celtic music | The Sleepless Critic

REVIEW: True Repertory Theatre’s ‘Ellen’s Boys’ a heartwarming and heartrending family tale

Posted on March 29, 2022 by The Sleepless Critic

Family life can get complicated and for the large Irish Catholic Flaherty family, complicated is an understatement. Though Ellen’s Boys are a big part of this dramedy, the real center of this production lies in Ellen, the stubborn, pushy, and interfering Flaherty matriarch in a powerful performance by Victoria Bond. Emotions run high with some typical family arguments and some not so typical, but the show shines a light on the hypocrisies (even the innocent ones) set by family that almost anyone can relate to.

True Repertory Theatre’s ‘Ellen’s Boys’ logo Logo courtesy of Jim Sullivan/True Repertory Theatre

Partnering in part by GLSEN and directed insightfully by Donald Sheehan, True Repertory Theatre presented Jim Sullivan’s original dramedy, Ellen’s Boys, live and in person at the Beal House, 222 Main Street in Kingston, Massachusetts through March 27. The show is approximately 2 hours with one intermission. Click here for more information, upcoming auditions, and more.

The ‘Ellen’s Boys’ set Photo courtesy of Jim Sullivan/True Repertory Theatre

The Ellen Boys’ set takes up a significant space at the Beal House so there’s not a bad seat for the audience. As a photo of John F. Kennedy hangs on the wall, a tube television and vintage radio stand in the living room, and Andes mints sit in a crystal bowl on a doily, Ellen’s Boys successfully rewinds the clock back to December of 1965. Based on playwright Jim Sullivan’s own vision of his grandmother’s house, the Beal House is home to a functional space with full kitchen off a retro-furnished living room as sacramental Catholic objects hang on the walls with framed portraits of family memories on a piano. The show also sets a prominent Irish tone whether through the Celtic music between scenes, the Irish teapot on the dining room table, or through Flaherty sisters Ellen and Bridget’s rich Irish accents.

Victoria Bond as Ellen Photo courtesy of Jim Sullivan/True Repertory Theatre

Each character longs to break free in one’s own unique way and Ellen’s Boys has its share of heartwarming and heartrending moments within this animated family dynamic. It seems the only one against evolution is Ellen Flaherty. Victoria Bond could have easily depicted Ellen as a caricature of the classic pushy Irish mother in a house dress and apron who manipulates her way through grief and guilt, but as Bond breathes life into the character with finesse and humor, it is difficult to stay frustrated with Ellen for long.

Lisa Caron Driscoll’s remarkable portrayal as Ellen’s fun loving, spontaneous and equally quick-tempered sister Bridget makes for some high drama between sisters displaying some tempestuous sibling rivalry. They are alike in the ways that matter, though neither will admit it.

Victoria Bond as Ellen and Lisa Caron Driscoll as Bridget Photo courtesy of Jim Sullivan/True Repertory Theatre

Donald Sheehan took both the director’s seat and a role as Ellen’s lonely and devoted son Gil. Noonan strikes a delicate balance between sweet and exasperated as he holds onto the past in fear of the ramifications of his future. Seemingly the opposite is Cammerron Baits as spontaneous and hard-partying Nathan. In a multi-layered performance, Baits emotes fragility and earnestness under that impulsive façade.

Paul Noonan has a palpably eerie way of portraying the seemingly peaceful, helpful, yet enigmatic John Flaherty, Ellen’s son, while Oliver Henry Bellman is sweet and sympathetic as Patrick Walsh. Noonan’s scenes with Julie Butler, in a bittersweet performance as dutiful and sensible sister Kathleen Doherty, made for some tough realizations as Kathleen pushes to break past John’s stoic nature.

Julie Butler as Kathleen, Paul Noonas as John and Oliver Henry Bellman as Patrick Photo courtesy of Jim Sullivan/True Rep Theatre

Ellen’s Boys’ more lighthearted moments come in part from Sara McNulty as young and beautiful Tina Toccio whose self consciousness in front of Ellen and their various exchanges make for some dynamic comedy and also tense moments as they butt heads in their mutual stubbornness. With Cody Savoy as Ellen’s son, Michael, McNulty and Savoy also deliver some lighter moments and heartwarming chemistry together.

