Jackeens to Madison, Oct. 4

The Jackeens are Coming!!! The Jackeens are Coming!!! On Oct. 4, The Frames will invade The Annex in Madison for a 9 pm show.

The Frames are a Dublin-based band that has been considered one of the best kept secrets in Ireland over the past decade.
Originally called The Frames DC, they have gone through many mutations and record labels. They relish their much deserved independant status. In many peoples opinion, they are the best band in Ireland.

They consist of Glen Hansard, vocals and electric guitar; Joe Doyle, bass guitar and vocals; Dave Odlum, a possibly former member on guitar; Colm MacConlomaire on fiddles; and David Hingerty on drums.

The band's rise to the top has taken time, time that has been well spent maturing their unique sound. From "Fitzcarraldo" to "Dance The Devil" and more recently with "For The Birds" there is a diverse mix of warm, quirky ballads such as "Lay Me Down", "When The Heart Just Stops", and more classically styled acoustic songs, such as "Revelate". It is the unmistakable voice of Glen Hansard and the musical imagination of Colm Mac An Iomaireand that give a real identity to the band.

The Frames are flying high, so watch them soar.

Shamrock Club Honors Honorees Oct. 6

We are going to have a dinner to honor our own.

The 2002 Honorees are a deserving trio. They reflect the diversity of the Club, and the volunteer nature that the Shamrock Club has always represented.

Irishman of the Year Tom Smith has been in the background for many years, making things happen for the Irish community, while shunning the limelight. His work for Trinity, the Emerald Society, Irish Fest, Glencastle Irish Dancers, and of course, the Shamrock Club is well known to the people who are in need of his diverse talents, especially that of procuring items for raffles. Quiet, yet forceful, Tom is an asset to the Irish community, and to the Shamrock Club.

The honoree dinner is open to all. Everyone is welcome to come help celebrate.
Sunday, Oct. 6, 2002
Klemmer's Banquet Center - 10401 W. Oklahoma Avenue

$17 per person for dinner

Price includes soup, salad, dinner, ice cream, beverage, tax, and tip
Free Beer - Cash Bar for Cocktails
Entertainment by Green Side Up
Cocktail Hour begins at 5 PM - Dinner at 6 PM

Come join the fun!
For Information and Reservations: Call Mike Payne at (414) 541-8427
or email Mike at mikepayne@prodigy.net

Celtic Popular Culture Conference, Oct. 12

A heavy program of Irish interest subjects will be discussed at a Celtic popular culture conference, Oct. 12 in Milwaukee's Irish Cultural Heritage Center. 2133 W. Wisconsin Ave. The program is sponsored by the Center for Celtic Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
 CONFERENCE PAPER TOPICS INCLUDE:
Regionalism and Hybridity in Scottish-American Heritage, Celeste Ray
Celt vs. Teuton: Race, Character and British National Identity, John Ellis
Scottish Devolution & Nationalism: Was There Ever Such a Thing as Great Britain? Christine Myers
The Observance of St. Patrick's Day in Michigan's Copper Country, 1860-1900, William H. Mulligan Jr.
Ireland's Changing Celtic Identity, Timothy White
 Hurling and Shinty in Ireland and Scotland/Clan Societies, Christopher Thomas Cairney
"A Plotless Amalgam": The Importance of Being Irish-American, Natasha Casey
We Still Live in the Place of Legends: Irish Traditions Echoed in America, Rick Whaley
"Tainting the Tiara or Mayor Daley and "Dago," Mary Ann Ryan
The Celtisity of Modern Wicca, Christiellen White
With readings by Patricia Monaghan, Jim Hazard, James Liddy, and Ruth Schwertfeger

FRIDAY, Oct. 11
7:00 PM WELCOME RECEPTION
 Opening of Irish Press Photographs of the Year exhibit
 FILM presentation of "THE LAST STORYTELLER?"

SATURDAY, Oct. 12
8:30-9:00 am REGISTRATION
9:00 am PAPER PRESENTATIONS I & II
12:00 pm LUNCH 
KEYNOTE ADDRESS "The Image of the Irish in American Film,"
Lawrence McCaffrey, Professor Emeritus, Loyola University
1:45 pm PAPER PRESENTATIONS III & IV
5:00 pm SCATTERING FOR DINNER
7:30 pm ENTERTAINMENT featuring Celtic music, song and drama 

For registration and other information including hotel accomodation, please contact the Center for Celtic Studies at (414) 229-6520 or celtic@uwm.edu.

'Riverdance' Returns to Milwaukee, Oct. 15-20

Riverdance-The Show, the original international phenomenon, triumphantly returns to Milwaukee from Tuesday, Oct.15 through Sunday, Oct. 20, 2002. Composed by Bill Whelan, produced by Moya Doherty, and directed by John McColgan, Riverdance is currently touring North America. Whelan won the 1997 Grammy Award for "Best Musical Show Album" for his original music and lyrics for Riverdance.

Riverdance is a celebration of Irish music, song and dance, which focuses on the evolution of Irish dance, as well as its similarities with, and influences on, other cultures. This extraordinarily unique show, featuring an international company that has taken the world by storm, now returns to Milwaukee's Riverside Theatre, 116 W. Wisconsin Ave.

Tickets are $47.50 - $59.50 subject to facility fee — available at The Riverside Theatre Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations. To charge by phone call Ticketmaster at 414.276.4545. Group discounts for 15 or more call 1-888-327 0326 or email groupsales@orpheum.com.
 

This link will give directions to the theatre.
http://www.newriversidetheatre.com

Hayes, Cahell at Pitman Theater, Oct. 25

Irish fiddle virtuoso Martin Hayes and American guitarist Dennis Cahill will combine their renditions of traditional and Celtic songs in the Oct. 25 performance in Alverno College's Pitman Theater. The program begins at 8 p.m. in the theater, 3421 S. 39th St. Tickets are $22 and $20. For ordering, call 414-382-6044.

