye in Fiddler on the R o o f (Gaiety Theatre), Ramades in Risen People (Gaiety Theatre), Emile de Becque in South Pacific (Gaiety Theatre), Joe Kellor in A ll M y Sons (Andrews Lane Theatre), Eddie Carbone in A View from the Brid ge (Andrews Lane Theatre), Sam Byck in Assassins (The B eckett Theatre), Khruschev in JFK (O lym pia Theatre), Dancairo in Carmen (National C oncert Hall), The Man in Buskin (Tivoli Theatre), Nathan D e tro it in Guys & Dolls (Gaiety Theatre), Prof. Henry Higgins in M y Fair Lady (Gaiety Theatre) and H onore Lachailles in Gigi (Gaiety Theatre).

W ith the D 'O yly Carte O p e ra C om pany he played Poo-Bah in th e ir p ro d u ctio n o f The M ika d o and W ilfre d S hadbolt in The Yeomen o f the G uard (Sadler's Wells Theatre, UK).

Television and radio w o rk include The Late Late Show, Live at 3 and Theatre Nights. He also appeared in the BBC p ro du ction s o f The M ika d o and The Yeomen o f the Guard.

G arry d irected The Yeomen o f the G uard in 2004. He c o -d ire cte d the R&R's 90th Birthday C elebration C o nce rt in 2003, having previously d ire cted The M ik a d o (2001) and The Pirates o f Penzance (2002), all at th e National C o nce rt Hall. Last year he co-hosted From R om berg to Rodgers at th e NCH and his most recent role as Tevye in Fiddler on the R o of w on him critical acclaim.

GEAROID GRANT - Musical Director G earoid was born in Dublin and g ra du ate d w ith a B.Mus degree fro m University C ollege Dublin. Since then he has c o m b ine d a freelance career as co n d u cto r w ith a career in music education. He has c o nd u cte d all the principal orchestras in Ireland, the National S ym p ho n y O rchestra, th e RTE C o n c e rt O rch estra , th e Ulster O rchestra, the Irish C ham ber O rchestra and th e National Youth Orchestra o f Ireland.

G ea ro id d evised and co n tin u e s to p re se n t and c o n d u c t th e acclaimed series Music in the Classroom which introduces music to 30,000 Irish children annually, w ith perform ances at the National C oncert Hall in Dublin and in m ajor venues around Ireland. The p ro g ra m m e is d e v e lo pe d in conjunction w ith RTE, The Irish Times and th e D e p a rtm e n t o f Education. He has to u re d in England w ith the Irish C ham ber Orchestra. He has c o n d u cte d all o f Shaun Davey's m ajor works, and prem ieres o f Shaun Davey's Relief o f Derry Sym phony in 1989 and his C oncerto fo r Uilleann Pipe p e rfo rm e d fo r the first tim e at G reenwich Festival in London. These works are recorded fo r Tara Records. He has d on e ag re at deal o f film w ork w ith th e Irish Film Orchestra, o f which he is Associate Musical Director. N o stra ng e r to television and theatre, G earoid G rant has co n d u c te d a w id e repertoire ranging fro m M o za rt to Sondheim.

G earoid has been th e c o n d u c to r o f the National Youth O rchestra o f Ireland U nder 18s since it was fo rm e d in 1980 and is a m e m b e r o f the Board o f the NYOI. He has been the Musical D irecto r with the R&R fo r over 25 years.

Illli

AISLING DOYLE - Choreographer Aisling tra in e d at th e Irish N ational C o lle g e o f Dance and later jo in e d Dublin C ity Ballet p e rfo rm in g in Giselle, Les Sylphydes, C oppelia,The Nutcracker, and many o f th e com pany's m od ern w orks. A isling th e n w e n t on to w o rk fo r RTE in Saturday N ig h t A t The O lym pia and has w o rke d fo r RTE countless tim e s since. The W izard o f Oz, D ick W h ittin g to n and Can't S top The Music are ju st a fe w o f th e p a n to m im e s and musicals she has p e rfo rm e d in at th e G aiety and O lym p ia theatres. Aisling's ch o re o g ra p h ic credits include Jesus Christ Superstar, Oliver, O klahom a!, West Side Story, Annie, M ag ic o f the Musicals, That's Sh ow b iz , Razzle Dazzle Em (M.YTh.) Rocky H orro r Show (Olympia) Jo sep h a nd th e A m a zin g Technicolor Dreamcoat, Alice in W o n de rlan d (Civic Theatre, Tallaght) Carousel, Dustin a nd Socky's Christmas Panto (O lym pia) Sleeping Beauty (Gaiety Panto), Grease and many more. T h ro u g h o u t her career, A isling has also been a c tin g on D u b lin stages in c lu d in g P layboy o f th e W estern W o rld (A m bassador Theatre), D actire (Passion Machine), Frankenstein (Theatre o f Fire) and recently p layed th e Q u ee n o f Hearts in Alice in W on de rlan d (Civic Theatre, Tallaght). A isling has w o rke d w ith Dance T heatre o f Ireland (Dublin) and D aghda Dance C om pa ny (Limerick) on countless occasions and has c o m p le te d her M A in P erform ance at the U niversity o f Limerick. She is a fo u n d e r m em b e r o f Irish M o d e rn Dance T he atre and p e rfo rm e d in th e original p ro d u c tio n o f Beneath th e Storm, Rough N otes & Dance Points, Invisible Territory, Thunderstorm , Dance fo r A n o th e r Place, Macalla, Ruby Red and You M u s t Tell The Bees.

A is lin g has p e rfo rm e d w ith Cois Ceim Dance C om pa ny in M erm a ids (China & Dublin), N utcra cker and O rfe o e d Euridice (Gaiety, D ublin & W eisbaden, Germ any). W o rk w ith Jim M o llo y p ro d u c tio n s include last year's successful p ro d u c tio n o f Strauss' The G reat Waltz. She has also d ire c te d the Macnas Parade tw ic e fo r G alw ay A rts Festival, th e o p e n in g cerem ony o f The Special O lym pics, and m o st recently th e o pe ning ce re m o ny o f The Ryder C up at The K C lub. A isling is d e lig h te d to be w o rk in g fo r th e R&R fo r th e firs t tim e on The Gondoliers!

JACKIE CURRAN-OLOHAN - Chorus Director D a u g h te r o f Jo sephine Scanlon and th e late Chris Curran, Jackie has distin gu ishe d herself as a perform er, musician, music director, chorus d ire c to r and teacher. Her musical e d u ca tio n th rive d und er Sr. A g n e s N olan at St. Mary's C olleg e, A rklow , Eithne Troy at th e C olleg e o f M usic and su bsequently UCD from w hich she g ra d u a te d w ith a B Mus. (Hons.).

Jackie has been Music D ire cto r and C o n d u c to r fo r many show prem ieres and was aw arded Best M usic D ire cto r a t th e W a te rfo rd Festival o f Light O p e ra fo r Stephen Sondheim 's Into the Woods. This, and c o n d u c tin g her fa th e r in A n nie at th e O lym pia, she regards as her h ig hligh ts to date.

She is Musical D ire c to r o f M .YTh. p ro du ction s, W ic k lo w and fo r The M a g ic o f Christmas w ith Jim M o llo y P roductions at th e N ational C o n c e rt Hall.

M o st recently, Jackie was s p o tte d coaching th e finalists in RTE's You're a Star!

NORA O'ROURKE - Production Manager Nora jo in e d th e R&R in 1968 as ASM to Stage M a n a g e r Seamus O 'N e ill.

She has w o rke d in all th e backstage d e p a rtm e n ts. Props, L ig h tin g , Sound, Stage M a n a g e m e n t and Production M a n a g e m e n t fo r th e R&R in b o th th e G a iety and N ational C o n c e rt Hall.

N ora has acted as Stage M anager and L ig h tin g D e s ig n e r/O p e ra to r fo r many societies and groups, notably, St. Louis, Loreto, Take Four and John Player TOPS (Aer Lingus). She has S tage M an ag ed and lit m any award w in n in g shows in W a te rfo rd and B a ng or and is a recipie nt o f an AIMS A w a rd fo r Best Stage Manager. N ora has co n d u cte d w orksho ps on Stage M a n a g e m e n t fo r AIMS. This year marks a change o f d ire ctio n fo r Nora in th e R&R - a fte r 38 years backstage, she is m oving to Front o f H ouse as B o okin g Secretary.

'fi

2006 Autumn Production - THE GONDOLIERS

JOHN O'DONOGHUE - Set Design M ost recent design credits include: The Full M o n ty (O lym pia Theatre) Seagulls Dance (D raiocht) and Bugsy M alone (O lym pia Theatre).

For Rathm ines and Rathgar Musical, S ociety John has d esign ed Gigi, M y Fair Lady, Guys a nd Dolls, Fiddler on th e R o o f and O kla ho m a ! all at th e G aiety and The Yeomen o f the Guard, The M ika do , Pirates o f Penzance, An Evening w ith G ilb e rt a nd Sullivan and A C entury o f Song, all at th e NCH. O th e r designs include The G re a t Waltz (Gaiety Theatre); The W izard o f O z fo r Festival P roductions (NCH); Hamlet, The Lion, the Witch a n d the W a rdrob e fo r C o rk O p era House; La B ohem e and La Traviata fo r Lyric O pera; The Pirates o f Penzance, The Soun d o f Music, C am elot, O kla ho m a ! and Oliver! fo r Festival P roductions (NCH); In to The W oods and The H ired M an fo r Full Circle (Draiocht); D o g House (Draiocht); Buskin' (Tivoli Theatre and C o rk O pera House); Return to th e F o rb id d e n Planet, Oncle, Oncle and N o th in g C om pares To You (Andrew s Lane); Assassins (Samuel B eckett Theatre) and W est Side Story (Solstice Theatre). John has design ed th e set fo r Ireland's lo n g e st-ru n n in g show - Jury's Irish C ab aret - fo r th e last ten years.

ALI MURPHY - Make-Up & Wig Designer Having been to many B roadw ay shows and received num erous Playbills (program m es) she has finally m astered the fo rm u la o f w ritin g a b io g . (1) A p p e a r in Law a nd O r d e r in any o f its various form s. (2) Thank spouse a n d /o r life p a rtn e r fo r th e ir s u p p o rt th ro u g h th e 'ro u g h tim es'. (3) Thank G od, Allah, M oh am m e d, Krishna o r any relevant d e ity fo r your given ta len t. (4) Sign o ff w ith y o u r w e b s ite address. Being a n on 足 p e rfo rm in g , single, a gnostic te c h n o p h o b e p uts to ll to all of th e above so, in short, Ali does shows... a lot!

R&R Cast o f 'The G ondoliers' in rehearsal

Two Favourites from 'THE GONDOLIERS' Take A Pair Of Sparkling Eyes

Dance a Cachucha

Take a pair of sparkling eyes, Hidden, ever and anon.

In a merciful eclipse Do not heed their mild surprise Having passed the Rubicon, Take a pair o f rosy lips; Take a figure trimly planned, Such as admiration whets (Be particular in this); Take a tender little hand.

Fringed with dainty fingerettes.

Press it, press it in parenthesis Ah! Take all these, you lucky man Take and keep them, if you can, if you can!

Take all these, you lucky man Take and keep them, if you can, if you can!

Dance a cachucha, fandango, bolero, Xeres we'll drink - Manzanilla, Montero Wine, when it runs in abundance, enhances The reckless delight of that wildest of dances!

To the pretty pitter-pitter-patter.

And the clitter-clitter-clitter-clatterClitter-clitter-clatter, Pitter-pitter-patter, Clitter-clitter-clatter, Clitter-clitter-clatter, To the pretty pitter-pitter-patter.

And the clitter-clitter-clitter-clatterPitter-pitter-pitter, Patter-patter-patter, patter We'll dance.

Old Xeres we'll drink - Manzanilla, Montero; For wine, when it runs in abundance, enhances The reckless delight of that wildest o f dances!

That wildest of dances.

The reckless delight!

Dance a cachucha, fandango, bolero, Xeres we'll drink - manzanilla, Montero Wine, when it runs in abundance, enhances The reckless delight of that wildest o f dances!

