Kilkenny Musical Society calls on past members for encore!

A celebration 50 years in the making is in store as the Kilkenny Musical Society prepares to mark half a century of theatrical thrills and spills in style.

The Society is calling on all members past and present to come together as they build up for their next big stage production.

Founded in 1973 by Kilkenny theatre legend Donal O’Brien and the late and great Kitty Drohan, KMS performed their first production of The Gypsy Baron in the spring of 1974 in the Friary Hall. This was to become the home of the society until 1992 when their production of The Merry Widow became the last show to be staged in the Hall.

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The opening of the Watergate Theatre in early 1993 was a milestone in the development of Kilkenny Musical Society and their production of The Pirates of Penzance in May of that year marked their debut in a professional theatre and introduced the society to the demands of staging a musical production in a professional technical arena.

Every year since then has seen the society staging a musical to the highest of professional standards, accruing an impressive list of accolades along the way. Their 2014 production of Michael Collins: A musical drama scooped first place at the national awards in Killarney.

Despite the devastating effect of Covid-19 on the arts and performers across all genres, Kilkenny Musical Society returned as vibrant and passionate as ever with their 2022 production of The Addams Family which played to packed houses and rapturous applause.

Ahead of the eagerly awaited announcement of their 2024 production, Kilkenny Musical Society will be staging a nostalgic trip down musical theatre memory lane with a glittering array of past, present and, perhaps, future stars of the society’s impressive cohort. The Watergate Theatre will be the venue for what promises to be a fantastic concert remembering all of the shows that have endeared Kilkenny musical society to its audiences.

Info night

Now the call has gone out to past performers. Anyone who has been part of a KMS production in the past, and who would like another opportunity to take to the stage, an information night for all past and present members of the society who would like to take part either on or off stage will be held in the Ormonde Hotel on August 14 at 8pm. This is an opportunity for all those who have played and continue to play a part in the extraordinary tapestry of Kilkenny Musical’s society’s illustrious history and exciting future, to come together to celebrate 50th years of music, laughter and friendship.
Further information can be found on the society’s social media platforms.