Musical star

A passion for music and performing on the stage is highly evident when talking to Fiona McManus, who takes to the stage with Athlone Musical Society from March 5 to 12 to take on the role of Maria in West Side Story. The bubbly 28-year-old from Coosan lights up as she talks about her new role, her third with Athlone Musical Society, and it's clear that she is relishing performing with the society in her native town. It's not the first time Fiona has taken on the role of Maria as she played the part eight years ago with Ballinasloe Musical Society. And while she is conscious of playing the part of a 17-year-old, Fiona explains: "Maria is 17 and youthful, but she's also feisty and because she's a soprano you need an older singer. I tend to get younger roles at the moment, but in a few years I'll probably move on to other types of roles." Comparing her upcoming performance to playing Maria eight years ago, Fiona said: "It's a different society, a different director and a different character so there's a different shape to her since the last time I played her. I'm more confident as a performer and I have more strength in my acting and vocals." No stranger to the stage, Fiona previously played Joanna in Sweeney Todd with Athlone Musical Society and last year she received an AIMS nomination for best female singer for a role as Belle in Beauty and the Beast with a teachers' musical society in Dublin. Her love of performing has been a lifelong one for Fiona, who began singing at eight and comes from a musical family, with many singers on her father's side, traditional musicians on her mother's side and siblings who all share her love of music. "I've been singing since I was eight and I play piano and violin," Fiona told the Westmeath Independent this week. "Singing is my first love. I got involved in singing at Coosan NS with the local band, under Michael Whelan, and then I moved on to Coosan Variety Group, which is fantastic. When I went to Our Lady's Bower I played the lead role in Annie and I played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz so that's where I played my first lead roles. I was really inspired by my music teachers Marie Sexton and Gerard Lillis." In fact Fiona was so inspired by her teachers that she followed in their footsteps and is now a music teacher with the Institute of Education on Leeson Street in Dublin, after achieving a first class honours degree in music education at Trinity College. Fiona also received a commendation for the teaching practice while completing her degree, an assurance that she was on the right path. And it's obvious from talking to her that she certainly followed the right career path as she is clearly passionate about her teaching and is looking forward to helping her 104 Leaving Cert students through their mocks and practical exams in the near future. Having a teacher who is also a performer is also a benefit for her students. "They find it inspiring that I'm a teacher who performs as well. They came to see me last year and some of them are coming down to Athlone to see West Side Story. I can relate to them as well, especially the students who are singers - I can correct them or guide them and give them some tips," said Fiona. So would she give up her teaching to perform full-time? "The dream would be to perform full-time, but unfortunately there's not a huge amount of this type of work in Ireland. But I'm lucky to have a job that I love and it would be a big sacrifice to give up music teaching for work that's so sporadic. I performed recently with Niall Sheehy from Dublin, who was in Wicked, and Eoin Cannon who was in Jekyll and Hyde in the West End so it was a privilege to perform with two professional singers and West End stars. It let me see that it's possible to go and do it," she said, adding that she is considering contacting an agent so that she could maybe perform when she has summer holidays. While Fiona lives and works in Dublin, she has maintained her roots in Athlone, not only performing with Athlone Musical Society, but also acting as musical director with Coosan Variety Group for the past ten years and as vocal director with Moate's Dancezone. And while the commute to and from Dublin for rehearsals and during the week of the show may be daunting for some people, Fiona simply laughs it off. She says she is well used to the commute and that her calendar is usually either full or she has a complete break, which she maintains is necessary for all performers to ensure they stay fit and healthy. Fiona takes her upcoming role seriously, saying: "I wouldn't do anything without giving 100%. If I couldn't do that I wouldn't audition. There is a small element of sacrifice but it's nothing compared to the euphoria you get coming off the stage." Speaking about West Side Story, Fiona said: "It's the ultimate love story, it's the modern day Romeo and Juliet. It's beautifully scored and very rhythmic. It might seem a little far fetched but it's a lovely escape from everything that's going on at the moment." She also urged locals to come see the musical, saying: "I would love to see as much support as possible for everyone involved." You can see Fiona on stage as Maria in West Side Story at the Dean Crowe from March 5 to 12.