When I watched the 2009 version of Fame in the cinema last year, (having first seen the 1980 version on DVD some months previous) I could never have imagined how much more this show would come to mean to me just a few short months later.

Auditions for “Fame – The Musical” (presented at the Theatre Royal, Waterford by Stella Maris Secondary School, Tramore) were announced in my school, in late November. I remember my very first thoughts were “please, don’t be full of 80’s cheese!” followed by “I hope I get in, this could be a lot of fun!”. I’m glad to say that I auditioned and got in, that there’s only a little bit of cheese and the craic is mighty!

Tramore’s own Anne O’Riordan (star of countless local productions and had a small parts in the RTÉ’s “The Clinic” and the film “32A”) is making her directorial début with a bang up-to-date production of the musical version of Fame. Music Teacher and all-round musical genius Damien O’Brien is Musical Director and is currently working on all the various songs with us and putting together our impressive harmonies.

For the past couple of weeks I’ve been sinking my teeth into the lead role of Nick Piazza, an “ambitious, enthusiastic, classical actor who is very serious about acting and has hidden romantic interest for Serena Katz”.

A lot of my closest friends are heavily involved in the show and I’ve made loads of new friends (for life) along the way too! Here’s to the best production of Fame ever seen, break a leg everyone!

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Just when I thought Fame couldn’t possibly seep into my conciousness any further, I was watching The Late Late Show last night when on came an item launching a new TV talent search produced by RTÉ and ScreentimeShinAwiL entitled, you guessed it: “Fame – The Musical“.

From the press release:

RTÉ Television and Screentime ShinAwiL (Popstars, You’re A Star, The Apprentice & Dragons’ Den) today (Friday 22 January), launched Ireland’s biggest ever musical-theatre search to find the male and female stars of Fame The Musical. The search for the male and female lead will feature in a 10-week TV series on RTÉ One television in April, with the winners embarking on a nationwide tour of the West End production, Fame The Musical.

Leading the search will be stage producer Robert C Kelly, actor and director Simon Delaney and actress and singer Erica Gimpel, who starred as “Coco Hernandez” in the original “Fame” TV series. Auditions will take place in Dublin, Cork and the heart of the West End in London where budding Irish performers can showcase their talent.

The judges are looking for singers with a strong dance and acting ability to step forward and wow them. After auditions and an intense workshop phase where performers will be put through their paces, the judges will select who will go through to the live TV shows and battle it out over eight weeks, on the Helix stage, live in front of the nation. Only two will be crowned the winners and take their pride of place in the nationwide tour of Fame The Musical.

In case you’ve never heard of Erica Gimpel before, heres a video of her in action in “The Kids From from Fame” performing “Showtime”.

A very experienced director, Robert C Kelly; an absolutely legendary actor, Simon Delaney and an actress who starred in the classic TV version of the show, what a super team!

So, it sounds like it’ll be a great show and an interesting watch for the Tramore cast of Fame given that we’ll know the script back to front by the time this show airs in April!

Yes, I know I’m about a week late on this, and I’ve been reminding other people to mention it.

On Wednesday last, 9th of September 2009, WLR FM, the local radio station for Waterford City and County celebrated twenty years as a BCI (then IRTC) licensed independent local radio station.

Congratulations to all at the station for achieving this milestone, at a time when their listenership figures are higher than ever before!

A Short History of WLR FM

Waterford Local Radio, WLR

The original WLR, which was a pirate station, launched on June 23d 1978, broadcasting from Killotteran just outside the city. This unlicensed operation was one of the longest lasting in the country and continued for just over a decade until its closure at the end of 1988 when new radio licences were to be awarded by the then Independent Radio and Television Commission (now the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland) in 1989. WLR, with a number of local businessmen on board formed a consortium to apply for the franchise to broadcast to Waterford city and county. This application had competition from two other applicants, one, the Deise Broadcasting Company involved former pirate ABC Radio and local business people including the Reid family (owners of the well-known ‘Egans’ licenced premises where ABC was based before its closure), and another application, Waterford Radio WRFM which was backed by the then Waterford Foods and The Munster Express newspaper. The IRTC held oral hearings for the Waterford licence at the Tower Hotel in Waterford city on the 27th April 1989 where all three applicants presented their case. Shortly afterwards it was announced WLR’s consortium was victorious. The licence has gone unchallenged on subsequent renewals.

Licensed by the IRTC / New Broadcast Centre

The licensed WLR FM launched on the 8th of September 1989 from studios on Georges Street above the Georges Court Shopping Centre in Waterford City centre.
The station broadcast from these studios for fourteen years until the building of it’s purpose-built Broadcast Centre, at Ardkeen in the city which was oficially opened by An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern on the 2nd of April 2004 and was Ireland’s first purpose built studio complex since the building of RTÉ headquarters at Montrose in Donnybrook, Dublin 4 in 1961.

Bought by Thomas Crosbie Holdings

On April 13, 2007, Cork based Thomas Crosbie Holdings (TCH), owner of the Irish Examiner and 17 other Irish newspapers, announced it had acquired 75% ownership of both WLR FM and Waterford based regional station Beat 102-103, in a deal worth a combined €14 million while WLR FM Managing Director Des Whelan kept 25% of each.

Dungarvan Studios

WLR FM’s first studio in West Waterford was opened at Harbour Bay in Dungarvan in 1997 (on the Quay, near the Old Market House Arts Centre). In November 2007, the station relocated to a new larger studio on the Plaza, Dungarvan Shopping Centre (overlooking Dunnes Stores).

Recent Deaths

In the past few months, two former WLR FM presenters passed away.

Tony Weldon, was probably best known for his popular “Sunday Morning Melodies” programme and the catchphrase “get up out of the feathers”. Every week Tony began his show with the song “Morning Has Broken”. Many of his former colleagues paid tributes to him on hearing of his passing at the age of 71 on Sunday 28th of June 2009.

Ben Gavin, former chairman of the Waterford Port Company and former Mayor of Tramore died on the 27th of August 2009, aged only 51. For many years Ben presented WLR FM’s weekly religious affairs programme “Credo”, and more recently he was presenter of “Busines Brief”.
As Port Company chairman, Ben was heavily involved in the securing and organising of the Tall Ships Race held in Waterford in 2005. The chairman of the event, architect Nicky Fewer died on Thursday March 26th this year.

It was announced this week that Nicky Fewer will be replaced in the post by none other than WLR FM Managing Director, Des Whelan.

(Text above from Wikipedia is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.)