By Paddy McCarthy
Would you believe it? I got sunburned on Sunday when I went to the PGA Golf Championship tournament at Bethpage in Long Island and it really was not sunny, wow. How does Donie Carroll do it – he is out golfing every week and we come from the same area in Cork, now how is that? I have to admit I had a great day watching Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowery playing and I was in the company of Sean Coyne and his sons Kevin and Brian from Youghal, County Cork, along with Kevin Dunne who is Sean’s son in law. I have to admit we had a blast and it was great to support the boys from Ireland playing in one of the world’s biggest golfing tournaments here in New York, now where would yea get it?
The Bronx office of the Emerald Isle Immigration Center has received a $25,000 grant from the Tara Circle Board toward the renovation project planned at the center’s Bronx location. The award was made by Board members of the Tara Circle at the 4275 Katonah Avenue location last Monday. The grant will allow the center to keep working on the early planning associated with the proposed renovation including the installation of an elevator and the reworking of the existing space on each floor. The space once renovated will include a location for a work force development training, additional office space and multi-use function space.
“Plans for the space renovation have been underway for a number of years and this grant is a much needed boost to the private funds we now need to raise to ensure that the project continues” said Brian O’Dwyer, the center’s Chairman Emeritus.
“We are uniquely grateful to the Tara Circle for their investment in our infrastructure in the Bronx community and are indebted to them for this financial support, allowing us to continue with permanent plans for our long term home in the Bronx serving immigrants with the immigration and social services we are long associated with” stated Siobhan Dennehy, the Center’s Executive Director.
Dan Dennehy, National Director and Immigration Chair of Ancient Order of Hibernians, who attended the presentation stated, “Hibernians have supported Tara Circle and the Emerald Isle Immigration Center from their inception because their missions are to serve our community and that of our neighbors. It is great to see Tara Circle support Emerald Isle Immigration Center, as they help the newest to oldest Irish Americans and so many New York immigrants.”
The Irish Repertory Theatre (Charlotte Moore, Artistic Director and Ciarán O’Reilly, Producing Director) has announced two new productions for summer 2019. On the Francis J. Greenburger Mainstage will be Little Gem by Elaine Murphy (Shush) and directed by Marc Atkinson Borrull (Outlying Islands). Performances begin on July 17, with an opening night set for July 25, for a limited run through September 1.
Irish Rep will also present Love, Noël: The Letters and Songs of Noël Coward, devised by Barry Day (The World of Raymond Chandler), directed by Charlotte Moore (The Plough and the Stars), and starring acclaimed cabaret performers Steve Ross and KT Sullivan. Love, Noël begins performances in the W. Scott McLucas Studio Theatre on July 26, with opening night set for August 1, for a limited run through August 25. Now I have said that it is spectacular what they do because it is one show after another and it’s just wonderful how they do it one hit after another.
Tickets to Little Gem range from $45 to $70, with tickets to Love, Noël range from $45 to $50. Tickets to both productions are available now for Irish Rep members. Single tickets will go on sale to the general public on Thursday May 23at 1pm and will be available through Irish Rep’s box office at (212) 727-2737 or online at www.irishrep.org.
Next up on the W. Scott McLucas Studio Stage is the world premiere of Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom. Adapted for the stage by Aedín Moloney (The Dead, 1904) and Colum McCann (Let the Great World Spin) from the novel Ulysses by James Joyce, Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom will be directed by Kira Simring (Crackskull Row), with music by Paddy Moloney (The Chieftains), and is presented in association with Gabriel Byrne. Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom begins performances on June 7 with an opening night set for June 13 and will run through July 7.
Now, I was a guest at Origin Theatre’s Annual Gala reception and awards event that was held at the Mutual of America building last Monday. The event was just fabulous with the host himself George Heslin their Founding Artistic Director. Now how could it not be a great evening? The Gala Honorees were Loretta Brennan Glucksman who was awarded the inaugural Tom Moran Business to Arts Leadership Award. The other Honoree was a fantastic movie and television actor, Joseph Sikora who was announced as Origin’s Artist of the Year.
Talking about shows that are happening at The City Winery (155 Varick Street; (212) 608-0555) you have a show coming up I would highly recommend. Hudson Taylor is performing on May 20th with tickets at just $22.
Having won over countless new fans on their recent North American tour, both with Hozier and at their own headline shows, Irish brothers Harry and Alfie, Hudson Taylor are excited at their imminent return to the USA for their first shows of 2019. This show should not be missed.
See you all again next week when I am Out&About again.