The Ashland-born show was to rehearse and preview in Ireland, then open in New York with the Irish cast; amid fears that cast members could be denied U.S. entry, ‘Parcel’ will rehearse and open in NYC

By Jim Flint for Ashland.news

An Ashland-born musical with deep Irish roots has been forced to scrap plans for an Ireland-first launch and instead move directly to New York this fall, after escalating immigration hurdles made bringing an Irish company to the United States too risky.

Producers of “Parcel From America” — a community-centered musical adapted from stories by Celtic storyteller Tomáseen Foley — had hoped to rehearse and preview the show in Cork before transferring to off-Broadway. Instead, the production will now rehearse and open entirely in New York, with performances slated for early November at Theatre Row on 42nd Street.

The decision followed months of troubling reports from Irish artists about invasive screenings at U.S. ports of entry, ballooning visa costs and unpredictable immigration rulings — developments that posed both financial and artistic threats to the production.

‘Painful decision’

“It was a painful decision,” said co-writer Malcolm Hillgartner. “But the uncertainty of who might be denied entry at the last minute because of something they ‘liked’ on social media made us feel that trying to bring an all-Irish theater company to the U.S. was just too risky.”

The original strategy was rooted in both artistic logic and economics. “Parcel From America” premiered in Dublin in 2022 with a sold-out run, confirming its authenticity with Irish audiences. Building on that momentum, the team planned to rehearse in Ireland, present previews in Cork, then bring a fully formed production to New York.

“Last January we did a cost comparison and found substantial savings in rehearsing the whole cast in Ireland and bringing that production to New York,” Hillgartner said, noting that a four-week rehearsal rental in New York would cost $23,040, compared with $6,134 in Dublin. Irish actors also benefit from national health insurance, eliminating another major expense.

For co-writer Jahnna Beecham, Hillgartner’s wife, opening in Cork carried emotional weight.

“The harbor in Cork is where most Irish Americans’ relatives set sail for the U.S.,” she said. “We were all very excited.”

Red flags rise

But late last year, warnings from colleagues began piling up.

Kevin Corcoran, the show’s co-composer and music director, alerted Beecham and Hillgartner that friends hoping to attend soccer’s World Cup this summer in the U.S. were being told to surrender their phones so agents could review five years of social media posts — including searches for content critical of President Donald Trump.

Around the same time, a Dublin-based scenic and lighting designer described a harrowing experience of bringing a production to New York, where a set that had already shipped was suddenly held hostage by a $10,000 tariff payment required just days before opening.

Performers were detained, pulled into private rooms, had their phones taken and unlocked via facial recognition, and watched as border agents scrolled through their personal accounts.

“Ultimately, all were allowed to enter the country,” Beecham said, “but they were pretty shaken by the entire experience.”

More alarms followed. An actress with dual Irish-U.S. citizenship worried she might be denied entry after spending months in Ireland caring for family. A bodhrán player reported that a touring band with proper visas had been turned away without explanation, losing thousands of dollars in income.

Then came word from the “Parcel” production’s immigration attorney: Performance visas were taking up to 10 months and could cost as much as $6,000 per performer.

With the dollar weakening against the euro and visa expenses soaring, the anticipated savings vanished.

“When our immigration attorney in NYC told us that it now was taking as long as 10 months to secure a performance visa,” Hillgartner said, “we met with our producer and took another hard look at our cost comparison.”

Point of no return

The tipping point came in early January.

“How could we guarantee the safety of our Irish friends?” Hillgartner asked. “We made the painful decision to cancel and notified the company and all of our donors.”

For producer Michael J. Hume, Ashland resident and longtime OSF actor, the possibility that even one performer could be denied entry spelled disaster.

“Chaos,” he said. “For a taut ensemble show such as “Parcel,” replacing an actor at that moment would cause a ripple effect through the production that would take substantial time and effort to smooth out.”

To protect against that risk would require layers of understudies — a cost the production simply could not absorb.

Hillgartner called the current climate “very unusual,” comparing it to restrictions in the Cold War era, when the U.S. State Department heavily regulated international travel for Americans, frequently denying passports to citizens deemed security risks or those suspected of communist sympathies.

