Only a few days after a storm tore through towns close by, the Manhattan streets are calm and autumnal, crisp and more than refreshed. People on the street are taking a collective breath, gathering their wits. Talking of which. Sarah Fearon, IAW&A’s longest standing member (she does sit down occasionally) is here tonight at The Ellington with a sizzling promo for her alter ego, Snazzy Peabody (snazzypeabody.com) - the real estate legend! Sarah will be on stage performing “We Are Happy to Serve You,” in December at The Players Theater on MacDougal Street. Snazzy is always busy, always hustling and always funny. She is from a different world. Snazzy thinks a QR code on her poster is a just a cute herringbone pattern.
Maureen Brady is next, reading from her latest novel, “Tessa’s Landing.” She reads us a passage about the Atlantic passage of a young Irish girl bound for Amerikay. Options for her at home seemed limited to nun or housemaid, and Da is in trouble with the law. The story is familiar to us all and personal to a lot of us. Maureen evokes the overpowering smells and pangs of hunger on the ocean trip. Rationed cheese and cheesy feet wrapped up in the same shawl. “Tessa” is based on Maureen’s great grandmother and a launching point for this 16-year old’s adventure and experiences in the land of opportunity, or is it? Maureen has written nine books so far and taught writing at NYU for 20 years. You can find her work at maureenbradyny.com
Daniel Harnett is always a revelation. His left field musings and antic energy, like an absent minded professor with a guitar, are backed up by excellent musicianship. His songs are thoughtful and original. His band, “Crystal Robots,” might be on hiatus but it’s obvious that the world, and the city, are providing him with constant inspiration. It’s no wonder that he has been commissioned in the past by names such as Phillip Seymour Hoffman and John Patrick Shanley to write music for the theater.
We have had a few cancellations tonight. The sudden shock of the end of the summer, and the storm, maybe, has sent some of us to our beds. The Ellington is ideal for small intimate gatherings such as tonight, and the very personal stories we are sometimes privileged to witness. Myss UneeK is here to tell us of how she only just made it. UneeK also has a new book out, “Life Tried to Starve Me: Food for the Body, Mind & Soul,” but she can’t bring any copies because only a few days previously her apartment block nearly burned down. UneeK lives in The Bronx and tells us about the incident, she is rehearsed because she has been on several news outlets over the past few days. It has raised questions about mental health and the housing of patients in certain accommodations. Luckily her kids and her dog made it out with minimal smoke damage. Her books did not make it, but her voice and her words are with us tonight.
Which brings us to the close. We have Dylan James on fiddle and banjo (not at the same time) and Craig Tichy on guitar and vocals. These two give us some traditional foot tappers and clappers, but also Craig’s singing which leans more to country folk and Dick Gaughan’s social protest influence. The song, “Tom Paine’s Bones” clinches it, no one knows where they are, but we can celebrate their freedom!
Dylan and Craig (craigtichy.com) are in the band The Last Minute Murphys.
