A BELFAST musical which tells the story of punk icon Terri Hooley has begun a five-week run at the Irish Arts Center in New York.
Good Vibrations is based on the award-winning movie of the same name, written by Glenn Patterson and Colin Carberry, and tells the story of radical and charismatic punk music fanatic Terri Hooley.
Hooley’s impressive musical journey saw him take action in the 1970s, when the Troubles blighted his city, by opening the Good Vibrations record shop, starting a music label and generally keeping music accessible to the general public.
Produced by the Lyric Theatre, Belfast, the new musical tells that story.
It features a cast of twelve and anthems from Northern Ireland’s punk era, including the Undertones’ Teenage Kicks, the Outcasts’ Justa Nother Teenage Rebel, and Stiff Little Fingers’ Alternative Ulster.
Good Vibrations is now open at the Irish Arts Center in New YorkIt stars Cat Barter, Connor Burnside and Darren Franklin among the cast.
The production is supported by Tourism Ireland (TI), as part of its programme of activity to highlight Belfast’s designation as a UNESCO City of Music.
TI is also providing a PR and publicity push across the US for the show, which includes an email marketing campaign and activity on social media.
On June 20, the cast and writers of Good Vibrations enjoyed a special preview event, hosted by TI, in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Bureau and the Irish Consulate.
The event, which was attended by leading travel trade representatives, as well as travel and lifestyle journalists based in New York, featured a talk about Belfast’s rich musical heritage.
Glenn Patterson, Good Vibrations writer; Ruth Moran, of Tourism Ireland; Larry Kirwan, Sirius Radio presenter; Alison Metcalfe of Tourism Ireland and Kevin O’Leary, PBS TV Producer, at the Good Vibrations preview show in the Irish Arts Centre, New YorkAlison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland’s Head of North America, said: “Tourism Ireland is delighted to support this production of Good Vibrations running in New York this summer – celebrating the city’s status as a UNESCO City of Music and reminding our important travel trade and media contacts about the many great reasons for US travellers to visit Belfast and Northern Ireland this year.”
She added: “The United States remains an extremely important market for tourism to Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland – and music and culture are important elements of our overall tourism offering and a key message in Tourism Ireland’s promotions.”