Beauty Queen to Chicago, Oct. 31-Nov. 2

Ennis Players critically acclaimed and award-winning production of The Beauty Queen of Leenane will be presented at Bailiwick Repertory in Chicago for a limited run from Thursday, Oct. 31 through Saturday, Nov. 2, 2002. Show times are 7:30 p.m. each night with an additional show at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets are $25-$30, and are available from the Bailiwick Repertory box office, 1229 W. Belmont, Chicago, Ill., 60657, 773.883.1090, bailiwickr@aol.com. For further information, contact <mailto:finbar68@hotmail.com>finbar68@hotmail.com or visit www.ennisplayers.com

Chicago theatregoers finally get to see a genuinely Irish production of the multiple Tony Award-winning The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh, which has been hailed by critics and audiences across the globe. This production by West of Ireland-based Theatre Company Ennis Players has taken Ireland by storm over the past year. Ennis Players, considered by many as one of Ireland’s most innovative and progressive theatre companies, showcase McDonagh's brash humor, rich language and inventive storytelling in a beautifully realized production of this dark and bitingly funny play.

The setting, with its peeling plaster, drab walls and damp patches will be transported in its entirety from Ireland’s western seaboard to the Windy City. Even the sods of turf, the 80-year old dresser, the turf-burning range and such props as Complan, oatmeal (porridge) and Kimberely biscuits, will all be brought from home’ - everything, including the kitchen sink.

This mammoth undertaking is considered by Ennis Players a fitting effort given the traditional ties between the two countries which although separated by thousands of miles are very close in heart and spirit. Nowhere is this more evident than on stage, where the portrait of the Kennedy brothers takes pride of place alongside the Sacred Heart picture, in this most remote part of Ireland. 

As Maureen says in the play when describing how she's looking forward to going to Boston after having a bad experience in England, "Sure the Yanks do love the Irish." This exciting and emotionally charged visit has already generated much interest from the Irish emigrant community, who look forward to hearing the authentic voices of Ireland on stage in their adopted country.

Ennis Players first staged this production in their home town in February, 2002, and followed with a highly successful tour of Ireland, playing to capacity audiences in all venues, under Allen Flynn's direction. The current production has won no less than four All-Ireland drama awards including the co

The All-Ireland drama festival circuit has been in existence for over 50 years and trophies are awarded in December of each year for productions of one-act plays while full length plays are honored in spring. Ennis Players currently have the distinction of being the All-Ireland title holders in both of these categories, having also received the accolade for their production of James McClure’' one-act play, Lone Star.

In total, Ennis Players’ production of The Beauty Queen of Leenane has gathered numerous awards, inlcuding:

Allen Flynn took four Best Director awards

Maura Walzer as Maureen won six Best Actress awards

Joe Varden won two Best Supporting Actor awards for his role as Ray Dooley

Special awards were also received for the ensemble acting, the overall presentation (two awards), the lighting, the props, and an award for the scalding scene

The Beauty Queen of Leenane is the first play in young Irish dramatist McDonagh's The Leenane Trilogy which includes A Skull in Connemara and The Lonesome West. McDonagh has been described by the New York Times as "Exuberantly nervy and talented... [He] could be the most original, seriously pertinent Irish playwright in years." "[He is] the most wickedly funny, brilliantly abrasive young dramatist on either side of the Irish Sea.... He is a born storyteller."

The Beauty Queen is McDonagh's first and most famous play and was premiered by the Druid and Royal Court Theatre Companies in Ireland in 1996 at the Town Hall, Galway, before transferring to London’s Royal Court Theatre. Following this it moved to Broadway where it scooped four Tony awards, including the award for Best Play.

Set in a shabby, isolated cottage in the west of Ireland, the play tells the darkly comic tale of a mother and daughter engaged in an epic battle of ordinary life. The mother whines and bullies to get her way while the plain, unmarried forty-year-old daughter, resentfully carries out mother's every command.

The women spend their days in endless rounds of petty insults and physical threats as each maneuver for control of their isolated existence. When Maureen is offered a chance at love and a new life with Pato Dooley, this once-benign terrain grows treacherous and the two women, bound by blood but driven by desperation, will do anything to survive.

Pato's brother Ray provides the light relief in this potent family drama. It’s a universal theme, as it applies to any place where people are trapped by circumstances - whether it's family circumstances or social circumstances.

OCTOBER EVENTS AT THE IRISH AMERICAN HERITAGE CENTER

Shapeshifters, the Irish American Heritage Center's resident theatre company, presents Frugal Comforts on weekends through Oct. 13. 

This year's Irish American Forum will examine The Music of Irish America, from the finest musicals produced in New York and Chicago in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. On Friday, Oct. 18, there will be a musical revue in the auditorium at 7:30 p.m., and on Sunday, Oct. 20, lectures on the history of Irish music in America, beginning at 2 p.m. 

Throughout the fall, great Irish music continues to be an IAHC hallmark every weekend in the Fifth Province Pub, where there is plenty of free parking and no cover charge. The Irish American Heritage Center is located at 4626 N. Knox Avenue in Chicago. For more information on events at the Center, call 773-282-7035 or visit us on the World Wide Web at www.irishamhc.com.

