Here is a brief history of
Mullingar Charity Variety Group
Mullingar Charity Variety Group (MCVG) : 1995 - today.
In August 1995 a group of just five individuals, Bibi Cahill, James McCormack, Ray McDonnell, Martin Mills and Petrina Mills, all with a love of performing arts decided they should put on a show together. They knew they wanted to create their own magic and between them, although challenging, it would be possible if they committed their time and had some capital. Within minutes a sponsor raised his head (Con's Bar) and declared that if they were to go ahead he would be happy to initiate the sponsorship. Only one decision remained. They would have to carefully budget and in what seemed then and unlikely outcome, if there was anything left over in the coffers what would they do with it? It was unanimous: the profits would be donated to local charities. So there it was: the birth of Mullingar Charity Variety Group.
Since then Mullingar Charity Variety Group has entertained audiences in excess of 35,000 people.
Thanks to the unfaltering support it receives, the Group has donated more than €130,000 to 52 local benevolent organizations.
1995 Variety Show : Multiple Sclerosis Society
1996 Variety Show : Garden for St Mary's Hospital
1997 Variety Show : Parents and Friends of the Mentally Handicapped, Lissadell Bus
1998 Variety Show : Mullingar Resource Centre, Special Olympics, Stroke Club, Siol Resource Centre
1999 Variety Show : Lough Sheever Centre, St Marys Southill Delvin, St. Dominicks Community Centre,
St Mary's CBS Sports Fund, St Marys Choir
2000 Variety Show : Mullingar Stroke Club, 1428 Active Retirement Club, Royal Canal Amenity Group,
Special Olympics Mullingar.
2001 Variety Show : Parents and Friends of the Mentally Handicapped, Siol Resource Centre, Killucan Raharney Golden
Years, Ballynacargy Community Centre, Milltownpass Scouts,
2003 Jesus Christ Superstar : Larcc Centre Special Olympics, St Marys Secondary School, Colaiste Mhuire,
St. Marys Secondary School.
2004 Hot Mikado : MAPS Mullingar, Killucan Raharney Golden Years, Walshestown Community Centre,
Psychiatry of Older Age, Mullingar Scouts, LARCC
2005 Cur'IO'Up : LARCC
2007 Honk : Irish Wheelchair Association Mullingar, TEAM, Parents and Friends of the Mentally Handicapped, EALA,
Serentiy House Kinnegad
2008 A Slice of Saturday Night : Mullingar Town Band, Saplings
2009 Nunsense : Mullingar Stroke Unit .Curraghmore School, Killucan Care, North Westmeath Hospice Delvin Branch,
Irish Wheelchair Association Mullingar
2011 Seussical : Order of Malta Mullingar Branch
Our membership to date has exceeded 375 people and it is a testament to our town that we have benefited from the generosity of over 500 local businesses.
It amazes us to think that with the nurture of our locality, the Group has evolved from a small gathering of talented individuals into a force all of its own.
Artistically we have progressed from providing great nights of entertainment, through the realms of extravagant variety performances to full musical shows.
In 2003 we exploded into the musical arena with our nationally acclaimed production of Jesus Christ Superstar receiving the Association of Irish Musical Societies coveted Best Overall Show award.
This musical debut was followed in 2004 by our first comic farce, the very challenging and entertaining Hot Mikado.
In our 10th anniversary show Cur'IO'Up, Mullingar Charity Variety Group was proud to take stock of our decade together and provide an evening of entertaining memories from previous productions. In addition in this revue, we enjoyed a celebration of our partnership with a number of local charities as they joined in the performance providing live interviews describing how our contributions, both monetary and time-based, had helped and encouraged their wonderful efforts.
Honk, the musical version of the Ugly Duckling was our next venture in 2007. The show with a cast of over 40 adults and 31 very talented children wowed audiences in the Mullingar Park Hotel and also managed to win 2 awards in the Association of Irish Musical Society that year.
Our 2008 production, A Slice of Saturday Night, took us back in time to the swinging sixties to enjoy the tongue-in-cheek style exploits of a group of teenagers on the cusp of adulthood.
