From brass to baton for local teacher

Ryan is the musical director of the show, and having both taught all the choral music to the singers will be on stage conducting their 25-piece orchestra - no easy feat for probably one of the youngest Musical Directors in the country.

A keen brass player, he teaches brass at the Lisburn School of Music, Ryan founded the Theatre Group last year with a very successful production of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Whitla Hall.

“We are lucky that we have such a wide array of musical talent within the university that we can perform these shows with a large orchestra which no other amateur company would do,” said Ryan.

“Even the professional touring productions have reduced orchestrations and it is a rare thing to hear these shows played as the composer intended.”

He went on to say: “Being a university we really do get to see all the upcoming talent and I think we’re on to a winner with our cast of Evita. The principal line-up was chosen out of hundreds of potential people who auditioned and the standard of the auditions this year was phenomenal.”

The cast and crew have been working hard over the last three months to produce a show of a high quality standard and Ryan says that choosing the actress who would play the coveted and challenging role of Eva Peron was most difficult.

The line-up consists of actors from all around the country including Lucy Williams as Eva Peron, Grant Cartwright as Che, Richard Burns as Juan Peron, Alice McGirr as The Mistress and Keith Quinn as Magaldi.

The show tells the story of a woman who used her beauty and charisma to rise meteorically from the slums to the upper classes.

It has more than 20 major awards to its credit including an Olivier Award for Best New Musical. Featuring Tim Rice’s famous lyrics and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s dazzling score it has some of the most famous and inspiring music ever written including chart hits ‘Oh What A Circus’ and the ever famous ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’.

Evita will be at the Waterfront Studio from April 13-16. Tickets are £14.50 with concessions available and can be purchased from the Waterfront Box Office on 9033 4455 or book online at www.waterfront.co.uk. Please note that tickets are listed for sale at the Waterfront Hall under ‘Spring Musical’.