August 2011,
A Q&A with Culture Klatch from 92st Y!
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July 2011
Press Coverage for Clubbersguidenewyork.com Anniversary Party
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March 2010
A wonderful review from our friend Peachy Deegan at whomyouknow.com
http://www.whomyouknow.com/2010/04/nightlight-irish-arts-center-hosts.html
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www.whomyouknow.com - by Peachy Deegan
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The Mirror (Irish Daily Mirror)
September 3, 2008 Wednesday
Eire Edition
COMIC BITES AT BROADWAY;
PLAY
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 24
LENGTH: 79 words
IRISH comedienne Fiona Walsh was so self-conscious about not having gleaming white American teeth she turned her torment into a Broadway play.
Tipperary-born Walsh grew up watching TV shows in which the stars had bleached gnashers.
And Fiona, whose show Great White American Teeth debuts at New York's First Irish Theatre Festival, said: "I had my teeth straightened after years of agents pointing out I had an unmarketable gap.
I still have a retainer - how 'Yankee' is that?"
IRISH MUSIC CRUISE TO MEXICO - a review
by Hamish Douglas Burgess of Maui Celtic. (www.mauiceltic.com)
In January, great Irish musicians headed to California, when legendary singer Liam Clancy was joined by nephew Robbie O'Connell and niece Aoife Clancy, the famous Danny Doyle, the Makem & Spain Brothers, Evans & Doherty, Gabriel Donohue, Eugene Byrne, Matt & Shannon Heaton, George Keith, Ciaran Sheehan, Emigrant Eyes, and Fiona Walsh. They were there for an 8 day cruise to the Mexican Riviera with Irish Music Concerts at Sea presented by Debbie Casey (www.irishmusiccruises.com) on the ship 'Norwegian Star'.
Festivities started in California with pre-cruise concerts in Ventura, where the Makem & Spain Brothers put on a memorable show of traditional songs and sea shanties with their fantastic 5 man harmonies, and in Santa Barbara with a great show of Irish songs, jigs and reels from Robbie O'Connell, Aoife Clancy, Matt & Shannon Heaton and George Keith.
The following night saw an informal meet-and-greet at the Long Beach Marriott, where you could reconnect with old friends, make new ones, and meet the musicians.
The next week’s adventure started with 2 days at sea with plenty of activity including a welcome cocktail party, great music sessions where anyone could join in, an informative and fun Celtic art lesson, music workshop, ceilidh dance band Emigrant Eyes and fantastic concerts in an intimate theater setting.
From solo sets by the talented multi-instrumentalist and singer Gabriel, to the full Celtic sound of Robbie, Aoife, Matt, Shannon and George with songs accompanied by guitars, bodhran, flutes, whistles, and fiddle, the singing covered the spectrum from traditional folk to originals.
Kevin Evans & Brian Doherty were well received with their great songs and humor, as was the hilarious singer Eugene Byrne. A big hit was the amazing voice of Irish tenor Ciaran Sheehan, who was the lead on Broadway in ‘Phantom of the Opera’ for several years. Not to be missed were the powerhouse vocal harmonies of the Makem & Spain Brothers and of course Liam Clancy, who at the young age of 72, set the stage on fire with boundless energy and passion. With guitar and concertina, he performed heart-wrenching ballads to rousing traditional songs and raucous sea-shanties. A true master of his art.
First Mexican port of call was a full day in Acapulco, where you could explore the old fortress and city, watch the incredible cliff divers by day or night, and visit the old haunts of John Wayne and Johnny Weissmuller.
Next was Zihuatanejo, a beautiful fishing village with craft markets and Mariachi musicians, palm-lined beaches, snorkeling and diving or kayaking, and the nearby resort of Ixtapa.
As the ship sailed that afternoon Irish singing star Danny Doyle backed by Gabriel gave a remarkable history concert with stories and songs about the 1916 Uprising. Ceilidh band Emigrant Eyes were joined by 3 young Irish dancers for a great show.
That night the sound of “Minstrel Boy” on the pipes of Hamish Burgess opened a Tribute to Tommy Makem, who was a bagpiper as well as a famous singer. Tommy’s longtime singing partner Liam Clancy sang “The Bard of Armagh”, followed by all the musicians with their favorite Makem songs. Tommy’s sons Shane, Rory and Conor with Mickey and Liam Spain closed a great concert in fine style showing that a family tradition will undoubtedly continue.