Old Xeres we'll drink - Manzanilla, Montero, For wine, when it runs in abundance enhances The reckless delight of that wildest of dances.

The reckless delight of that wildest of dances!

Take a pretty little cot Quite a miniature affair Hung about with trellised vine.

Furnish it upon the spot With the treasures rich and rare I've endeavoured to define.

Live to love and love to live You will ripen at your ease, Growing on the sunny side Fate has nothing more to give.

You're a dainty man to please If you're are not satisfied, not satisfied.

Ah! Take my counsel, happy man; Act upon it, if you can, if you can!

Take my counsel, happy man; Act upon it, if you can, if you can!

Take my counsel, happy man!

Act upon it, if you can, if you can, if you can, Act upon it, if you can, happy man, if you can!

2006 Autumn Production - THE GONDOLIERS

13

OUR PRINCIPALS JOHN MOONEY

The D

-

uke of

P laza To r o

John d e v e lo p e d his ta ste fo r th e stage in school, w here he played in a vari足 ety o f musicals and plays, w in n in g a b est a c to r award in Feis A th a Cliath.

Vocally, John tra in e d initially in th e C o lle g e o f Music and th e n m o ve d to th e Royal Irish A ca d e m y o f M usic w here he stu d ie d u n d e r th e d ire c tio n o f Professor Paul D eegan.

He has p layed many lead roles th a t include th e Barrister in Trial b y Jury, Ozzie in Irene, A c tio n in W est Side Story, Petrucio in Kiss Me, Kate; Barnaby in Hello Dolly, G iu sep pe in th e G ondoliers, th e Beadle in Sw eeney Todd and John H inckley in Assassins.

He has a pp e a re d on RTE television and radio and has sung in a w id e range o f co nce rts in all th e m ain Irish venues in clu d in g th e N CH .

In 2002 John played th e lead role. Bill Snipson, in th e R&R's p ro d u c tio n o f M e a n d M y Girl in D ublin's G a iety Theatre. John p e rfo rm e d w ith th e R&R in its 90th Birthday G&S co n ce rt in 2003 and played th e p a rt o f Jack Point in th e ir 2004 p ro d u c tio n o f The Yeomen o f the G uard in th e NCH.

JACKIE CURRAN-OLOHAN

- T h e Duchess o f P l a z a T o r o

Jackie p e rfo rm s regularly as a session singer on radio, te levision and fo r various re co rd in g artists. She has a pp e a re d in c o n c e rt w ith th e R&R, Glasnevin Musical Society and w ith Jim M o llo y Productions.

She recently enjoye d playing Ruth in The Pirates o f Penzance fo r Festival P roductions and looks fo rw a rd to th e role o f Katisha in The M ik a d o next summer.

Jackie d ed ica te s her p e rfo rm a n ce o f The Duchess to her m um (Rose M arie 1964) and is d e lig h te d to carry on th e fa m ily tra d itio n o f leading roles w ith th e R&R.

ADAM LAWLOR

-

D

on

A

lh a m b r a del

Bolero

A dam has a passion fo r music! He stu d ie d a cting at th e Brendan Smyth Academ y, and voice at th e RIAM and voice and piano at th e C o lle g e o f Music.

The early hard w o rk b ro u g h t so many o p p o rtu n itie s , and A d a m has carved a niche fo r him self, creating som e o f th e b est 'B a d d ie s ' to grace th e Irish stage. Favourites include M o rd re d in Cam elot, Mr. S o w erbe rre y" in O liver at The N CH fo r Festival Productions. He had th e d istin ctio n o f te rrify in g over 1,200 ch ild re d a n ig h t as Elmira G ultch aka The W icke d W itch o f the West (!) w hich packed th e NCH fo r th e last tw o years and by his ow n adm ission is "th e m ost fun you can have in a fro c k "!

A dam p layed in Pantom ine at th e O lym p ia w ith Twink (and Dustin!) as the unspeakable, evil Sheriff o f R ockingham w ith Samantha M um ba. Serious roles include c o n te m p o ra ry musicals like Black Sunrise by Brian Byrne and Evita.

So many, many musicals, so m any venues, so m any w o n d e rfu l p e o p le w h o love th e musical c o m e d y w o rld .

The R&R have g iven Irish audiences such a treasury o f w o n d e rfu l shows and fabulous music and A d a m is very g ra te fu l to th e m fo r th e o p p o rtu n ity to play leading roles in The M ika do , H.M.S Pinafore, The Pirates o f Penzance and Trial b y Jury. T onight's p re sen tatio n o f The G o nd oliers gives A d a m th e chance to d o w h a t he loves best: singing m arvellous music in a g re a t company.

DEAN POWER

M

-

arco

Born and raised in Clarecastle, Co. Clare, D ean is in his th ird year o f a B.Mus. (Performance) course in the DIT C on servatory o f M usic and Drama w here he studies w ith Professor M ary Brennan and R ep e tite u r M airead Hurley. He began his vocal tra in in g w ith Archie Sim pson, Co. Clare, c o n d u c to r o f th e Lismorahaun Singers, w ith w hom Dean has p e rfo rm e d fo r a n u m b e r o f years in venues th ro u g h o u t th e W est o f Ireland.

In 2004 he played th e role o f Clac in th e Irish p re m ie re o f th e ope ra The Green Children in th e UCH. He is a fre q u e n t p e rfo rm e r in th e C onservatory's Rush-Hour Opera series and has p a rtic ip a te d in masterclasses w ith Denis O 'N e ill, Paul W helan and R obert A lderson. In th e past year he has p e rfo rm e d w ith b o th O p e ra Ireland and Lyric O pera. He is also p a rt o f th e Young Irish Tenors and s p e n t last sum m er p e rfo rm in g w ith th e show Rhythm o f the Dance in P ortugal. He is lo o kin g fo rw a rd to playing M arco in th is year's show.

GAVAN RING

-

G

iu s e p p e

Gavan is a pro ud native o f C aherciveen, Co. Kerry. N o w 18, it was here th a t he received his firs t musical tu itio n in piano und er Barbara G loinson at th e age o f 8.

In 2000, he was o ffe re d one o f five music scholarships to th e ren o w n e d Schola C antorum at St. Finian's C olleg e in M ullingar. It was here th a t his vocal tu itio n was initia ted . The scholarship ena bled Gavan to avail o f top-class tu itio n in b o th vocal and musicianship areas fo r his five years at St. Finian's. He is currently tra in in g w ith acclaim ed voice coach, M ary Brennan at th e C on servatory o f P e rform in g A rts in Rathmines, D ublin. He has c o m p e te d at th e D ublin Feis C eoil Classical M usic Festival, w in n in g th e Paul D eegan C up fo r U-19 m ale soloists in b o th 2004 and 2005. M o s t significantly, in 2005 he also w on th e C o u n t John M c C o rm a ck C up fo r best over-all male soloist. This year at th e Feis C eoil, he was am ong th e six finalists in the Lieder Prize and O ' Meara C up fo r O p era Perform ance and as a result o f th is he was re cip ie n t o f th e C o u n t John M cC o rm a ck Society Scholarship Bursary fo r yo u n g singers. He m ade his co nce rt d e b u t at th e Annual Samaritan's C o n ce rt in A th lo n e in 2004 and has since been a regular recitalist at venues in th e D ublin and Leinster areas, m ost sign ifican tly Aras an Uachtarain, F arm leigh House and The M ansion House. He to u re d in Rome d u rin g O c to b e r 2005 w ith th e M u llin g a r C athedral C hoir b o th as a soloist and chorister and last January, Gavan sang th e bass so lo p art in a p ro d u c tio n o f M ozart's R equiem in D Minor, c o n d u c te d by M ario n D o h e rty w ith w ho m he studies a t St. Patrick's C olleg e D ru m co n dra.

Last m on th, Gavan fe atured in th e Glasnevin Musical Society's S how stoppers co n c e rt at th e N ational C o n c e rt Hall.

He w ill also be d e b u tin g in Handel's Messiah as th e bass soloist fo r th e Enchiradis Treis C ho ir in D ecem ber, and in February and w ill be p e rfo rm in g as th e bass soloist fo r th e St. Patrick's C o lle g e C h o ir p ro d u c tio n o f Haydn's Creation. This is Gavan's d e b u t in an o p e ra tic p ro d u c tio n and his first also w ith th e R&R.

SARAH GUILMARTIN

-

C a s il d a

As this year's D ublin Rose, Sarah p e rfo rm e d at th e D om e in Tralee to a w o rld w id e television audience in th e International Rose o f Tralee Festival 2006. C urre n tly stu dyin g voice at th e Royal Irish A c a d e m y o f Music, u n d e r th e d ire c tio n o f Philip O'Reilly, she is an accom plished p e rfo rm e r in b o th o p e ra tic and musical th e a tre roles. Sarah d e b u te d at th e NCH alongside A m e rican soprano Jean G lennon, in th e role o f Pisana in Verdi's I Due Foscari. Since th e n her ope ra credits have included, th e Cousin (M a da m s Butterfly), th e B ridesm aid (The M a rria g e o f Figaro), La Boheme, Tosca, Turandot, and A id a all o f w hich w ere p e rfo rm e d at th e N CH w ith Lyric O p era Productions. A t this year's A ll Ireland F ootball q u a rte r final in Croke Park, Sarah p e rfo rm e d 'A m h ran na bhFiann' to 80,000 sp ecta to rs and live ^ on national television. Sarah's interests e xte n d to musical th e a tre w he re she has W train ed in b o th dram a and dance. In Festival P ro d u ctio n s' The Soun d o f O u r Music 'J____________ (NCH), she p e rfo rm e d songs in th e roles o f Yum Yum (The Mikado), Ju lie Jordan (Carousel), and Emma (Jekyll & Hyde). Her o th e r roles include; soloist in R om be rg to Rodgers (NCH), Gigi and M y Fair Lady (Gaiety Theatre), all w ith th e R&R, The W izard o f O z (NCH), G o d sp e ll (NCH), A n n ie and as a soloist fo r RTE Radio. Sarah is d e lig h te d to be p la ying Casilda in th e R&R's p ro d u c tio n o f The Gondoliers.

2006 Autumn Production - THE GONDOLIERS

15

NICOLA MULLIGAN

-

C

ia n e t t a

Nicola is a nineteen year o ld stu d e n t o f th e Royal Irish A ca d e m y o f Music studying w ith Dr. Veronica Dunne. She first began her vocal studies in her hom e to w n o f D undalk, Co. Louth w ith G e raldine M cG ee.

She has since w o n m any Feis Ceoil awards b o th in D ublin and Sligo and in 2004 she was aw a rd ed 'Young Voice A w a rd ' o f b o th Ballym ena and P ortadow n Feiseanna.

N icola has p e rfo rm e d in many gala o p e ra tic concerts and p la tfo rm shows and is lo o k in g fo rw a rd to playing th e role o f G ianetta.

NAOMI O'CONNELL

-

T

essa

N aom i is tw e n ty -o n e years o ld and is in her 3rd year o f a BMus Perform ance course in th e DIT C onservatory o f M usic a nd D ram a w here she studies w ith singing te a ch e r M ary Brennan and re p e tite u r M airead Hurley. N ao m i com es fro m Co. Clare w here she began her vocal studies w ith Archie Sim pson, d ire c to r o f the Lism orahaun Singers. She has p e rfo rm e d as a so lo ist in venues th ro u g h o u t Ireland and Europe and released a solo album , Christmas with N a o m i at th e age o f sixteen. She had broadcasts on RTE Radio 1, Lyric FM and Clare FM and a ppeared on RTE te levision singing 'O Holy N ig h t' in 2002.

