Arts and Entertainment

When she first came to the Boston area 16 years ago, Michigan native Rachel Reeds probably couldn’t have found Cape Breton Island on a map, and she certainly didn’t know anything about its distinctive Celtic music tradition. But that was then. Nowadays,... Read more
 Spring is in the air and that means The Big Apple Circus is coming back to Boston.  After a brief hiatus last season, the world renowned, one-ring wonder returns for its 40th Anniversary Tour, playing under the Big Top at Assembly Row in Somerville. ... Read more
Open the Door for Three, a trio of Irish musicians whose penchant for scholarship complements their talents for arrangement and performance, will be a featured act in the 13th annual “A St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn” production, which takes place March... Read more
The Jeremiahs, “The Femme Fatale of Maine” • As the folk revival has gone on, there has been a gradual proliferation, especially in more recent years, of bands that utilize the architecture of traditional music in presenting their original music – close... Read more
by R.J. Donovan Frank McCourt is perhaps best known for his gripping 1996 memoir, “Angela’s Ashes.”  Detailing the harshness of his upbringing in Limerick, the book remained on the New York Times bestseller list for 100 weeks and was honored with multiple... Read more
Open the Door for Three, a trio of Irish musicians whose penchant for scholarship complements their talents for arrangement and performance, will be a featured act in the 13th annual “A St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn” production, which takes place March... Read more
Lankum, “Between the Earth and Sky” • Formerly known as Lynched – a reference to co-founding brothers Ian and Daragh Lynch – this quartet of self-described “Dublin folk miscreants” has made quite the impression with its populist, gritty, infectious... Read more
  Patrick Dunn is definitely a guy on the go.  One day you’ll find the actor performing off-Broadway, the next he’s at Lincoln Center working with the legendary Hal Prince on a production of “Candide.”  He might be playing the lead in “Jesus Christ... Read more
An immigration-themed performance event that premieres February 9-11 at the Boston Center for the Arts will feature a specially commissioned piece by Charlie Lennon – one of Ireland’s most distinguished tradition-influenced musicians/composers – and a... Read more
BY R. J. DONOVAN SPECIAL TO THE BIR Apollinaire Theatre Company kicks off the New Year with a production of Chekhov’s “Three Sisters,” as adapted by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tracy Letts. Directed by Danielle Fauteux Jacques, performances run... Read more
BY SEAN SMITH SPECIAL TO THE BIR Please, don’t call them “kids” any more. This past year, the Cape Cod-based ensemble of school-age Irish musicians formerly known as “Keltic Kids” changed its name to “Celtic Roots.” The time was ripe, members say: When... Read more
BY SEAN SMITH SPECIAL TO THE BIR For this month’s column, we’re going to take a look at some recent recordings by Celtic artists with Massachusetts and New England ties. The Press Gang, “Fortune It May Smile” • Formed in 2009 amidst the proliferating... Read more
Destination: Southeast Ireland Featuring two nights at Dunbrody House, Wexford, and a chat with its master chef Kevin Dundon BY ED FORRY BIR PUBLISHER I visited Ireland’s southeast coast late last summer, a trip that, for me, was truly an eye-opener.... Read more
THE BIR’S ARTS CALENDAR OF IRISH/CELTIC EVENTS January 2018 The BCMFest Nightcap concert, “From Spark to Flame,” will be devoted to the stories that define the lives of musicians and singers, according to festival organizers. The concert, which takes... Read more
By Sean Smith Special to the BIR It’s hard to say if Boston-area native Jeremy Carter-Gordon chose folk music, or if it chose him. But, ultimately, that doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that Carter-Gordon has made folk music an integral part of... Read more
By Sean Smith Special to the BIR It’s hard to say if Boston-area native Jeremy Carter-Gordon chose folk music, or if it chose him. But, ultimately, that doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that Carter-Gordon has made folk music an integral part of... Read more
Naturally enough, holiday-themed events – like “A Christmas Celtic Sojourn” (see story elsewhere in this issue) – are plentiful in this month’s Irish/Celtic calendar. • At Club Passim in Harvard Square, festivities include “A Fine Winter’s Night” on Dec.... Read more
John and Maggie Carty, “Settle Out of Court” • There’s no guarantee, you know, that traditional music gets passed down to the next generation, no matter how strong the legacy in a family. Maybe the younger ones just don’t take to it – or even if they do,... Read more
It’ll be 15 years – and the start of a new era – for “A Christmas Celtic Sojourn” when the curtain for the annual holiday show goes up on Dec. 12 at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport. “Sojourn” makes its customary stop at the Cutler Majestic... Read more
Boston Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” stands as a “must see” family-friendly holiday tradition. And in the midst of glistening snowflakes, dancing mice, and battling tin soldiers stands principal dancer Kathleen Breen Combes. In artistic director Mikko... Read more

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