POWERFUL, TALENTED and FESTIVE: ARTISTS WITHOUT WALLS' HOLIDAY SHOWCASE at THE CELL THEATRE, 12/22/15

“Oh, my gosh, what a night. The rafters rang.” Cara De Silva

 

James Phelan
James Phelan

The buzz was palpable as the audience filed into The Cell Theatre last Tuesday for Artists Without Walls’ Holiday Showcase at The Cell Theatre.  First time presenter Jim Phelan opened the night’s proceedings and was met with, silence…a high compliment, at least for writers reading their own work. And silence, lots of it, is what Jim Phelan received while reading his story, “Sketches of China.” Jim’s story was a tale well written and well told of a man dying of cancer, wafting in and out of a morphine fog, remembering a love affair when he lived in China half a century earlier. We hope the character, “Mr. J” lives and Mr. Phelan continues to tell his story. Well done, Jim. 

 

Too Many Lauras
Too Many Lauras

The Artists Without Walls’ Holiday Showcase was also the debut performance of the band Too Many Lauras featuring Peter Chance, guitar, vocals, Cecil Hooker, violin, Susan Hwang, accordion, vocals, Mike Muller, bass and Jagoda on percussion.  The first tune was the premier of “Living in Sin,” which Peter originally wrote as a woman’s response to a bad breakup. Susan’s backing vocals were psycho-samba! Second was “Rita,” the story of a woman who blames all of her life’s struggles on an ice skating accident she experienced as a child.  The band closed with “Burn Me Like a Cross,” the struggles of a young couple in love, against their town that disapproves. The addition of the newest members Susan and Pagoda, who was on an acoustic guitar body, tricked with percussion pieces, rounded out the original trio which appeared at Artists Without Walls’ June Showcase. Of course, Cecil’s beautiful violin and Michael’s bass were evident throughout.  The band will be recording an EP over the next few weeks.

Honor Molloy
Honor Molloy

 

Honor Molloy read from Betty Smith’s classic novel “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.”  Honor carried the audience back to Christmas Eve, 1912 when Francie and Neeley Nolan brought home the biggest tree in Williamsburg.  Honor, one of the finest readers on the New York literary scene, was brilliant. She perfectly captured the spirit of Smith’s scene, casting her voice in pitch-perfect Brooklynese, tossing our imaginations from one vivid scene to the next.

 

Mary Susan Sinclair-Kenning
Mary Susan Sinclair-Kenning

Diversity is a strength and Mary Susan Sinclair-Kuenning has an uncommon diversity of talents including dance, voice and athleticism, which is rarely seen. Additionally,  Mary Susan executes her art forms with a passion that was immediately evident to AWoW’s audience.  Her Oriental dance, accompanied by Mid-Eastern classical music  performed by the Cairo Symphony Orchestra, was both vibrant and artistic.  Her sensual performance, the pulsating music and shimmering costume made her dance a joy to watch. Mary Susan followed her dance with a short film of her work on the Cyr wheel, which  demonstrates her incredible strength and precision.  A wonderful, show-stopping performance. 

 

Allison Sylvia
Allison Sylvia


Allison Sylvia read poems from two chapbooks, “Marginalia” and “Scattered Ethos,” which she had been making and leaving in subway cars, parks, on benches, statues over the past two years. She sang a small poem from a journal she has been keeping lately and–collaborating with the talented Cecil Hooker (violin), Peter Chance (guitar) and Amy Yamashiro (cajon)–she danced the first dance of her one woman show, “Girl Rising” to the sounds of “Amazing Grace.” “As always, I’m grateful to have such a supportive as receptive audience as Artists Without Walls to workshop my work in progress,” Allison said.   As always, Allison performed with open hearted eloquence.

 

Cast of Thousands
Cast of Thousands

A number of great performers including Artists Without Walls’ Artistic Director Niamh Hyland, saxophonist Erik Lawrence, singer/songwriter Ed Romanoff, fiddlers Annette Homann and Deni Bonet with assisting vocals from Nicholas Garr, Mary Susan Sinclair-Kenning, Charles R. Hale and the entire audience, rounded out one of the most festive holiday endings in memory. Niamh Hyland closed out the evening with a beautiful and stirring rendition of “Have Yourself a Merry Christmas.” 

