The Irish … A Historical Review at the Walnut Street Theatre

Theater: Walnut Street Theatre
Show Title: The Irish…and How They Got That Way
Opened: April 29, 2008
Seen: May 1, 2008
Reviewer: Gary Labowitz
Submitted: May 2, 2008
The Walnut Street Theatre presents “The Irish…and How They Got That Way” by Frank McCourt, directed by Megan Nicole O’Brien. April 29 to June 29, 2008
Independence Studio on 3
825 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA

“The Irish…and How They Got That Way” is a high speed, high-energy, musical review of the history of the Irish. It spans the legendary past to the present day, in songs, readings, jokes, dance, quotations, and historical facts. Indeed, it fits the typical mode of topical reviews. The strength of a review is in its performers and the flow of the material they present. For “The Irish…” both the company and the book are strong and well done.

The members of the company (we have a typical five) do all the work; they play instruments (violin, piano, guitars, flute, drums), they sing, they dance, and they recite. When one member’s weakness appears, other members’ strengths fill the gaps so that the overall result is strong and full. The cast seemed a little strained at the opening (May 1), but then at times they seemed to be having fun with the material. All five members are “troopers” in the classic sense and deliver a dynamic performance to a friendly audience. Members of the audience are brought into the scene on two occasions, and a few lucky front row attendees even got drinks. What could be better than that!

The book gives a nod to the legendary origins of the Irish, but moves into its main segments dealing with the Irish and their bad treatment by absentee landlords and the English indifference. One segment covers the potato famine, but cannot do full justice to the monstrous horror of that Irish experience. The Irish participation in a variety of wars is put forward, mostly in song, but also in letters of soldiers to loved ones. The immigrant experience in America is nicely covered. The fight by the Irish for better conditions and equal recognition takes us through to WWI and ends with a tribute to George M. Cohan. (Dan Kazemi, the musical director and pianist, does a passable dance in the stiff-legged Cohan style.) These main segments are topped off with a brief mention of the JFK assassination and finished with U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.”

This review is one of those deceptively simple looking presentations. The members enter, sing, play, dance, tell the story, and leave. Each step of this progression requires a different talent, each requiring a devoted training background. To put it into its true light, the members enter in character with energy, feeling, and meaning in their movement. They sing well and dramatically, now softly, now belting it out as appropriate. They play instruments with talent – good substantial music. They dance forcefully, in ones, twos, threes, and elaborately in five. They tell the story emotionally and meaningfully. They leave us wanting more. But the story is told.

Reviews can be fun and they can be enlightening. This one is both. Even if you are Irish and “know it all already” it’s worth seeing this historical review. Have a laugh. Shed a tear. Take a friend. To the cast we say, “Maith thú.”