Parcel From America
After making its stage debut in Dublin in 2022, Parcel from America has now arrived in New York for its Off-Broadway premiere at Theatre Row. Inspired by a childhood recollection of Irish storyteller Tomáseen Foley, the new musical – with book and lyrics by Jahnna Beecham, Malcolm Hillgartner, and Michael J. Hume, and music by Hillgartner and Kevin Corcoran – tells a story of the history of Irish emigration from the perspective of those left behind, enhanced with the stylings and spirit of traditional folk songs, instruments, and dance. Together they deliver an overtly sentimental message of community and caring, human kindness and generosity, and the true meaning of Christmas.
Set in the west of Ireland in the 1950s, in a remote rural parish in County Limerick, Parcel from America is presented as a memory play. The show centers around a young teen named Sean (Aidan McCracken), a member of the struggling Kelly family, and his interactions with the (unrelated) Bridge Kelly (Alex Sharpe), a lonely widow living two fields away. The now adult Sean Kelly (Michael Grennell), an emigrant who returned from Massachusetts to his homeland, narrates (and also appears as townspeople in some of the scenes), looking back on his past and his fourteen-year-old self.
Sean’s childhood was a time of financial hardship, when survival was difficult. As a result, many Irish left their country for America, in search of opportunities and a better life. Though they were forging a new beginning across the Atlantic, they never forgot their loved ones, and sent special letters and packages filled with much-needed and appreciated gifts that would benefit their families, especially at Christmastime.
But Bridge’s son Liam (Ethan Jack Haberfield) – a mean-spirited, anti-social, sixteen-year-old who won’t go to school, antagonizes everyone, and is coddled by his mother – left without a word. He hasn’t even written to her (he can’t, he’s illiterate) increasing her despondency during the approaching holiday season.
Under the direction of J.R. Sullivan, the sometimes exuberant, sometimes plodding production interweaves Sean’s direct-address reminiscences with reenactments of his most impactful experiences. Passages in the Irish language, 22 emotive songs, and segments of seemingly spontaneous dance (choreography by Barry McNabb), express the moods of the characters and embody their Celtic culture. Musicians Corcoran, Isaac Alderson, Tom Fitzgerald, Aimée Farrell Courtney, and Katie Wasko accompany the songs on authentic uilleann pipes, Irish flute, fiddle, bouzouki, mandolin, and bodhrán.
An international cast of twelve fully inhabits the distinctive personalities and their Irish accents. We meet the town gossip Róisín (Andrea Lynn Green), who discloses the surprise birthday present Bridge bought for Liam; the postman Davey (Michael Mellamphy), who delivers the letters and packages from America and enjoys to excess the stout the townsfolk give him in thanks. Then there’s Fergus (Adam Huel Potter), a sometimes cranky farmer and bachelor, who relishes performing a spirited Irish brush dance, and Father Tom (Daniel Patrick Sullivan), the parish priest who prays for the parishioners he doesn’t always understand, and is particularly concerned about Bridge.
Of utmost significance is Sean’s immediate family of three generations, living together in a simple stone cottage with only a fireplace for heat. His stern father Michael (Gregg Goodbrod) struggles with the financial hardships faced by the Kellys and the entire region, and has certain expectations of his son, which he doesn’t feel he’s meeting. His mother Bridie (Clare O’Malley, who also serves as dance captain) is also strict but more understanding, and clearly enjoys the fun of dancing and the thrill of receiving the eponymous parcel and its contents. Sean’s younger sister Nell (Serena Parish) is adoring and enthusiastic, though not particularly happy about having to accompany him on a significant visit to Bridge’s. And his Grandmother Nora (Úna Clancy), the strict matriarch of the family, has visions of the mythic Irish faeries, sees and understands others better than most, and ultimately advises them what is “The Decent Thing to Do,” so that everyone in the parish can feel the true spirit of Christmas.
A transporting set (Harry Feiner) and props (Madisen Frazier and Georgia Reichard), with lighting and projections (Joey Moro) recreate the look and feel of the Irish countryside, the modest homes in which the Kellys and Bridge live, and the shifting times of day and year. Ian Scot provides effective sound design; Debbi Hobson’s costumes and Cate Broomhead’s hair and wigs convey the simplicity of the characters’ daily lives and the contrast with the clothing sent to them by the thriving American emigrants.
While the actors embrace the characters and their heritage, and the music effects a genuine Irish sound, the show could use some cuts to the scenes and songs that become redundant; it would result in a faster pace and a shorter length that could eliminate an intermission. But for those interested in a sincere human story that considers the impact of emigration, celebrates the importance of community, and brings to life the old Irish adage, “It is only in the shelter of our neighbors that we all can live,” this is a production that is sure to touch your heart.
Parcel from America
At Theatre Row Theatre Three
410 West 42nd St.
Running time: 1 hour, 50 minutes, one intermission
Through November 22, 2026
