Arts and Entertainment

For fiddler Tommy Peoples, a key figure in the late 20th-century Irish music revival, Boston was a relatively brief but enjoyable interlude in a long and productive career. A Donegal native, Peoples was an original member of The Bothy Band, appearing on... Read more
 J. Michael Winward is a man on the move, literally, an award-winning independent dance artist and choreographer with an active month ahead of him.  When not creating new work for himself and others, he maintains a busy private teaching schedule, is... Read more
LehaneDennis Lehane, the Dorchester native who writes for print, television, and the movies, and who calls his own work “a bizarre bastard child of pulp and literary influences,” launched his latest novel, “Since We Fell,” last week. His decision to write... Read more
“We started very young, so this vocation has really colored who and what we are,” says Ten Strings and a Goat Skin fiddler Rowen Gallant (left), shown with brother Caleb (center) and Jesse Périard at a concert during the trio’s recent New England tour.... Read more
Kate Rusby, “Life in a Paper Boat” • In her two decades-plus career, Rusby has never shown an inclination to stay with the tried-and-true. Hailed for her interpretations of traditional songs, she incorporated contemporary material – from songwriters as... Read more
Jennifer Ellis as FrancescaIn Robert James Waller’s best-selling novel “The Bridges of Madison County,” a lonely war bride in 1960s Iowa has a three-day affair with a handsome National Geographic photographer who came to town to shoot the community’s... Read more
His work is of world importance – literally so. At a recent screening of the documentary “The Peacemaker” at Plimoth Plantation, the personal struggles of Padraig O’Malley are presented on a parallel track with his labors to bring conflict resolution to... Read more
It’s not that Pauline Wells wasn’t used to singing: Growing up in a family with strong Irish roots, and a father who loved to sing, there were plenty of opportunities for her at home or in the church choir. But getting up by herself to sing in front of a... Read more
NeelySo what do you do if you’re a Boston-born, banjo-playing, soon-to-be ethnomusicologist with a special interest in Jamaican music living in New York City? Well, you might decide to take up Irish music, become a session regular and organizer and,... Read more
(L-R) Ted Davis, Tina Lech, Laura Feddersen, Nathan Gourley and Martin Langer during their set at the Sanctuary Session, held at the On the Hill Tavern in Somerville. Sean Smith photo Somerville’s On the Hill Tavern was the venue for arguably one of the... Read more
The company of the “Rent 20th Anniversary Tour,” playing Boston’s Boch Center Shubert Theatre, April 11 – 23. Carol Rosegg photo When “Rent” opened in 1996, it scored major headlines, for a variety of reasons.  First and foremost, the show was a raw, rock... Read more
Multi-platinum international music sensation Celtic Woman’s latest studio album VOICES OF ANGELS (released November 18 on Manhattan/Caroline) follows in the group’s tradition of #1 albums, entering the World Billboard chart at the top position, where it... Read more
Modern Irish cinema will tackle weighty social conundrums while also prompting a few more belly laughs than usual at this month’s Irish Film Festival in Somerville, the annual movie-lovers’ celebration of a changing Ireland. The four-day event, the 17th... Read more
“A Little Bit of Ireland,” Reagle Music Theatre’s annual musical celebration of all things Irish, returns to the Robinson Theatre in Waltham for three performances only on March 11 and 12. Conceived and directed by Reagle’s Producing Artistic Director Bob... Read more
Liz Carroll and Nic Gareiss fiddle and dance at “A Christmas Celtic Sojourn” performance at the Cutler Majestic Theatre on Dec. 9, 2009. Courtesy WGBHMake no mistake, fiddler Liz Carroll is proud to have grown up in Chicago, and has always enjoyed playing... Read more
Perhaps the best metaphor to evoke the Irish set dance is to think of that odd piece of furniture – you know, historically and aesthetically valuable, but tricky to set up, doesn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the décor, and so it sits off by itself... Read more
Having marked their 20th anniversary this past year in grand style – with the release of the crowd-funded album “All These Years,” which included appearances from all its former members – the groundbreaking Irish-American band Solas is about to head back... Read more
Marie Mullen talks about ‘Mag,’ the manipulative mother Druid Theatre Company — founded in Galway in 1975 by Garry Hynes, Marie Mullen, and the late Mick Lally — stands not only as one of the world’s most respected arts organizations, but also at the... Read more
Rob McClure and the company of the new musical “Something Rotten.” Joan Marcus photo It’s always a treat to see a new musical comedy. Revivals are great in celebrating successful shows from the past, but an original musical with a new story, music, and... Read more
Rachel Reeds (pictured) will lead a Cape Breton “house party” as part of the BCMFest 2017 Nightcap concert, while Shannon Heaton presents a live multimedia performance of her “Irish Music Stories” project.When a festival has gone on for almost 15 years,... Read more

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