11/03/2025
Many thanks to Liam Murphy for his lovely review of An Audience with Rachel Tucker in today’s Munster Express - it’s much appreciated, Liam.
Some gorgeous words about the amazing Rachel Tucker David Hayes Sarah Brennan Tony Carty and - congratulations 💛
“The Sondheim Festival at Watergate Theatre Kilkenny is now in its third year. Organised by Christine Scarry of Red Alchemy Theatre Company, it is inspired by the work and legacy of Stephen Sondheim. Its weekend workshop programmes are first-class and delivered by musical theatre professionals.
This year, the closing concert was An Audience With Rachel Tucker. This Belfast-born singer is a West End and Broadway star who recently finished with Hadestown and is beginning rehearsals for a new show, The Great Gatsby.
She opened softly with, ‘There’s No Business Like Showbusiness’ and raised the roof with explosive and expressive singing. ‘Everything Changes ‘ from Waitress was a poignant plea, and ‘Wouldn’t It Be Loverly’ from My Fair Lady was class. She sparkled with her family history, ‘Tucker With A T,’ and the audience loved her cheeky style. Her Persephone song from Hadestown, ‘Lady Of The Underground’, was a wow of musical theatre, and she showed her Sondheim chops with ‘Not A Day Goes By’.
She introduced two MTU Cork School of Music graduates, Zach O’Brien, who was confident and expressive with ‘Finishing The Hat’, and Jacinta Hegarty, who shone with ‘Everybody Loves Louis’.
‘Being Alive’ was a powerful Act 1 closer.
After the interval, she rang the changes with ‘As If We Never Said Goodbye’ from Sunset Boulevard.
Tony Carty and Sarah Brennan excelled with ‘A Little Priest’ from Sweeney Todd, a Sondheim highlight of the night. Zach O’Brien and Jacinta Hegarty joined them for a quartet ‘Sunday’ from Sunday In The Park With George.
The Into the Woods song ‘Children Will Listen’ was terrific. She prefaced her finale with the ‘pilot’s song’ from Home From Away, which segued into a soaring ‘Defying Gravity’.
Throughout the show, David Hayes was not just a sensitive accompanist on piano but a musical theatre star shining brightly on a night of inspirational enjoyment.”