Our next production in 2009 Nunsense, soared to heavenly heights as we were introduced to an amiable and diverse host of nuns, each eagerly and enthusiastically displaying her talents in an effort to raise funds for the burial of their recently departed sisters.
In 2011 the group wowed local audiences with the spectacle of Seussical the musical. In this colourful spectacle the stories of the well loved Dr Seuss were amalgamated in to a musical. With a cast of 40 children and thirty adults and a set and front of house crew to match, the standard keeps on rising and talent continues to be discovered and developed.
Each and every show has been received with the warmth and enthusiasm we associate with the audiences and local media of Mullingar.
Over the years we have come to realize that we represent the coming together of a team that is comprised of our hardworking, talented performers, stage crew, our production team, our Steering Group, our sponsors, our benefactors and our audiences.
Our philosophy is "team-work". Our fuel is team spirit. We have a huge membership of totally committed people involved in all aspects of our shows and other fundraising activities, who voluntarily invest their time in the fantastic spectacles that our audiences witness each year.
The Group is set up on a community not-for-profit basis. We are comprised of singers, dancers, musicians, artists, carpenters, electricians, set builders, scene painters, seamstresses, make-up artists, hairdressers, ticketsellers, and many people who come under more than one of the above headings! More than anything else, we are a group of people who enjoy giving back to the community the enjoyment we achieve and funds we raise while displaying our varied talents, at all times propelled by the continued support of that very same community!!!
Also in 2011 the Steering Group of MCVG set a new goal. To ensure that the drive and commitment and fun which is so evident for the few months preparing for a show is harnessed throughout the year to continue to nurture and encourage local children and adults and to provide affordable high quality artistic projects. To do this a base was needed to house the ever increasing beautiful costumes, props (not to mention the awards) and our new rehearsal ground at Forest Park, Mullingar provides the ideal opportunity to do this.
MCVG aim to continue to entertain audiences with top quality musicals while at the same time nourishing the local talent and allowing the group to grow, learn and share skills in all things musical at their new rehearsal grounds. The fun and learning goes on and new generations will be inspired.
In August 1995 a group of just five individuals, Bibi Cahill, James McCormack, Ray McDonnell, Martin Mills and Petrina Mills, all with a love of performing arts decided they should put on a show together. They knew they wanted to create their own magic and between them, although challenging, it would be possible if they committed their time and had some capital. Within minutes a sponsor raised his head (Con's Bar) and declared that if they were to go ahead he would be happy to initiate the sponsorship. Only one decision remained. They would have to carefully budget and in what seemed then and unlikely outcome, if there was anything left over in the coffers what would they do with it? It was unanimous: the profits would be donated to local charities. So there it was: the birth of Mullingar Charity Variety Group.
Since then Mullingar Charity Variety Group has entertained audiences in excess of 35,000 people.
Thanks to the unfaltering support it receives, the Group has donated more than €130,000 to 52 local benevolent organizations.
1995 Variety Show : Multiple Sclerosis Society
1996 Variety Show : Garden for St Mary's Hospital
1997 Variety Show : Parents and Friends of the Mentally Handicapped, Lissadell Bus
1998 Variety Show : Mullingar Resource Centre, Special Olympics, Stroke Club, Siol Resource Centre
1999 Variety Show : Lough Sheever Centre, St Marys Southill Delvin, St. Dominicks Community Centre,
St Mary's CBS Sports Fund, St Marys Choir
2000 Variety Show : Mullingar Stroke Club, 1428 Active Retirement Club, Royal Canal Amenity Group,
Special Olympics Mullingar.
2001 Variety Show : Parents and Friends of the Mentally Handicapped, Siol Resource Centre, Killucan Raharney Golden
Years, Ballynacargy Community Centre, Milltownpass Scouts,
2003 Jesus Christ Superstar : Larcc Centre Special Olympics, St Marys Secondary School, Colaiste Mhuire,
St. Marys Secondary School.