Friday, Oct. 4 Frugal Comforts presented by Shapeshifters, 8 p.m., $10

Friday, Oct. 4 The Burren Céili Band at 9 p.m. in the Fifth Province

Saturday, Oct. 5 Frugal Comforts presented by Shapeshifters, 8 p.m., $10

Saturday, Oct. 5 Barry Fagan's Band Paddy Go Easy at 9 p.m. in the Fifth Province

Sunday, Oct. 6 Frugal Comforts presented by Shapeshifters, 3 p.m., $10

Friday, Oct. 11 Frugal Comforts presented by Shapeshifters, 8 p.m., $10

Friday, Oct. 11 Brendan Loughrey and John Condron at 9 p.m. in the Fifth Province

Saturday, Oct. 12 Frugal Comforts presented by Shapeshifters, 8 p.m., $10

Saturday, Oct. 12 Inca, direct from Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, Ireland at 9 p.m. in the Fifth Province

Sunday, Oct. 13 Frugal Comforts presented by Shapeshifters, 8 p.m., $10

Friday, Oct. 18 The Music of Irish America musical revue at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium, featuring Jamie O'Reilly, Cecilie O'Reilly, The Irish Heritage Singers, and vocalists from the Irish Fellowship Club, the Shamrock American Club and Chicago Gaelic Park. Tickets $12 ($8 for seniors and IAHC members)

Friday, Oct. 18 Seamus O'Kane and Friend at 9 p.m. in the Fifth Province

Saturday, Oct. 19 The Dooley Brothers at 9 p.m. in the Fifth Province

Sunday, Oct. 20 The Music of Irish America lectures at 2 p.m. given by Mick Moloney, Jamie O'Reilly, Thomas J. Boyle and Bill Margeson, with a medley by The Irish Heritage Singers. Admission $5.

Friday, Oct. 25 Velvet Green at 9 p.m. in the Fifth Province

Saturday, Oct. 26 Annual Halloween Party featuring David Dunne and Blackwater at 9 p.m. in the Fifth Province

Sunday, Oct. 27 Genealogy workshop at 1 p.m. in Room 100B; free and open to the public

IRISH SCHOOL REGISTERING FOR FALL

Registrations are being taken now for the 2002-2003 Irish School and Irish Arts Club at the Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N. Knox Avenue in Chicago. Now in its third year, Irish School gives children ages 6 to 11 the opportunity to have fun while they learn about Irish heritage, history, customs, literature, language, legends, art and music. 

The Irish Arts Club for young teens 12 to 14 years old is beginning its second year. They will produce a video in the Fall Session, a drama in the Winter, and a book in the Spring. Their first-year video about the Great Famine, Potatoes Gone Bad, won an award. The teens get hands-on experience in the many aspects of these productions.

New this year, an Irish Language for Kids class targets students ages 8 through 14.

The Fall Session will be conducted on Saturday mornings, Oct. 19 - Nov. 23, Winter January 18 - February 22, and Spring March 22 - April 26. Irish School and Irish Arts Club classes run from 9 to 11 a.m. Irish Language for Kids follows from 11:10 to 11:40 a.m. on the same days.

Fees for Irish School and Irish Arts Club are $43 a child per session for IAHC members and $60 for nonmembers. Registration for all three sessions is $110 for the year for members and $165 for nonmembers. Tuition for Irish Language for Kids is $75 for members and $90 for nonmembers, plus materials. Students enrolled for the year in Irish School or Irish Arts Club pay only $27 plus materials.

For more information, please call IAHC's Children's Education Program at 773-282-7035, ext. 18.

*****

13th IRISH AMERICAN FORUM Oct. 18 & 20
THE MUSIC OF IRISH AMERICA

At the annual Irish American Forum, everyone will have an opportunity to "give my regards to Old Broadway, and say that I'll be there ere long." This year's Forum, The Music of Irish America, examines the still-popular song hits of the 19th and early 20th century Irish-American composers: Stephen Collins Foster, George M. Cohan, Victor Herbert, Edward Harrigan, Tony Hart and many others.

The Forum at the Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N. Knox Avenue in Chicago, begins on Friday, Oct. 18, at 7:30 p.m. with a musical revue in the auditorium. It features well-known cabaret performer Jamie O'Reilly and her troupe, Cecilie O'Reilly, The Irish Heritage Singers, and vocalists from the Irish Fellowship Club of Chicago, the Shamrock American Club and Chicago Gaelic Park. 

On Sunday, Oct. 20, the Forum lectures begin at 2 p.m. Mick Moloney, Jamie O'Reilly, Thomas J. Boyle and Bill Margeson will cover the history of the vaudeville stage, minstrel shows, performers, lyrics, music and the effect on the spirit of the people. The Irish Heritage Singers will perform a medley of melodies.

Tickets for the Friday musical review are $12 ($8 for IAHC members and seniors) and are available in the IAHC office, or may be ordered by phone with Visa or MasterCard by calling 773-282-7035. Admission to the Sunday lectures is $5, which may be paid at the door.

Fun Fall Calendar 
(courtesy of the Shamrock Club of Wisconsin)

INTO THE FUTURE

Bonnie Rideout
Nov. 22 - Ripon College w/Scottish Trio
Nov. 23 — Beloit College Eaton Hall - w/Scottish Trio and Jerry O'Sullivan
December 12 - UW Whitewater

Cherish the Ladies
Sept. 27 — UW Parkside
December 19 — Green Bay — Weidner Center
December 22 — OSHKOSH — Grand Opera House

Cornish Fest Mineral Point
Sept. 27-29 — The Snug, Cooper and Nelson, Harry Glasson

The Frames
Oct. 4 — MADISON — Annex — 9 PM

Oct. 6
Shamrock Club Honoree Dinner
Klemmer's Banquet Center — 5 PM

Riverdance
Oct. 15-20 - Riverside Theater

Pierre Bensusan
Oct. 18 — Thrasher's Opera House — Green Lake
Oct. 19 — Univ. of WI Manitowoc
Hothouse Flowers
Oct. 13 — Shank Hall
Barachois
Oct. 19 — ICHC

Clumsy Lovers
Oct. 25 — Shank Hall Milwaukee
Oct. 26 — Montmarte Madison

Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill
Oct. 25 - Alverno College
Nov. 3 - University of WI-Parkside

Solas
Nov. 2 — ICHC

Eric Bogle
Nov. 1 — Madison — Mitby Theater
Aoife Clancy
Nov. 3 — Madison -Mitby Theatre
Gaelic Storm
Oct. 11 — Milwaukee - Shank Hall
Oct. 12 — Little Dublin Irish Fest -Dubuque
Nov. 1 — Loras College — Dubuque
Nov. 2 — Verona Area Perfoming Arts Center

