Irish Rep Will Stream ANGELA'S ASHES: THE MUSICAL Next Month

Irish Repertory Theatre and Pat Moylan Productions present Angela's Ashes: The Musical, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Frank McCourt. With music & lyrics by Adam Howell (Blonde), a book by Paul Hart (Moon in Eclipse), and direction by Thom Southerland (Mack and Mabel), the major musical adaptation of Angela's Ashes will make its New York premiere at Irish Rep Online on Thursday September 9, 2021, at 7pm ET following a successful in-person run in Ireland. Angela's Ashes will be available on demand through Wednesday September 22, 2021. For tickets and more information, visit IrishRep.org.

Angela's Ashes: The Musical is a remarkable story, told with a rare lyricism and a warm inimitable sense of humour as we follow Frank McCourt's escapades and experiences in a Dickensian landscape peopled by a drunken father, helpless mother, pompous priests and bullying schoolmasters; moneylenders, dancing-teachers and charity workers, culminating in his escape from grinding poverty to the redemption of a new life in America.

A haunting underscore with unforgettable tunes adds to the emotional impact and the humor of the story. Angela's Ashes: The Musical has that rare gift of bringing an audience to tears one minute, laughing out loud the next - if ever a musical could be said to embody the 'rollercoaster of emotion', then Angela's Ashes is that musical. McCourt's memoir of growing up in the 'Lanes of Limerick' was followed by a 1999 Alan Parker film, and is now being retold in a vibrant and memorable piece of musical theatre.

Angela's Ashes: The Musical will star Jacinta Whyte (Titanic) as "Angela" and Eoin Cannon (The Woman in White) as "Frank" and feature Elaine Hearty as "Nora," Michael Joseph as "Quasimodo," Domhnall Herdman as "Malachy Jr.," Shane McDaid as "Billy Heffernan," Marty Maguire as "Malachy," Amanda Minihan as "Grandma," David O'Meara as "Uncle Pat," Mark O'Regan as "Mr. Griffin," Norma Sheahan as "Mrs. Finucane," Brigid Shine as "Theresa Carmody" and Sinead O'Donovan as "Ensemble."

Angela's Ashes: The Musical features set and costume design by Francis O'Connor, lighting design by Sinead Mckenna, sound design by Jason Fallon, movement direction by Ste Clough, musical supervision by Mike Dixon, musical direction by David Hayes, original orchestrations & arrangements by Colm Ó Foghlú & Joe Csibi, and additional orchestrations & arrangements by David Hayes.

Described by The New York Times as a "stunning memoir," Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes was a literary sensation when it was published in 1996. The book climbed quickly to the top of that newspaper's Bestseller lists and remained there for nearly three years, selling 4 million copies in hardback alone. Since then, the memoir has sold over 10 million copies worldwide and has become a phenomenon continuing to attract a global readership.

As well as a fixture on the bestseller lists on both sides of the Atlantic, the book won multiple accolades including the Pulitzer Prize and the US National Critics Circle Book Award in 1997, has been listed in The Guardian as one of the top 50 best-selling books of all time and has been translated into 126 languages.

The musical opened in Ireland in Summer 2017 to critical and public acclaim with the Belfast Telegraph praising "its ability to steer you from laughing hysterically to holding back tears" and the Sunday Business Post saying that "only the hardest of heartstrings could fail to be tugged."

Angela's Ashes: The Musical will be available as a special streaming event for two weeks only, from September 9-22, 2021. Audience members can reserve a digital ticket for Opening Night, Thursday September 9, to view a scheduled streaming of the production at 7pm ET. Those who purchase tickets for Opening Night will be also able to watch on demand for 48 hours following the premiere. All other advance ticket purchasers will be able to access their on-demand performance beginning September 9, 2021, at 7pm ET. Tickets are available at irishrep.org at the special price of $30. The production will be available to view for 48 hours after clicking the Watch Now button in the streaming platform.

This project has been funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media, Ireland.

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