N ao m i is fre q u e n tly involved in th e C onservatory's Rush-Hour O p e ra series w here she has p e rfo rm e d in excerpts fro m Die Zau be rfldte , The Tales o f H offm ann and Hansel u n d Gretel. This year she p e rfo rm e d th e role o f Lucretia w ith th e prizew in n in g DIT O p e ra Ensem ble g ro u p in an e x c e rp t fro m B ritten's The Rape o f Lucretia. A fre q u e n t prize w inner at th e Siemens Feis C eoil o ver th e past fo u r years, w ith a to ta l o f eleven first-p la ce d prizes to her name, in A p ril she w on th e overall Gervase Elwes A w a rd and Raym ond Kearns bursary w hich she used to fu n d several courses over last summer. These inclu d e d an opera w o rks h o p in Italy w ith te n o r U go Benelli w here she played the role o f C he ru bin o in M ozart's Le Nozze d i Figaro.

She also p a rto o k in th e O p e ra Ireland masterclasses w ith Dam e G w yneth Jones and th e A b in g d o n S um m er School fo r solo singers in O x fo rd .

U p co m in g p erform ances include so lo ist w ith th e Trinity O rchestra in Elgar's The M usic Makers this N o v e m b e r and th e title role o f Carm en in th e C onservatory's A N ig h t a t th e O p e ra p laying in th e NCH n e x t February.

ROBERT VICKERS -

Luiz

R obert hails fro m W ic k lo w to w n and began his th eatrical tra in in g at th e Gladys Sheehan stage school and w e n t on to fu rth e r his studies at th e B e tty Anne N o rto n th e a tre school and th e G a iety School o f A c tin g . Having g ra d u a te d he w e n t on to b e c o m e reside nt a c to r and historical in te rp re te r a t W icklow 's H istoric Gaol fo r six years. D uring th is tim e he jo in e d MYTh p ro d u c tio n s (Musical Youth Theatre), W ic k lo w w here he began to realise his ta le n t fo r musical th ea tre. R obert has p e rfo rm e d many leading roles in num erous musicals inclu ding Oliver, The M erry W idow , South Pacific, Grease, Joseph and th e A m a z in g Technicolor Dreamcoat, A Christmas Carol, A lice in W onderland, The Dustin & Socky Big Little Christmas Show, Little Shop o f Horrors, Guys a nd Dolls and West Side S tory.R obert has p e rfo rm e d at th e N ational C o n ce rt Hall, The Helix, th e G a ie ty Theatre, C lo n ta rf Castle and th e O ly m p ia Theatre p e rfo rm in g in such shows as The Best o f Show stoppers, The J o y o f th e Musicals, S h ow sto pp e rs on tour. Give M y Regards to Broadway, A m o n g Friends, The M a g ic o f Christmas and many m ore.

R ob ert is an accom plishe d musician and an a w a rd -w in ning vocal ta le n t having p e rfo rm e d w ith num erous groups on th e Irish music scene fo r th e last 12 years inclu ding 'Close C all', 'Fusion', 'N e w Sensation', 'S o u lto w n ' and 'A b b a e s q u e '. M ost recently he has been w ritin g and p e rfo rm in g his ow n music to critical acclaim and is loo king fo rw o rd to g e ttin g back into th e stu dio and releasing his first album . In su m m er 2005, he w o rk e d on and p e rfo rm e d in th e M acnas parade. A i t A it, fo r th e Galway A rts Festival. O ne o f th e h ig h lig h ts fo r R ob ert so far has been w in n in g The Best A c to r A w a rd (AIMS) fo r his portraya l o f Jesus in Playbacks Production o f Jesus Christ Superstar, w hich he w e n t on to p e rfo rm at th e C ork O p e ra H ou se.M o st recently he p e rfo rm e d in th e W o rld Prem iere o f Seagulls Dance at th e D rafocht Theatre, D ublin. This is Robert's second tim e to p e rfo rm w ith the p re stig io u s R&R, his m o st recent role was Perchik in F id d le r on the Roof.

Biographies o f Principals con tin u ed on Page 2 5 -i"

www.lisney.com

Be happy.

They say that moving house is one of the most stressful times in our lives. W ith Lisney’s service on your side, we promise a happier moving experience.

Lisney

An independently owned and operated m em ber of the

w m K EFiELD .

A L L I A N C E

Dublin - Belfast - Cork

A NOSTALGIC LOOK-BACK TO 1996 T h e R a th m in s and Rathgar M usical Society

r-juj>ic

presents

p re s e n ts

Vhe (jondalievs b y W. S. G ilb e rt & A rth u r S u lliu a n B eryl D ixon. Director G e a rd id G ran t, Music Director J a c k ie C u rra n O lo h an , C h o ru s M aster G avin D o rrian , C h oreographer P a trick M urray, S ta g e Design P at F arrell, Lighting Design B re n d a n G alvin, P roduction S ecretary H on. S ta g e M anagem ent C Jo d a g h F oley, S ta g e M anager Assisted by H e le n C o llin s a n d M ichael G alvin

The N ational Concert Hall ^ Monday 11th March to Sunday 24th March, 1996

C o stu m e s H o m b u rg s o f L e e d s H on. W ardrobe M an a g em en t D y m p n a B ev a n a n d A rth u r S a lm o n Assisted by D y m p n a E g a r a n d D o d o O 'H a g a n

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL M o n d a y 1 1 th - S u n d a y 2 4 th M a rc h 1 9 9 6 (e x c lu d in g 1 7 th & 2 2 n d M a rc h )

Vhe (gondoliers C ast of Characters T he Duke of Plaza-Toro Luiz Don Alhambra del Bolero Marco Palmierl Giuseppe Palmieri Antonio Giorgio

Jim m y Dixon A nthony KIrwan M aurice O ’Sullivan P eter Lewis Patrick Connolly B ren d an M acQuaile B rend an Galvin

T h e Duchess of Plaza-Toro

S io b h an Fawsitt

Casllda

S in ead B renn an

Gianetta

C athy C orcoran

Tessa Fiametta

Paula Fay

LADIES O F T H E C H O R U S Fldelm a Allen, Eileen Bardin, Imelda Bradley, Lynn Branagan, Usa Costello, Doreen Finn, M ichelle Foynes, M argaret Gallen, Eileen Gildea, Jean Hum phries, Mary Kelly, Aoife Lawless, Leona McEvoy, M argaret M cGrath, Ursula O'Byrne, Lorraine O 'H alloran, Wendy Thom pson.

DAMCERS Sara Cogan, Miamh C ondron, Fiona Harold, Suzanne M cArdle, Em m a Thom pson.

Eileen Bardin GENTLEM EN O F T H E C H O R U S

Vittoria Giulia Inez Annibale

Mary Kelly W endy T h o m p so n Patricia Hough D aragh Toner

Paul Bolger, D om Carroll, Liam Carroll, Paul Clarkin, M ichael Feigheiy, Peter Fitzgerald, Brendan Galvin, Barney Gorm an, M ark Kidney, Brendan MacQuaile, W illie Nolan, Frank O ’Brien, Brian O'Connor, Eam on O'Sullivan, Noel Porter, Jo hn Sweetman, Daragh Toner, Pat Yeates.

STORYLINE ACT I

The scene opens in Venice with a bevy of four and twenty young maidens declaring their undying love for a pair of gondoliers, Marco and Giuseppe Palmieri. The male chorus of gondoliers enters, trying to pry these young ladies from their loves, and they start to win the ladies hearts - but when the tw o gentlemen enter, the ladies go back to loving them. They offer to pick tw o as their brides and "As all are young and fair, and amiable besides", pick them with a game o f blind man's buff. They, undoubtedly, cheat and eventually grab their favourite maidens out of the four and twenty (Giuseppe picks Tessa, and Marco Gianetta - "Just the very girl I wanted!"). The rest o f the maidens content themselves with marrying the other gondoliers, and leave to get married.

Enter His Grace the Duke of Plaza Toro (Count Matadoro, Baron Picadoro), Her Grace the Duchess, their beautiful daughter Casilda, and their drummer boy, Luiz. They have come to meet Don Alhambro de Bolero, the Grand Inquisitor of Spain, who now resides in Venice. As Luiz goes to announce the Duke's presence, the Duke and Duchess tell their daughter a secret they have kept for twenty years — namely that when she was only six months old, she was married to the infant son of the king o f Barataria, a fictional island o ff the coast of Spain. She is indignant, especially as the union was conducted without her knowledge, and, as we soon discover, she is secretly in love with Luiz.

However, the young prince was stolen from his home by the Grand Inquisitor after the king of Barataria became "a Wesleyan M ethodist of the most bigoted and persecuting type ", and taken to Venice. The king was recently killed in an insurrection, and as such, Casilda is now the queen of Barataria and the lost prince in now king. She breaks this news to Luiz when they are alone, and they resign themselves to a life forever apart.

When the Grand Inquisitor enters, he explains to them that the prince was adopted by a gondolier who already had a young son about the same age. The gondolier was a drunkard and eventually forgo t which boy was his own son and which boy was the prince of Barataria. The two boys (naturally, Marco and Giuseppe) grew up and now were both working as gondoliers.

Fortunately, the nurse who took care of the prince was Luiz's mother, who was now living in the mountains, married to a highly respectable brigand. Don Alhambro says that they will find her and she will surely know which gondolier is the lost prince. If not, he says, "then the persuasive influence of the torture chamber will jog her memory." The scene closes.

In the next scene, the tw o gondoliers marry their brides, and as they are rejoicing in the virtues of marriage, Don Alhambro arrives and informs them that one of them is the king of Barataria - but no one knows which. Despite being Republicans, the gondoliers and their wives are delighted, and agree to go to Barataria at once, acting as one individual until the actual

king is identified, each couple can be reunited - the Inquisitor neglects to mention the marriage to Casilda, knowing that it would surely cause them to change their minds. As the two wives are revelling that one of them will be a queen, the chorus enters, and Marco and Giuseppe announce their discovery, and promise to reign in a Republican fashion. They announce that in their kingdom, "All shall equal be" and will create new posts such as "the Lord High Coachman on the Box, the Lord High Vagabond in the Stocks". The entire male cast then leaves for Barataria, leaving their wives behind them.

ACT II

The scene opens in Barataria, with the chorus of gondoliers telling the audience of the joys of living under "a monarchy that's tempered with republican equality". It turns out that Marco and Giuseppe have in fact been doing all the work for the past three months - far from doing the work of one man, they're doing the work of twenty! They are quite happy with this arrangement, with the notable exception of having to share single portion for dinner, and feel that life is perfect apart from the lack of women. As if on cue, the ladies rush on, having risked life and limb to sail from Venice to see them. In delight, the reunited couples have a magnificent banquet and a dance (a cachuca). After the dance, the Grand Inquisitor makes his entrance, and inquires why he saw unimportant servants dancing.

Realising that the gondoliers have attem pted to make everyone noble, he persuades them that there is a place for the common things and "when every blessed thing you hold, is made of silver or of gold, you long for simple pew ter” .

He then breaks the news that one of the gondoliers married Casilda when a baby, and therefore is an unintentional bigamist.

The gondoliers attem pt to console their wives, who are distraught to discover that neither one will be queen.

The Duke and Duchess soon arrive with Casilda, and the Duke, appalled at the lack of pom p and ceremony in which he is received, attempts to educate the tw o monarchs in proper royal behaviour. When they finally begin to learn, they are left alone with Casilda. She agrees to be an obedient wife, but warns them that she is "over head and ears in love with someone else." Seizing this opportunity, the tw o men announce they are married, and the three ladies and tw o men sing about their woes.

A t this point, Don Alhambro announces that the nurse who tended the prince, and Luiz's mother, has arrived. They beg her to reveal which one is the king - and she does. When the Grand Inquisitor came to steal the prince, she had loyally hidden him away and given Don Alham bro her young son instead. The king is neither Marco nor Giuseppe, but actually Luiz. As everything is resolved, the monarchs surrender their crown to Luiz, and become gondoliers again. There is a final dance, a reprise of the gondolier's first song mixed with the cachuca from earlier.