Natalie MacMaster —
Nov. 12 — WAUSAU — Grand Theater
Nov. 13 — LA CROSSE — Viterbo College
Nov. 14 — GREEN BAY — Weidner Center
Nov. 16 — MADISON — Union Theater

Milwaukee Irish Arts
Hugh Leonard's "Da" — Sunset Theater
Nov. 21-24, 29-30

Niamh Parsons and Graham Dunne
Nov. 15 — WAUSAU — Shoulder to Shoulder

Paul Brady
Nov. 16 — Shank Hall

Milwaukee Chamber Theatre —
Under Milkwood — By Dylan Thomas
Broadway Theatre
Nov. 29 - December 22, 2002

Prodigals
Dec. 7 — ICHC
Celtic Tenors
Dec. 7 Riverside Theater

*********************
Milwaukee Area
*********************
Sept. 24 — Gaelic League Meeting - Paddy's Pub - 7 pm
Sept. 26 — Shamrock Club Board Meeting — ICHC — 7 PM
Sept. 27 — Reilly — House of Guinness — 9 PM
Sept. 27 — Finbar McCarthy — McCarthy's Ould Sod — 9 PM
Sept. 28 — Mac Tavish — The Pub — 8 PM
Sept. 28 — Western Box Turtles - Packy's - 10 pm
Sept. 28 — Ian Gould — Paddy's Pub - 9 pm
Sept. 28 — Monthly Set Dance — Public House Ceili Band —ICHC — 7 PM instruction — 8 PM live music
Sept. 29 — Movies at the ICHC — Dancing at Lunasa — 7 pm
Oct. 1 — Irish Fest General Meeting — Irish Fest Center - 7 pm
Oct. 3 — Shamrock Club Monthly General Membership Meeting — ICHC — 7 PM
Oct. 3 — Barry Dodd — County Clare - 10 pm
Oct. 4 — Ceili — ICHC — Ceol Cairde performs 8 PM — Instruction at 7:30 PM
Oct. 4 — Reilly — Irish Cottage — 9 PM
Oct. 4 — Finbar McCarthy — McCarthy's Ould Sod — 9 PM
Oct. 5 — Jeff Ward — The Pub — 9 PM
Oct. 5 — Milwaukee Shamrock Club Badger Football Game — Wisconsin vs. Penn State
Oct. 5 — Reilly — County Clare — 10PM
Oct. 5 — Shamrock Club Color Guard, Pipes and Drums: AOH Mass — St. Rose's Church — 5 PM
Oct. 6 — The Threshold presents Celtic Rhythm — Schauer Center for the Arts - Hartford
Oct. 8 — Ian Anderson — Pabst Theater — 8 PM
Oct. 9 — Dano — County Clare — 10 pm
Oct. 11 — Finbar McCarthy — McCarthy's Ould Sod — 9 PM
Oct. 11 — Gaelic Storm — Shank Hall — 8 PM
Ocotber 12 — Maggie Drennon Band — MCAullife's - 8 pm
Oct. 12 — Celtic Popular Culture Conference — UWM — 9 am
Oct. 13 — Hothouse Flowers and Colin Devlin — Shank Hall - 8 pm
Oct. 15-20 — Riverdance — Riverside Theatre
Oct. 17 — Jeff Ward — Stonebank Eatery — 8 pm
Oct. 17 — Barry Dodd — County Clare - 10 pm
Oct. 18 — Reilly — Paddy's Pub — 9 PM
Oct. 18 — The Kissers — Paddy's Pub — 9 pm
Oct. 18 — Finbar McCarthy — McCarthy's Ould Sod — 9 PM
Oct. 18 — Jeff Ward — House of Guinness — 9:30 pm
Oct. 19 — Ceili — ICHC — Terry, Steve & Liisa — 8 PM — Instruction at 7:30 PM
Oct. 19 — Jeff Ward — Irish Cottage - 9 pm
Oct. 19 — Reilly — McCarthy's Irish Pub — Cedarburg — 9 PM
Oct. 19 — Finbar MacCarthy — Packy's - 10 pm
Oct. 19 — Spinal Bifida Fundraiser - McBobs — All proceeds fromthe day will go to the Spinal Bifida Foundation
Oct. 25 — Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill — Alverno College — 8 PM
Oct. 25 — Jeff Ward — County Clare - 10 pm
Oct. 25 — Reilly — House of Guinness — 9:30 PM
Oct. 25 — Finbar McCarthy — McCarthy's Ould Sod — 9 PM
Oct. 25 — Clumsy Lovers — Shank Hall — 8 PM
Oct. 26 — Monthly Set Dance — Rira —ICHC — 7 PM instruction — 8 PM live music — Samhain (Halloween) Celebration:
Oct. 26 — Reilly — House of Guinness — 9:30 PM
Oct. 26 — Fiona Molloy — Irish Ballads — The Pub — 8 PM
Oct. 26 — Milwaukee Scottish Dancers — Halloween Dance Party —
St. Paul's Great Hall — 7 pm
Oct. 31 — Jeff Ward — O'Donoghues — 9 pm
Oct. 31 — Center for Celtic Studies Celtic Halloween Celebration —
UWM Hefter Center 7 pm
Nov. 2 — Gaelic League Craobh Curtin — Samhain (Halloween) Celebration — 6pm — Erin Inn, 6102 Donegal Road— Hartford
 

