Fame Academy staged at the Visual Theatre from 13th – 15th March was a sizzling and dynamic production by the Transition Year students at St. Leo’s College and St. Mary’s CBS Academy. Based on the 1980 phenomenal pop culture film, the production followed the final class of the much acclaimed High School for the Performing Arts from their admission to their graduation.
With a cast of over 190 students this fast-paced show entertained packed audiences with snappy tunes and energetic moves by Dance Class members led by Iris Kelly (Zoe Gray) and Tyrone Jackson (Cashel Amartey), adding to the vivacity on the stage as they brought the story to life with unsurmountable energy and movement. The ensemble of Music Class, led by Schlomo Metzenbaum (Ruslan Gavrilov), Joe Vegas (Francis Sinclair) and Goodman 'Goody' King (Eoin Byrne) joined by dynamic drummer Grace 'Lambchops' Lambe (Megan Dempsey) provided great tunes including the Oscar winning title song and a mix of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
Ambitious fame chaser Carmen Diaz (Alicia Premkumar), School Principal Ms Sherman (Amy McLoughlin), High School staff Miss Bell (Cloda Markey), Mr Myers ( Daniel Byrne) and Mr Sheinkopf (Jack Shannon-Nolan) were among the favourite characters linking the story of dance, acting and music as the story, the stuff dreams are made of, unfolded.
The beautiful vocal tones of Serena Katz (Rachel Haughney) held the audience spellbound while her love interest Nick Piaza (Adam Byrne), character Mabel Washington (Sinéad Byrne) and other Performing Arts students demonstrated the diverse talent pool and showcased many artistic mediums through dancing, singing, acting, rapping and musicianship. Indeed the many highly talented students who immersed themselves in their characters and played their part with conviction and commitment resulted in a wonderful evening’s entertainment belying the expectation of a school production.
Produced and directed by Janice de Bróithe, co-ordinated by Áine Shiels, Musical Direction by Ollie Hennessy and glitzy colourful costumes fashioned by Laura Dowling, this show proved to be yet another successful collaboration between the two Carlow secondary schools and ensured that the familiar storyline continues to reach new generations of performers and audience members.
Click here to see copy of the Programme.
View a gallery of Photographs.