Though Ellen’s Boys runs a little long, through all of the drama, the complications, the heartache, and family outbursts because you simply can’t hold your tongue another second longer at the dinner table, what a relief to finally be understood.

Childsplay’s Artistic Director Bob Childs talks new album, ‘The Bloom of Youth’ and how one violin changed his life

Posted on November 19, 2018 by The Sleepless Critic

It all started with a fiddle. Childsplay’s Artistic Director Bob Childs didn’t realize over 40 years ago when he entered a shop in Maine to have his violin fixed, it would be the start of something that would change his entire life. Featuring a long list of award-winning musicians from across the country and beyond, internationally-touring Childsplay recently released their latest album The Bloom of Youth. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Artistic Director and violin maker Bob Childs talks about creating Childsplay’s unique sound, making 160 violins, their latest album, and the lasting friendships he has made through music. He has a shop in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Sleepless Critic: What is it about the fiddle that appeal so much to you?

Bob Childs: I worked my way through college as a carpenter and my first job out of college was in Maine selling furniture. In 1976, I took my violin for repair to an old violin maker, Ivy Mann, because I thought about playing Irish fiddle music.

When he repaired my instrument, he asked me when I was coming back. I had no concept of what he was saying so I said I wasn’t sure. He pointed at this wood he put on his bench and said that he would love to teach me violin making because he was in his 70s and was ready to pass on information before he stopped working. I was 22 and I decided why not.

Training as a violin maker involved six years of apprenticeships and some journeymen work since it is a European instrument. I worked with two violin makers who were training in Germany and then ended my journeyman work in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where I worked for a shop that mainly worked with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

SC: With the band and everything, Maine seems to be a center point in your life.

BC: Maine is an incredible place not just for the land’s beauty, but for the great music. I really cut my teeth on music and got to know a lot of the old musicians there. We always sell out the shows in Maine and the audiences are incredibly enthusiastic. Even though I am down in the Boston area, some family members still live there and I think at least three or four of the musicians also have Maine roots.

When I left Philadelphia, I came here in 1986 and the band has been together since 1988. When Childsplay first started playing together, a woman in Washington D.C. wanted me to play in a fiddle concert when I was working in a shop in Philadelphia. I said yes and she said that the name of the band is Childsplay because everyone in the band is going to be playing one of your instruments. We had an amazing time and it’s been over thirty years of playing music together.

SC: Childsplay also features many performers.

BC: Yes and I have made over 160 violins. Most of my instruments have gone to classical musicians and I’ve always built an instrument for somebody with them in mind. So, I’ve gotten to know so many incredible musicians and they are great friends.

Childsplay’s latest album Photo courtesy of Childsplay

SC: The Bloom of Youth is your latest album and features some beautiful music. Big acts like U2 and Bruce Springsteen have snuck right through to perform there. One of your DVD sets features a live performance at the Somerville Theatre.

BC: Yes, the first DVD set was filmed at the Somerville Theatre in the late ‘90s. The second one was made at the Zeiterion Theatre in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 2013. That film in particular had great success and was picked up by NPR, PBS, and has been shown on pretty much every station in the country.

I think if people attend a Childsplay concert, they really get into the spirit! The musicianship is unsurpassed featuring All-Ireland Fleadh champions, two national Scottish fiddle champions, and Boston Symphony players, but the best part is the band’s energy. You can feel it live, on the DVDs, and Bloom of Youth because it is dynamite.

SC: I understand your latest album, The Bloom of Youth is also your final album.

BC: It’s our seventh album and our last album because after next year, we are going to stop touring as a band for a number of reasons. One is because tour costs are incredibly high. There’s 21 musicians, five on the production team plus all the other expenses. Next year will probably be our last year of touring and I hope people will come out and honor the incredible musicians that have been part of the band and the music we have created together.

SC: I’ve listened to the album and I really like the joyous rhythms of Buddy Strathspey and Noodle Vendor’s plucking rhythm.

BC: Shannon Heaton, an amazing composer and flute player who we get to perform with, put together The Noodle Vendor. She lived in Thailand for awhile and the music she created was a unique cross between Irish and Thai music. Hanneke Cassell put together Buddy Strathspey. We both play two other tunes together on the album. When you hear Childsplay, you hear interesting rhythmic elements and these great harmony layers create a unique sound.

