“I am always so impressed by the level of talent I witness at any Artist Without Walls’ event. It is rare to witness a room filled with that kind of unbridled spirit, charisma and joy even in NYC. An incredible ensemble of artists are represented at an AWoW showcase!” Erin Layton, actress/playwright
Gregory Harrington began the evening with a stirring performance of the Prelude from the Cello Suite by J.S. Bach, which he arranged for violin and is on his upcoming CD – Bach: Transcriptions and Variations on CDBaby. Greg was then joined by Leon Boykins on double bass and for a virtuosic performance of U2’s “With or Without You. “Had a great time and really loved the space,” Greg added.
DJ Sharp took us back to Tennessee Williams’ days at New York City’s historic Elysee Hotel with a scene from his one man show, “Tennessee Williams.” Here’s what an audience member said, “Tonight I saw D J Sharp knock it out of the park–no, much farther than that. He knocked it out beyond the parking lot, past the interstate and well into the corn fields of Nebraska. A performance to be seen.” I’m flattered,” DJ said. “Thanks again to Artists Without Walls for creating a evening with great performers and a wonderful audience!”
Terry McCarthy tore into the room with four of his brashly melodic original songs. In honor of his wife’s first attendance at an AWoW Showcase, he opened with “Queen of the World” a tune recounting the second time they met and marking the thirty years they’ve been together. He then performed “And a Little Girl Closes Her Eyes” an anti-war song in the Celtic folk tradition. Next was a rocking version of “Down For The Day” a tribute to the people of the Rockaways who are rebuilding their lives after the devastation of Hurricane Sandy. He closed with a fan favorite “Sorrow Salsa,” a Tejano flavored tune of triumph over depression. Terry was joined by the brilliant guitarisist, his nephew Devon McCarthy who wowed the audience with his talent and a special guest, Andy Sandel, who proved why he is known as the “Master of the Squeezebox.” All of these songs and many more are available @ TerryMcCarthymusic.com as well as ITunes and Cdbaby.com
Irish playwright, director and actor, Don Creedon, presented his very funny short play “Divine Intervention.” In this charming, revelatory, two-hander, we meet Grainne, a woman with an extremely colorful past, who goes to Confession for the first time in thirty-one years. Maeve Price was both hilarious and touching as Grainne, a woman with a delightfully anarchic sense of what’s right. Don did a wonderful job as Father Divine, a priest caught between following his true heart’s desire and the dictates of the Catholic Church.
Singer/songwriter Robin Pahlman played three original songs “Miss Lonelyhearts,” which is the first single off his debut solo EP, out on Monkey Records click for video, “Man Overboard,” also on the EP and a previously unreleased song called “Rain Clouds”. Robin’s been moving around a great deal in the past few years–he’s lived in Seattle, WA; Helsinki, Finland; Vienna, Austria; and now New York City), and he tends to write songs about how places and memory define us, and what “home” really means. Musically, Robin owes a lot to the American folk/country/roots tradition, even though as he says, “A certain element of melancholy probably comes from my Finnish heritage, as Finnish music traditionally is very sad and minor-key. Click here for Robin’s Facebook band page.
Jim Hawkins has spent decades telling stories. On this night, Jim combined story and song–both American and Irish–to tell a folksy and witty tale of two young men–Jim and his friend Billy–coming of age in the early 1970s. Just like the seanchaís of old, Jim told the story, “Driving Across America with Billy Zuckerman” with a gentle, easy-going manner and warmth, which he says is his contribution to keeping this wonderful art-form alive and well.
For more information about Artists Without Walls contact info@artistswithoutwalls.com. AWoW’s next Showcase will be at The Cell Theatre, 338 W23rd St., December 23rd, 7pm.
All photos by Vera Hoar.