State Events:
Sept. 23-25 [MADISON] — Undiscovered Wales with Frank Klicar — UW Union Theater
Sept. 27 — [RICHLAND CENTER]— Celia Farran — Treasures in the Bakery — 155 E. Seminary St. — 7 PM
Sept. 28 — [MADISON] — Scottish Country Dancers — Farmers Market Demo — Capitol Square
Sept. 27-29 — [MINERAL POINT] — Cornish Festival
Sept. 29 — [MINERAL POINT] — Madison Pipes and Drums — - Mineral Point Cornish Festival Parade - Noon
Oct. 3 — [EAU CLAIRE] — The Kissers —Oktoberest —
Oct. 4 — [MADISON] — The Frames — Annex — 9 PM
Oct. 4 — [Eau CLAIRE] — The Kissers — Stonesthrow - 10 pm
Oct. 4 — [MADISON] — Tom Hayden — Talk - "Reflections on Irish on the Inside," — 12 PM — UW-Madison University Club</B>
Oct. 5— [WAUSAU] — The Kissers — Scott Street Pub — 9:30 pm
Oct. 5 — [Appleton] — Steve Hazell — Farmer's Market — 10 AM, Oct. 12 — [OSHKOSH] — Steve Hazell — Farmer's Market — 9 AM, Oct. 14 — [SHEBOYGAN] — Finbar MacCarthy — Mannings Irish Pub - 9 pm
Oct. 12 — [DUBUQUE] — Little Dublin Irish Fest — Gaelic Storm, Stone Ring and Kisssers
Oct. 12 — [LA CROSSE] — The Kissers — Nighthawk's Tap
Oct. 12 — [KEWAUSKUM] — Reilly — Kettle Kountry Kolours
Oct. 18 — [GREEN LAKE] — Pierre Bensusan — Thrasher Opera House — 8 PM
Oct. 19 — [LaCROSSE] — Shamrock Club of Greater LaCrosse Area 30th Year Anniversary Party — entertainment by Blarney
Oct. 19 — [MANITOWOC] — Pierre Bensusan — Univ. of WI - Manitowoc
Oct. 19</b> — [LAKE MILLS] — The Kissers — Whiskey Lash All-Stars -Featuring Ken, Caitlin, and Kevin — Tyranena Brewery — 7 pm
Oct. 25-27 — [MADISON] — 2002 Irish Language and Culture Weekend at Friedrick Center — UW-Madison campus
Oct. 26 —[MADISON] — Clumsy Lovers — Cafe Montmarte — 8 PM
Oct. 26 —[Cottage GROVE] —Last Gaspe — Fool the Pookas Ball — Flynn Hall — 8pm
Oct. 26 — [MADISON] — Whiskey Lash All-Stars — Featuring Ken, Caitlin, Kevin, and Nate — Weary Traveler Freehouse - 8 pm
Oct. 31 — [MADISON] — The Kissers — Halloween Show — Crystal Corner Bar - 9pm
Nov. 1 — [MADISON] — Eric Bogle — Mitby Theater — 8 PM
Nov. 1 — [BARNEVELD] — Stone Ring — Come As You Were Witches Ball
- 8 pm
Nov. 2 — [VERONA] — Gaelic Storm Verona Area H.S. — 7:30 PM
Nov. 3 — [KENOSHA] — Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill — University of WI — Parkside — 8 PM
Nov. 3 —[MADISON] — Aoife Clancy Mitby Thtr — 608/246-6529
Nov. 15 — [WAUSAU] — Niamh Parsons and Graham Dunne — Shoulder to Shoulder - 8 pm

Nov. 16 — [MADISON] — The Kissers — Luther's Blues -
w/ The Lash - 9 pm
Nov. 22 — [Eau CLAIRE] — The Kissers — Stonesthrow - 10 pm Nov. 23 — [LA CROSSE] — The Kissers — Nighthawk's Tap
December 12 — [WHITEWATER] — Bonnie Rideout — Univ. of WI-Whitewater
December 19 — [GREEN BAY] — A Celtic Christmas with Cherish the Ladies - Weidner Center— 8 pm
December 22 — [OSHKOSH] — A Celtic Christmas with Cherish the Ladies - Grand Opera House — 8 pm
December 31 — [HOUGHTON MI] — Gaelic Storm — Rosza Performing Arts Center — 8 PM

Ongoing
**********************

Ceili dances — 2 and 4 Mondays of every month at the Wil-Mar Center,
953 Jenifer St., Madison, from 8 to 10 p.m.

Sessions:

Mickey's Tavern every Wednesday — 7:30 p.m.
Ground Zero — fourth Sunday of each month 5pm - Madison.
Willy Street Co-op — first Sunday of every month -1pm - Beginners
welcome
Baraboo on the Square - First Friday - 7 PM
Busted Lift — Dubuque, Iowa - every other Sunday -3pm — 1 319 584
9712
Kennedy Manor — Thursdays — 7 pm - Madison
The Tin Whistle, 1414 N Main - Rockford, IL - 1 & 2 Thursday - 6:30pm
Suds O'Hanrahan's — Beloit—every second Saturday of the month
—608-364-4352

Mattea to Perform at Grand Opera House

Two-time Grammy winner Kathy Mattea will perform on the Grand Opera House stage on Friday, Oct. 18, at 8 p.m., sponsored by CitizenFirst Credit Union and WNCY. Tickets are priced at $28, $30, $32 and $35; seating is limited. Call 920-424-2350 .

Since leaving her native West Virginia for Nashville at the age of 19, Mattea has followed a path of discovery and re-thinking throughout a career spanning 11 albums. Now this two-time Grammy winner and Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year
is ready to embark on an exciting new phase of her musical journey with the release of her new album, "ROSES."

While visiting Scotland during the early '90s Mattea found music and people she loved, including inspiration and friendship from singer/songwriter Dougie MacLean. Inspired, Kathy decided she wanted more creative freedom in her work, and she found it with
her new label, Narada Records. Founded in 1983, Narada has earned a reputation as a home to distinctive, quality music, with a special emphasis on instrumental and world music.

Mattea describes the music of "ROSES," her Narada debut, as "contemporary folk with a Celtic twist." The album features her powerfully tender voice alongside accordion, whistle, fiddles, mandolin, and even a pie pan. "I have always had eclectic musical
tastes, and Iíve pushed the envelope over the years, experimenting with different influences and instrumentation. I'm excited at the prospect of making music in an environment that can help me expand my musical horizons," Mattea notes.