SC: What is the inspiration behind this new material and what do you think sets this album apart from previous albums?

BC: We share the stage and the CD with Karan Casey, the most amazing singer from Ireland. When we first started making our CDs and playing music, we didn’t have a vocalist with the band and it became clear to me when someone made the comment, ‘Out of all the instruments, the violin is the one that sounds most like the human voice.’ I realized that we should add vocals.

In Bloom of Youth, Karan came over from Ireland and she’s touring with us. We cover some of her songs, what she’s written, and others that she’s brought to the band. All the arrangements were done by Childsplay members Hanneke Cassel, Keith Murphy, and Bonnie Bewick so we had a lot of fun in making this last album.

SC: One of the tracks with Karan’s vocals, Where are You Tonight I Wonder is lovely. It’s like a little lost love song.

BC: Andy Stewart from Silly Wizard wrote it in Scotland shortly before he passed away. It’s a beautiful song and Karan’s voice is absolutely stunning. The song is meant for a lost lover and her singing in the band really conveys that blue feeling you get when a relationship ends.

Award-winning Mastering Engineer Bob Ludwig has mastered so many great albums such as U2 and Springsteen. He mastered our album as well and he played Karan’s voice right in the center of the sound. It is absolutely magical to hear that and understand how he really had the ear to make that happen.

We also offer free fiddle lessons. Different members of the band give fiddle lessons and people can go to the website and download them. We’ve had a half million people do that over the years.

SC: You guarantee we’ll be experts at it in the end.

BC: I’ll do my best to help you.

SC: The band has evolved so much over the years. How do you feel about how the band has come along?

BC: It’s an inter-generational band with the youngest member 17 and the oldest person in their 70s. More than that, there is a maturity that comes from years of playing together. The band members have been together over 20 years and there is a sound that emerges over time. I started making violins in ‘83 and I first started in ‘76. Not until ‘83 did the violins start sounding like how I made them. It takes several years of playing together to develop an ear for each other and a real sense of creating our sound and that has happened. I’m so proud of the band! It’s remarkable to be onstage and see the audience receiving and reacting to the music.

SC: What do you hope people will take away from your music or when they attend a live show?

BC: The one thing I hope to convey to people through our music that it’s possible to create things yourself. As Karan Casey wrote in her liner notes, ‘Childsplay is an exercise in democracy. There’s no one leader in the band and everyone takes turns leading and it’s a real creative process.’

I’m hoping when people are moved by our music and its creativity, they’ll be inspired to make their own music or do something creative to add to the world. The world is in very difficult times right now and I’d rather have a legacy making beautiful things and connecting people.

Click here to learn more about Childsplay, their tour schedule and how to get The Bloom of Youth which is also available on ITunes and CDBaby. Follow Childsplay on Facebook or all their latest updates.

WGBH’s ‘A Celtic Sojourn,’ tributes to Billy Joel & Broadway part of SSC’s ‘Evenings Under the Stars’ concert series

Posted on July 13, 2017 by The Sleepless Critic

Each summer for over the past twenty years, South Shore Conservatory has been making peerless, sparkling moonlit nights spectacular with a wide variety of live concert performances each Saturday night in July. South Shore Conservatory’s Evenings Under the Stars made its sold-out concert return on July 8 and will continue its themed music performances through July 29 at the Jane Carr Amphitheater in Hingham, Massachusetts. The Evening Under the Stars Festival Orchestra traditionally kicked off the season on July 8 with acclaimed conductor Nicholas Palmer as South Shore Conservatory presented Out of this World with Mozart! Click here for ticket information and further details.

South Shore Conservatory - EUS-Orchestra-2017-Nicholas-Palmer-conductor-by-Denise-Maccaferri

Nicholas Palmer conducting the EUS Festival Orchestra, Photo Courtesy of Denise Maccaferri

Led by conductor Nicholas Palmer, Evening Under the Stars explored the renowned works of Mozart, featuring a special performance of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A Major, K.622 with South Shore Conservatory clarinet faculty member and guest soloist Peter Bianca. Prior to the performance, audience members enjoyed a pre-concert reception which is purchased separately. It includes special sneak peek performances, appetizers, parking pass, and a chance to mingle with the artists. Nicholas Palmer led the opening night pre-concert talk. A pre-concert reception is available at every Evenings Under the Stars concert. Click here for more information.

