SOLD OUT! A Little Slip of Heaven: Songs and Stories of The Rochester Irish, from Baby Boom to Baby Bust

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A Little Slip of Heaven: Songs and Stories of The Rochester Irish, from Baby Boom to Baby Bust

By Christopher Shannon

Directed by Christopher Shannon

The show tells the story of the Irish of Rochester's old Tenth Ward in the decades following World War II.

Sun., Feb 18 at 2:00 p.m.

$10.00 Advanced Price 

$5.00 for seniors (65 and older)/student 

$15.00 at the door Running time: 90 minutes

The decades after World War II saw a tremendous revival in traditional Irish music and song, reflected in the popularity of groups such as The Clancy Brothers and The Chieftains and Broadway shows such as Riverdance. This revival has focused on Irish culture in Ireland, often to the neglect of Irish culture in America. 

This presentation tells a more distinctly Irish American story: a life rooted in the ethnic diversity of the American city rather than the cultural homogeneity of the Irish countryside, and one characterized by dramatic change rather than timeless tradition. 

The songs and stories in this presentation approach postwar Irish American life through the local lens of Rochester's Tenth Ward. Based on traditional Irish melodies, the songs tell of the countless Irish bars of the Tenth Ward, the "Little Irish" football team of Aquinas Institute and the impact of national Irish figures such as John F. Kennedy and Bishop Fulton J. Sheen.

Christopher Shannon is Associate Professor of History at Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia. He is the author of several books on Irish and American history, including, Bowery to Broadway: The American Irish in Classic Hollywood Cinema. 

He has previously performed versions of "A Little Slip of Heaven" at the Rundel Memorial Library (2022) and McGinnity's Restaurant (2023). He is currently completing a biography of Rochester's own musical duo, John and Joe Dady, The Dady Brothers.

Cast List Christopher Shannon .