■

'S '®

2006 Autumn Production - THE GONDOLIERS

Rathmines and Rathgar Musical Society

CAST OF CHARACTERS John Mooney

MUSICAL NUMBERS

THE D l^ E OF PLAZA TORO, A Grandee o f Spain

Robert Vickers

LUIZ,

Adam Lawlor

ACT I

1.

his attendant

DON ALHAMBRA DEL BOLERO The Grand Inquisitor

Dean Power Gavan Ring David Scott Michael Horan Brendan Galvin Michael Clark

MARCO PALMIERI GIUSEPPE PALMIERI ANTONIO FRANCESCO GIORGIO ANNIBALE

Jackie Curran-Olohan

Venetian Gondoliers

THE DUCHESS OF PLAZA TORO

Sarah Guilmartin

CASILDA,

Nicola Mulligan Naomi O'Connell Catherine Neylan Annaliesa Evans Caroline Keane

GIANETTA TESSA FIAM ETTA VITTORIA GIULIA

Imelda Bradley

INEZ,

Overture

Her Daughter

Contadine

The King's Foster M other

"List and learn" (Gondoliers, Antonio, Marco, Giuseppe, and Chorus of Contadine) 2.

"From the sunny Spanish shore" (Duke, Duchess, Casilda, and Luiz) 3.

"In enterprise of martial kind" (Duke with Duchess, Casilda, and Luiz) 4.

"O rapture, when alone together" (Casilda and Luiz) 5.

"There was a time" (Casilda and Luiz) 6.

"I stole the prince" (Don Alhambra with Duke, Duchess, Casilda, and Luiz) 7.

"But, bless my heart" (Casilda and Don Alhambra) 8.

"Try we life-long" (Duke, Duchess, Casilda, Luiz, and Don Alhambra) 9.

"Bridegroom and bride" (Chorus) 9a.

"When a merry maiden marries" (Tessa) 10.

"Kind sir, you cannot have the heart" (Gianetta) 10a. "Then one of us" (Marco, Giuseppe, Gianetta, and Tessa) ACT II

11.

12 .

13.

14.

15.

Chorus of gondoliers and Contadine, Men-at-Arms, Heralds and Pages

16.

17.

18.

19.

ACT I

-

The Piazzetta, Venice

A c t II - Pavilion in the Palace o f Barataria (An Interval o f three months is supposed to elapse between Acts I and II)

D ate: 1 7 5 0

20 .

21 .

22 .

"Of happiness the very pith" (Marco, Giuseppe, and Chorus of Men) "Rising early in the morning" (Giuseppe with Chorus) "Take a pair of sparkling eyes" (Marco) "Here we are at the risk of our lives" (Giuseppe, Tessa, Gianetta, Marco, and Chorus) "Dance a cachucha" (Chorus and Dance) "There lived a king" (Don Alhambra with Marco and Giuseppe) "In a contemplative fashion" (Marco, Giuseppe, Gianetta, and Tessa) "With ducal pomp" (Chorus of Men with Duke and Duchess) "On the day when I was wedded" (Duchess) "To help unhappy commoners" (Duke and Duchess) "I am a courtier grave and serious" (Duke, Duchess, Casilda, Marco, and Giuseppe) "Here is a case unprecedented" (Marco, Giuseppe, Casilda, Gianetta, Tessa, and Chorus)

MALE CHORUS

FEMALE CHORUS

VENETIAN PLAYERS

Liam Carroll Michael Clark R ob ert D e v ere u x B rendan Galvin Shay G ibson Barney G o rm a n Michael Horan Kris Kendellen Robbie K eogh David McAlinden D e rm o t McKenna E dw ard O 'G r a d y W alshe David S c o tt J a m e s Troy Pascal Walsh

Michelle Alison Lynn Branagan C athy Byrne Victoria Clarke Annaliesa Evans Lorraine Frewen Caroline Keane Kelly Kierans Edith Lynch Liseanne M cC reanor Aoife M ulqueen Ritzy Murray C ath erin e Neylan Susie R edden W en dy T h o m p so n

Fiona Doyle Kirsty Doyle David D e rm o d y Niall J a m e s o n Trevor Killeen

BEHIND THE SCENES Production Manager: NORA O'ROURKE

Set Design: JOHN O'DONOGHUE

Stage Crew: DAVID CARROLL FIONA HEALY SIOBHAN GEOGHEGAN

Set Construction: TPS

Wardrobe Mistress: DENISE O'M AHONY assisted by: DYMPNA BEVAN DODO O'HAGAN DYMPNA EGAR Wardrobe Master: MICHAEL HORAN assisted by: NOEL BYRNE

Set Painting: LIZ BARKER Lighting Design: DENIS TWOMEY Sound: PAT O'BRIEN Accompanists: NIAMH McDONOUGH PAULINE COOPER MARGARET O'SULLIVAN Costumes & Court Wigs supplied by: HOMBURGS & CO. THEATRICAL COSTUMIERS

Make-Up & Wigs: ALl MURPHY assisted by: JENNY HOULIHAN CAOIMHE SMYTH Casting Committee: MELANIE KEATING (Convenor) JACKIE CURRAN-OLOHAN GEAROID GRANT DYMPNA EGAR BARNEY GORMAN SHAY GIBSON Photography: AOIFE MULQUEEN A dditional Lyrics: PAT CAMPBELL & GARRY MOUNTAINE Programme Compilation & Design: SHAY GIBSON

THE GONDOLIERS - TRIVIA The Gondoliers, o r The King o f Barataria, is a Savoy O pera, w ith music by A rth u r Sullivan and lib re tto by W. S. G ilbert. It prem iered at th e Savoy Theatre on Decem ber 7, 1889, and ran fo r 554 perform ances, closing on June 20, 1891. This was th e tw e lfth com ic opera c o lla b o ra tio n o f fou rte e n b etw een G ilb e rt and Sullivan.

In this opera, G ilb e rt returns to the satire o f class distinctions fig u rin g in many o f his earlier librettos. It shows G ilbert's fascination with th e "S tock C o m pany A c t," h ig h lig htin g the absurd convergence o f natural persons and legal entities, which plays an even larger p a rt in the n ext opera, U topia L im ite d As in several o f th e ir earlier operas, by se tting the w o rk co m fortably far away from m oth e r England, G ilb e rt was e m b o ld e n e d to direct sharper criticism at th e n o b ility and th e institution o f th e monarchy itself.

unparalleled p o sition, de lib e ra te ly state th a t you have su b m itte d silently and unco m p la in in g ly fo r 12 years to be extinguished, ignored, set aside, rebuffed, and generally effaced by your librettist, you grievously reflect, n o t upon him , b u t u pon yo u rse lf and th e noble art o f which you are so e m in e n t a professor. (Jacobs, p. 291).

G ilb e rt offered a com p ro m ise th a t Sullivan u ltim ate ly accepted th a t th e co m poser w o u ld w rite a lig h t opera fo r th e Savoy, and a grand opera (Ivanhoe fo r a new th e a tre th a t C arte was constructing fo r th a t purpose. Sullivan's acceptance came w ith the proviso th a t "w e are th o ro u g h ly ag re e d upon th e sub je ct." G ilb e rt suggested an opera based on a the atrica l company, which Sullivan rejected (though a version o f it w o u ld be resurrected in 1896 as The G rand Duke), b u t he a ccepted an idea "c o n n e c te d w ith Venice and Venetian life, and this seemed t o m e to h old o u t gre a t chances o f b rig h t c o lo u r and ta kin g music. Can you n o t d e v e lo p this w ith so m ething we can b o th g o in to with w a rm th and enthusiasm and thus give me a subject in which (like th e M ik a d o and Patience) w e can b o th be in te rested....?"

(Jacobs, p. 294).

Genesis o f the opera The Gondoliers was preceded by th e m ost serious o f th e G ilb e rt and Sullivan collaborations. The Yeomen o f the Guard. O n January 9, 1889, three m onths in to th a t opera's fou rte e n m onth run, Sullivan in fo rm e d the lib re ttist th a t he "w a n te d to do some dram atic w o rk on a larger musical scale," th a t he "w ished to g e t rid o f th e strongly m arked rhythm, and rhy m e d couplets, and have w ords th a t w o u ld have a chance o f d e ve lop in g musical effects." (Jacobs, p. 287). G ilb e rt counseled stron g ly th a t the p a rtnership should co n tinue on its fo rm e r course:

G ilb e rt set to w o rk on th e new lib re tto by th e early sum m er o f 1889, and by th e m id-sum m er Sullivan had started com p o sin g A c t I. G ilb e rt p ro vided Sullivan w ith a lternative lyrics fo r m any passages, a llo w in g the co m p o se r to choose which ones he preferred. The long opening n u m b e r (more than fifte e n m inutes o f continuous music) was the lib rettist's idea, and it gave Sullivan th e o p p o rtu n ity to establish the m o o d o f the w o rk th ro u g h music.

"I have th o u g h t carefully over your letter, and while I q u ite understand and sym pathize w ith your desire to w rite w hat, fo r w a n t o f a b e tte r term , I suppose we m ust call 'grand opera,' cannot believe th a t it w o u ld succeed e ith e r a t th e Savoy or at Carte's new theatre.,.. M oreover, to speak from m y own selfish p o in t o f view, such an opera w o u ld afford m e no chance o f d o in g w hat I b est do th e lib re ttist o f a grand opera is always swam ped in th e com poser. A n y b o d y - Hersee, Farnie, Reece - can w rite a g o o d lib re tto fo r such a purpose; personally, I should be lost in it. A gain, th e success o f the Yeoman sic - w hich is a step in the d irectio n o f serious opera - has n o t been so convincing as to w arrant us in assuming th a t the p ublic w a n t so m ething m ore earnest still. (Jacobs, p. 287).

They w o rked all sum m er and autum n, w ith a successful o p e n in g on D ecem ber 7, 1889. Press accounts were alm ost e ntirely favourable, and th e opera e n joyed a run lo n g er than any o f th e ir o th e r jo in t w orks except fo r H.M.S. Pinafore and The Mik ado. Sullivan's o ld c o lla b o ra to r on Cox a nd Box (and the e d ito r o f Punch), F. C. Burnand, wrote, "M a g n ific e n to l...! envy you and W.S.G. b eing able t o place a piece like this on the stage in so c o m p le te a fash io n." (Baily, p.

344).

The G ondoliers was G ilb e rt and Sullivan's last g re a t success. Unlike Pinafore and The M ikado, however, th e British success was n ot du p lica te d in New York. D e p a rtin g from past practice. C arte d id n ot m ount th e Am erican p ro d u c tio n him self, b u t instead su b -contracted it to a local p ro d u ce r w h o "c u t corners and p re sented a p ro d u ctio n o f p o o r quality w ith som e disgraceful perform ances which, n ot unnaturally, g o t a worse than lukewarm re c e p tio n ." (GanzI, p. 375).

O nce he realised w h a t had h a p pened. Carte assem bled his own com pany and sent it across the A tla n tic, b u t th e d a m a g e was done, and th e opera closed a fte r just 103 perform ances in N e w York. The N ew York press referred t o it as " th e g o n e -d o lla rs ". (Baily, p. 347).

O n March 12, Sullivan responded, "1 have lost th e liking fo r w riting com ic opera, and e ntertain very grave d o u bts as to m y p o w e r o f d o in g it.... You say th a t in a serious opera, you m ust m ore o r less sacrifice yourself. I say th a t this is just w h a t I have been d o in g in all o u r jo in t pieces, and, w h a t is more, m ust continue to do in comic opera to make it successful." (Jacobs, p. 288).

A series o f increasingly acrimonious lette rs fo llo w e d over the ensuing weeks, w ith Sullivan laying d o w n new term s fo r the co lla b o ra tio n , and G ilb e rt insisting th a t he had always b e n t over backwards to co m p ly w ith the com poser's musical requirem ents.

G ilb e rt trie d to encourage his collaborator: "You say th a t ou r operas are G ilbert's pieces w ith music a d d ed by you.... I say th a t when you de lib e ra te ly assert th a t fo r 12 years you, incom parably th e greatest English musician o f th e age - a man whose genius is a p ro ve rb w herever th e English to n g u e is spoken a man w h o can deal en p rince w ith o p e ra tic managers, singers, music publishers and musical societies - when you, w h o h old this

I

During the run o f th e op e ra , the partners becam e e m b ro ile d in a le n gthy quarrel a b o u t th e sharing o f expenses fo r a new carpet in the Savoy Theatre lo b b y (See th e e n try fo r G ilb e rt and Sullivan). It w o u ld be another fo u r years b e fo re G ilb e rt and Sullivan co lla borated again, b u t in neither Utopia L im ited (1893) nor The Grand Duke (1893) w ere th e y able to reproduce th e p o p u la rity o f th e ir earlier collaborations.

