Check out our review of Carrick-on-Suir Musical Society’s production of Oklahoma

The stage of Carrick-on-Suir's Strand Theatre was filled with singing and dancing cowboys and gals for eight nights concluding last Saturday and boy did they put on a hell of a show.

Carrick-on-Suir Musical Society reverted to a classic – Oklahoma – for its annual show 40 years after it last staged the Rogers & Hammerstein musical theatre hit.

The renowned composer and lyricist first unleashed this show set in the Wild West on Broadway in 1943 – the year Carrick-on-Suir Operatic Society was founded.

Carrick-on-Suir Musical Society's 2020 version of Oklahoma was a most enjoyable evening of entertainment filled with much loved songs ranging from gloriously happy anthems like “Oh What A Beautiful Morning and “Many a New Day” and comic ditties like “I can't say no” and “It's a Scandal! It's an Outrage” to the darker “Pore Jud is Daid”.

All the leading cast members put in stellar performances. Michael Raggett and Sandra Power, who played the female and male leads Laurey and Curly gave beautifully executed p solo and duet singing performances throughout the show. Sandra Power's performance of “Many A New Day” was a particular highlight for this reviewer. Neill Butler and Ruthie Raggett were top class in the comic roles of Ali Hakim and Ado Annie. Their comic acting appeared effortless.

Two visiting performers who greatly added to the quality of Carrick Musical Society's show were well known Tipperary Town singer Derek Ryan and James Donovan from Clonmel. Derek Ryan gave a stand-out portrayal of the sinister farm hand Jud Fry. His Jud was a truly creepy, brooding presence on the stage and it was worth attending the show alone to hear him sing “Pore Jud is Daid” and “Lonely Room” in his powerful bass voice in Act 1.

Other notable performances were delivered by multi-award winning AIMS actress and singer Irene Malone as the feisty Aunt Eller and Seamus Power, who returned to the stage to play Andrew Carnes at the end of his two year stint as president of the Association of Irish Musical Societies.

The chorus is a central ingredient of the success of any Oklahoma production because of the show's large scale ensemble singing and dancing scenes. The members of Carrick Musical Society's men's and ladies chorus stepped up to the challenge with aplomb and were a joy to watch in their performances of The Farmer & The Cowman, Many A New Day, It's a Scandal! It's an Outrage!and the title anthem Oklahoma.

Overall, hats off once again to director Liam Butler and his team for staging another gem of a show in Carrick's Strand Theatre.