View from the Green Room: Culture Night and the Déise rocked
O'Connell St. hosts A Night at the Musicals for Culture Night 2024.
Eight O’Clock and O’Connell Street is hopping. It’s Culture Night and everyone is out to experience the musical talent of Waterford amateur musical societies. The great and the good of musical theatre is here and a lot of fresh-faced and eager wannabees that are soon to be nowabees on the musical theatre scene.
Bonhomie is everywhere. People who haven’t seen each other for a full two days are shaking hands, knuckle-knocking, fist-pumping and hugging like it’s the end of the world. The tables are out but are all taken by the time I hit the street.
The pavements are packed and the shouts of “move along there now” from security who have blocked off the street fill the air. Glasses and bottles clink in gestures of joy, applause ripples regularly and laughter roars high into the warm night air – and that’s even before the singing starts.
RTE is here for interviews that people make space for; journalists move about for copy; talent spotters for shows soon to be cast watch like magpies and some golden oldies are remembering past shows with nostalgia.
It all kicked off with Geraldine Upton’s suggestion for a massed choir from the musical societies to sing the Les Mis classic “One Day More”. It was first sung in Waterford in Michael Grant’s production of the Glass Tops in 1987 and I’m proud to remember that I sang Javert’s part.
As the songs echoed into the ether of that closed street, the ghosts of past musical theatre floated around me. I could feel Bryan Flynn, Denny Corcoran, Des Manahan, Eamonn Flavin, Fr. Melody, Denis McGrath and many others at my shoulder.
I think of those who had given a lifetime of performance to theatre in Waterford… Michael Grant, Patsy Sheridan, Ann McGrath, Betty Bible, Liam Murphy, Nicky Cummins, Martina Flynn, Carrie Crowley, Br. Ben and many, many others… who would love to be here tonight. And possibly are.
Present and future stars are here tonight. Along with their mentors and the big musical theatre companies. Waterford Musical Society are here with excerpts from Evita and the newly-formed Tramore Community Theatre parade their glamorous nuns along, and then it’s chop-chop for Henry VIII’s not-so-merry Wives of Windsor before they lose their heads.
Waterford Centre of Music, led by Jean and Ellenor Upton, who are the originators of tonight’s performance, is here with Revolting Children, Alexander Hamilton, Momma Mia and Chess, and there’s a string of excellent solo performances from Richie Hayes, Keely Rogers, Meabh Doyle, Jennifer Whyte, Lynsey Penkert, Vicki Graham, Luke Donnelly, Alex Kavanagh and Dermot Keyes. Soul Dance Arts, David Hennessy Stage School and WCM floored dance routines that had the street hopping.
O’Connell Street's “Night at the Musicals” from the work of all local musical societies and stage schools did the Déise proud in front of the RTÉ cameras as the talent just exploded across the cobblestones.
All the county turned out and made Culture Night in Waterford an exceptional night on the Irish streets.
