The Williamsburg Theater Presents: Michael Smith and Jamie O'Reilly

The Williamsburg Dinner Theater and Connemara Concerts present Songs of a Catholic Childhood, a liberating musical journey from Chicago's beloved folk Duo, Michael Smith and Jamie O'Reilly.

In solos and duets, Smith and O’Reilly perform a winning group of songs, and talk about life in parochial schools during their "formative" years: His – as the eldest of 6, in the working class Irish/Italian neighborhoods of post-WWII New Jersey, in the ’40s, and ’50s. Hers – as the 4th-girl-in-the-middle of a family of 14 kids, in a small Illinois town during the post-Vatican II, Baby-Boom era of the ’60s and ’70s.

All those memories come streaming back the…Fasting on Fridays, the Christmas play, Latin Mass, report card day, tornado drills, diving under the desk, reciting the rosary, nightly prayers.

In the course of their 17-year musical partnership, Jamie and Michael have created powerful theatrical productions: Pasiones, Hello Dali, Gift of the Magi, Scarlet Confessions. None is as heartfelt as "Songs."

$20 Advance; $25 at the door; tickets available at Oryana Food Co-op, Brilliant Books, West Side Beverage and Stained Glass Cabinet and Ace Hardware in Acme. For more information call: 231.938.2181.

Williamsburg is on M-72, about 4 miles East of US-31, 15-20 minutes from Traverse City.