…and where Hollywood actors come to see the odd musical.

Very proud of elder sister Nicola of late. A teacher (Gaeilge and Geography) in the Cistercian in Roscrea - former secondary school of the Tea-Shock - she has the most wonderful melodic voice, without doubt the only Brennan with the entertainment gene. She moved back home recently and jumped at the opportunity to get involved in the Kilkenny Musical Society, of which she is a now a committee member (we Brennans don’t hang around!).

Even though it was her first audition for the Society, she managed to bag a part in the latest production, the wonderful Oklahoma!. She played Gertie Cummins which was met with much amusement by all, as the character is an obnoxious, in-your-face flirt (with the most hideous laugh that she managed to perfect to an astounding degree of annoyance). She pulled it off brilliantly, and la famille Brennan were dead proud of her.

So needless to say all were thrilled when a certain Mr. Gabriel Byrne shared the following during a rare break last Friday, between rehearsals for the New York Philharmonic’s semistaged concert performances of “Camelot,” the classic Lerner and Loewe musical, in which he stars as King Arthur.

Quoth the Byrne:

“I was never a big fan [of musicals] until I saw an amateur production of ‘Oklahoma!’ in Kilkenny not long ago. [...] I was absolutely stunned how good those players in Ireland were. The joy and enthusiasm of the entire cast were extremely moving to me.”

Five stars! Well done all!