The question is, how does he do it and the the easy answer is TALENT; that’s right, talent, and boy does he have it.
Even before he came on stage, he had a star-studded cast in support who can carry a show themselves. With Andy topping the bill you also had The New York Tenors who consist of Andy, Daniel Rodriguez and Christopher Macchio. Then you add the special guests for the evening which included The Irish Tenors’ Anthony Kearns, Ronan Tynan and Finbar Wright with Eimer Reynolds, The Hibernian Festival Singers, The H.I.M.S. and The Big Apple Ensemble.
As a reminder, Andy’s son Ryan performed as well and did very nicely too I might tell you. Now I could go on and on about Andy Cooney only it has all been said so I will just say one word, BRILLIANT!!!
A great friend and supporter of The Irish Examiner, Professor Patrick O’Halloran, of Monmouth University New Jersey sent us in this little bit of news and a poem which garnered a lot of respect from ourselves here at the paper. He said: “Jamie Lynch, from Kilkishen, Co. Clare, is currently studying Zoology, Botany and Biochemistry in National University of Ireland, Galway. Being highly involved in sport as a youngster, he turned to the arts as another way to express himself due to a blood clot in his upper arm restraining him from participating in any competitive field for over 18 months.
“He thinks investing in the arts is highly fulfilling and beneficial to the development of a person. He believes it to be a great tool for self discovery and that writing anything is highly cathartic.
“His poem ‘Liberty’ declares that the power of sincerity and candor can free not just ourselves but everyone around us. This poem is in congruence with his conclusion on art: That the greatest gift art gives us is its ability to service someone else…to ultimately connect us with the world around us.
This is his poem:
You’re sick of others spying
On this pretence you’re applying
You’re tired of complying
But fear your manhood dying
Abandon your fortifying.
Be a liberty flag flying
Words are not for lying
Tears are meant for crying.
The Irish Rep has a blockbuster coming so I am giving you plenty of notice to get your tickets early. Yes it is The Shadow of a Gunman by Sean O’Casey and directed by the one and only Ciaran O’Reilly. This show will run from January 31 to May 25, 2019.
It’s 1921, and the Irish War of Independence rages on the streets of Dublin as Irish revolutionaries clash with British auxiliary forces. Aspiring poet Donal Davoren tries to avoid the conflict, but when Donal learns of a rumor that he is a gunman on the run, he cannot resist the curiosity it stirs in beautiful young Minnie Powers… and he cannot escape the attention of his other neighbors. As the rumor grows, the war outside moves closer to home with tragic consequences.
The Shadow of a Gunman premiered at The Abbey Theatre in 1923 to immediate success, selling out tickets for the first time in Abbey history, and establishing Sean O’Casey’s career as a playwright at age 43.
The first of The Dublin Plays, this two-act work is written in O’Casey’s characteristic tragicomic style. Although it is widely considered a masterpiece, it is lesser-known than the later two Dublin Plays. Irish Rep is proud to open the O’Casey Season with this compelling work, last seen in our theater in 1999.
The Shadow of a Gunman (1923), along with Juno and the Paycock (1924) and The Plough and the Stars (1926) together make up Sean O’Casey’s Dublin Trilogy (or Dublin Plays), presented here in repertory as Irish Rep’s O’Casey Cycle, which established O’Casey as one of the major figures in modern drama.
These masterpieces introduced O’Casey’s innovative playwriting style, which balances deeply comic and tragic elements in an atmosphere of stark realism.
These plays premiered during a time of revolution and civil strife throughout Ireland, proving both provocative and popular, and establishing O’Casey’s legacy among the most influential and enduring playwrights in history.
This spring, don’t miss this rare opportunity to see Sean O’Casey’s full Dublin Trilogy – subscribe to the O’Casey Cycle! Now I told you that this is going to be a sellout so you can now give a nice Christmas gift to your loved ones.
Book now at The Irish Repertory Theatre (132 West. 22nd Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues), by phone on (212) 727-2737 or online at irishrep.org.
Well, before I finish I would like to wish all our readers, sponsors, writers and colleges a very Happy Christmas and next week we will have some nice coverage on the festive season in Out&About. See you all then!