Greater Boston Stage Company presents ‘The Irish And How They Got That Way’ by Frank McCourt. Original Music Arrangements by Rusty Magee. Directed by A. Nora Long. Music Director Kirsten Salpini. Scenic Design by Jeremy Barnett. Lighting Design by Amanda Fallon. Costume Design by Emily Woods Hogue. Sound Design by John Stone. At Greater Boston Stage Company, 395 Main Street, Stoneham, MA, through March 16, 2025.
By Linda Chin
Like the iconic (and remarkably inclusive for the 1960s & 70s) ad campaign that New Yorkers of a certain vintage will fondly recall – featuring photo portraits of a young African American boy, Chinese man, Italian nonna, Native American elder, White (Irish?) cop, enjoying sandwiches with Levy’s Real Jewish Rye – you don’t have to be Irish to love the Greater Boston Stage Company’s production of The Irish and How They Got That Way.”
Set in an Irish pub on Main Street, USA (395 Main Street, Stoneham) designed with warm wood tones and meticulous detail (including old posters, yellowed newspaper clippings, a Celtics jersey, and bottles of beer on the wall) by Jeremy Barnett, this “musical tribute to Ireland” interweaves song and dance, and juxtaposes stories of tumultuous times with humorous vignettes to tell a history of the Irish in America that people of all ages and backgrounds can appreciate and learn from.
As pub proprietor Janis (the versatile and effortlessly engaging Janis Hudson) reinforces at the top of the show – while gesturing to audience members in the Emerald Isle (orchestra), up in the Green Mountains (balcony), or while wrapping her arm around the shoulders of a patron sitting onstage – you don’t have to be named Sean or Patrick to have a place, or feel welcome “here.” Hudson and her five first-rate castmates (Billie Butler, Dan Prior, Tessa Paige Sacramone, Kirsten Salpini, and Jeffrey Song) are so charming and relatable (as are the front-of-house staff and ushers) that “here” can refer to the fictitious Irish pub or GBSC.
Written by Frank McCourt, the celebrated author of the popular memoir Angela’s Ashes, with original music arrangements by Rusty Magee, this spirited production is directed by J. Nora Long and music directed by Kirsten Salpini. The multi-talented Salpini contributed additional arrangements and was also MD and one of the principals in the show’s 2018 run. The actors are expert storytellers, singers, and dancers and even do double/triple duty playing instruments – Billie Butler on guitar and percussion, Jeffrey Song on bass and guitar, Dan Prior on banjo, and Tessa Paige Sacramone on violin.
With a 35-song playlist that ranges from traditional to contemporary tunes (“Danny Boy” and “I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen” to U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”), includes rousing numbers like “Erie Canal,” “You’re A Grand Old Flag,” and “Give My Regards to Broadway,” there is something for everyone to enjoy. Be prepared to grin from ear to ear when the three women erupt into a USO/Andrews sisters-style rendition of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” (with one of the men repurposing a broom he was sweeping the floor with as a standing microphone). Don’t be surprised if you spontaneously start singing along, clapping your hands, tapping your toes – or if you’re lucky (and brave) enough to snag one of the 12 exclusive onstage seats, dancing along with the actors.
You don’t have to be Irish to be moved by the poignant stories in The Irish and How They Got That Way, lulled by the sweet lyrics and melody of “Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ra” or stirred up by the shocking “No Irish Need Apply.” In these times when we are reminded that discrimination and anti-immigrant sentiment is an ongoing issue, I am grateful to the storytellers, music makers and the dreamers of dreams. For more information and tickets, go to: https://www.greaterbostonstage.org/