2006 Autumn Production - THE GONDOLIERS

23

1800 300 604

iQ . d o

T ran si^ r

www.luas.ie

dcD Luas!

O yeO L iA TRANSPORT

^ Railway Procofement Agcfwy

OUR PRINCIPALS (continued) DAVID SCOTT

-

A

n t o n io

David is 22 and studies singing under Em m anuel Lawler at th e DIT C onservatory o f Music.

He has p e rfo rm e d in the N ational C o n c e rt Hall m any tim es w ith Festival Productions, playing Rolf in The Sound o f Music, Slim in Oklahoma!, Q uale M cCaffrey in South Pacific and General W in kie in th e Wizard o f Oz. He also appeared in p ro d u ctio n s o f M y Fair Lady, Oliver!, C a m e lo t and The Pirates o f Penzance and sang w ith Lyric O p e ra Productions in Turandot, Tosca, I D ue Foscari and Atilla.

David has been a soloist w ith his local g ro u p C o o lm in e Musical Society on various occasions and has played parts in Hello Dolly, Carousel, Seven Brides fo r Seven Brothers and A Little Princess in D raiocht T heatre in Blanchardstow n.

This is David's first p ro d u ctio n w ith th e R&R.

CATHERINE NEYLAN

-

F ia m e t t a

C atherine is a s tu d e n t at th e DIT C onservatory o f M usic and Drama w here she studies singing w ith Toni Walsh. From an early age she has been involved in film , stage and musical p ro ductions. As a child, she had a role in th e Oscar n om in a te d film In the N am e o f the Father starring Daniel Day Lewis. She stu d ie d ballro om dancing fo r ten years w ith th e Carmel C a rp e n te r School o f Dance and was a m e m b e r o f th e N ational C hildren's C hoir and th e Park Singers led by Sean Cramer.

In 2004, C atherine a ppeared as a m odel and dancer in th e N okia UCD A rts Fashion Show which was staged in th e Point D e p o t. She has starred in several p ro d u ctio n s including: Little M a ry Sunshine, Guys a n d Dolls, South Pacific and played th e role o f Laurie in Oklahoma!

Since jo in in g th e R&R Musical Society in 2004, C atherine p e rfo rm e d in The Yeomen o f th e Guard and the Spring p ro d u c tio n o f G ig i in th e G aiety Theatre. Her last p erform an ce w ith th e R&R was in R om b e rg to Rodgers in th e NCH last year.

ANNALIESA EVANS

-

V

it t o r ia

Annaliesa has p e rfo rm e d w ith several musical societies in W ick lo w and D ublin.

Previous roles include Eliza in M y Fair Lady, A d d a p e rle in The Wiz and Annas in Jesus Christ Superstar. She has a ppeared as a soloist w ith Bray Musical Society (M erm aid Theatre) and w ith MYTh P roductions in W icklow . She also p e rfo rm e d as a soloist in Glasnevin Musical Society's Show sto pp e rs series fo r th e past fo u r years (NCH & The Helix) and was Jeu Jeu in th e ir p ro d u c tio n o f The M e rry W id o w (NCH).

O th e r credits include soloist in Ap pla use w ith AIM S (The Helix) and a dancer fo r Jim M o llo y P roductions (NCH). M ost recently she played Frumah Sarah in F idd le r on the R o o f w ith th e R&R (Gaiety Theatre). Annaliesa previously stu d ie d singing w ith D eirdre G rier D elaney at th e DIT C onservatoire o f M usic & Drama, Rathmines durin g w hich tim e she w on th e annual S h o w b o a t c o m p e titio n fo r musical th ea tre.

She cu rren tly studies w ith C o n o r Farren at th e A b b e y School o f Music.

i!.

m

2006 Autumn Production - THE GONDOLIERS 25

BRENDAN GALVIN

G

-

io r g io

Brendan is cu rren tly a tte n d in g The Royal Irish A ca d e m y o f M usic u n d e r the d ire c tio n o f Suzanne M urphy. He has p e rfo rm e d w ith th e R&R fo r o ver te n years in m any p ro d u c tio n s such as M e and M y Oirl, Gigi, Guys a nd Dolls, South Pacific, M y Fair Lady, The M ik a d o and many m ore, b oth in th e G a ie ty Theatre and the N atio na l C o n ce rt Hall. He also app ea re d w ith th e R&R on television in th e RTE Proms, Late Late Show and o th e r program m es.

A p a r t fro m playing many m in or roles w ith th e R&R, he has p e rfo rm e d as a soloist in th e R&R's Rodgers to R om be rg in th e NCH, and th e roles o f B o bb y in The B o yfrie n d (Navan Road MS) and as St. Brioche in The M e rry W id o w (GMS) and m any o th e r parts in local thea tre, b o th singing and drama.

Brendan is also a m e m b e r o f Lyric O pera and has recently p e rfo rm e d in Verdi's II D ue Foscari, Atilla, La Boherrie and The M arria ge o f Figaro all in th e NCH.

MICHAEL CLARK

-

A

n n ib a l e

This is Michael's th ird show fo r th e R&R. He has p e rfo rm e d in The Yeomen o f the G u a rd (R&R) as w ell as Turandot, Tosca, II Due Foscari and La B ohem e fo r Lyric O pera.

M ichael p e rfo rm e d in th e R&R's p ro d u c tio n o f R om be rg to Rodgers in th e NCH last year and is lo o k in g fo rw a rd to p e rfo rm in g th e p a rt o f A n n ib a le in The G ondoliers. He hopes you enjoy th e show.

MICHAEL HORAN

-

F rancesco

M ichael is a native o f C astleisland in Co. Kerry. He has been an active m e m b e r o f th e R&R o ver th e last tw o years, having first p e rfo rm e d in M y Fair Lady in N o v e m b e r 2003. M ichael w o n a p art-scholarship in th e DIT School o f M usic in 2001 stu dyin g singing w ith Edith Forrest and in 2005 stu d ie d w ith Dr. Veronica D unne in th e Leinster School o f Music.

He has also p e rfo rm e d in The Yeomen o f the Guard, M y Fair Lady a n d F idd le r on th e R oo f w ith th e R&R and The Pirates o f Penzance and The G reat Waltz w ith Festival Productions. On th e opera fro n t, he has p e rfo rm e d in Aida, Turandot and II Due Foscari.

PLEASE NOTE: The use o f M obile Phones and Flash Photography is strictly forbidden during th e performance

IMELDA BRADLEY

-

In e z

Imelda is an active member o f the R&R, and has perform ed in many of their productions and has enjoyed every m om ent o f each and every one of them.

She is also a member o f the R&R Executive C om m ittee, acting as Social Secretary.

Imelda has been involved with music since an early age - having received qualifications in singing, piano and violin.

She is delighted to be playing Inez in this season's production o f The Gondoliers and hopes that you all enjoy the show!

CAROLINE KEANE

-

G

iu l ia

Caroline studied singing with Irene Thompson at the College o f Music. She has won many prizes for singing, and has an Honours Diploma in Piano.

She took part in Gay Byrne's production o f Oklahoma! in 1991, and Gala Concert in 1992. She joined the R&R in 1992 and has taken part in M ad A b o u t Musicals, The Mikado, M y Fair Lady, Gigi, Fiddler on the Roof, played one of the angels in Anything Goes and Edith in The Pirates o f Penzance.

Caroline appeared in Whitehall Palace in London at a special Christmas Concert, and sings at weddings with her husband.

R&R CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2006-07

NOVEMBER 2006 -

'The Gondoliers' commences in the National C oncert Hall

JA N U A R Y 2 0 0 7

-

Associate M em bers' Dinner

JA N U A R Y 2 0 0 7

-

Rehearsals Com m ence fo r Spring Production

MARCH 2007

'Let's celebrate! The M agic o f the Musicals' opens at the National C oncert Hall

JULY 2 0 0 7

A G M o f the Society

SEPTEMBER 2 0 0 7 -

Rehearsals Com m ence fo r our A utum n Production at National C oncert Hall (To be announced)

2006 Autumn Production - THE GONDOLIERS

27

GLOSSARY FOR THE GONDOLIERS' GLOSSARY (in o rd e r o f occurrence)

A C T II:

AC T I:

• t h e v e r y pith - essence.

• b eau ideal - p e rfe c t ty p e o r m o d e l, h o ld a Royal Levee - a c o u rt re c e p tio n . polish th e Regalia a n d the Coronation p la te - polish th e special e m b le m s o f roya lty and th e silver associated w ith th e c o ro n a tio n (this is n o t a large platter). titivating all o u r G e n tle m e n - in - W a itin g - sp ru cing th e m up. the G a rte r o r th e Thistle or th e Bath - th re e ord ers o f k n ig h th o o d in Britain; th e G a rte r is th e high est (pun, b u t true). h a v in g pa ssed t h e Rubicon - th e rive r by th e crossing o f w h ich Caesar b e ga n th e Civil Wars.

D a nce a cachuca, fandango, bolero - th re e Spanish dances (the m usic here is a cachuca - th e fa n d a n g o and th e b o le ro are m uch slo w er th a n th is on e and da n ce d b y t w o a t a tim e).

X eres w e 'll drink Manzanilla, M o n te r o xeres is fo r tifie d w in e (the nam e is c o r r u p te d in English t o sherry); m anzanilla a lig h t d ry sherry; m o n te ro , th o u g h it p ro v id e s a g o o d rhym e, d o e s n o t a p p e a r to be a d rin k at all.

Tuck in his tu p e n n y du ck his head (as in necessary in leap fro g), a t j u n k e t o r a t jin k m u s t b e c o n t e n t w it h t o d d y " ju n k e t" is a feast; " jin k " is a fro lic (as in "h ig h jin ks "); " t o d d y " a h o t s w e e te n e d d rin k o f b ra n d y and water, sham c o lo n e ls g a z e t t e d - t o have a p r o m o tio n pu b lis h e d in The London Gazette, a g o v e rn m e n t p u b lic a tio n issued bi-weekly.

• their g r e a t d o u b le -b a rre l - th e d u k e , having a hy p h e n a te d nam e, is a " d o u b le - b a r r e l" - th a t is, o f snob value.

• c o m p a n ie s b u b b le - a " b u b b le " is a w o rth less pro ject, usually financial.

• I p la y a t ecarte - a French card g a m e.

• Royal Salute - th e D uke is re fe rrin g t o an h o n o ra ry display, b u t G iu se p p e m eans a kiss.

• m e r r ily c ry in g o u r "p re m e, stall" - two th in g s g o n d o lie rs a p p a re n tly s ho ut: " p r e m e " means t o push d o w n on th e po le , used t o in d ic a te im m in e n t d e p a rtu re ; "s ta li" m eans stop.

• Barataria - th e title o f G ilb e rt's m ythical island k in g d o m o f Spain com e s fro m C e rvante 's D o n Q u ix o t e w h e re th e D o n pro m ises his c o m p a n io n Sancho Panza th e g o v e rn o rs h ip o f th is island "s u rro u n d e d by la n d ".

• dolce fa r n ie n te - d e lig h tfu l idlenes.

• n o b o d y c o n tra d ic e n te - c o n tra d ic tin g • Italian S eg m en t: The chorus sings one song e n tire ly in Italian, in w h ich th e w o m e n w e lc o m e M a rc o and G iu s e p p e , and pre s e n t th e m w ith flow ers. The m en re s p o n d w ith c o u rtly grace, d e c la rin g th e m se lve s the ladies' h u m b le servants {"s e rv ito ri u m ilissim i") t o w hich th e w o m e n rep ly th a t th e y are o n ly pe asant girls ( "c o n ta d in e ").

• hid algo - Spanish n o b le m a n o f lo w e s t rank.