When all is said and done, the themes of life's victories, large and small, and the spiritual struggles they portray, are the threads that run through Kathyís music. On "ROSES," her message is to "treasure the moment and enjoy the journey, wherever it may take us."

For tickets or more information, visit the Grand Opera House Box Office,
call (920) 424-2350, or go online at www.grandoperahouse.org. The Box
Office is located at 100 High Avenue, Oshkosh, and is open
11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays.

Chicago Humanities Festival XIII Focuses on Irish Brains & Beauty
 

Children's Festival: Oct. 26 - Nov. 3, 2002
November Festival: Oct. 31 - Nov. 10, 2002

The fastest way to the Fest is <http://www.chfestival.org>www.chfestival.org
Ticket Office: (312) 494-9509
Advance tickets are only $5 - students & teachers go FREE!

Irish Culture at this year's Festival includes:

DONAL O'KELLY: Catalpa
In an encore performance of this award-winning play, writer and actor O'Kelly assumes dozens of characters - including whales, seagulls, and the sea itself - to weave the true tale of a 1875 expedition to rescue Irish prisoners from an Australian penal colony.
Saturday, November 9; 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. The Noble Fool Theater, 16 W. Randolph

DONAL O'KELLY: Bat the Father Rabbit the Son
In what's been dubbed "a wild slapstick tour de force," writer and performer O'Kelly takes us on a voyage through Dublin as he enacts the classic struggle between a father and son, past and present, imagination and reality. Chicago premiere performance.
Saturday, November 9; 2 - 3:30 p.m. The Noble Fool Theater, 16 W. Randolph

Writer and actor Donal O'Kelly's one-man plays have received rave reviews all over the world, from New York and Dublin, to Edinburgh and Australia. These are monologues unlike any other, incorporating memory, landscape, poetic narrative, and song, all infused with O'Kelly's Herculean physical energy and uniquely expressive voice. The Chicago Humanities Festival is proud to present an encore performance of O'Kelly's award winning play Catalpa plus the Chicago premiere performance of his equally acclaimed monologue Bat the Father Rabbit the Son, described as "a wild slapstick tour de force" by the New York Times.

Both performances take place on Saturday, Nov. 9 ,at the Noble Fool Theater, 16 W. Randolph. Catalpa runs from 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and Bat the Father Rabbit the Son from 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. For tickets call (312) 494-9505 or visit www.chfestival.org. O'Kelly's appearance at the Chicago Humanities Festival is part of the Krehbiel Series on Irish culture, underwritten by Mr. and Mrs. Frederick A. Krehbiel. 

Based on a true story, Catalpa tells the tale of sea captain George Anthony who in 1875 set out in the whaling ship "Catalpa" to rescue six Irish Fenian prisoners from Fremantle Colony in Australia. Told from the point of view of screenwriter Matthew Kidd's failed pitch to Hollywood movie executives, O'Kelly energetically portrays all of the dozens of different characters of the play-from the Captain, his various family members including the ghost of his deceased mother-in law, to the seagulls, whales and even the sea itself-as Kidd plays out the spectacle in his head.

Fintan O'Toole, one of Ireland's most respected cultural critics, wrote in the Irish Times "Catalpa deserves to linger in the imagination for a long time," while The Washington Post wrote, "Catalpa is like the kind of movies they don't make anymore." O'Kelly's spellbinding storytelling combines with music composed by Trevor Knight to recreate the 19th-century rescue voyage with daring theatricality and an unsparing sense of humor. 

Described as "powerful and unforgettable" by The News of Adelaide, Australia, and "a sustained burst of imagination and invention" by the Sunday Tribune, Bat the Father Rabbit the Son enacts the classic
struggle between a father and son, past and present, imagination and reality. Addressing his monologue to his beleaguered assistant, Keogh (who sits unseen somewhere in the audience), the successful, self-made Dublin businessman Rabbit confronts the ghost of his dead father and the past he has worked so hard to escape. 

Using the intimate father/son relationship to examine the larger political and social tensions between past and present-day Ireland, O'Kelly's characters share a history of language and culture but find themselves torn apart by contrasting aspirations and values. 

Bat (the father) harbored ideals of love and revolutionary zeal that seem old-fashioned and bordering on the ridiculous to his son, and his slow defeat echoes the radical changes in the country's political and economic climate. In total rejection of his father's world, Rabbit wholeheartedly embraces capitalism, the trucks of his haulage business racing eagerly along new European roads. 

The play's comments on both the personal struggles between father and son and the larger national climate offer insights and perceptions that are relevant to audiences of all ages and backgrounds, building to a climax described by The Guardian as "one of the strongest dramatic conclusions I've ever seen."

Originally directed by Declan Hughes and designed by Robert Ballagh (who also designed the scenery for Riverdance), O'Kelly first performed Bat the Father Rabbit the Son as a Rough Magic production between 1988 and 1992. Both Catalpa and Bat the Father Rabbit the Son were broadcast on RTE Radio during Millennium 2000. O'Kelly has performed in Waiting for Godot at the World Stage Festival in Toronto, and in Juno and the Paycock and The Tempest at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. As a screen actor he is best known for his starring role as Bimbo in Roddy Doyle's The Van, directed by Stephen Frears who also directed the films High Fidelity, The Grifters and Dangerous Liaisons.

Trevor Knight has previously created sound for Beckett's Act Without Words at the Barbican, London and the Lincoln Center, New York, and Juno and the Paycock at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, among other credits. He has toured and recorded with Philip Lynnott, Paul Brady, Luka Bloom, Mary Coughlin, Juliet Turner, and Leo O'Kelly, and formed the cult 80s band Auto da Fe with Gay Woods.
 

MICHEAL O'SIADHAIL: Dizzy at the Edge
Offering his "poetry of precarious joy," the celebrated Irish poet reads from The Gossamer Wall: Poems in Witness to the Holocaust and Our Double Time. Book sales and signing follow.
Sunday, Nov. 10; 1 - 2:00 p.m. Alliance Française, 54 W. Chicago Ave.

