Opera House chair: "We thought we wouldn't survive."
Cork Opera House held their first live launch for their summer season in three years on Tuesday evening, with much reference to the dangers Covid posed to the arts.
What do Van Morrison, Peppa Pig and Nathan Carter have in common?
They’re all going to be gracing the stage of the Cork Opera House as part of the venue’s summer season.
An extensive summer-long programme of music, theatre and comedy was launched in the Cork Opera House last night, with singers Majella Cullagh and Christiana Underwood providing musical entertainment.
The launch was the first such event in three years due to Covid-19 restrictions, Opera House board chairman Tim Healy pointed out in his comments, also highlighting the financial and logistical peril the landmark venue had faced during successive closures and restrictions.
A “positive and varied programme.”
“It’s the first time in three years we’ve had a launch together, and there were times in the past three years we thought we wouldn’t survive,'“ Mr Healy said. “It’s brilliant to be able to meet in person and launch such a positive and varied programme.”
The assistance and support of the Arts Council and Cork City Council had been invaluable in helping the venue stay afloat during “a very difficult time for us,” Opera House CEO Eibhlín Gleeson said.
The varied programme being launched features everything from tribute acts including Mack Fleetwood, Flash Harry (Queen) and The Greatest Love of All (Whitney Houston) to national and international comedy stars.
Homegrown opera
Closer to home, Cork playwright John McCarthy’s Whale will be staged in late June, while a homegrown opera by John O’Brien and Eadaoin O’Donoghue promises a modern take on the ancient tale of Deirdre of the Sorrows.
This year’s Panto was also announced: it’s going to be Sleeping Beauty.
Cllr Mary Rose Desmond, who is an Opera House board member, welcomed a “vibrant programme” for the summer following what she described as a difficult period for the arts, and paid particular tribute to the staff and crew of the Opera House, who she said were the “unsung heroes” ensuring the show went on in good times and in hard.
The full summer programme for Cork Opera House can be found here.