The Citizenvoice

Molly Maguires musical makes debut
By Alexander Choman , The Citizens' Voice Music Critic

WILKES-BARRE - Holding all of the promise of a passionate, compelling story unfolding on stage, the Molly Maguires Musical made an auspicious debut Thursday night before an audience of 1,200 people at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts.

Excitement and anticipation were in the air opening night and there was glitz, glamour and hype typical of what would be seen on Broadway.

After all, it was about our region (Northeastern Pennsylvania), staged in our theater (the Kirby Center), brought to town by one of our very own (Jim Burke) and told the tale of the ancestry and very fabric that shaped this region many call home.

While the story of the Molly Maguires has been told and retold on the big screen in books and from the very lips of many of our parents, grandparents and great grandparents, this was indeed a very special accounting of the dramatic worker/management saga of the coal mining industry.

The tale chronicles the exploits of a secret group of Irish emigrant miners, known as the Molly Maguires. The group struggles with actions its members know are wrong but feel forced to carry out when pushed passed the breaking point.

Thursday night's account of the Molly Maguires featured a very talented cast, outstanding musical accompaniment and some remarkable vocal contributions. Sid Cherry's music and lyrics are brought to life by the story's three main characters, Ciaran Sheehan (James McKenna), Leah Hocking (Mary Higgins) and Thom Sesma (Jack Kehoe).

In the opening act, Hocking's magnificent vocal on "Passin' Through" set a soothing balance for a play that otherwise must tell a difficult story often laden with violence and despair. Even her duets, like the one with Sheehan, "Take Another Look," demonstrated her amazing vocal range no matter the demand of register.

Sheehan's credentials from the Great White Way are only underscored by his excellent performance as the detective who infiltrates the secret group of the Maguires. Sheehan makes us believe we are on the journey with him struggling between staying focused on his mission yet sympathizing with the plight of the miners.

Likewise, Sesma gives a performance rivaling Daniel Day Lewis' Oscar-nominated role in "Gangs of New York." Like Lewis, Sesma carries out the character of the tough, street-wise gang leader superbly. And there's one thing than Sesma can even do better and that is sing.

During "Father Tell Me," "Use That Powder" and "An Eye For An Eye," Sesma sings with emotion and conviction. His impressive performance helps bridge the story between James McKenna and the members of the Molly Maguires. His interplay with Sheehan and Hocking balances many of the scenes to perfection.

Since the audience is seeing a production somewhat still in development, some of the scenery and special effects have yet to be realized in anticipation of its next hopeful step to New York.

The orchestra plays from an elevated platform behind the actors which is an interesting approach but also steals away precious stage space. In some instances throughout the performance, the actors also read from scripts which can be distracting but for the most part was unobtrusive.

If you can look past the fact that this important tale of our region is also somewhat still a work in progress, you will find a compelling accounting of time and circumstance that must be preserved. By all accounts on Thursday night, this just may very well be the right cast of people to carry that out.

Performance Notes: Artist Sue Hand's work was on display in the lobby. Hand's multi-panel three-dimensional art was created over seven years and depicts the story of mining from the late 1800s on. It is a powerful tale of fine art in many ways as captivating as the play ... Thursday night's audience was an opening night Who's Who with judges, members of the clergy, mayors and college presidents in attendance ...