The Irish… and How They Got That Way
{{short description|American Off-Broadway musical}}
{{Infobox musical
| name = The Irish… and How They Got That Way
| subtitle =
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| music = Various
| lyrics = Various
| book = Frank McCourt
| basis =
| setting =
| premiere_date = {{start date|1997}}
| premiere_location = Irish Repertory Theatre
| productions = 1997 Off-Broadway
2000 Off-Broadway revival
2010 Off-Broadway revival
| awards =
}}
The Irish… and How They Got That Way is an American Off-Broadway musical first performed in 1997 at the Irish Repertory Theatre. Based on a book by Frank McCourt, the play featured an eclectic mix of Irish music ranging from the traditional "Danny Boy" to U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For."{{cite news
|last=Byrne
|first=Terry
|title=Frank McCourt's 'The Irish… and How They Got That Way' is a celebration
|department=Theater & Art
|newspaper=The Boston Globe
|url=http://bostonglobe.com/arts/theater-art/2013/02/04/frank-mccourt-the-irish-and-how-they-got-that-way-celebration/7rw1fwX4kcNkngR4TceyaM/story.html
|access-date=18 May 2014
|date=4 Feb 2013
|quote=The proceedings bear out a determination to set the record straight about the tragedy of the Great Famine, and evince a reverence for John F. Kennedy, a pride in iconic Irish-Americans George M. Cohan and James Cagney, and a humorous, slightly bitter attitude toward British oppression.
}}
Development
Recognizing a 1990s interval of cultural Hibernophilia, Frank McCourt wrote The Irish… and How They Got That Way, which premiered in 1997 at the Irish Repertory Theatre, where McCourt had previously acted.{{cite news |department=Theater Review |last1=Webster |first1=Andy |title=A Frank McCourtTale of Immigrant Tribe Viewed in Emerald Lens Revue Is Revived |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/05/theater/reviews/05irish.html |access-date=November 30, 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=August 4, 2010 |page=C2}} The play combines primary documents, such as news, letters, photos, paintings, and journals, either in spoken words{{cite news
|url=http://login.vnuemedia.com/bso/reviews-ny-theatre-off-broadway/the-irish-and-how-they-got-that-way-1004105809.story
|newspaper=Backstage
|title='The Irish… and How They Got That Way' at the Irish Repertory Theatre
|first=Andy
|last=Propst
|date=22 Jul 2010
|access-date=18 May 2014
}} or in projections upon the backdrops{{cite news
|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/entertainment/arts/headlines/20100801-Theater-review-The-Irish-1901.ece
|title='The Irish… and How They Got That Way' is pure enjoyment
|newspaper=Dallas Morning News
|first=Jennifer
|last=Farrar
|date=1 Aug 2010
|access-date=18 May 2014
|department=Arts
|location=New York City
|publisher=Associated Press
}} to illustrate the Irish-American struggle over the prior 150 years.
Press notes described it as an "irreverent but affectionate history of the Irish in America that mingles laughter and sentiment in a tapestry of classical songs and stories. The production encapsulates the most tumultuous times of the past century with the vibrant humor and bitter irony that had become the trademark of the author."{{cite news
|url = http://www.playbill.com/news/article/141384-Irish-Rep-Revival-of-The-Irishand-How-They-Got-That-Way-Opens-July-22
|title = Irish Rep Revival of 'The Irish… and How They Got That Way' Opens July 22
|newspaper = Playbill
|first = Andrew
|last = Gans
|date = 22 Jul 2010
|access-date = 18 May 2014
|department = U.S./Canada
|publisher = Playbill, Inc.
|url-status = dead
|archiveurl = https://archive.today/20140522214016/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/141384-Irish-Rep-Revival-of-The-Irishand-How-They-Got-That-Way-Opens-July-22
|archivedate = 22 May 2014
}}
The show was revived at the same theatre in 2000,{{cite news
|url=http://www.theatermania.com/new-york-city-theater/reviews/07-2010/the-irishand-how-they-got-that-way_28963.html
|title='The Irish… and How They Got That Way': The Irish Repertory Theatre offers a lively revival of Frank McCourt's tune-filled show
|newspaper=Theater Mania
|first=David
|last=Finkle
|date=22 Jul 2010
|location=New York City
|access-date=18 May 2014
}} and again in 2010 for the one-year anniversary of McCourt's death on July 19.{{cite news
|url = http://www.ny1.com/content/lifestyles/theater_reviews/122772/time-out-theater-review---the-irish--and-how-they-got-that-way-
|title = Time Out Theater Review: 'The Irish… and How They Got That Way'
|newspaper = NY1
|first = David
|last = Cote
|date = 27 Jul 2010
|access-date = 18 May 2014
|publisher = Time Warner Cable News
|department = Theater Reviews
|url-status = dead
|archiveurl = https://archive.today/20140522214051/http://www.ny1.com/content/lifestyles/theater_reviews/122772/time-out-theater-review---the-irish--and-how-they-got-that-way-
|archivedate = 22 May 2014
}} Previewed from July 14 and scheduled to run from July 22 to September 5, the show was extended through September 26 due to enthusiastic reviews and responses.{{cite news