Irish scholar and poet Micheal O'Siadhail's work crosses boundaries of language and nationality, to critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic. His subtle way of expressing the intricacies of human nature equally engages his audiences in Europe and America-in 1992, Chicago's own Studs Terkel said of O'Siadhail "Talk of universality, I read him and, to use an old Count Basie phrase, I jump for joy with recognition." 

His readings from The Gossamer Wall: Poems in Witness to the Holocaust and Our Double Time promise to carry on the best traditions of the "seanachaidh"-the reciter of ancient Celtic lore, the troubadour poet, and the chronicler of his time. O'Siadhail's appearance at the Chicago Humanities Festival is part of the Krehbiel Series on Irish culture, underwritten by Mr. and Mrs. Frederick A. Krehbiel. 

His most recent publication, Our Double Time, has been described as "a joy to read, and in particular to read aloud," the title referring to the intensity of how a life can be lived, and to the jazz-like vitality that resonates throughout his work. 

O'Siadhail has published ten collections of poetry, including The Leap Year (1978), Belonging (1982), Springnight (1983), The Chosen Garden (1990), Poems 1975-1995, Hail! Madam Jazz: New and Selected Poems (Bloodaxe 1999). He is the 1998 recipient of the Marten Toonder Prize for Literature, and was awarded an Irish American Cultural Institute prize for poetry in 1982. His poem suites, The Naked Flame, Summerfest and Earlsfort Suite have all been commissioned and set to music for performance and broadcasting. 

He has been a lecturer at Trinity College Dublin and a professor at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, and he has given poetry readings and broadcast extensively in Ireland, Britain, Europe and North America. 

O'Siadhail was a member of the Arts Council of the Republic of Ireland (1988-93) and of the Advisory Committee on Cultural Relations (1989 -97), a founder member of Aosdána (Academy of distinguished Irish artists) and a former editor of Poetry Ireland Review. He was the founding chairman of ILE (Ireland Literature Exchange), and is also a leading scholar of the Irish language and author of Learning Irish and Modern Irish-his own name is pronounced "mee-hawl o'sheel."
 

R. F. FOSTER: Eagle with Phoenixes - Yeats and His Contemporaries
The Oxford professor and author of W.B. Yeats, A Life surveys the circles of friends Yeats cultivated and dazzled, and the ways he celebrated their "brains and beauty" in his poetry. Book sales and signing follow. A Great Books discussion of Yeats's poetry immediately follows this program. Discussion is FREE but tickets are required. Contact the CHF ticket office.
Sunday, November 10; 3 - 4 p.m. Northwestern University School of Law (Chicago Campus), Thorne Auditorium, 375 E. Chicago Ave.

The 13th annual Chicago Humanities Festival with its theme Brains & Beauty examines the tensions and ties between intelligence and aesthetics across cultures, generations and centuries.

From Oct. 31 through Nov. 10, the Festival offers a vibrant celebration of the life of the mind at more than 20 sites throughout Chicago. More than 200 world-renowned artists, authors, historians, journalists, performers, scholars, filmmakers, scientists, and personalities explore ways of knowing and seeing of thinking and idealizingŠof probing the workings of the intellect and the allure of beauty.

The admission price to each Festival program is $5 in advance and $6 at the door, unless otherwise noted. Students and teachers are FREE (advance reservations are required). Call (312) 494-9509 or visit <http://www.chfestival.org>www.chfestival.org for tickets and a complete schedule. 
 

"BEING ONESELF - WHAT DOES IT MEAN?"

Polish Director Antoni Libera Discusses the Fundamental Questions behind Beckett's Krapp's Last Tape at Festival XIII, "Brains & Beauty"

Polish author, translator, and theater director Antoni Libera discusses Samuel Beckett's "Krapp's Last Tape," at this year's Chicago Humanities Festival, Brains & Beauty. An actor joins Libera to perform excerpts from the riveting one-man play. The program takes place on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 1:00 p.m. at Alliance Française, 810 North Dearborn Street. Book sales and signing follow. For tickets call (312) 494-9509 or visit www.chfestival.org.

The program is partially underwritten by Susan Drymalski Bowey, Camille Einoder, and the Warsaw Sister Cities Committee, and offers a wonderful opportunity to share the best of both Irish and Polish cultures with the city of Chicago. Susan Drymalski Bowey, past Chair of the Warsaw Committee, said: "This presents a great opportunity to increase awareness of excellent examples of Polish culture and of the country's historical achievements. Considering the large Polish population in Chicago, it's also an occasion to make Poles proud of their cultural heritage."

Libera is a world authority on Beckett, having translated all of his plays into Polish and directed many of them. He occasionally collaborated with the Irish playwright, and Beckett called him "my deputy in Eastern Europe." The production of Krapp's Last Tape and Catastrophe in London in 1989, which Libera staged, was the last production of a Beckett play in which the playwright was personally involved. Libera was awarded the Ministry of Culture Prize and the Polish Association of Translators Special Prize in 1989 for translations of Beckett's dramatic works. 

Krapp's Last Tape portrays the self-reflections of an old man, Krapp, who sits alone in his room at night listening to old tape recordings from his past. Beckett's minimalist approach bleakly emphasizes his character's fundamental concerns with life, death, the ambivalence of solitude and the quest for identity-truly the story of a man who has sacrificed his life for art's sake. 

Libera's productions have been presented at various international theatre festivals including Dublin, Milan, New York, Palermo, Paris, Saint Archangelo, Sofia, Moscow and Vienna. He has staged Beckett's Happy Days, Waiting for Godot, and Endgame at Teatr Dramatyczny, one of the main theatres in Warsaw. 

Libera the novelist debuted with Madame, a semi-autobiographical tale of the burgeoning relationship between a precocious high school student and his beautiful French instructor. Set in 1960s Poland, the book is a combination of political satire and poetic love story which, through the teenage protagonist's personal rebellions and creative efforts to undermine his Communist oppressors, serves as a metaphor for postwar Warsaw. Madame was awarded the first prize for best novel by Znak Publishers, and in 1999 it was shortlisted for the NIKE prize and Andrzej Kijowski Prize.