In Puerto Vallarta a walk down the esplanade with it’s cool quirky statues and incredible sand sculptures, took you past the bars and craft shops to the old town, where in the magnificent cathedral it was a surprise to see a crowded local Mass accompanied by a large Mariachi band !
Beautiful local places to visit included Las Caletas island, director John Huston’s hideaway - Liam Clancy and Gabriel Donohue knew the film maker and actor who had a house in
Co.Galway, and became an Irish citizen. Another fabulous cove is Mismaloya, with the old film set from Huston’s ‘Night of the Iguana’, where iguanas still bask in the sun on the rocks. The backdrop to the area are the rainforested foothills of the Sierra Madre, where you could fly through the forest canopy on zip-lines.
The exclusive shows of the Irish Music Cruise were so much talked about that other cruising guests were desperate to get in !
More great concerts until midnight, were followed by unscheduled but legendary sessions at one of the ship’s pubs, with Gabriel leading the wild late night sing-alongs with anything from traditional Irish to show tunes !
A ocean arrival to the rock arch and formations at the tip of the Baha Peninsula near Cabo San Lucas is nothing short of spectacular. You could watch the crowds go by from one of the many waterfront bars, or escape it all on a snorkel or dive in clear blue waters, take a water taxi out to the sea arch to watch the pelicans and sea lions, and check out Lover’s Beach that has the Pacific on one side and the Sea of Cortez on the other. Another trip to Todos Santos could take in big surf and a visit to the Hotel California !
Irish comedienne Fiona Walsh had us in stitches with a hilarious show about her life story of trying to get to America ! With a day at sea on the way back to Los Angeles, the time went by with more great sessions and fine concerts, and the awesome Grand Finale with all the performers on one stage, not to be seen again until the next cruise ! An amazing week of fun and stellar Irish music !!
January 2009 the Irish Music Cruise will be leaving Tampa, Florida, and cruising the beautiful waters of the Western Caribbean for 7 nights, stopping at Key West, Belize, Guatamala, and the Costa Maya visiting the ancient Mayan ruins. www.irishmusiccruises.com or call 888-56-IRISH.
© Hamish Burgess 2/20/08
With the lovely girls of Holy Angels Academy in Demarest, NJ- we raised over $4000 for Operation Smile. Well done guys!
At the Galway Comedy Festival..www.galwaycomedyfestival.com
Sunday Is Showtime at Arts Center - November 2006
By Cahir O’Doherty
Sundays at Seven is the ever growing monthly comedy and music show hosted at the Irish Arts Center on West 51st Street in New York hosted by Fiona Walsh, the well-known Irish-born actress and comedienne who has just completed her successful one woman show at the Irish Repertory Theatre.
“The show has been running for six years in its current format at the Arts Center,” says Walsh. “I’d describe it as a comedy and music show that’s interspersed with spoken word or various kinds of performance pieces – from sketches to theater pieces, or improvisation. What makes us unique is that we often feature really brilliant Irish and Irish and American performers each month.”
The singers perform between stand up and comedy sketches, and that’s what gives the evening a wide-ranging feel that delights the audiences.
“I’m particularly excited about this week’s show,” says Walsh, “We always have really good people but this week’s is going to be a standout showcase.“
Although the show’s vibe and setting are completely informal, the performers themselves are in fact top of their game professionals. This Sunday’s lineup includes talents featured on TV’s The Last Comic Standing, the Laugh Lounge and Comedy Central. And at only $8 per ticket it’s also one of the best values for a show of its kind.
“Since we start at seven and we’re under $10, we can promise you that you’ll have a great time and you’ll be home at a reasonable hour. Unless you choose to join us at the after party at Druids,” says Walsh, laughing.
For each monthly show Walsh and her producing partner Ann Design handpick every performer personally. “We make a point of selecting each performer because we want to make sure everyone who performs is a good fit. It’s not like a standard comedy club where you never know what you’re going to get, or if it will work in concert with the other performers,” she said.