• o f 9 5 quarterings "q u a rte rin g s " are divisions on a heraldic shield - w ith a d iffe re n t coa t o f arm s fo r each n o b le fam ily fro m which th e shield's o w n e r is d e s ce n d e d (95 is ra the r excessive).

• g ra n d e e - Spanish no b le m a n o f h igh est rank (ho w th e D uke o f Plaza-Toro can be b o th a G ra n d e e and a H id a lg o is on e o f G ilb e rt's paradoxes).

• p le be ian position - lo w class.

• cornet-a-pisto n - c o rn e t (related t o th e tru m p e t) w ith th re e valves o p e ra te d by pistons (th o u g h The G o n d o lie rs is s et in 1750, this va lve-pisto n c o rn e t was n o t in v e n te d until 1813).

• parcel o f grazers - herdsm en.

• D u k e o f Plaza-Toro, C o unt M a ta d o ro , Baron Picadoro - th e Duke's title s d e riv e fro m b u ll-fig h tin g (Plaza d o Toros b e in g th e arena; th e m a ta d o r and p ic a d o r b e in g d iffe re n t ty p e s o f bu llfig hters).

• w in d in g -up - refers t o th e liq u id a tio n o f a c o m p a n y (here it is a jo k e on com p a n ie s vs. clocks).

• D on A lh am b ra d e l Bolero - his nam e com e s fro m the A lh a m b ra , th e palace o f th e M o o ris h kings at G ranada, w ith "d e l B o le ro " a d d e d as a G ilb e rtia n b it o f h u m o r (it refers t o a ty p e o f dance).

• Jimp, isn't she - fe tc h in g , neat.

• th e tra d e o f a t i m o n e e r - helm sm an, steersm an.

• She'll b e a r sw ay th e b ell - carry o f f th e prize (from th e custo m o f p re s e n tin g th e w in n e rs o f horse races w ith a small g o ld o r silver bell).

• aristocrat w h o banks w ith C outts - a Lo n d o n private ba n k in g firm .

"THE DUCAL PALACE AND BARATARIA" Extract from "G ilbert & Sullivan Opera - A History and a Comment" by H. M . W albrook - CHAPTER XIII The next opera o f the series came to light in December, 1889. A few days before, G ilbert said to a newspaper reporter: "I thought The Yeomen o f the Guard the best thing we had done, but I am told that the public lil<e the topsy-turvy best, so this tim e they are going to get it". He kept his word.

The new opera was the ever-delightful Gondoliers.

For weeks before, G ilbert had been at work five hours a day drilling the actors and the chorus. In the first Act a game o f blindman's-buff is played, at the end of which the tw o gondoliers, Marco and Giuseppe, catch their brides-to-be, Gianetta and Tessa. That little passage o f "business" alone took him three days to g e t into working order. W ith a less eager and faithful chorus it w ould probably have taken three weeks, and even then gone all wrong: b u t the Savoy "c ro w d " were simply devoted to the theatre and to their w ork in it, and realised to the full the dignity of their association with an art-form so famous as Savoy Opera. Perhaps they were not all quite so young as they looked on the stage. Many of them by this tim e had been twelve years in the company, getting a modest salary o f ÂŁ85 a year, and w orking fo r themselves in other ways during the daytime; but all were as proud as possible o f their share in these memorable productions.

Gilbert had been at work for five months on the libretto o f the new opera, and Sullivan as long on the score. "I daresay I could w rite an opera in a week," said the author once, "b u t it w ould be a precious bad one. I have always p u t all I knew into my work, for I think if a thing is w orth doing at all it is w orth doing w ell". A fairly familiar platitude, of course - but how many comic opera librettists have taken the trouble to act upon it?

The Gondoliers, or the King o f Barataria, was produced fo r the first time on Saturday night, December 7th, 1889. Once more a successor had had to be found to a departed favourite in the company. Mr. Grossmith had retired from the stage to fo llow the career o f a public entertainer, a la Corney Grain. He was neither so accomplished a pianist nor so rich a humorist as tha t famous gentleman, but he had the initial advantage o f being exceptionally well known and popular, and his experim ent prospered. In fact, he had no difficulty in making a far larger income in the concert hall than he had ever made in the theatre. A t Brighton, fo r example, it used to be said o f him in playful envy: "H e comes into the to w n at 2 p.m. w ith an empty bag, and leaves at 5.30 p.m. with ÂŁ200 in it!" His place in the Savoy company was taken by Mr. Frank Wyatt, a tall, handsome, nimble and very polished comedian, who immediately acted, sang and danced the part o f the Duke of Plaza Toro as it has never been rendered since. A nother newcomer to the company was Miss Decima Moore, a young Brightonian, a pupil of Mine. Rose Hersee, who had never appeared upon the stage until she made her entry to the drumming o f the "suite" as the Princess Casilda in this opera, and who instantly captivated the audience by her dainty prettiness and then proceeded to com plete the conquest by her charming vocalisation. W ith these tw o fresh faces, moreover, came back the warmly welcomed and genial countenance o f the audience's old friend, Rutland Barrington, who made his return to a stage he should never have left in the character o f Giuseppe Palmieri.

This opera satirizes snobbery in all classes, from the "w orking man" upwards - or downwards, as you care to put it. It reminds us that a gondolier in the shade o f the Ducal Palace can be just as com plete a snob as a Doge. "As we abhor oppression, we abhor kings," remarks Giuseppe early in the story; but, when be learns that he may himself have been born heir to a throne, he prom ptly alters his tune. "O f course there are kings and kings," he says. "W hen I say I detest kings, I mean bad kings." And one of the pretty contadini standing by not only backs him up by declaring tha t she has "a very poor opinion o f a politician who isn't open to conviction," but proceeds to paint the delights of being a Queen - to . . . sit on a golden throne W ith a crown instead O f a hat on her head And diamonds all her own!

The first song of the Grand Inquisitor, with its refrain No probable possible shadow o f doubt.

No possible do ubt whatever.

is still sung to a grow ing glory o f laughter; and the same personage's ditty in the second A ct is packed w ith lines tha t have become familiar, such as "Dukes were three a p e n n y " "And Party leaders you m ight meet By twos and threes in every street Maintaining, with no little heat.

Their various opinions."

"When you have nothing else to wear But cloth o f gold and satins rare.

For cloth of gold you cease to care Up goes the price o f sho ddy!" and - When every one is somebodee Then no-one's anybody," while the scene in the first Act, in which the Duke o f Plaza Toro describes his conversion into a limited liability company, with the song, "In enterprise of martial kind," which follows, are among the drollest G ilbert ever wrote.

The music o f the first A ct has here and there an Italian "atm osphere", that of the second a Spanish. Antonio's song, "For the merriest fellows are w e," in the opening scene, strikes the whole opera's prevailing note o f gaiety and vivacity. The tw o duets fo r Luiz and Casilda in the first A ct are exquisite, conspicuously the second, w ith its persistent figure o f tw o notes for the flute and oboe a particularly charming and pathetic touch. The quartette, "Then one o f us will be a Q ueen," was hailed with a general roar on the first night, and when Sullivan proceeded to give the last verse as an encore, shouts o f "The whole of it!" came from all parts o f the house, with the result that the entire number was repeated, not only on tha t occasion but nightly during the whole run of the opera.

Giuseppe's song, detailing the duties of a Baratarian King, is another of the collaborators' masterpieces of witty words and w itty music. Marco's song, "Take a pair o f sparkling eyes," has been th o u g h t by many the finest air Sullivan ever wrote; the choral cachuca is another joy and evoked on the first night another thunder, and the quintette, "I am a courtier grave and serious," has the Handelian touch which our com poser could reproduce so happily. These are b u t a few o f the opera's melodic treasures.

I do not know what the "re c o rd " is in the matter o f the largest number of visits to any particular opera by one individual. I have heard o f a distinguished member o f Cambridge University who has witnessed over eighty performances o f lolanthe. Personally I cannot approach tha t - at least, not up to the present; b u t I remember seeing The Gondoliers seven times in one week - that is, six times in the evening and once at the Saturday matinee. If that, and perhaps some thirty other visits to it scattered over the years (to say nothing o f countless other visits to most o f the rest o f the series) entitles me to membership o f th e elect company o f true and proven Gilbert-and-Sullivanites, then I beg to put in my claim.

Some small changes have been made in the presentation o f the opera as the years have rolled by. The costumes, for example, are no longer those which G ilbert designed. I think they have been improved upon. The original uniforms o f the tw o Kings, fo r instance, in the second Act, were curious rather than beautiful. The original costumes of the Plaza Toro family in their prosperity have also, I think, been greatly improved upon. Several o f the operas have been similarly redressed, always with taste, and always with loyalty to the spirit of the works and to the ideals o f the author and the composer.

Robert Schumann once w rote in his diary on the night o f the successful first performance o f one of his symphonies: "W ith the help o f God I will follow this road further. I feel so cheerful now tha t I hope to bring to the light of day many a thing which will make men's hearts rejoice." The music of The Gondoliers is not classic like the great German Romantic's Symphony o f Spring, b u t it has made the hearts o f countless thousands o f men and women rejoice; so here to o may the composer be said not to have laboured

2006 Autumn Production

THE GONDOLIERS

M arketing with the R&R Rathmines and Rathgar Musical Society is heading for a milestone in theatrical circles having been in business for just under 100 years.

N ot many can boast o f such a feat, b ut their standards and expertise in stagecraft have kept them up there with the best o f the rest.

Renowned for their professional style productions in both the Gaiety Theatre and the National Concert Hall, the 'R and R', as we are sometimes known, has made many appearances on the Late Late Show and has partaken in a string of professional gigs with the stars of both stage and screen. In fact, some o f our artists have now become professionals in their own right.

Last year's production. Fiddler on the Roof, received much acclaim and was covered extensively by various critics in the media. Record numbers have attended our shows and capacity houses are now a seasonal norm. Feed back from our audiences is always positive which makes them return season after season.

it can g et .As part o f any show, a Printed Programme is most im portant and fo r us it is also a lasting record of the show and its participants.

Every season we produce an A4 glossy souvenir brochure-type programme which contains details of the show, the society, its participants and supporters. Potential advertisers can choose between Full Page or Half Page and our rates are as competitive as you will find in any similar type brochure. Whilst space is limited, we would welcome your business and support. It is n ot our intention to transform our program m e in to a book o f advertisements, but rather a collection of strategically placed ones that will g e t the exposure they rightly deserve.

With this in mind, I would ask you to give our organisation the opportunity to enhance your business in a manner befitting your company. I would welcome discussing your options in more detail with you and assisting you with the process.

Celebrities such as Terry Wogan and Gay Byrne are among the many patrons who graced our productions both on and off th e stage and have publicly praised our professionalism and style.

Backed by a team of experts, Rathmines and Rathgar Musical Society strive to present the best entertainm ent possible for all ages to enjoy, year after year.

A complimentary voucher fo r tw o tickets is included in the advertisement rates.

In staging our productions, no stone is left unturned and the image we portray is as good as

Tel. 087-803 5513 Email: rnrmarketing@hotmail.com

To reserve an advertisement slot or fo r more information, please contact; SHAY GIBSON, R&R Hon. M arketin g Secretary

Tor over 90years, the <Rfltfimines <^tfigar ^MiisicaC Society das grown a n d developed tfianli^ to the invofvement andfeedSac^w e receivefro m our active members, associate members a n d those who come to see our shows. W e aCways welcome the letters, cards, phone calls a n d chats w e have w ith everyone, as the information we receive helps us to improve how w e do things. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To ma!{e this easierfor you, we have designed thisfeedbac^orm to allow you to write down any thoughts a n d ideas you may have in one place a n d pass this on to us. Therefore, we w o u ld appreciate i f you could spend a fe w minutes answering the question below a n d returning it to us, either ^ p o st,fa x.o r by handing it to any member o f the society you spot in the theatre.

Jis a sm all incentive to encourage you, we w ill be holding a draw where 5 o f the returned form s wiCl w in a pair o f tickets to our n e ^ production.

Thanl(^â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;You The <H^<S^Mar^ting Committee

H ow would you rate the performance you attended today?