The Celtic Tenors U.S. Debut Tour Begins 
Sunday, Dec. 1

Chicago-based Jam Theatricals will present the United States debut tour of the Irish singing trio, the Celtic Tenors. The tour, entitled An Evening with the Celtic Tenors, begins in New London, CT., Dec. 1 and ends in Baltimore, MD., Dec. 18. Other cities on the Celtic Tenors’ tour include; Cleveland, OH., Chicago, IL, Milwaukee, WI., Detroit, MI., New Brunswick, NJ., Pittsburgh, PA., and New York, NY.
 
 

The Celtic Tenors, three classically trained singers — Niall Morris, James Nelson and Matthew Gisenan — perform traditional Irish folk tunes and Celtic songs, as well as pieces from their classical repertoire and musical theater. The three tenors, each of whom have toured the world extensively in roles with leading opera companies, have collectively become one of the fastest rising acts in Europe. This performance will be part of their debut tour in the United States. 
 

Reviewing a recent concert, Padraic MacKiernan of the Sunday Independent raved "Prepare to be wowed. There's plenty to please the purist, but their playlist also points to a
refreshing affinity with the populist. Their rendition of songs like 'The Evocation of Caledonian’' and 'Will Ye Go, Lassie, Go’' hit all the right notes with the audience, while an a cappella treatment of 'DannyBoy’' had them in raptures."
 

Their debut album, the eponymously titled "Celtic Tenors" went gold in Ireland in four weeks, reached No. 2 on the UK Classical Album Chart and went on to make Platinum status in Ireland. The trio has performed to huge acclaim in Ireland, Germany, and the United States and before sold-out audiences at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. Their newest recording, entitled "So Strong" was released in the United States on July 30, 2002 on Angel Records. In honor of The Celtic Tenors American Debut tour, PBS will air "Celebrate! With The Celtic Tenors." Please check local listings for air dates.
 

U.S. FALL TOUR DATES
Dec. 1, 2002 New London CT, Garde Arts Center
Dec. 4, 2002 Cleveland OH, Palace Theatre
Dec. 6, 2002 Chicago IL, Park West
Dec. 7, 2002 Milwaukee WI, Riverside Theatre
Dec. 9, 2002 Detroit MI, Music Hall
Dec. 13, 2002 New Brunswick , NJ State Theatre
Dec. 16, 2002 Pittsburgh PA, Heinz Hall
Dec. 17, 2002 New York NY, Town Hall
Dec. 18, 2002 Baltimore MD, The Lyric Opera
 

Matthew Gilsenan is one of Ireland's most accomplished young tenors and has achieved considerable success singing in competitions throughout Ireland. He was a finalist in RTE's Singer of the Future competition in 1998 and has most recently completed a six-month season to critical acclaim at Clontarf Castle. His oratorio performances include Beethoven's Mass in C, Symphony No. 9, Mendlessohn's Walpurgesnacht, Saint-Saens' Christmas Oratorio, Handel's Messiah, Dvorak's Mass in D and Mozart masses.
 

Niall Morris was born in Dublin. Upon entering the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, he won the Wolfson Prize, the highest attainable scholarship. He completed his studies at the National Opera Studio. His first role in the professional world of opera was Nemorino (l'Elisir d'Amore) with English Touring Opera which brought him to Sadlers Wells in London and through out the UK. He then created the role of Davey in Jonathan Dove's Siren Song to great acclaim at the Almeida Theatre in London. After a year-long tour with the d'Oyly Carte Opera Company as Ralph Rackstraw (HMS Pinafore) he was chosen by the immensely gifted composer Thomas Ades to create the tenor roles in his debut opera Powder Her Face again at the Almeida.
 

From Sligo, James Nelson is a B.A., B.Mus (Hons) graduate from University College Dublin. His busy opera and concert schedule has taken him throughout the UK and Ireland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Russia, Israel, Singapore and the USA.
 

From an oratorio repertoire of more than 60 works, highlights include Frank Martin's Golgotha in Bern and Zurich cathedrals and L'Enfance du Christ alongside Katia Ricciarelli in Rome and Florence. He has performed more than 50 roles in opera and operetta including Pinkerton (Madame Butterfly), Lensky (Eugene Onegin) in Russia, Alfredo (La Traviata) in Como, Italy, Tichon (Katya) in Lisbon and Porto and Basilio (The Marriage of Figaro) under the baton of Raymond Leppard for Scottish Opera.
 

About Jam Theatricals:

JAM THEATRICALS (Presenter) is a Chicago-based entertainment company that focuses on presenting, producing and investing in Broadway engagements throughout North America. Jam Theatricals, founded by Arny Granat, Jerry Mickelson and Steve Traxler, organizes subscription seasons in 30 cities. 

Jam has presented many national touring productions, including STOMP, Les Misérables, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Miss Saigon and Riverdance and has produced national tours for the stage, including "Eric Idle Exploits Monty Python" and Barrage. Currently, Jam is producing the long-running engagement of Second City at the Flamingo Hilton in Las Vegas as well as the upcoming premiere U.S. tour of An Evening with the Celtic Tenors. 

On Broadway, Jam produced "Jackie Mason: Much Ado About Everything" and has invested in shows ranging from "Dame Edna: The Royal Tour" and "Victor/Victoria" starring Julie Andrews, to the currently running productions of Rent and De La Guarda. This season on Broadway Jam is co-producing "Frankie and Johnny" in the Claire de Lune, starring Edie Falco and Stanley Tucci.

Kenny Does Xmas

Ireland's great cabaret performer Tony Kenny is bringing his "Christmas in Ireland" show to Boston on Saturday, Dec. 7, at John Hancock Hall in Back Bay. To win free VIP tickets and other prizes to this great show, visit our web
site for details: http://www.irishmassachusetts.com/Contest_TonyKenny2.htm