(Courtesy of David Takitaki.@Takitaki Entertainment) The cast also includes two of Ireland’s leading female vocalists, Cara Dillon and Karan Casey, Téada’s Sean McElwain on guitar and Tristan Rosenstock on bodhrán/narration.
St. Patrick’s Day won’t be the only holiday Kalamazoo residents will be crediting to the Irish. The city will soon have a different green holiday to add to the list. You guessed it, Christmas.
Allow me to take a leap from leprechaun to elf as we investigate Ireland’s piece of the Christmas pie.
Most people don’t know that the original Santa Claus, the real St. Nicholas himself, was buried within Irish soil. Irish soil just near the ruined Saint Nicholas church. Santa, Irish? I guess you could say the spirit of Christmas haunts the Irish land.
And why wouldn’t it. The custom of decorating your doors with holly during the holiday originated with the Irish.
But the country of Ireland also has many of its own traditions that are unique to the region. From Christmas mummers, to “Wren Boys,” to the revival of “Women’s Christmas,” the Irish have got the pine tree needles sticking straight up.
A man named Francis C. Farley once commented on the freedom and readiness of self-expression during the holiday season,
“Christmas, in short, is about the only chance a man has to be himself.” The cast of Irish Christmas in America may strive to do just that. “It’s a much more personal kind of musical performance,” Takitaki said,
“The intimacy of Christmas is still very strong in Ireland.”
That’s why this season; Western Michigan University graduate student David Takitaki brought the show of the season to Kalamazoo’s State Theatre.
“Irish Christmas in America” is in its fourth year of touring and will run for one night only in Kalamazoo on Friday at 7:30 p.m. This variety show will feature live Irish Christmas music, dancing, narration, and a continual visual element of Irish landscape. Starring the famous Irish traditional music group “Teada,” and renowned Irish folksinger Cara Dillon, the performance is certain to jingle your bells.
Even ask Kalamazoo’s own leprechaun, extra large Liam (Bill Lynch.) Having seen Teada perform live, Lynch was optimistic.
“To have this caliber of talent this close to West Michigan is phenomenal,” Lynch said.
It’s almost impossible to listen to traditional Irish music without moving your legs and tapping your foot … it goes all the way to the core of your being.”
“Irish Christmas in America” member and bodhran player Tristan Rosenstock seemed to grasp that same level of profoundness,
“It’s a rollercoaster emotional journey through the festive season,” Rosenstock said.
As the primary narrator of the show, Rosenstock will be telling humorous anecdotes throughout the performance, which will highlight seasonal Christmas traditions.
Group members have toured throughout the globe, performing internationally for seven years at places like Israel and Australia.
The cast includes dancer Brian Cunningham, vocalist Karen Casey, vocalist Cara Dillon, whistle player Tommy Martin, harpist Grainne Hambly, flutist Damien Stenson, guitarist Sean McElwain, Bodhran player Tristan Rosenstock, and producer and Sligo fiddler Oisin Mac Diarmada.
And the Irish don’t take their music lightly; the value they hold it to can be found on their money: harps grace the face of their coins.
“We are quite representative of the traditional art forms of Ireland,” Diarmada said. “We capture the great energy and life of Ireland which can be very invigorating.”
Tickets are $20 for students and $27 for everyone else. Tickets are available for purchase at the State Theatre box office at (269) 345-6500, or through ticketmaster.com.
“You are taken to Ireland, through the history and the holiday,” Takitaki said.
Great article Kelly! Thanks for helping me share Irish Christmas in America with the WMU community. It’s going to be a great show!