Denis Carnahan is a man passionate about sports as well as making people have the time of their life with his creative covers of classic songs that are sports related.
He is currently on tour with his fun and lighthearted show 'Rugby League: The Musical'.
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Denis's show highlights and celebrates the characters, melodrama, villains, farce, betrayals, controversies and pantomime of Australian rugby league. The show is a live, interactive musical with videos to accompany the songs and characters.
Denis explains the interactive element of the show is essential, while having knowledge about rugby isn't essential to enjoy this show. “Getting the crowd involved is essential, it's so much more fun to have the crowd involved.
“As a fan, I know how mad and stupid you can become over your team winning or losing. It's funny and ridiculous and I play on. When I mention a team the crowd will boo or cheer; they really get involved. Coming to the shows people can expect to laugh. They don't need to know anything about rugby; they just need a sense of humour. All the background is given with the videos.”
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The inspiration for the show came about after Denis' team lost. “It was my reaction to my team losing; it was about going from the pit of despair to being able to laugh by mocking the players and teams.
“I then started sending the song to radio, had it online and on TV, and I played at functions. I wasn't getting money for it. I just really enjoyed doing it and others enjoyed it as well. I thought it would be great to put on a live show for people, I thought why not.”
The process of capturing the spirit and characters of the game in a song is something that Denis has mastered. “Normally I find songwriting is about getting a story in a few words, so every word prompts the story and adds to it even if it's an 'and' or 'to'. I try to get a person in a phrase and then work on filling the essence of that character.”
Denis Carnahan - image © YouTubeThe show is an embodiment of what it means to laugh and have a great experience. Fostering people's joy with his work is important Denis, and he's had many wonderful stories about people enjoying his music. “I was 19 busking in Canberra. I loved seeing the joy on people's faces.
“One time after I was finished a woman came up to me and gave me $50! And that was a lot of money at 19. I told her I couldn't accept it, but she insisted by saying her husband had passed two years ago and she hadn't laughed since. I was moved to tears. Laughing and making people happy is amazing.”
Denis has harnessed that ability to bring joy, directing it into each song and his shows as a whole. With a live show so entertaining an audience member once passed out, literally, from laughing so much, Denis describes his show with a quote from Fox Sports' Warren Smith. “You'll laugh so hard you'll pop a rib, but you'll refuse to leave the field!”
Rugby League: The MusicalTour Dates
Fri 29 Jul - Prince Of Wales Opera House (Gulong)Sat 30 Jul - Blue Mountains Theatre (Springwood)
Tue 2 Aug - Manning Entertainment Centre (Taree)
Wed 3 Aug - Glasshouse (Port Macquarie)
Fri 5 Aug - Ipswich Civic Centre
Sat 6 Aug - The Tivoli Theatre (Brisbane)
Sun 7 Aug - The Events Centre (Sunshine Coast)
Mon 8 Aug - Empire Theatre (Toowoomba)
Tue 9 Aug - Moncrieff Entertainment Centre (Bundaberg)
Wed 10 Aug - Gladstone Entertainment Convention Centre
Fri 12 Aug - Roma Cultural Centre
Sat 13 Aug - Capella Cultural Centre
Sun 14 Aug - Proserpine Entertainment Centre
Tue 16 Aug - Cowra Civic Centre
Wed 17 Aug - Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre
Fri 19 Aug - The Comic's Lounge (Melbourne)
Sat 20 Aug - The Comic's Lounge (Melbourne)
Tue 23 Aug - IMB Theatre (Wollongong)
Wed 24 Aug - Albury Entertainment Centre
Sat 27 Aug - Cessnock Performing Arts Centre
Mon 29 Aug - Laycock Street Theatre (Gosford)
Tue 30 Aug - Sutherland Entertainment Centre
Wed 31 Aug - Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre
Sat 3 Sep - Astor Theatre (Perth)
Mon 5 Sep - Logan Entertainment Centre (Brisbane)
Tue 6 Sep - Redland Performing Arts Centre (Brisbane)
Wed 7 Sep - The Arts Centre Gold Coast
