Siobhan Hughes leads the procession at Holy Cross Cemetery for the Easter Rising commemoration.
This weekend, the Bristol Riverside Theatre is present Late Nite Catechism 2, the return of “Sister,” who in LNC 1 was filling in for Father Murphy at his late night catechism class because he was attending his weekly poker game. Sister covers everything from Vatican to the afterlife to the “publics”—those unfortunate kids who didn’t go to Catholic School. In the sequel, Sister is instructing her class—that would be the audience—about the afterlife, including heaven, hell, purgatory and limbo. This one-nun play is as instructive as it is funny so even if you were a “public,” it will probably do your soul good.
On Saturday, the California Celtic group Tempest—which only contains one Celt, fiddler Michael Mullen—will be bringing its high energy brand of modern folk rock with Norwegian influences (group leader Leif Sorbye is a native) to the stage at The Colonial Theatre. Opening for them is the popular local folk group, Full Frontal Folk.
On Sunday, we take a serious turn: Commemoration of the 1916 Irish Easter uprising that helped pave the way for an independent Irish state. The ceremonies take place at Holy Cross Cemetery in Yeadon. The event starts with a procession to the grave of Fenian financier Joseph McGarrity, a Tyrone man and member of Clan na Gael, who immigrated to Philadelphia in 1892 where he became a successful businessman. There’s a social immediately after at the Galileo Club of Yeadon.
On Sunday evening, the group Belfast Connection is holding an EP release party at Brittingham’s Irish Pub and Restaurant in Lafayette Hill where group members often played when they were part of the late great Paddy’s Well. Dancing is encouraged.
If you own a pub or work in one, you should consider signing up asap for the Irish Pubs Global Conference being held over three days at Philadelphia’s Crystal Tea Room. Dave Magrogan, founder of local pub phenom Kildare’s, is a guest speaker.
Coming up next week: NicGaviskey, a transatlantic trad band (members come from Ireland and the US—maybe they practice via Skype), will be appearing on stage at the Irish Center on Saturday, April 23, thanks to the Philadelphia Ceili Group. You can listen to them online (try not to tap your toes and bounce in your seat too much) and check out their photos (they’re very cute!). If you think that’s a funny name for a band, read their names. See? Get it? It’s a nice pre-Easter concert and kids are welcome.
If you’re in Bethlehem on Saturday, stop in and hear one of our favorite local bands, RUNA, at the small, cozy Godfrey Daniels Coffee House. If you haven’t been to Bethlehem, you should go. Stop in for lunch or the musical traditional breakfast on Sunday morning at Granny McCarthy’s Tea Room on Main Street (attached to Donegal Square, a huge Celtic gift shop).
Also heading our way, Cappella Caeciliana, the premier liturgical choir in Northern Ireland, will give two free performances, one at Villanova (April 27) and the other at St. Malachy’s Church in North Philadelphia (April 28), before they head to Washington, DC, to perform at the National Cathedral. We’ll have a story on them next week.
And we’re getting excited about the debut of “Dublin by Lamplight,” an ambitious play produced by the fearless Inis Nua Theatre Company, in which six people play more than 30 roles. The play is being staged in the Sunday School room of the Broad Street Ministry building, a 1901 Gothic Revival church where John Wanamaker used to worship, across the street from the Kimmel Center. Preview is April 26 and opening night April 27.
This week’s answer to the question–where will I find more information on these events?–is the same as it always is. All the details are on our calendar.
