Community Musical’s production of The Phantom of the Opera postponed to 2013
By Emily Longworth | Feb 16 2012
Representatives of UCD’s Community Musical have confirmed that the production scheduled for this year will be postponed to February 2013 due to time constraints. Jason Masterson and Vivian Rath explained that the plans for the 2012 production of The Phantom of the Opera were put under time pressure by the large-scale undertaking of the show, resulting in its postponement.“We were looking at the feasibility of doing the show in February 2012, but unfortunately The Phantom of the Opera is a huge production and we found it required a production team with a huge amount of experience, and it’s going to be the first time it’s produced on this scale in Ireland.” They asserted that the search for a production team for the musical would begin in the third term, as they hope to have a production manager for the show in place before the summer.As the rights to perform The Phantom of the Opera were secured in Autumn 2011, the Community Musical team wanted to ensure that a very high-quality production would be put on for what would be the fifth show ever staged by UCD group. “With the musical now we’re really taking the next step up” explained Rath. “It’s fantastic that we’re able to get that show, there’ll probably be international interest in it. So I think that possibly put more pressure on us to raise it to the next level. And given that opportunity I think we needed a bit of breathing space”Although a preliminary producer had been assigned last year for the 2012 musical, the unforeseen workload accompanying the The Phantom of the Opera has required a production team with a lot more experience than formerly anticipated. “We’ve decided to open up [the role of Producer/Director] to the college again this year and see what talents are available in the student and staff population.”The musical team urge any students who are considering getting involved with the musical to show an interest next year when the production team is put together, as they see the show as a great opportunity for the University. “It’s going to be exciting working on it, because we’re going to be challenged to put on the best show that’s ever been produced on campus,” Jason Masterson commented, saying that the production values of their new venture are of a completely different scale to their previous shows.