See behind the scenes footage and all the surprises to come from the LMS production of The Wizard of Oz.

The Wizard of Oz is the latest production from the Letterkenny Musical Society which is coming to the stage this month.

From 28 February – 4 March audiences will be embarking on a magical journey along the yellow brick road with the cast at An Grianan Theatre Letterkenny.

The classic tale is set to get a special twist by the local musical society who are returning to the stage after the success of Jesus Christ Superstar in 2016.

Rehearsals are in full swing and tickets are selling out quickly. The LMS are releasing some special teasers to show audiences what they can expect.

Eimear Friel is taking on the starring role as Dorothy. This stunning video sees Eimear taking on the iconic ‘Somewhere over the rainbow’ – the performance is set to be even more special when she has the sparkling red slippers on.

 

The Letterkenny Musical Society was founded by the late Danny Mc Glinchey many years ago. It went into hibernation for a number of years while a massive effort was being made to bring a theatre to Letterkenny. Danny was at the forefront of this effort. It was reborn in 1999 and the first production was Jesus Christ Superstar, the first musical to be staged in the newly built An Grianán Theatre.

Assistant Director and cast member Nicola Shields is very much looking forward to getting her teeth into the gritty role of Wicked Witch of the West. Nicola has been in every LMS show since 1999 along with Donal Kavanagh.

Donal Kavanagh

Director Donal Kavanagh says one of the most satisfying elements of being involved in LMS is seeing young actors start to reach their potential. So many young people are making their An Grianan debuts in this show, while others are playing lead roles for the first time.

“Our two Dorothys, Eimear Friel and Elly Meenan are magnificent, and it’s clear they will be playing many principal roles in the future”, he says.

Fostering new talent has always been important for the society, and now young people who previously took part in LMS productions are appearing on national and international stages.

A case in point is AmyBeth McNulty, who played Molly in the 2011 production of Annie, and will shortly be seen on Netflix playing the lead role in ‘Anne’, a Canadian adaptation of ‘Anne of Green Gables.

 

Finding that balance between encouraging new performers and bringing back seasoned veterans is a delicate task, and the casting committee has brought together a very exciting cast for this production of the Wizard of Oz.

Find out who’s who in the full cast and production list here:

Director: Donal Kavanagh
Assistant directors: Nicola Shields & Maria Rushe
Producer: Noel O’Donnell
Musical Director: Mark Bradley
Choreographer: Rebecca Thompson
Stage Manager: Margaret Hartle

Principal Cast:
Dorothy : Eimear Friel ( understudied by Elly Meenan)
Scarecrow: Eoin Callaghan
Tinman : Andrew Tinney
Lion: Giles Murray
Wicked Witch of the West : Nicola Shields
Glinda: Caitríona Ni Shochlachain
Wizard: Cathal Quinn
Mayor : Joe Gallagher
Gloria: Rachel Akkoç

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