Michael Sheahan

“What a great night of talent…and Niamh Hyland’s voice is stunning. I literally get goosebumps. Amazing. ” Mitch Traphagen

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Joseph Goodrich started things off with “The New Boy”—a poignant and humorous look at Christmas in a small Minnesota town. Goodrich’s story skillfully conveyed the turbulent emotions of its main character, a seven-year-old boy whose life has been touched with loss. Sensitive writing and a bravura performance by Goodrich made “The New Boy” a welcome guest.

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Ron Vazzano’s poem “Trains: A Christmas Story,” suggested paradoxically, the joy and peril of getting what you wish for, in that it can come at a cost of a loss of innocence and humiliation in the process. Beautifully done.

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Award winning singer/songwriter/author Michael Sheahan opened his performance with “Jingle Jangle Jingle All Night Long” from his award winning Christmas Book, CD and Dance DVD, Mr. Holidays Presents The Roof Top Hop. This up-beat, joyful Christmas song had the audience smiling, laughing, and tapping their feet to it’s wonderful Christmas spirit. His second song “Some

Things Never Change,” the title track from Michaels Christmas CD, touched the audience’s heart with it’s loving sentiment for Mom and Dad as they physically change over the years. Michael finished his set, appropriately ringing in the New Year, with “Year Out…Year In.” You can hear all the above mentioned songs on Michael’s latest Christmas CD Some Things Never Change.

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Here’s what the audience had to say about playwright Brona Crehan and actress Grainne Duddy:

“Moonlight Sonata – a roller coaster of a ride. “

“Beautifully written and wonderfully told.”

“We felt like we were eavesdropping on something deeply personal and could have listened all night.”

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Singer/songwriter Ed Romanoff began his performance sharing the ironic discovery of his own Irish heritage and being welcomed to Ireland by Phillip King on the RTE program, “Where The South Wind Blows.” Ed then continued his engaging rootsy storytelling with an Irish twist by becoming the voice of Willie Sutton in a ballad about the famed Irish bank robber, paroled on Christmas Eve by Governor Rockefeller. Ed also played a crowd pleasing new song, “A Golden Crown,” about a boxer and a claddagh ring.

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Admiring Vera's 2014 AWoW Poster — **Admiring Vera’s 2014 AWoW Poster**

Nicholas Garr gave a wonderfully moving, and hysterically funny performance, from his solo theatre piece Paper Tigers, which explores our shared issues of love, sex, ambition, and self image, in a world where things are often not as they appear. In the scene Nick performed, Father Rodney, a teacher at an all boys Catholic school, gives his final religion class, to a group of graduating seniors. In Nicholas’ Paper Tigers, a Mafia psychic, channels a variety of characters from the underbelly of the familar, in order to help his audience find “spiritual understanding and their true inner selves.”

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What if 19th century Paris’ most infamous party-girl were undead and on the loose in the Big Apple? Marion Stein read from her new novel Blood Diva (published under the pen name VM Gautier) which reimagines the heroine of Camille and La Traviata as a vampire-about-town enjoying the human smorgasbord that is New York. Blood Diva is available in paper book and as an ebook at Amazon and other fine booksellers. Click here for a link to the Blood Diva blog.

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Honor Molloy and Niamh Hyland brought the evening to a close with “Christmas on an Island.” Adapted from a Radio Eireann script written by Honor’s mother Yvonne Voight, this selection from Smarty Girl – Dublin Savage is set in the wilds of Inish Maan during the last days of 1954. Honor played the mother and the mischievous Noleen O’Feeney. Niamh played a handful of Island Women, including the Mighty Spirit, Bridgie Flaherty. There was a song—miracle a song–as Niamh sang the first verse of “Silent Night” in Irish. Then the whole crowd joined in to celebrate the season and send each other home (with a quick stop at the Westside Tavern first.)

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The next Artists Without Walls’ Showcase is on January 27th, 7pm at The Cell Theatre, 338 W23rd St., NYC

All photos by Vera Hoar and Mitch Traphagen.

“This is a note of thanks for supporting my efforts through pictures and words these past two years. I’ve been working as an actor for at least twenty five years now and I’ve never before been involved in anything quite like this. AWoW is a unique blessing. So happy to be a member.” Jack O’Connell, actor, New York

Ron Vazzano is a writer/poet who has read his work at The Cell on a number of occasions since becoming a member of AWoW. As an actor, at a recent Showcase, Ron performed at a monologue he’d written called, “Ten Totems of Obsolescence in Passing.” Tuesday night he will be reading one, as he says, “Seasonally appropriate, poem.” No doubt, humor will abound.

Ed Romanoff’s debut album was a Roots Radio Top 100, number 12 in Europe, and its opening song was voted Song of the Year by the Nashville Songwriters Association. Recently, at fifty years of age, Ed discovered that he’s not Russian as he’d always believed, but Irish. Ed is writing a book about uncovering his true identity as well as recording a followup CD. He will be performing a few of his tunes with, we’re sure, a story or two thrown in.

Singer/songwriter/producer Michael Sheahan will be performing Christmas songs from his three-time award winning Christmas Book, CD and Dance DVD “Mr. Holidays Presents The Roof Top Hop,” as well as songs from his latest Christmas CD, “Some Things Never Change.” Looking for some additional holiday music? Look no further.

“Paper Tigers” is a solo theatrical piece, which is currently being developed by Nick Garr. In “Paper Tigers”, Nick creates, or rather, “recreates,” a variety of characters from the underbelly of the familiar. With them, he explores our shared issues of love, sex, ambition, and self-image, in a world where things are often not as they appear. Nick will be performing a segment that shows Father Rodney, a teacher at an all boys Catholic high school, presenting his final religion class to a group of graduating seniors.

Playwright and writer Joseph Goodrich will present “The New Boy”—-a holiday reminiscence set in Minnesota, where Goodrich grew up. In “The New Boy,” Christmas 1970 is fraught with loss, anxiety, and an unexpected guest. We heard Joe present this piece at Ed McCann’s “Writers Read” recently. Brilliant.

Honor Molloy and Niamh Hyland will present “Christmas on an Island”–adapted from a Radio Eireann script written by Honor’s mother Yvonne Voight. This selection from “Smarty Girl – Dublin Savage” is set in the last days of 1954 when Noleen’s mother heads out to the wilds of Inish Maan for Christmas. Might this include a tune from Ms. Hyland as well?

Marion Stein is a graduate of the Sarah Lawrence MFA program. Her work appeared in Gordon Lish’s legendery Quarterly Magazine. You can catch her snarky television recaps at Happy Nice Time People. Marion’s available fiction includes “Loisaida” – a novel of gentrification and its discontents – as well as the new work she will be reading from at the Showcase.

And rounding out the evening’s performances will be a scene from Brona Crehan’s “Moonlight Sonata,” which will be performed by Grainne Duddy.

A number of artists will have CD’s and books for sale, so if you’re looking for last minute stocking stuffers you’ll find them at The Cell Theatre, 338 W23rd St, tomorrow night,Tuesday, December 23rd, 6:45pm

We hope to see you then.

Tag: Michael Sheahan

WALL-TO-WALL TALENT at AWoW's HOLIDAY SHOWCASE at THE CELL

ARTISTS WITHOUT WALLS' HOLIDAY SHOWCASE at THE CELL THEATRE, TUESDAY, 12/23, 6:45PM