“It appears today the shoe is on the other foot,” he said.

Despite the upheaval, the heart of “Parcel From America” remains unchanged.

The musical traces a ripple of compassion through a small West Limerick village in the 1950s, after a lonely widow and a well-meaning boy set off a chain of neighborly sacrifice. Its central theme — that “it is only in the shelter of our neighbors that we all can live” — comes directly from Foley’s original tale.

A story born in Ashland

Beecham first heard Foley tell the story in 1998 at the Ashland Community Center.

“Its message stuck with us,” she said.

Beecham, Hillgartner and Hume spent seven years shaping Foley’s short story into a full musical, blending traditional Irish instruments with contemporary musical theater.

From early living room readings to a packed Ashland workshop in 2021, the project has been nurtured by the local arts community, then refined through development in Dublin.

That Irish premiere, Beecham said, was “not just overwhelming but really empowering.”

Still, canceling Cork means forfeiting potential touring opportunities.

“Our cancellation of our performances at the Everyman Theatre in Cork lost us the opportunity to showcase the musical to tour producers who might book it in Ireland and the U.K. next year,” she said. “That is disappointing, but it’s not a closed door.”

Musically, the production is adapting.

Two cast members and Corcoran himself are dual nationals. Others already hold valid O1 visas. The band lineup has shifted, but Hillgartner says artistic quality remains intact.

“We’re in very good shape musically,” he said.

Looking ahead

Foley took the news in stride.

“I’ve been in the business long enough to know that you can’t truly count on anything happening till you’re on the stage on opening night,” he said. “But for now I’m absolutely thrilled that we’re getting a chance to do it in NYC.”

Foley, originally from Ireland, splits his time between Ashland and his cabin in Smith River, California.

“It’s disappointing of course — my family and friends in Ireland were very much looking forward to it,” he said.

He remains hopeful about future opportunities abroad.

“I’ve also been in the business long enough to know that anything can happen and, who knows? — we may get another opportunity down the road to do it in Ireland.”

For Beecham, the upheaval is part of a larger pattern.

“We’ve had projects cancelled in L.A. because of a sudden change in ownership, and numerous productions in regional theaters canceled because of COVID,” she said. “But now — to quote Dorothy Parker — the ‘what-fresh-hell-is-this?’ uncertainty of our entire world under the whim of this fickle administration makes us feel like the ground is made of Jell-O.”

Full steam ahead

Still, the team is pressing forward.

“We will go forward in a straight line to NYC,” she said. “We are in our eighth year of working on this piece and believe more strongly than ever that this story celebrating the power of community and the fundamental decency of human beings is THE message to send to the world right now.”

Hillgartner worries the current climate may chill international collaboration, citing a Jan. 19 New York Times article describing travel bans and visa delays as “a looming crisis for the American performing arts sector.”

Yet the creators remain focused on the show’s core purpose.

“Above all else, “Parcel From America” is a show about decency,” Hillgartner said. “How a small community rallies around a neighbor who is about to fall through the cracks.”

On the good news front, the producers recently received an invitation to perform at the Sober St. Patrick’s Day event in New York City. It takes place at the Ukrainian Embassy, where the parade ends.

“Two of our actresses from the NYC Industry reading in 2024 will be performing the title song and two others from ‘Parcel From America,’ with our composing partner Kevin Corcoran, on the main stage at the event,” Beecham said. “Last year our actors performed a song at the Irish American Embassy in New York at a gala for Origin Theatre Company. Word is spreading!”

Planned opening coincides with Samhain

The planned off-Broadway opening in November — timed to coincide with Samhain, the ancient Irish festival marking transitions between worlds — feels fitting.

“There are elements in the play that focus on the conflict between the modern world and the pagan world,” Beecham said. “Samhain is a perfect time to launch an Irish musical.”

As the production pivots toward New York, Foley’s village story continues its long journey outward.

“If you want to be universal, sing the song of your own village,” Foley said.

This fall, that song will be heard not in Cork, but on West 42nd Street — carrying with it a message of connection, sacrifice and the enduring shelter of neighbors.

Freelance writer Jim Flint is a retired newspaper publisher and editor. Email him at [email protected].