“We also want to make sure the people we choose reflect well on the Arts Center – which means its family orientated – so if you wind up bringing your teenage son or daughter you’re not going to be mortified. Part of my job is to see shows and make choices about who’s best for us. We get inundated with requests, but we really do make an effort to ensure we choose the best people.”
Ann Design will host this Sunday’s lineup, and performers include Moody McCarthy, Becky Donohue, Joe Devito, the Stone Twins, Debbie Shea, and Fiona Walsh with music by Enda Keegan.
The Irish Arts Center is 553 West 51st Street. The show starts at 7 p.m. Admission is $8.
November 2006
Memories of Irish Childhoods
Great White American Teeth by Fiona Walsh
Swansong by Conor McDermottroe
At the Irish Repertory Theatre
By Cahir O’Doherty
AS a girl growing up in rural Ireland, writer and performer Fiona Walsh often felt like an alien. An only child in a street filled with 10 person families, she was as bright as she was gregarious and she stood out for her almost unpatriotic disinterest in sports.
Sensing her difference other children gave her a wide berth, and in her loneliness she turned inward — and then eventually outward — and a star was born.
In her hilarious and immensely likeable turn as the narrator of her own play Great White American Teeth at the Irish Repertory Theatre (in which, naturally, she also stars) Walsh reenacts her vexed childhood among the puzzled locals of Roscrea, Co. Tipperary, each of whom follow her antics with varying degrees of indulgence or consternation. Roscrea, Walsh reminds us, is the bacon capital of the county, and the local butcher is the ordained voice of the community (and what a gossipy community it turns out to be).
It’s a tale as old as time: a misfit is rejected by her community, but in the process she finds her own voice, moves to New York City and become fabulous.
What singles out Walsh’s play is its wit and openhearted joyfulness, which is obviously the result of the talent that created it. Roscrea’s loss was New York City’s gain, clearly.
The play and the community it portrays has a dark side too. Beneath all the brittle gaiety on the stage, we discover that Walsh has had some formative adolescent experiences that would have derailed weaker spirits.
Casually she mentions the putrid smell of bone and gristle that wafts out of the bacon factory on certain days, she mentions hearing the squealing pigs in their death throes, but before we can even shudder, reflexively she’s off again on another distracting caper that has us laughing once more.
Teenage erotic stirrings, in Walsh’s case, bring with them gossamer dreams of Warren Beatty and his preternaturally perfect teeth and sun tan. In comparison to her Hollywood idol, the local lads of Roscrea are a let down indeed. The future, it become clear, will involve disco music, glittering fashions, extensive dining options and a plane ticket.
There’s a quiet tenderness lurking beneath the surface of her play, for her home town, for its colorful characters, for her family and even for herself for having survived the ill starred marriage that was her life there until the day she finally left.
Walsh skillfully manages all of these disparate elements without ever once veering into sentimentality or score settling – and so we’re treated to a vivid memoir with the most reassuringly of American of outcomes, a happy ending.
Walking in to be seated, I am greeted with no real set, just one black folding chair, stage left, and a large speaker stage right, from which is booming forth the disco song “I Love America.” Then the lights dim and a small spotlight illuminates the face of Ms. Fiona Walsh, who is about to be abducted by aliens who wish to take her to their ship to study, because she is, after all, a very special child. Thus begins Great White American Teeth, a delightful solo performance journey through Walsh's childhood from the age of eight until her landing upon American soil, in New York City, as an adult in 1994.
The once bare stage becomes filled with our imagination as we travel to the town of Roscrea, in the county of Tipperary in Ireland. There, through Walsh's versatile artistry, we are introduced to a colorful roster of local characters. There’s Liam, the gossipy butcher who thinks he knows everyone’s business; the minister with the voice so booming you couldn’t sleep through a sermon if you wanted to; and the nun who spits when she speaks. The young Walsh longs to escape the conventions of her small town, where, “if you part your hair a different way, they would talk about you for weeks,” and feels she is destined for greater things. When she reads a magazine article on New York City she feels she has found her paradise.
