Arts and Entertainment

It’s a bona-fide Boston holiday tradition that, 10 years along, has now captured wintertime fancies in other parts of New England. This month, “A Christmas Celtic Sojourn” celebrates its first decade of bringing to the stage an inimitable blend of Celtic... Read more
Symbolizing the holiday season as indelibly as the welcoming fragrance of evergreen, “The Christmas Revels” returns to historic Sanders Theatre in Harvard Square from December 14 - 27. This year, the participatory theatrical solstice celebration that... Read more
Childsplay, the all-star fiddle ensemble featuring many musicians with ties to the Boston area, makes its annual visit later this month to the National Heritage Museum in Lexington and perform three concerts. The group – whose repertoire is taken mainly... Read more
It has been an eventful last few years for Cathie Ryan. Among other developments, she moved back to the US after living for nine years in Ireland, got inducted into the Irish American Hall of Fame in her native state of Michigan, was named as Irish Female... Read more
When “Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical” brings its tinsel and bows into The Citi Wang Theatre for a two-week run (November 23-December 9), it’s unlikely you’ll recognize Jeff McCarthy in the lead role. It’s not that you haven’t seen... Read more
“South Boston punk becomes a Florida crime boss.” That’s how one newspaper boiled down Dennis Lehane’s latest novel. Sure, that’s one way of summarizing “Live by Night,” the Roaring Twenties gangster page-turner that will also be a big-studio film some... Read more
Larry Reynolds: Photo by Bill BrettHe was the big, amiable fellow from Galway who worked with wood in his profession and in his music, and who seemed to know, personally, just about anybody who’d ever so much as touched a fiddle, accordion or flute, or... Read more
Few bands go looking for the metaphorical crossroads, but once they encounter it, there’s no turning back. So was the case last year with Annalivia, the Greater Boston-based group that since its beginnings five years ago has drawn plaudits for its... Read more
For Boston-area Irish musician Shannon Heaton, invention was the necessity of motherhood. In the first weeks after her son Nigel was born two years ago, Heaton – like many a new parent – often found herself up at all hours for feeding, changing, and... Read more
The life and times of Brendan Behan, one of Ireland’s most colorful writers, are in the spotlight this month in “A Broth of a Boy.” The one-man show, starring Danny Venezia, is being presented from Sept. 25 to Oct. 7 at The Arsenal Center for the Arts in... Read more
Tommy Fleming, whose powerful, passionate interpretations of songs old and new, traditional and contemporary, have made him one of Ireland’s most popular vocalists, will perform two shows next month at Peabody City Hall. Fleming will give concerts on Sept... Read more
Matthew Murphy appears as Oscar Wilde's attorney this month at the Boston Ctr for the ArtsMatthew Murphy wears a lot of hats in life. By day, he’s General Manager of Old Town Trolley Tours of Boston. After hours, he’s a trained singer and actor. Either... Read more
The Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann Hanafin-Cooley branch of Boston will hold a special ceili on Sun., Aug. 5, to benefit local musicians who are competing in the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil later this month. Boston Comhaltas musicians will play at the ceili,... Read more
It’s late in the afternoon of a mid-June day, and downtown Boston is positively basking in gorgeous, sun-dazzled weather – except for a metaphorical dark cloud over the Four Green Fields pub. Only a little while ago, Spain completed its demolition of... Read more
The Boston/Eastern Massachusetts Irish community had every reason to take satisfaction from this year’s Mid Atlantic Fleadh competition, which was held May 18-20 in New Jersey. It wasn’t just the fact that so many did so well – area entrants qualified in... Read more
By R. J. Donovan Special to The BIR Actress-singer Kathy St. George knows a little something about legends. As readers of the Reporter will recall, she is a descendant of the folks who owned historic Tyrone House in Galway. She can also trace her roots... Read more
Traditional music from Ireland, as well as France, Canada, and a few other places, will be the order of the evening on July 7 when Donegal accordionist Dermot Byrne and French harpist Floriane Blancke perform at Worcester’s Hibernian Cultural Centre.... Read more
By Sean Smith Special to the BIR It sounds like the kind of moment only the imagination of a singer-songwriter—like, say, Bob Bradshaw—might cook up, only it really happened. The quick lead-in: Irish native moves to the US at the tail end of the 1980s,... Read more
By R. J. Donovan Special to The BIR Boston theater audiences love Mary Callanan. Period. From her performances at SpeakEasy Stage, New Rep and Lyric to the hot night spots in Provincetown, she’s known for her razor-sharp way with a funny line as well as... Read more
Boston Irish Festival begins Friday at ICCNE, Canton Gaelic Storm, the irrepressible Celtic folk-rock quintet, headlines this year’s Boston Irish Festival, set for this weekend, June 8-10 at the Irish Cultural Centre of New England in Canton. Other... Read more

Pages