 

It was a grand night!  The next AWoW Showcase at The Cell Theatre will be on January 25, 2016.

 

All photos by Vera Hoar. 

 

 

JOIN ARTISTS WITHOUT WALLS for its CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22nd at THE CELL THEATRE

“Lovely and talented! Brilliant across the board. Thrilled to attend; super sounds, sights and words – magical evening it was!” Bassist Michael Muller, who will be part of Tuesday’s Showcase at The Cell, commenting on a recent AWoW gathering. 

 

Niamh Hyland and Allison Sylvia
 Niamh Hyland and Allison Sylvia

Allison Sylvia is a poet/artist/dancer who has performed at a number of Artists Without Walls’ Showcases.  The Holiday Showcase will find Allison trying something new – reading through little chapbooks and collaborating with musicians.Here’s what was said about Allison Sylvia after her performance at “Permutations,” an AWoW/ Kathleen Bennett Bastis collaboration at Chelsea’s First Street Gallery last Spring: “Attention grabbing, fast paced, stay focused so you don’t miss a thought….Allison is not a rapper, but if Socrates were a rap artist you might think of Allison. Brilliant.”  

 

Mary Susan Sinclair
     Mary Susan Sinclair

Mary Susan Sinclair, holds a B.A. in both Modern Dance and Theater from Sweet Briar College, and is classically trained in Opera as well as being a equestrian, competing in show jumping and equitation. Mary Susan has danced with the Jose Limon Dance Institute, trained extensively with Samara Adell for Middle Eastern dance, and danced for Mosaic Dance Theater Company for 4 years. She also began her training in Cyr wheel two years ago and has since represented Team USA at the CSIT world sport games in Lignano, Italy and performed in venues throughout the city of New York. Mary Susan will be performing a Middle Eastern fusion dance piece to a modern work of Oriental dance music. 

 

 

Honor Molloy
 Honor Molloy

If you haven’t heard Honor Molloy read–she’s one of the best in NYC–you can hear her read/perform from Betty Smith’s internationally famous, “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.”  Published in 1943 by Harper & Brothers, the passage Honor will read takes place on Christmas Eve, 1912 when Francie Nolan sets out with her little brother Neeley to bring home the biggest tree in Williamsburg.  Honor’s reading of Smith’s classic is always a great Christmas treat!

 

James Phelan
James Phelan 

Jim Phelan is a professional writer from Allentown, PA, by way of NYC and Washington, D.C. The foundation of his fiction writing was speech writing for Presidential appointees during the Clinton and Bush administrations. He still guest lectures at local colleges and circulates his work in the Allentown area. In addition to fiction, he is a free lance writer for businesses,  brochures and funeral eulogies. “Self-requested eulogies must be paid for in advance,” Jim said. We’re looking forward to Jim’s first appearance at an Artists Without Walls’ Showcase.

 

Peter Chance, Niamh Hyland, Michael Muller, Niamh Hyland and Deni Bonet
Peter Chance, Niamh Hyland, Michael Muller, Niamh Hyland and Deni Bonet

Tuesday’s Showcase will be the first show for the newly formed Two Many Lauras which is now a full five piece band, including Peter Chance, Cecil Hooker, Susan Hwang, Mike Muller and Pagoda Will. The band will  be premiering a brand-new song along with some old faves. Peter, Cecil an Mike have performed at a number of AWoW Showcases and they were sensational. We’re thrilled to have them and their new band members back with us.

 

Charles R. Hale
  Charles R. Hale

And closing out the evening will be a Niamh Hyland inspired Christmas spectacular with an incredible cast of musicians including Deni Bonet, Annette Homann, Erik Lawrence, Noah Hoffeld, Ed Romanoff, Niamh, the band members of Two Many Lauras and others. Charles R. Hale will be hosting what promises to be a very festive evening at The Cell Theatre, 338 W 23rd Street, NYC. The doors and bar open at 6:45.  Hope to see you there.