We follow along through many adventures: her girlish infatuation with Warren Beatty and his big white American teeth, the “co-ed” community center disco dance for teens (some of the dancing alone is worth the price of admission), and, finally, winning a visa lottery to come to America. There’s much more, and each episode is loads of fun. When she finally gets to the Big Apple, her lively descriptions of what goes on in the city remind me of what it’s like when a relative comes to visit, and you see through their eyes all of the wonderful, amazing things in New York that we residents tend to take for granted.
Though director Virginia Scott keeps the action moving, I found myself wanting to know more about what happens to Fiona after she arrived in New York. Some slight trimming to the Ireland section, an intermission, and then a second act in New York City would be grand! But either way, with her sparkling energy, masterful mimicry, colorful phrasing, and dead-on comic timing, Walsh has the audience in her hand and almost constantly, erupting with laughter.
Irish Emigrant - July 2004
Here’s a beauty tip for you. If you’re going to see Great White American Teeth, the one-woman show written and performed by Fiona Walsh, remember to wear waterproof mascara. Walsh’s take on an Irish childhood and the dream of coming to is so funny that I cried laughing. Not for Walsh tales of poverty, misery and dying siblings. In fact Walsh’s brother and sister were both black, adopted, “and existed entirely in my imagination.”
Walsh’s show deals with the usual aspects of small town life, the gossiping, the boredom and the isolation of anyone that doesn’t ‘fit in’. Although a lot of the references are specifically Irish, in some cases specifically regional, the truth and humor of the writing reflect the global experience. The materials broad appeal was apparent by the diverse nature of Walshes audience, all colors, sizes, shapes, ages, ethnicities, and all of them laughing uncontrollably. One African American woman laughed so hard I thought she’d have an accident. Some things traverse social, racial and national boundaries and the inner life of children is definitely one of them. Children across the western world, whether they’re in Regular readers of Trendz are probably wondering what this show has to do with make-up. Well let me tell you! Where Eagles Dare Theatre on West 36th Street, where Walsh has been performing her one-woman piece, is a small and unforgiving space from the performers point of view. Walsh is right in the audiences lap so to speak, and with the theatrical lights, no flaw goes unnoticed. Of course the first thing I noticed was her make-up, which was immaculate and more importantly, stayed in tact for over and hour under the extremely hot lights and throughout much energetic dancing. While other people questioned Walsh about her theatrical and literary influences, I was more interested in the contents of her make-up bag. “Right now, I have Body Shop pressed powder,” she replied, “Revlon lipstick in a fancy case with a mirror, and Body Shop Indian Gardenia perfume.” Walsh went on to add that this particular make up bag was only one of many. “I'm a make up junkie! I have it stashed in different cases all over the house! I have a proper silver make up case -which a friend gave me for a show I was doing. Then I have various other material bags with various lipsticks and bits and pieces in them. If I'm in a hurry, I can just grab one and go!” Being a ‘make up junkie’ Walsh is a regular reader of Trendz as she likes to keep abreast of all the new lines. Like most junkies she has a favorite fix, “I love all make up products,” she said, “but right now I can’t live without my Urban Decay “Lounge” eye shadow”. As for perfume, Walsh says she has seven bottles currently on the go, but thinks that her favorite is Angel, by Thierry Mugler. I asked Walsh if she was willing to share her beauty secrets with Trendz readers. “I have no real secrets,” she said, “for the stage I just do my make up as I normally would; only I use a lot more of it. The strong lights wash all color out of the face - what would be overdone in real life comes across as normal from the stage. And I experiment a lot; I love playing with make up and different looks.” Experimentation began early for Walsh whose mother was a member of the local musical society and theatrical group, and “had a big stash of makeup for the stage.” Walsh’s first ever cosmetic purchase was a Cornsilk Pressed Powder compact. “I'd apply way too much pancake and powder and ended up looking like some kind of Geisha Girl!” Despite her cosmetic creativity Fiona says she never got asked to dance at the local disco. “Fellas thought I was strange!” Audiences at the Midtown International Theatre Festival couldn’t disagree more. All of Walsh’s performances have been packed out. The night I went along the show was sold out and ten people on the waiting list for cancellations. The response to Walsh and her work has been so good that the producers of the festival have added an extra show on Monday August 8th. In September the show goes to “Floss regularly, brush frequently and smile often!”