By Paddy McCarthy
I hope you all had a great weekend and everybody enjoyed the Mother’s Day celebrations like I did. What a week I had, as I was invited to see Paradise Square at the Ethel Barrymore Theater (243 West 47th Street). With visceral and nuanced staging and choreography that captures the pulsating energy when Black and Irish cultures meet and set to a contemporary score that reimagines early American song, Paradise Square depicts an overlooked true-life moment when hope and possibility shone bright. I have to tell you that this was just brilliant and I have to hand it to Larry Kirwan, who resides in New York for many years and is from the County of Wexford. Ireland. Larry co-wrote the music with Jason Howland, I am going to tell on some words you might have not heard for a while: the show is a smash hit so go and see it; you will love it! Also check out the full review from our Arts & Entertainment Editor Brad Balfour
, starting on page 20.After the show I headed up to McCarthy’s Pub, an authentic Irish pub conveniently located in Times Square on West 46th Street (between 6th & 7th Avenues) and just a short walk from the Theatre, now where would yea get it? I have to admit I’m beginning to get very comfortable going into McCarthy’s as the atmosphere is fabulous and the manager Owen Clancy could not be nicer and he even gave me a McCarthy’s T-Shirt that fits me perfectly… wow!
Ship ahoy! Are you ready for one of the biggest Irish events of the year that will be happening on Wednesday, June 8th? Of course, I’m talking about the Celtic Cruise evening dinner cruise in New York harbor that supports the Emerald Isle Immigration Center, so don’t miss out. Hosted by the Ancient Order of Hibernians (Div. 7, NY County), as a benefit to support the work of the EIIC, this year’s evening dinner cruise includes live music, full buffet dinner, a premium open bar, and gorgeous views of New York Harbor! Boarding begins at 6 pm and sailing is at 6:45 pm from Chelsea Piers (12th Avenue at West 23rd Street) aboard The Spirit of New York. Individual tickets are $125 and a limited number of upper-deck VIP tables are still available for purchase. All required Covid-19 precautions will be observed but aboard The Spirit of New York there is plenty of space for socializing out in the open air. Live music will be provided by Celtic Cross, The Cunningham Brothers, Shay Mac Band and Celtic Blend with a trad seisiun with Ed Bowles & friends. Tickets are on sale at CelticCharity.com or you can call (212) 717-9955 for more information.
Self Help Africa is partnering with Madison Wells, for a special concert event: Broadway for Self Help Africa on Monday, May 23rd at 7 pm at The Cutting Room. Stars of some of Broadway’s top shows will sparkle for charity when they take to the stage in this special musical benefit. Broadway for Self Help Africa features a stellar cast led by the musical director of Broadway’s hit Pretty Woman and off-Broadway’s Little Shop of Horrors, Will Van Dyke! Other stars taking part include Ryann Redmond (Bring It On, If/Then, Frozen), Jelani Remy (Lion King, Ain’t Too Proud), Emily Schultheis (Wicked, Almost Famous), Kevin Clay (The Book Of Mormon), CJ Pawlikowski (Jersey Boys), Jason Gotay (Bring It On, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Gossip Girl), Cristina Rae (America’s Got Talent), Antoine Smith (MJ, The Color Purple, Memphis), Michael Hartung (Peter Pan Live; Hello, Dolly!), Chad Burris (Frozen, Mean Girls, Almost Famous) and James Harkness (Ain’t Too Proud, Beautiful), with more to be announced!
The New York Irish Center (1040 Jackson Avenue, in Long Island City) will be hosting Ireland Today 2022 – The Inaugural America-Ireland Youth Conference taking place from Friday May 20th to Sunday May 22nd. Bringing together policy makers, educators and students from Ireland and the US, the live-stream video conference features internationally recognized experts on a number of urgent global topics, including the panel moderators Nisha Varia of Human Rights Watch (May 20th), the UN and UNICEF’s Sarah Crowe (May 21st), and Irish Green Party politician and Dublin City Council Member Claire Byrne (May 22nd). According to the New York Irish Center’s executive director George C. Heslin, “Ireland Today 2022 supports the next generations who will inherit our two great nations – the United States and the Island of Ireland. We want to give participants the opportunity to create global connections and encourage travel and cultural engagement to both countries. We also want to foster peer relationships between higher education institutions on both sides of the Atlantic. So, we are delighted that so many educators and outstanding students from prominent universities from both the US and Ireland will be collaborating together.”
Educators from eleven university programs on both sides of the Atlantic are taking part and serving as panelists, together with a range of current students. Each day will feature a two-hour panel talk moderated by distinguished thought leaders followed by a question-and-answer session. The conference’s media sponsor is Irish Central which will live-stream the entire conference and provide coverage of the proceedings. The conference producer is Ryan McNally, New York Irish Center’s director of Social Care, who is a graduate of Ulster University. Hannah Ciesil – a graduate of Baruch College CUNY – is the conference coordinator. To register for the three-day conference visit www.newyorkirishcenter.org or to view the livestream visit www.irishcentral.com on the days of the conference. This event should be very exciting so give them a call if you are interested.
After a two-year break, Origin Theatre Company is reviving its popular new-play reading series, “Mondays in May,” with staged readings of new shows read every Monday in a month packed with Mondays – five in all! Taking place in the second-floor banquet rooms of the Financial District’s popular Beckett’s Bar and Grill (81 Pearl Street), the series is curated by Origin’s artistic director Michael “Mick” Mellamphy, now in his first full season at the helm of Origin.
Origin Theatre, which launches its 20th season in the fall, introduces impactful plays from Europe to New York audiences, and is the producer of the highly acclaimed Origin 1st Irish Theatre Festival (the 14th edition of which took place in January). All readings are at 7:30 pm and are free (reservations are essential). Drinks and food are available for consumption before and during the readings. To reserve your place visit www.origintheatre.org.
The Irish Repertory Theater has announced a new production of “Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom” from the novel Ulysses by James Joyce. Adapted for the stage by Aedín Moloney and Colum McCann, with new additional music by the late Paddy Moloney and directed by John Keating, the show will be performed by Aedín Moloney on the W. Scott McLucas Studio Stage, with previews beginning on June 8th and opening night set for June 15th.
The Irish Rep will also be presenting “The Butcher Boy” featuring music and lyrics by Asher Muldoon on the Francis J. Greenburger Main Stage, with previews beginning on July 21st and opening night set for August 1st.
Directed by Ciarán O’Reilly and based on the novel “The Butcher Boy” by Patrick McCabe, the production will feature music direction by David Hancock Turner and choreography by Barry McNabb.
For more information on both, visit www.irishrep.org.
Now you can see we have a lot going on with Irish theatre that just can’t be missed so get out your calendars make a note of the dates and get your reservations in.
Before I go I’d like to congratulate Nicholas Cohen – co-owner of the Houndstooth Pub and Stitch Bar and Blues in the city – on completing all six of the “Abbott World Marathon Majors” – the New York, Chicago, Tokyo, Berlin, London and Boston Marathons. Fantastic job!
I hope to see you all next week when I am Out&About again…