By Paddy McCarthy
I had a very nice time while I was Out&About last weekend as I was invited to the New York Irish Center’s 20th Anniversary Annual Benefit, which was held last Saturday.
It was a pleasure to be invited by their Artistic Director George Heslin who outdid himself yet again with what was a fabulous evening with lots of guests that I knew very well, great food and brilliant entertainment with a fabulous comedian, Maureen Longan of America’s got Talent fame and with the one and only Cathy Maguire and Band.
I was in company with the famous boxer and actor, and what a great man he is as well, John Duddy who was their with his wife Grainne, you could not meet nicer people and they were great company to be with along with well-known artist Noelle Clancy.
The Consul General of Ireland Helena Nolan was also in attendance. I did not get a chance to say hello to her and her husband Sami as it was a busy night with lots going on, and of course George Heslin himself, making sure we all enjoyed ourselves, yes, we did thanks again George.
Now I will be back again on Saturday at the New York Irish Center for this year’s Mick Moloney Memorial Fundraiser which will be held at the there on Saturday November 16th at 8 pm with a pre-concert reception at 7 pm.
Moloney was involved with the Mercy Center for 22 years, and in association with Corkman, and fellow musician, Donie Carroll, helped to raise enormous sums of money to change the lives of hundreds of kids, abused and abandoned in the slums of Bangkok.
Donie has taken over Mick’s role as a Director for Mercy Center USA and in that capacity, is continually fundraising in many different ways. One of those ways is organizing concerts like this upcoming event.
The cream of Irish traditional musicians and dancers are lined up for this event, including former Riverdance Uileann piper Ivan Goff, Tony Demarco, Liz Hanley, Nuala Kennedy, Don Meade, Dan Neeley, Don Penzien, Heather Bixler, and Carroll himself.
Mick Moloney passed away suddenly in July 2022 and on this occasion, they’re celebrating what would have been his 80th birthday on stage. If you would like to support this very worthy cause you can do so by emailing Donie Carroll at ducksymusic@gmail.com.
I have to hand it to Donie who never stops from giving and deserves a lot of praise for all the charitable work that he does. He is one of Ireland’s greatest folk and ballad singers to come over to live on this side of the Atlantic with all his talent for you all to enjoy.
Donie also has a historic tour to Ireland once a year and I recommend you join him on it the next time in the near future because you’re going to love it.
Now for some Christmas holiday attractions and how could yea beat it as The Irish Repertory Theatre is proud to present the return of A Child’s Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas, adapted and directed by Charlotte Moore, with music direction by David Hancock Turner.
A Child’s Christmas in Wales will begin previews on December 4th with opening night set for December 8th, for a limited run through December 29th, on Irish Rep’s Francis J. Greenburger Mainstage (132 West 22nd Street).
This December, Irish Rep offers up the seventh special return of its joyous holiday classic, Dylan Thomas’s iconic A Child’s Christmas in Wales. Charlotte Moore’s musical adaptation of this “never to be forgotten day at the end of the unremembered year” features heartwarming contemporary and traditional Christmas music interwoven with the popular story of that snowy Christmas Day in Wales.
The New York Times described this production as “a cavalcade of imagery and sensation … the descriptions of treats and toys are evocative, [and] the carols appealingly sung. This sweet show conjures up plenty of goodwill toward men.”
The Wall Street Journal called it “irresistible…It warms the heart like a blazing Yule log.”
The cast of A Child’s Christmas in Wales will include Ali Ewoldt (The Phantom of the Opera), Reed Lancaster (Translations), Ashley Robinson (Meet Me in St. Louis), Howard McGillin (The Phantom of the Opera), Kimberly Doreen Burns (Finian’s Rainbow), and Polly McKie (The Butcher Boy).
A Child’s Christmas in Wales will feature costume design by David Toser (The O’Casey Cycle), lighting design by Michael Gottlieb (On Beckett), and musical direction by David Hancock Turner (The Butcher Boy).
April Ann Kline (The Devil’s Disciple) is the Production Stage Manager, and Hope Michelson (Days of Wine and Roses) is the Assistant Stage Manager.
Charlotte Moore premiered this adaptation in 2002 as part of A Celtic Christmas. The Associated Press said of a subsequent run in 2010, that the production “leave[s] the audience feeling as though they’re tucked inside a cozy, musical snow globe.”
The production was revived, by popular demand, for the 2011, 2015, 2018, and 2022 holiday seasons. The performance schedule for A Child’s Christmas in Wales is as follows: Wednesday-Saturday at 7 pm; Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 pm; and Sundays at 3 pm. There will be no performances on Tuesday December 24th and Wednesday December 25th. There will be an added performance on Friday December 27th at 2 pm.
I will be at one of the performances that I am so much looking forward too so, will you? Tickets to A Child’s Christmas in Wales begin at $55 and are available at IrishRep.org. $25 tickets are available to patrons under 40 years of age via Irish Rep’s Green Seats membership.
I hope to see you all again next week when I am Out&About again…