Monday, April 14, 2014

A Couple Of Blaguards Coming To Harris Center April 24-25

Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Angela’s Ashes, and bestseller Tis, Frank McCourt, and his brother Malachy, also a successful author, joined talents to write an autobiographical account of their years growing up in poverty in Ireland, A Couple of Blaguards.

Though times were tough in Limerick, the tales spun by the brothers McCourt simmer with bittersweet recollections, ferocious humor and a parade of colorful characters from the priest who warns of sinners’ eyeballs exploding in hell to the McCourt grandmother who spits on Franks unruly Presbyterian hair to tame it.

According to Malachy McCourt, “This show is the result of Frank and me listening to the stories of our elders which in turn tunes the ear, the eye and the tongue to observe and give voice to even the most trivial of events. I think we had more fun than anyone writing and performing Blaguards, which has become an affectionate term for the rowdy, outgoing, and sometimes drinking sort of boys. If you don’t have a good evening, you should have yourself checked to make sure you haven’t died during the day.”

The role of Malachy will be played by Howard Platt, a show business veteran of more than 37 years. As an actor he has appeared in at least 100 plays assuming the roles of everyone from Abraham Lincoln to Santa Claus to Frank McCourt and brother, Malachy. He has made numerous comedic and dramatic appearances on television, most recently as Rev. Weber in What About Joan? He is best known for his roles as Hoppy the Cop on Sandford and Son, Dr. Phil Newman on The Bob Newhart Show, Marvin on Alice and Judge, Jonathan Stockfish on Evening Shade with Burt Reynolds, Charles Durning and Marilu Henner. 

Frank McCourt will be played by Jarlath Conroy. Conroy was in A Couple of Blaguards at the Triad Theater in New York City. His Broadway credits include: The Seagull ,The Weir, The Iceman Cometh, On The Waterfront, Ghetto, The Visit, Philadelphia Here I Come!, Comedians. Off-Broadway: The Coward, A Man of No Importance at Lincoln Center; Our Lady of Sligo, A Life, Pigtown at The Irish Repertory Theater; Gardenia, Translations at Manhattan Theater Club; and The Matchmaker, Playboy of the Western World at The Roundabout Theater.  His directing credits include True West and Human Resources.

A Couple of Blaguards will perform Thursday, April 24, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, April 25, 2014 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 26, 2014 at 2 & 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 27, 2014 at 2 & 7 pm. Tickets are priced at $35-$39.Tickets are available online at harriscenter.net or from Harris Center Ticket Office at 916-608-6888 from 10 am to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and two hours before show time. Parking is included in the price of the ticket. Harris Center is located on the west side of Folsom Lake College campus in Folsom, facing East Bidwell Street.

Blog Post information and picture courtesy of Harris Center for the Arts.


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