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Guest soloist and SSC Faculty member, Peter Bianca, Courtesy of South Shore Conservatory

On July 15, Evenings Under the Stars proudly welcomes back WGBH’s A Celtic Sojourn with Brian O’Donovan featuring an exciting lineup of traditional and contemporary Celtic performances. Brian O’Donovan will deliver a talk at the pre-concert reception. Catch Brian O’Donovan every Saturday afternoon on 89.7 WGBH on online at 3 p.m. Follow A Celtic Sojourn on Facebook.

WGBH’s Brian O’Donovan, courtesy image of WGBH

Josh Pinkham, Photo courtesy of John Pinkham

Windborne Singers, who will perform for WGBH’s ‘A Celtic Sojourn’ Photo courtesy of the Windbourne Singers

With indelible hits such as Always a Woman, Uptown Girl, Movin’ Out, Piano Man among many others, Billy Joel has made an indelible mark in music in his over 50 year career. Jon Abrams, singer, pianist, and Broadway star of Billy Joel’s hit musical, Movin’ Out, will pay tribute to Billy Joel for one night only, taking the stage with original Billy Joel guitarist David Brown and six Boston-based musicians on July 22. Learn how the Billy Joel tribute band came to be during the evening pre-concert reception.

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Billy Joel Tribute – Jon Abrams Photo courtesy of Jon Abrams

On July 29, Evenings Under the Stars closes its summer series with a showcase of classic Broadway tunes with Beguiled Again: The Songs of Rodgers and Hart. Featuring former and present South Shore Conservatory faculty members including Beth Canterbury, Beth MacLeod Largent, Sarah Troxler, Devon Morin, and Holly Jennings as well as a festive chorus, enjoy live performances of My Funny Valentine, My Romance, The Lady is a Tramp, and more.

Holly Marshall, photo by Denise Maccaferri

Beth Largent, photo by Denise Maccaferri

Singers revel in the outdoor stage during Evening Under the Stars summer season, Photo courtesy of South Shore Conservatory

All concerts take place rain or shine at Jane Carr Amphitheater, One Conservatory Drive in Hingham, Massachusetts. See the South Shore Conservatory’s summer spotlight concert series at affordable prices. Click here for more information on South Shore Conservatory or call 1-781-749-7565, ext. 22. Follow South Shore Conservatory on Facebook and Twitter.

Beehive of Boston’s 10th annual ‘Erin Go Beehive’ features Irish comfort food, live Celtic music, and more

Posted on March 15, 2017 by The Sleepless Critic

St. Patrick’s Day is almost here, and the Beehive is encouraging revelers to start celebrating a day early with their 10^th annual celebration, ‘Erin Go Beehive’ on Thursday, March 16 at the Beehive of Boston at 5 p.m. ‘Erin Go Beehive’ will last into the early morning hours and boasts a special menu of authentic Irish comfort food by Executive Chef Gregory Torrech, holiday festivities, cocktails, live music, and much more. Click here for further details!

Hailing from Galway and residing in Boston, the Beehive once again welcomes Celtic singer-songstress Katie McD and other special guests. Katie McD’s soothing Celtic vocals and insightful lyrics have captivated audiences from Boston Symphony Hall to the Guinness Fleadh and she’ll perform selections from her debut album, I Know You Know and her sophomore release, Angel Baby.

The Beehive of Boston, 541 Tremont Street in Boston, Massachusetts, will offer a wide range of festive entrées by Executive Chef Gregory Torrech including traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage, Fish and Ships with tartar sauce, and Shepherd’s Pie along with their usual fare. Sponsored by the Harpoon Brewery, pair the meal with a festive cocktail.

Listed as one of the “100 Jazz Clubs in the World” by Downbeat Magazine, The Beehive boasts nightly live entertainment featuring a dynamic array of music genres throughout the year with an extensive menu. Dinner reservations are highly recommended and there is no cover charge. Call 1-617-423-0069 or click here to reserve a table! Click here for more information and follow the Beehive on Facebook.