2004 Hot Mikado : MAPS Mullingar, Killucan Raharney Golden Years, Walshestown Community Centre,
Psychiatry of Older Age, Mullingar Scouts, LARCC
2005 Cur'IO'Up : LARCC
2007 Honk : Irish Wheelchair Association Mullingar, TEAM, Parents and Friends of the Mentally Handicapped, EALA,
Serentiy House Kinnegad
2008 A Slice of Saturday Night : Mullingar Town Band, Saplings
2009 Nunsense : Mullingar Stroke Unit .Curraghmore School, Killucan Care, North Westmeath Hospice Delvin Branch,
Irish Wheelchair Association Mullingar
2011 Seussical : Order of Malta Mullingar Branch
Our membership to date has exceeded 375 people and it is a testament to our town that we have benefited from the generosity of over 500 local businesses.
It amazes us to think that with the nurture of our locality, the Group has evolved from a small gathering of talented individuals into a force all of its own.
Artistically we have progressed from providing great nights of entertainment, through the realms of extravagant variety performances to full musical shows.
In 2003 we exploded into the musical arena with our nationally acclaimed production of Jesus Christ Superstar receiving the Association of Irish Musical Societies coveted Best Overall Show award.
This musical debut was followed in 2004 by our first comic farce, the very challenging and entertaining Hot Mikado.
In our 10th anniversary show Cur'IO'Up, Mullingar Charity Variety Group was proud to take stock of our decade together and provide an evening of entertaining memories from previous productions. In addition in this revue, we enjoyed a celebration of our partnership with a number of local charities as they joined in the performance providing live interviews describing how our contributions, both monetary and time-based, had helped and encouraged their wonderful efforts.
Honk, the musical version of the Ugly Duckling was our next venture in 2007. The show with a cast of over 40 adults and 31 very talented children wowed audiences in the Mullingar Park Hotel and also managed to win 2 awards in the Association of Irish Musical Society that year.
Our 2008 production, A Slice of Saturday Night, took us back in time to the swinging sixties to enjoy the tongue-in-cheek style exploits of a group of teenagers on the cusp of adulthood.
Our next production in 2009 Nunsense, soared to heavenly heights as we were introduced to an amiable and diverse host of nuns, each eagerly and enthusiastically displaying her talents in an effort to raise funds for the burial of their recently departed sisters.
In 2011 the group wowed local audiences with the spectacle of Seussical the musical. In this colourful spectacle the stories of the well loved Dr Seuss were amalgamated in to a musical. With a cast of 40 children and thirty adults and a set and front of house crew to match, the standard keeps on rising and talent continues to be discovered and developed.
Each and every show has been received with the warmth and enthusiasm we associate with the audiences and local media of Mullingar.
Over the years we have come to realize that we represent the coming together of a team that is comprised of our hardworking, talented performers, stage crew, our production team, our Steering Group, our sponsors, our benefactors and our audiences.
Our philosophy is "team-work". Our fuel is team spirit. We have a huge membership of totally committed people involved in all aspects of our shows and other fundraising activities, who voluntarily invest their time in the fantastic spectacles that our audiences witness each year.
The Group is set up on a community not-for-profit basis. We are comprised of singers, dancers, musicians, artists, carpenters, electricians, set builders, scene painters, seamstresses, make-up artists, hairdressers, ticketsellers, and many people who come under more than one of the above headings! More than anything else, we are a group of people who enjoy giving back to the community the enjoyment we achieve and funds we raise while displaying our varied talents, at all times propelled by the continued support of that very same community!!!
Also in 2011 the Steering Group of MCVG set a new goal. To ensure that the drive and commitment and fun which is so evident for the few months preparing for a show is harnessed throughout the year to continue to nurture and encourage local children and adults and to provide affordable high quality artistic projects. To do this a base was needed to house the ever increasing beautiful costumes, props (not to mention the awards) and our new rehearsal ground at Forest Park, Mullingar provides the ideal opportunity to do this.
MCVG aim to continue to entertain audiences with top quality musicals while at the same time nourishing the local talent and allowing the group to grow, learn and share skills in all things musical at their new rehearsal grounds. The fun and learning goes on and new generations will be inspired.
