Larry Kirwan's New Musical IRELAND - A HISTORY IN SONG Headed to NJ
By: BWW News Desk Feb. 22, 2017
Celebrating its 25th Year Anniversary, the Ciconne Theatre's spotlight will be turned onto its satellite performance space, the Ender Hall Lab Theatre, for the World Premiere of IRELAND-A History In Song.
Based on Mr. Kirwan's best-selling book, The History of Irish Music, IRELAND-A History In Song is a magnum opus that has emerged as an amalgamation of Mr. Kirwan's 25 years as the frontman of the Celtic Rock phenomenon Black 47 (also known as New York City's House Band) and his first nineteen years living in Wexford, Ireland where his grandfather, Thomas Hughes, a self-taught proficient historian, imbued him with the soul-searing history of Ireland, the immeasurable sufferings of its peoples and the breathtakingly haunting music that, after ten centuries, is as hypnotic and addicting as it was when the British landed in Wexford in 1169 under the pretense of recapturing the kidnapped wife of the aggrieved King of Breifne.
The Brits cared nothing for the kidnapped Mrs. Breifne, only that she allowed them to get their avaricious, colonizing, salivating, tax-hungry boots onto Irish soil where they have been ever since.
But as Ireland's music flowed from the Irish Mountains and from generation to generation, its ambassadors never ignored its haunting roots as they added their own witness, opinion, interpretation, humor, revenge, rage, longing and love.
Larry Kirwan arrived on these shores and our stages with centuries of intrinsic musical mysticism, carved out a new genre of rock music, sold millions of records, played to hundreds and thousands of adoring fans - and - after 2,500 concerts in 25 years wrapped it up one night at BB Kings on 42nd Street in New York in a show so historical they are releasing a documentary of that night's pandemonium this month.
Heeding Thomas Hughes' final directive to his grandson, Larry Kirwan has also filled the world with Ireland's history in his novels, poems, plays, histories, newspaper columns, in the new songs of his solo career and on his National Radio Show on SiriusXM.
IRELAND-A History In Song is the creative pinnacle of a sacred promise and a mission of determined love and respect.
Mr. Kirwan will be accompanied by Andrew Sharp on Uilleann Pipes, Flute and Fiddle.
On Wednesday, March 29, proceeding the show's World Premiere, Mr. Kirwan will conduct a Master Class for the Bergen Community College Music Majors. The Master Class is at complete capacity.
Performances will take place at the Theatre, Ender Hall Lab Theatre, Parking Lot C at Bergen Community College, 400 Paramus Road, Paramus, New Jersey. Tickets: General Admission - $15; BCC Faculty - $10; BCC Staff - $10; Seniors - $10; BCC Students - $5. For reservations, call 201-447-7428 or visit Tickets.Bergen.Edu.
Larry Kirwan is one of the most popular performers/personalities in Irish-America. Apart from his groundbreaking work with Black 47 who spearheaded the Celtic Rock movement, he also hosts Celtic Crush on SiriusXM, writes a bi-weekly column for the Irish Echo, and is president of Irish-American Writers & Artists.
He was born in Wexford, Ireland and raised by his grandfather whose life was steeped in Irish history and politics. He emigrated to New York City and gravitated to the recently opened CBGB's; with the new-wave band, Major Thinkers, he recorded for Epic Records and toured extensively with Cyndi Lauper among others.
In 1985 he decided to concentrate on playwriting and almost instantly had some success with Liverpool Fantasy (about The Beatles if they'd never made it). Over the next four years he wrote five plays that were produced and published in the book, Mad Angels.
