Try to imagine the ballad “Finnegan’s Wake” transformed into the Irish version of “Tony and Tina’s Wedding,” only in place of South Philly nuptials, there’s a funeral. Then you’ve pretty much got the gist of the show playing now through Thanksgiving weekend at The Showboat Casino in Atlantic City.
Better prepare your eulogies now. You may be called on to stand up and salute the dearly departed. Maybe even dance with him. It’s billed as interactive dinner theater, so the audience is part of the act.
And be prepared to hear some great music. “The Barley Boys” of Toms River, NJ, are providing the music. In fact, says their manager Carrie Auerbach, part of the play was rewritten to accommodate three original songs by the Boys’ Michael Babick, “I’m Sorry, Honey,” “Barley and Corn,” and “Maggie.” (The other Boys are Mike Kurman on bass. Dave Williamson on drums and Arty Artimiw on fiddle.)
“When they were looking for musicians, I sent the director some Barley Boys’ CDs and he loved the three songs so much he rewrote the story line around them,” explains Auerbach.
The show has been playing to packed houses just about every night, Auerbach says. “It’s absolute mayhem,” she laughs. ”People are doing eulogies, telling jokes, dancing with the dead body. It’s really fun.”
Show days and times are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening from 7–9 PM and there’s a matinee on Sunday from 1:30 – 3:30. Tickets are $59.99 and are available online through www.harrahs.com.
It’s a busy weekend musically speaking. Singer-songwriter Francis Dunnery is performing Saturday for two shows at the Tin Angel in Philadelphia. The Waterboys are on the bill at the Keswick Theater in Glenside the same evening.
And Sunday is benefit day in the greater Philadelphia area. Starting at 12:30 PM at the Shanachie Pub and Restaurant in Ambler, an incredible group of musicians will gather to raise money for famed Irish balladeer Danny Doyle who has been laid up by serious illness since August. A fulltime musician, Doyle is having trouble meeting the bills, so his friend, Gerry Timlin, organized the benefit. Former Philly folklorist and musician Mick Moloney, Robbie O’Connell (who appeared at the Philadelphia Ceili Group’s Irish Music Festival in September), Timlin and Kane (Timlin is part-owner of The Shanachie), the Malones and others will be performing till after 5 PM. Donations of $20 are requested.
Mick Moloney will be cutting out early because he’s the headliner at the annual “Mick Moloney and Friends” benefit for St. Malachy’s Church and School in North Philadelphia. (Given the lineup at The Shanachie, we’ll be taking bets on who the “friends” will be this year–last year, famous Irish singer-songwriter and activist Tommy Sands tagged along with his old mate.) The event starts at 4 PM at the church, an inner city institution that was once the parish of many Irish immigrants and where poet-priest John McNamee has been pastor for many years.
Unfortunately, at the same time as the St. Malachy’s benefit, Blackthorn will be performing in Springfield, Delaware County, at the annual “Ceili for Kayleigh” to raise money for research into MMA, a rare inherited disease in which the body cannot metabolize protein. MMA can be fatal if not detected and treated. The event was founded and organized by a local couple, Marty and Kate Moran, whose daughter Kayleigh has the condition.
All worthy causes–and maybe worth burning up the gas to hit them all, carbon footprint be damned.