Excellent

Very G ood

Fair

G ood

Poor

H ow would this performance compare to other R&R shows you would have seen in the past?

Better

Same

N o t as G ood

Would you have any suggestions on areas for improvement for future productions?

Would you have any suggestions for shows that you would like to see the R&R present?

Are you an Active or Associate Member o f the Rathmines and Rathgar Musical Society?

No

If not, would you be interested m receiving information on how to becom e an active or associate member?

No

D o you have any other comments that you would like to add?

PLEASE RETURN THIS COMPLETED FORM TO Ri\THMINES & R/\THGAR MUSICAL SOCIETY, 67-69 UPPER RATHMINES ROAD, DUBLIN 6, OR FAX TO (01) 496-1858

9^ 2006 Autumn Production - THE GONDOLIERS

FORTHCOMING PRODUCTION

CC0 X

#A

X X Director/Choreographer: MARINA KEALY Musical Director: GEAROID GRANT Chorus Director: JACKIE CURRAN-OLOHAN Concert Committee: Dodo O'Hagan, Dympna Egar, Barney Gorman and Shay Gibson

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL 19th to 24th March 2007 inclusive (Excluding Friday 23rd March) Matinee Saturday 24th March at 2.30pm

A HISTORY OF PREVIOUS R&R PRODUCTIONS 1913 1914 1914 1915 1915 1915 1916 1916 1917 1917 1918 1918 1919 1919 1920 1921 1922 1922 1922 1923 1923 1923 1923 1923 1924 1924 1924 1924 1925 1925 1925 1926 1926 1926 1927 1927 1927 1927 1928 1928 1929 1929 1929 1929 1930 1930 1931 1931 1932 1932 1932 1932 1933 1933 1934 1935 1935 1936 1936 1936 1937 1937 1938 1938 1938 1939 1939 1939 1939 1939 1940

T h e M ikad o T h e Yeomen o f th e Guard T h e M ikad o Les Cloches de C orneville lolanthe T h e Yeomen o f th e Guard T h e M ikado Th e G ondoliers H add on Hall R udd igore U to p ia Lim ite d H a dd on Hall A Princess in Kensington M e rrie England U top ia Lim ited The Rose o f Persia R udd igore The M ikado Patience T h e Yeom en o f th e Guard T he G on doliers The M ikado The Yeomen o f th e Guard Patience lolan the Trial by Jury The Pirates o f Penzance The Duchess o f Dantzig Tom Jones M e rrie England The Duchess o f Dantzig Veronique The G ondoliers The M ikad o Trial by Jury The Pirates o f Penzance The Yeomen o f th e Guard H a dd on Hall The Rose o f Persia The Geisha San Toy Patience C o x and Box H MS Pinafore The B eloved Vagabond A C o u n try Girl T he Arcadians A W altz Dream The Q uaker Girl M o nsieur Beaucaire lolan the The M ikad o T he D esert Song Princess C harm ing Flo rodo ra lolan the The G on doliers The Yeomen o f th e Guard The M ikad o Princess Ida The Pirates o f Penzance H MS Pinafore M ercenary Mary T h e M ik a d o T he G on doliers T he Yeomen o f th e Guard T he G on doliers Patience Trial by Jury HM S Pinafore R udd igore

1940 1940 1940 1940 1940 1941 1941 1941 1941 1941 1942 1942 1942 1942 1942 1942 1942 1943 1943 1943 1943 1944 1944 1944 1944 1945 1945 1945 1945 1946 1946 1946 1946 1947 1947 1947 1947 1948 1948 1948 1948 1949 1949 1949 1949 1950 1950 1950 1950 1951 1951 1951 1951 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1953 1953 1953 1953 1954 1954 1955 1955 1955 1956 1956 1956 1956

Cox and Box The Sorcerer Trial by Jury The Pirates o f Penzance lolanthe The Yeomen o f th e Guard The G ondoliers Patience The M ikad o Princess Ida The M ik a d o The G ondoliers lolanthe Waltzes fro m Vienna U topia Lim ited The Im presario The Sorcerer The S tude nt Prince W ild Violets The M ikad o The G ondoliers Lilac Tim e B itter Sweet The Yeomen o f th e Guard lolanthe La Vie Parisienne The G on doliers Patience R uddigore The V agabond King The M ikad o Cox and Box HMS Pinafore Gay Rosalinda lolanthe Princess Ida The G on doliers The S tude nt Prince Trial by Jury The Pirates o f Penzance The M ikad o W ild Violets The G ondoliers Patience The Yeomen o f th e Guard Bless th e Bride The M ikad o R uddigore lolanthe The D ancing Years The G ondoliers Trial by Jury HMS Pinafore B itter Sweet The M ik a d o Princess Ida Cox and Box The Pirates o f Penzance La Vie Parisienne The G ondoliers Patience The Yeomen o f th e G uard Perchance to Dream Bless th e Bride Show boat The G on doliers The M ikado A nnie G e t Your Gun The Yeomen o f th e G uard Patience lolanthe

1957 1957 1957 1957 1957 1958 1958 1959 1959 1959 1959 1960 1960 1961 1961 1962 1962 1962 1963 1963 1964 1964 1965 1965 1965 1965 1966 1966 1966 1966 1967 1967 1967 1967 1968 1968 1968 1968 1969 1970 1970 1970 1971 1971 1971 1972 1072 1972 1973 1973 1973 1974 1974 1974 1975 1975 1975 1975 1976 1976 1976 1977 1977 1977 1978 1978 1978 1979 1979 1979 1980

O klahom a!

The G ondoliers The M ikad o C ox and Box HMS Pinafore Love From Judy B itter Sweet The M e rry W id o w R uddigore lolanthe The G ondoliers N aug hty M a rietta The D ancing Years The M erry W id o w Kismet W ild Violets The M ikado The G ondoliers The S tude nt Prince S outh Pacific The N ew M o on Rose M arie lolanthe The G ondoliers The Pirates o f Penzance Trial by Jury Guys and Dolls Patience The M ikad o Princess Ida B itter Sweet The Yeomen o f th e Guard The G ondoliers HMS Pinafore B rigadoon The M ikad o The Sorcerer lolanthe M y Fair Lady The D esert Song The M ikado The G ondoliers C am e lot The M ikad o The Yeomen o f th e Guard Fid dler on th e R oof The G ondoliers Patience South Pacific The M ikado Princess Ida The Dancing Years The G ondoliers The Yeomen o f th e Guard S how boat lolanthe HMS Pinafore Trial by Jury Guys and Dolls R uddigore The M ikado Cox and Box The G ondoliers The Pirates o f Penzance Gigi The Yeomen o f th e Guard lolanthe Sw eet C harity Patience The M ikad o The King and 1

1980 1980 1980 1981 1981 1981 1982 1982 1982 1983 1983 1983 1984 1984 1984 1984 1985 1985 1985 1986 1986 1987 1987 1988 1988 1989 1989 1990 1990 1991 1991 1991 1992 1992 1993 1993 1994 1994 1995 1995 1996 1996 1997 1997 1998 1998 1999 1999 2000 2000 2001 2001 2002 2002 2003 2003 2004 2004 2005 2005 2006 2006

HMS Pinafore The G on doliers Trial by Jury M y Fair Lady Princess Ida The M ikad o O klahom a!

The Yeom en o f th e Guard The G o n doliers A nnie G e t Your Gun The Sorcerer The M ik a d o A n Evening w ith Mr. G ilb e rt & Mr. Sullivan The G o n doliers Trial by Jury The Pirates o f Penzance Hans A nde rsen lolanthe The M ik a d o R odgers & H art and R odgers & H am m erstein Gigi R om berg and Romance S how bo at The M a gic o f Lerner & Loewe F id dler on th e Roof I'll See You A gain H ello D olly A Song to Sing 0 !

Kiss Me, Kate M ad A b o u t Musicals The Yeomen o f th e G uard The G o n doliers M ad A b o u t Musicals A n y th in g Goes A Song For You The M ik a d o H ear O u r Songs The Pirates o f Penzance O ne Enchanted Evening M y Fair Lady The G o n doliers South Pacific Show Business S how bo at HMS Pinafore F id dler on th e Roof R om berg to Rodgers O klahom a!

C e leb ration Carousel The M ik a d o Guys and Dolls The Pirates o f Penzance M e and M y Girl 90th B irthday C once rt Mr. G ilb e rt & Mr. Sullivan M y Fair Lady The Yeom en o f th e G uard Gigi Rom berg to Rodgers F id dler on th e Roof The G o n doliers

2006 Autumn Production - THE GONDOLIERS 33

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID Reviews of R&R's 'Fiddler on the Roof' Gaiety Theatre, 28th March to 8th April 2006

Vintage R&R take Fiddler back to the heights THE 1964 co lla b o ra tio n o f Joseph Stein (book), Je rry Bock (music) and Sheldon Harnick (lib re tto ) gave b irth to 'F id d le r On The R o o f' - a musical based on th e industrious b u t im p o ve rish e d Jewish c o m m u n ity o f A natevka in Czarist Russia a century ago.

The sto ry centres on th e m ilkm an Tevye, a man o f m ild ly cynical faith, b u t a firm b elieve r in tra d itio n ; his w ife G o ld e , and th e ir fiv e d aughters.

The 'F id d le r's ' very w e lco m e return to D ublin's G a iety T heatre this w eek com es th ro u g h a new p ro d u c tio n by th e evergreen Rathmines and Rathgar Musical Society.

D ire cte d in te llig e n tly by N o e l M c D o n o u g h , it has easily a da pta ble sets, a clever lig h tin g d esign and enjoys M arina Kealy's a ttra ctive ch oreo grap hy. This la tte r gives th e fresh-voiced R&R chorus and a th le tic dance tro u p e an e n g a g in g series o f w ellc o n tro lle d manoeuvres.

G arry M ou nta ine 's Tevye, w ho se in te rp re ta tio n has "a m an fo r all seasons" q u a lity a b o u t it, p o w e rfu lly d om in ates th e show. Possessing a fin e stage presence, he draws one into th e d ive rsity o f his characterisation w ith rem arkable ease th ro u g h clear-cut sung and spoken a rticu la tion .

Irene Gaffney's G o ld e has its ow n p articular strength. O b viou sly " n o t a lady fo r tu rn in g ", she still b rings a w o n d e rfu lly a c ce p tin g m aternal aspect to her role.

The rest o f th e large cast fin d s Treasa M eegan, Ruth Cahill and Elaine H earty as th e sensible, vivacious and serious d a u g h te rs Tzeitel, H od el and Chava w e ll-m a tch e d against each o th e r and th e ir personally chosen partners, co n vin cin g ly p layed by D o m in ic Reid (M otel), R ob ert Vickers (Perchik) and Feargal H arrin gton (Fyedka).

Fiddler on the Roof F orty years a fte r its B roadw ay d e b u t, F id d le r on the R o o f was still g arne rin g n o m in a tio n s in 2004 fo r Tony and Drama Desk A w a rd s in several categories, and th e cu rren t p ro d u c tio n by Rathm ines & Rathgar Musical Society makes th e reasons fo r its d u ra b ility very clear. It is an e x cep tion al musical based on stories by Jewish w rite r Sholom A le ich em , w ith an a u th e n ticity th a t surely inspired its creators (bo ok

by Joseph Stein, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, music

by Jerry Bock) to such d e lig h tfu l harmony.

It is th e story o f a Jewish village in Russia at th e sta rt o f th e 2 0th century, w e d d e d to its tra d itio n a l beliefs and practices. W e are im m e d ia te ly in to th e business o f m ade m arriages as th re e girls, d au gh ters o f Tevye th e m ilkm an, sing a com ic n u m b e r a b o u t it. He has d iffic u lty w ith th e n o tio n th a t his girls n o w o b je c t to his ch oo sin g th e ir husbands.

The firs t act closes on th e p la in tiv e Sunrise, Sunset as his e ldest d a u g h te r flies th e nest. T he n e xt girl w ill m arry a re vo lu tio n a ry s tu d e n t and jo in him in Siberia. But th e th ird really puts b ig -h e a rte d Tevye's affections to th e te s t by m arrying o u t o f th e fa ith.

