A night at the musicals
Carmel O’Donoghue, Martina Lee-Boyle with musical director Eileen Tackney present ‘A night at the musicals’ at Cavan's Townhall theatre later this month.
Taking place Saturday-Sunday, November 25-26, it promises a night of enthralling musical theatre and a variety of musical hits from your favourite musicals over the decades. Each will be performed with a live band comprising of Eileen Tackney, Paul Cox, Peter Denton, Laura McQuaid and Jim Kelly.
Special guests on the night also includes the Songsisters, a six-piece harmony group who have been performing together since they were teenagers.
They will later be joined by the most talented Eileen Tackney. Philomena Smith, who started out with the family group ‘The Dunaree Ceile Band’ and is a regular performer in her own right, will also join the group on the night.
The audience will also hear the incredible talent of up-and-coming young tenor, Shane Farell. Shane has performed at BBC Proms in the Park alongside the Ulster Youth Chamber Choir and the Ulster Orchestra prodcast live on BBC ONE Nationwide. He was also scouted to perform on BBC Radio Ulster’s ‘Rising Stars’ Series.
This is Carmel, Martina and Eileen’s second venture together having performed a classical evening ‘One Enchanted Evening’ in the Cathedral in 2019.
The Townhall concert is in aid of Cuan Cancer Care Cavan and St Christoper’s Hospice Cavan. Martina and Carmel have both gone through Cancer treatment and, through staging this concert, hope to give something back.
Carmel has been singing from a very early age playing the lead role in school musicals and the Cavan Musical Society over the years. She attended the Royal Irish Academy of Music for voice training.
She is a main soloist in the Cavan Cathedral Choir who performed recently with the Celine Byne Concert in the Cathedral and the University Theatre in Limerick. Both Martina and Carmel’s love of musicals and musical theatre has been the inspiration for this show.
A surprise performer on the night, Carmel’s nine-year-old granddaughter Caoimhe O’Donoghue will join too for her stage debut.
Martina, meanwhile, has also been singing from a very early age and was brought up listening to and watching musicals and light operetta. She joined the Cathedral Choir at the age of 12 years and is also one of their main soloists having performed with them at the recent Celine Byrne Concerts in the Cathedral and Limerick.
She is a founder member and soloist with the Cavan Singers. Martina is also a member of the Crosserlough Choral Sociey.
She attended voice training in Dublin and then studied in the College of Music under Jodie Beggan.
Eileen finally is a composer and conductor of outstanding talent and has just completed two shows as musical director, arranger and accompanist for world renowned Soprano Celine Byrne for her recent concerts in the Cathedral in Cavan and the University Theatre in Limerick.
“Rehearsals have been going on for months and we are enjoying every minute of it. We have so many people who have come on board with us to help in any way they can, and we are truly grateful for that. Choreographer Pascal Lyons is helping us with our ‘moves’. Adrienne Cunningham is our ‘digital expert’ although she would contest that title. Abbeyset Print and Design as always have been very helpful. Noelle Farrelly is helping us with wardrobe.
The Townhall staff have also been extremely helpful in our efforts. So many local businesses have so generously donated spot prizes to us for our Raffle,” the group explains.