The cast of “The Irish and How They Got That Way” tells the history of a culture through song and dance.
Photo by Roger S. Duncan
Some of the funniest moments in “The Irish … And How They Got That Way,” a collaboration between the Portland Stage Company and the Maine State Music Theatre, occur at a wake.
It’s clear that wit and indomitable spirit in the face of adversity and grief is what the title means by “that way” in this highly entertaining and informative production by author Frank McCourt that is a mixture of history, storytelling and musical celebration.
An Irish-American pub, designed by Anita Stewart, is the setting for this theatrical revue, which lays out about two centuries-worth of the woes and triumphs of the Irish in the old country and, especially, in the new world.
Song and dialogue are often tossed from one performer to another, while projected images above the stage serve to confirm points being made and add flavor. Jaunty accompaniment is provided by a four-man, on-stage band, and some comic support is offered by two barkeeps.
Director/Choreographer Marc Robin has principal performers Curt Dale Clark, Charis Leos, Peter Cormican and Cary Michele Miller work song, dance and dramatic moments – both individually and collectively – into a weave as appealing as that of the tweed jackets they wear.
Cormican earned an early ovation for his take on the comical song “Mrs. McGrath,” a not-so-subtle critique of Irishmen forced to fight for the English. Clark’s “Skibbereen” offered a touching lament of lives lost to the horrors of the potato famine of the 1840s, and his “Danny Boy” movingly scaled that familiar musical peak.
The large opening night audience was reminded of how the Irish were rejected upon arrival in America (a sign above reads “No Irish Need Apply”) and had to take on brutal mining, railroad and construction jobs to earn their way. Memories of the killing fields of the Civil War, where Irish immigrants faced off against each other, were balanced against recollections of showbiz successes.
The Cohan family was referenced through a vaudeville-style number, while Clark honored James Cagney’s portrayal of George M. Cohan with an exuberant “Yankee Doodle Dandy.”
“Finnegan’s Wake” made way for a hilarious comic routine in which the bereaved get increasingly drunk. Miller and Leos gave voice to the toils of “The Irish Washerwoman” in a light-hearted arrangement that suggested both class differences and the humor used by workers to get through their long days.
Musical Director Edward Reichert and his band ably traversed several musical styles and eras. A few instrumental interludes, featuring accordion and fiddle, offered pleasures all their own.
As if a strong case for the Irish hadn’t already been made over the past couple of hours, a long list of famous Irish literary and political figures was recited near the close. Then, in a spirited finish, a full-throated take on U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” suggested the story of the Irish is not over.
“The Irish…And How They Got That Way”
Where: Portland Stage Company, 25A Forest Ave, Portland
Reviewed: Friday, Aug. 19; continues through Sept. 11
Tickets: $10-$58
Contact: 774-0465; portlandstage.org