An Irish Christmas 2006 Reviews
Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Fred Kavli Theatre

‘AN IRISH CHRISTMAS’ ARRIVES
AND JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME

For both those of us who have grown up in America and those of us transplanted here, Margaret O’Carroll and Kerry Records’magnificent production An Irish Christmas comes just when we are beginning to dread in earnest the severe psychic pain of seemingly endless hours of shopping at the plethora of stores that will be visited from now until the end of the Christmas crush, and the attendant barrage of “Silver Bells” and “White Christmas” to be heard wherever we set foot.

For the beauty of An Irish Christmas lies not in the wonder of its performances, but in the fact that it tells us, if we didn’t already know, and reminds us, if we’ve forgotten, what Christmas truly was meant to be, a time for traditional music and story telling, a time for reflection and for religious observance, in other words a celebration as different from the American version as the celebration of St. Patrick’s day in those two countries.

Margaret O’Carroll seems to have her fingers firmly on the pulse of Irish music. She’s been able to produce, as if by Celtic magic, any number of masters of the fiddle, bodhrain, and Uillean pipes over the years, to say nothing of the number of Irish singers and dancers she has brought to her productions. This year is no different, with Dan Conroy, Terri and Evan McGrath, Bella Issakova (who plays the fiddle as though her mother came from Ireland) the Kerry Dancers (and with a name like that you know they have to be good), and the Los Angeles Irish Set Dancers, to name only a few of the star-quality performers. The music keeps building, the dancers keep dancing, until you want to get up and sing and dance yourself. The high points tend to come when all the singers and dancers are simultaneously involved.

Redmond Gleeson, that Irish actor par excellence, is responsible for most of the hilarious comic routines. He would be worth the price of admission if he were doing a one-man show. Sheelagh Cullen, a veteran Irish actress, is responsible for most of the sensitive dramatic readings interspersed between the music and comedy, making her a key part of the genuine spirit of this show.

Sunday afternoon in Thousand Oaks never had a single one of those awkward moments when one’s mind tends to wander off and worry about the old balance in the checking account during these demanding holidays. Future performances of An Irish Christmas at El Camino college at 2 p.m. on December 1st and at East County Performing Arts Center at 8 p.m. on December 2nd promise to be every bit as rewarding. If, God help you, your shopping prevents you from attending either of these remaining performances, Kerry Records will be happy to sell you the CD. Simply go to www.kerryrecords.com or call them at (818) 784-3805, and you may yet be able to survive the holidays.

Walking out of the theater with the music, comedy, and drama still in my head, this reviewer felt suddenly fortified against the dreaded hours to be confronted at K-Mart, Target, and The Good Guys, fortified against the assault of advertising and Christmas carols that were already upon him. It was a grand and glorious feeling.

Aidan Flynn. 27th November, 2006
The Irish Herald
The American Reporter