The d o w n b e a t b u t h o p e fu l e n d in g sees th e p e o p le b e in g fo rc e d fro m th e villa ge in to diaspora. G arry M o u n ta in e is im m ense as Tevye, in th e tra d itio n o f earlier stars such as Zero M ostel and Topol, and Irene G affney is excellen t as his w ife G olde.

The action is s tu d d e d w ith m e m o ra b le songs If I Were a Rich Man, th e b ea u tifu l S abbath Prayer, N o w I Have Everything, th e co m ic D o You Love M e and m ore - enhanced by a very large chorus and clever quasi-Russian choreo grap hy. The lyrics and d ia log ue , w ith th e ir Jewish cadences and idiom s, are fin ely d e liv e re d in this musical tre a t fo r eye and ear.

GERRY COLGAN

But th e re is hardly a weak link in this p ro d u c tio n , which runs u nd er th e capable musical d ire c tio n o f G e aroid G rant, and w ith Sarah O 'C o n n o r's b alletic fid d lin g .

PAT O'KELLY

34 ■

llniliini

■■■■H I

[■■■111

Fiddler hits the Roof The iconic o p e n in g m om ents o f F iddler on the Roof, th e last o f th e g re at b ig shows from Broadway's g o ld e n age, are d iffic u lt to pull off. A lone fid d le r sits on th e ro o f o f a village house, and a lone lead character explains the m eta ph oric le itm o tif o f th e show to th e a u d ie n c e - th e strug gle to keep p laying your fid d le in a precarious position fro m w hich you m ig h t fall at any m o m e n t - before th e entire cast com e on stage to sing a song c e le b ra tin g th e u p h o ld in g o rth o d o x Jewish tra d itio n s. The Rathmines and Rathgar Musical Society pull this d iffic u lt fe a t o ff w ith m ixed results.

From th e m o m e n t leading man Garry M ounta ine takes th e stage, we know w e 're in capable hands.

His Tevye is as assured as any professional p erson ifica tion I've ever seen, his bassoon-voiced bon h om ie is m ore than a n od to Topol's Tevye in the 1971 film o f th e musical, a perform an ce th a t has b e co m e inseparable fro m the character ever since. A lo n g w ith Irene Gaffney's socially am bitious b u t so ft-h e a rte d G olde, M ounta ine literally holds this show to g e th e r, p ro vid ing it with an alwaysw atchable and to ta lly believable heart. It's only w hen th e spraw ling cast g ets in the w ay th a t you realise y o u 're w atching an musical society version o f th e show than a Broadway blockbuster.

The G a iety is closing dow n n e xt Spring fo r renovations th a t will expand its stage, and this can only be g o o d fo r the R&R, w hich has so many m em bers, it's hard to accom m o da te th e m in th e theatre's cu rren t confines. Playing residents o f th e fictio na l Russian tu rn -o f-th e -ce n tu ry village Anatevka, th e spraw ling R&R cast jostle s fo r m arked p ositions as it crow ds on th e stage to sing th e o p e n in g 'T rad ition ', and d espite its num bers d o e s n 't q u ite b lo w th e ro o f o f th e th e a tre w hen it reaches th e b ig notes. Nevertheless, th e full-cast re n d itio n and staging o f 'The Dream ', w here Tevye fo ols his w ife into agreeing to let his o ld e r d a u g h te r m arry th e local ta ilo r instead o f th e w ea lthy butcher, is a b ea utifu lly ch oreo grap he d and p itc h -p e rfe c t high p o in t o f this show and could c o m p are to any slick, b ig -b u d g e t p ro d u ctio n .

The w o rk o f all th e R&R's principals and supports to m aster th e Fiddler's quasi-Yiddish vernacular is clear and present. Such is th e precision o f th e ir in te rp re ta tio n , th e re isn't a h in t o f an Irish accent on display - y o u 'd th in k 'g o o d S abbath' was a regular g re e tin g used by th e p e o p le o f Rathmines and Rathgar as th e y g o a b o u t th e ir business on the H oly Day. The show's story, fo r th ose o f you n ot in th e know, charts th e ch allen ging o f Jewish m arriage tra d itio n s against a b a c kg ro u n d th e v io le n t p rogram s against th e Jews is Tsarist Russia.

Having g ro w n up in a w o rld w here parents arrange th e ir children's m arriages w ith th e h elp o f a m atchm aker, Tevye, a village m ilkm an and his w ife G o lde m ust learn to a ccept th e ir th re e d a u g h te rs' n o n -tra dition al paths into w ed lock. Special m en tion m ust g o to Treasa M eegan, Ruth Cahill and Elaine Hearty as th e th re e d au gh ters in q uestion - th e ir re n d itio n o f 'M a tc h m a k e r' hits all th e rig h t naive c o m e d ic notes - and D om inic Reid as M o te l, th e ta ilo r o ld e st d a u g h te r Tzeitel has set her hopes upon. He carries o ff his b u m b lin g role w ith practised ease, and manages to e m o tio n a lly co nn ect w ith one o f th e show's m ost d iffic u lt songs. M iracle o f Miracles.

The m o u n tin g darkness o f th e show's backg ro un d p lo t - th e p ro g ra m s against th e Jews - is reduced to th e o v e rtu rn in g o f a fe w tables at Tzeitel's w e d d in g here, a lo ng w ith som e unrealistic fires b urn in g in th e distance on Dave Benson's othe rw ise w ell-realised set. This dim inishes Fiddler's usual e v e r-a tte n d a n t d em on s to a m ere m o m e n t o f b e n ig n sta ging, w hich rids an essential d im en sion ality fro m th e p ro cee ding s. But having said th a t, th ere w a s n 't a m o m e n t w hen the audience's a tte n tio n w a n d e re d and th e show's final scenes, w here th e Tevye and his fa m ily are fo rc e d to separate and say g o o d b y e to th e ir friends, actually b rin g a lu m p to th e th ro a t, nicely c o u n teractin g th e m any laughs M ou nta ine , G affney et all d elivered a lo ng th e way.

M yself and my g u e s t le ft th e th e a tre in high spirits, singing 'If I W ere a Rich M a n ' as w e stro lle d along Stephen's Green. M a ze lto v to th e R&R! A g o o d show th e y p u t on, th a n k G o d .

BRIAN FINNEGAN

2006 Autumn Production - THE GONDOLIERS

TERENURE TAXIS Your Local Taxi Company Serving: Dublin 2, 4, 6, 8, 14, 16 and the Airport!

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK OFFERING A 24-HOUR SERVICE

8 490 1111 Let

TERENURE TAXIS Do The Driving

Harvesting the Seaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Renewable Resources

Adding value through quality An Bdrd la s c a ig h M hara The Irish S e a F ish eries Board Crofton R oad, Dun L aog haire Co. Dublin, Ireland Tel 01 214 4 10 0 Fax 01 2 8 4 1123 Email info@ bim .ie W e b s ite w w w .bim .ie

B/A

Name; BARNEY GORMAN When did you join the Society: 1972

W hat is your earliest memory with the Society?:

UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT

I was lucl<y enough to jo in fo r th e Irish prem iere o f F iddler on the R o o f - what a fantastic show!

Best performance you have seen?: In th e R&R choose from Ed Brady as KoKo and Heather Hewson as Katisha, Pat Cam pbell as the Lord Chancellor and Garry M ountaine as Shadbolt. O utside th e R&R th e spectacle o f Aida at Caracalla in Rome

'A TRIBUTE' This loyal trio have given many years of total dedication to our Society, both in front and behind the scenes. We are deeply indebted to them for their service and commitment which has contributed to our survival and success.

Here is a small peek into their individual _ personalities.

Thank you guys, we salute you!

What is your favourite show?: The Vfeomen o f the Guard

Favourite holiday resort?: Rome

Who would you most like to meet?: John Hume

What is playing on your car stereo at the moment?: Angela Gheorghiu live from Covent Garden

Who do you most admire in Theatre?: Andrew Lloyd W ebber

One word that describes you?: Independent!

Name: NOEL BYRNE

%â&#x2013;

When did you join the Society: 1954!

Name: PASCHAL WALSH

What is your earliest memory with the Society?:

When did you join the Society: Spring Season 1962

Being te rrifie d at my audition

What is your earliest memory with the

Best performance you have seen?:

Society?:

Louise Studley in The M erry W ido w

The friendliness th a t existed in the com pany and the sense o f team work

Best performance you have seen?: Brendan McShane was a dear friend and a great pe rfo rm er

What is your favourite show?: Cam elot

Favourite holiday resort?: The Algarve

Who would you most like to meet?: The present Chelsea team

What is playing on your car stereo at the moment?:

What is your favourite show?: South Pacific

Favourite holiday resort?: Italy

Who would you most like to meet?: The Pope

What is playing on your car stereo at the moment?: Lisa Kelly and Celtic Women

Who do you most admire in Theatre?: Cyril Cusack

One word that describes you?: O utgo ing !

Leonard Cohen has made a comeback.

Maria Callas is never far away

Who do you most admire in Theatre?: A young Peter O 'Toole and the late Donal McCann

Favourite Season?: 1973

- Played Luther Billis in South Pacific and th e late

Heather Hewson played Bloody Mary - great fun!

One word that describes you?: Three actually! 'A g o o d friend'!

2006 Autumn Production - THE GONDOLIERS

The Rathmines & Rathgar Musical Society is proud to announce that you can now !<eep up-to-date with all our activities by accessing our recently launched Website:

w w w .randrm usicalsociety.ie • • • • • •

Acquire Instant Information about the Next R&R Production Obtain infornnation on booking tickets for R&R Shows Read a brief history of the R&R since it began in 1913 Use the Website to familiarise yourself with R&R Associate Membership Peruse how to become an R&R Active Member - and what it means!

Get all the data you need to advertise in R&R programmes Or if you would just like to keep in contact with the R & R ........

JUST CLICK ON w w w .randrm usicalsociety.ie

Of course you can still contact the R&R through all the usual conventional ways!

Below we list our full postal, telephone, fax and E-mail address for your added information: The Rathmines & Rathgar Musical Society, 67/69 Upper Rathmines Road, Dublin 6, Ireland Telephone & Fax: +353 1 4961858 E-mail: info@randrmusicalsociety.ie

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Rathmines & R athg ar Musical S ociety wish to ac kn o w le d g e th e assistance re ce iv ed w ith this year's p roductions from:

The Management and Staff of the National Concert Hall RTE Our Associate IVIembers CRM Design + Print Ltd. A.I.M.S. Aoife Mulqueen Chad Gilmer Casting Committee Entire Cast Our Advertisers Our Families, Friends and Supporters

^

The Rathmines and Rathgar Musical Society acknowledge the w ork o f AIM S and their Adjudication Scheme for AIM S M em b er Societies

THE GLASNEVIN MUSICAL SOCIETY presents

by arrangem ent with Samuel French Lim ited

BENNY ANDERSSON

TIM RICE

BJORN ULVAEUS

♦CHESS

PETER CORRY BRENDA BROOKS KENNETH O’REGAN ADAM LAWLOR ROBERT VICKERS TODD BROTHERS MARIA FITZGERALD

Director

NOEL McDo n o u g h Music Director

COLMAN PEARCE Choreographer

MARINA KEALY

THE NATIONAL CONCERT HALL DUBLIN MONDAY 19lh - THURSDAY 22nd & SATURDAY 24th FEBRUARY 2007 at 8pm

Tickets from the National Concert Hall Box Office

Tickets: € 25, € 3 0 , € 3 5 & € 4 0

T: (01) 417 000 o r online a t www.nch.ie . . . . . (no booking fees)

,

Group discounts available d

i *

m

/\

Booking Now Open °

•

•

•

• • •

•• •• ••

H€ALY GROUP Servicing the Irish food and chemicals industries with a comprehensive range of products.

Best wishes to the R&R with their production of ‘The Gondoliers' HCL House, Cookstown Industrial Estate, Tallaght, Dublin 24.

Tel: 404 9200 Fax: 404 9201

ns&i I.S./1S09002/EN 29002

C R M Design + Print L t d • 01-429 0007