|url=http://www.broadwayworld.com/off-broadway/article/Irish-Rep-Extends-THE-IRISHAND-HOW-THEY-GOT-THAT-WAY-20010101#.U3ojKi-UHSF
|title=Irish Rep Extends 'The Irish… and How They Got That Way' Thru 9/26
|newspaper=Broadway World
|author=BWW News Desk
|date=11 Aug 2010
|access-date=18 May 2014
}}
Reception
Broadway World summarized the play's reviews:{{cite news
|url=http://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/theatre/the-irish-and-how-they-got-that-way
|newspaper=New Yorker
|title=Also Notable: The Irish… and How They Got That Way
|first=Trish
|last=Deitch
|date=2010
|access-date=8 Aug 2014
}}The Associated Press' Jennifer Farrar called The Irish… and How They Got That Way "pure enjoyment ... an exuberant, mostly Irish cast enacts McCourt's wide-ranging material that sizzles with outrage, wit, pride, and of course, sentiment." For NY1, Time Out's David Cote proclaimed: "The cast of two men and four women put on a spirited, jaunty show by alternating singing, dancing and reciting with fluid ease in Charlotte Moore's brisk, affectionate staging." In his The New York Times review, Andy Webster observed "the buoyant blend of traditional songs, show tunes and pop is delightful." According to Theatermania.com's David Finkle, the revival is "a fitting tribute to everything Irish." In the New Yorker, Trish Deitch wrote "the production, directed by Charlotte Moore, is full of confidence and humor, and with the help of a talented cast, the Irish come out on top." And in her CurtainUp.com review, Elizabeth Ahlfors concluded "all that was missing was a pint of Guinness."
Cast and credits
Notable cast and credits included:{{cite web
|url=http://www.curtainup.com/irish.html
|title=A CurtainUp Review: The Irish… and How They Got That Way
|first=David
|last=Lohrey
|date=2001
|access-date=8 Aug 2014
|url = http://www.lortel.org/lla_archive/index.cfm?search_by=show&id=421
|title = 'The Irish… and How They Got That Way': Irish Repertory Theatre
|newspaper = Lortel Archives
|publisher = Lucille Lortel Foundation
|date = 2 Oct 1997
|access-date = 22 May 2014
|url-status = dead
|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20140809201240/http://www.lortel.org/lla_archive/index.cfm?search_by=show&id=421
|archivedate = 9 August 2014
|url = http://www.lortel.org/lla_archive/index.cfm?search_by=show&id=5567
|title = 'The Irish… and How They Got That Way': Irish Repertory Theatre
|newspaper = Lortel Archives
|publisher = Lucille Lortel Foundation
|date = 26 Sep 2010
|access-date = 22 May 2014
|url-status = dead
|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20121010211457/http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=show&id=5567
|archivedate = 10 October 2012
}}
- Frank McCourt, playwright
- Charlotte Moore, director, artistic director
- Rusty Magee, musical director, musical arrangements
- Kevin B. Winebold, musical director, accordion, piano, ensemble
- Irish Repertory Theatre, producer
- Terry Donnelly, ensemble (alto)
- Bob Green, ensemble
- Donna Kane, ensemble
- Ciarán Sheehan, ensemble (tenor)
- Michael Gottlieb, lighting designer
- Shirley Herz Associates, press representative
Performances
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
| Venue | City | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Irish Repertory Theatre | Chelsea, New York | 1997 |
| Irish Repertory Theatre | Chelsea, New York | 1999 |
| Irish Repertory Theatre | Chelsea, New York | 2000 |
| The Fulton Opera House | Lancaster, Pennsylvania | 2006 |
| Irish Repertory Theatre | Chelsea, New York | 2010 |
| Ivoryton Playhouse | Essex, Connecticut | 2011 |
| Somerville Theatre | Somerville, Massachusetts | 2013{{cite web
|url=http://www.frankmccourtstheirish.com/abouttheshow.html |title=Frank McCourt's 'The Irish… and How They Got That Way': About the Show |date=2013 |access-date=18 May 2014 }} |
Songs
The musical incorporates the following Irish-American music:{{cite web
|url=http://www.curtainup.com/irishandhow10.html
|title=A CurtainUp Review: The Irish… and How They Got That Way
|first=Elizabeth
|last=Ahlfors
|date=2010
|access-date=8 Aug 2014
}}
- "Danny Boy"
- "Erie Canal"
- "Finnegan's Wake"
- "Galway Bay"
- "The Ghost of Molly McGuire"
- "Has Anybody Here Seen Kelly?"
- "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen"
- "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"
- "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye"
- "Mother Machree"
- "No Irish Need Apply"
- "Over There"
- "The Rare Old Times"
- "The Rose of Tralee"
- "Shores of Amerikay"
- "Skibbereen"
- "Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ra"
- "Who Threw The Overalls in Mrs. Murphy's Chowder?"
- "You're a Grand Old Flag"
A cast album was released in 1998 by Varèse Sarabande.{{Cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-irish-and-how-they-got-that-way-original-cast-recording-mw0002818250/releases |title = The Irish... And How They Got That Way [Original Cast Recording] - Frank McCourt | Releases| website=AllMusic }}
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Irish... and How They Got That Way}}
Category:Off-Broadway musicals