In 1989 on a chance encounter he teamed up with Chris Byrne, a NYC Detective to form the radical Irish-American band, Black 47. Known for their kinetic live shows and their unique hybrid of political and street savvy songs, Black 47 soon became the toast of the city attracting scores of celebrities to their packed gigs. Signed by EMI Records, their MTV favorite, Funky Ceili, became one of the most popular radio songs of the '90's. In a 25-year career Black 47 played 2500 gigs, released 15 CDs, appeared on all major TV shows including Letterman, Leno, O'Brien & Fallon. They spearheaded the rise of Irish festivals, closed down Hoboken, NJ when they drew 30,000 to an outdoor event, and Kirwan was named one of the "top 50 most interesting people in New York."
During his years of constant touring, Kirwan wrote two published novels, Rockin' The Bronx and Liverpool Fantasy, a memoir, Green Suede Shoes, and A History of Irish Music. He is currently finishing a new novel, A Raging Autumn. He released two solo CDs, Kilroy Was Here, and Keltic Kids.
Kirwan's songs have been featured in movies and television including Sons of Anarchy and Gossip Girl; they are also used in hundreds of college and high school history classes.
Kirwan has now written 16 plays and musicals including the much praised musical Hard Times. It tells the story of the African-American and Irish who intermarried in New York's Five Points and created Tap Dancing. For a score he re-imagined the music of Stephen Foster. Hard Times is now being developed for Broadway.
Kirwan is also working on two other major musicals, IRAQ and The Catacombs, based on the riotous life of playwright, Brendan Behan.
A successful advertising and marketing executive Peter LeDonne (Director of Community and Cultural Affairs, Bergen Community College) was the owner and partner of Ash/LeDonne, Inc. one of the most prominent entertainment marketing firms in the Industry. With offices in New York, Los Angeles, Boston and London, the agency represented theatre, films, personalities, record companies and major entertainment venues.
While working on over 1000 Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, Mr. LeDonne altered the way theatre was marketed - worldwide.
He made the first live-action television commercial for the original Broadway production of Bob Fosse's Pippin. The seismically successful commercial delivered an entirely new audience to Broadway and, by so doing, redefined the lengths of successful Broadway runs from several months to several years.
In addition to Broadway, Ash/LeDonne also represented many other major clients such as: Resorts International Hotels and Casinos; The Sands Hotel & Casino; Helmsley Hotels; Radio City Music Hall Productions; Universal Studios; Crum & Forster Insurance; Marcal Paper Products; Metro One Cellular Telephone System; First Jersey Securities; Doubleday Publishing; St. Martin's Press as well as Janis Joplin, Frank Sinatra, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Diana Ross, Liza Minnelli, Stevie Wonder, Barry Manilow and Elton John.
He has also produced for the stage in New York and London and was one of the first Americans invited to The Soviet Union to produce films for several dance companies, folk troupes and The Moscow Circus. Over a period of several weeks, he and his film crew were permitted to travel throughout Russia, documenting both performance and behind the scenes material. The subsequent promotional films and commercials made the U.S. tours of those companies an unprecedented triumph.
Upon his return to the USA, he signed The Alvin Ailey Dance Company, American Ballet Theatre, The Dance Theatre of Harlem, The Joffrey Ballet, The Kirov Ballet, The Moiseyev Dance Company and The Bolshoi to his Agency's glittering roster.
When he added television and film production to his endeavors, he achieved early success with his first production, Curtain Call, which was nominated for an Academy Award. One year later his Sister Rose's Passion was also nominated for an Academy Award. He has since produced four other films; directed two; the most recent production, Barrymore, starring Christopher Plummer.
Mr. LeDonne has been the recipient of several major advertising industry awards, including: The Clio, The Andy, The International Broadcasting Award, The Big Apple Award, The London International Advertising Award and others.
He actively supports several non-profit organizations, which expose young people to the arts, particularly The Actors' Fund of America, American Theatre Wing, Young Audiences and Arts Horizons.
His pro-bono work has included producing, a live benefit performance of Come a Waltzing With Me, An Evening With Zoe Caldwell for Young Audiences and a documentary film, The Power of The Arts, featuring Harold Prince, Celeste Holm and Robert Whitehead, for Arts Horizons.
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