What's on Cork's stages this week?

AN Evening With Liverpool Legends takes place tonight (Thursday May 4)  at the Opera House, giving ardent football fans the chance to get closer than they might have dreamed possible to Ronnie Whelan, Steve McMahon and Jan Molby, who appear on stage together, hosted by Jed Stone.

There may be limited tickets left for the pre-show Meet & Greet at 6.30pm. Show begins at 7.30pm.

Also at the Opera House, it’s the first of four late night shows in the Green Room Saturday night (May 6), when Seanie Buttons presents some of the most magical music in Cork. Flywheel, Ruairí de Búrca, and Pebbledash are on the programme for this first event, which starts at 10.30pm. May 20 will bring Laurie Shaw, and Pot-Pot; June 3: Junior Brother, and Mantua; and finally, June 10, Mount Eerie and Ana Palindrome.

Organise your diaries now!

On Saturday afternoon, the students of Billie-Jean’s RDC & School of Performing Arts take to the stage with JUKEBOX! 2pm start. We suspect tickets are going to be much in demand for that one!

Then, next week, the Abbey is in Cork as part of a national tour with Molière’s Tartuffe, retold for 2023 by Frank McGuinness, and directed by Caitríona McLaughlin.

Ryan Donaldson (The Huntsman: Winter’s War , Killing Eve, and Stumbling) plays Tartuffe, with Frank McCusker as Orgon, Aislin McGuckan as Elmire, and Geraldine Plunkett as Pernelle.

Tuesday-Saturday, May 9-13 at 8pm.

And by the way, Breathe - The Pink Floyd Experience has just announced a rescheduled nationwide tour to mark the 50th anniversary of the release of that iconic album, Dark Side Of the Moon. The Opera House gets March 2, 2024 - yes, that’s right, 2024 - but tickets go on sale this Monday, May 8, so don’t choose that morning to sleep late!

Booking for all Opera House shows on 021 427 0022 or log onto www.corkoperahouse.ie.

A very special treat for music lovers this Saturday at Everyman, when Irish National Opera stages Massenet’s Werther. The title role is sung by young Italian tenor, Paride Cataldo, who is making his INO debut. Werther’s love interest, Charlotte, though, is none other than Cork mezzo-soprano Niamh O’Sullivan.

“I am so excited to sing Charlotte in Cork,” says Niamh. “I have performed many a time at The Everyman in musicals and theatre and to come back now in this role is a dream come true.”

Directed by Sophie Motley, conducted by Philipp Pointner, Werther is here for one performance only, Saturday, May 6, 8pm.

Booking on 021 450 1673 or www.everymancork.com.

Next week at Cork Arts Theatre, Jim O’Mahony returns with The Artistry of Frank Sinatra, recreating the life of the iconic singer from earliest beginnings to superstar days, and marking the 25th anniversary of Sinatra’s death.

O’Mahony says he was drawn to his music as a teenager, gradually exploring further and further into the singer’s life.

“Decades later, I’m still finding songs and recordings that I never knew existed! Throw in the countless Hollywood starlets, his closeness with JFK and the Rat Pack, his movie career, his links to organised crime, etc, and you have an incredible story worth telling. The challenge was distilling it down to 90 minutes.” Wed-Sat, May 10-13.

Booking on 021 450 5624 or www.corkartstheatre.com.

And advance notice of a very popular show heading to the Glen Theatre in Banteer next week, Saturday, May 13, when the Everyman Sunday Songbook team arrive with The Swinging Sixties, a high-octane homage to that unforgettable era. The Beatles, Cilla Black, Sandie Shaw, Cliff Richard, Tom Jones and more. Damian Smith, Linda Kenny, Alan Carney and Alf McCarthy bring it all back - and you can sing along too!

Call 087 755 8752 or 029 56239 for Glen Theatre bookings.