The shut-ins, lockdowns and the quarantines of Covid-19 might now be in our rear view mirror, but many are still longing for opportunities for connection with others. Singer Michael Londra is happy to be making those connections again.
“It’s about communication and how you are with people in the world that brings you success,” he says. “Certainly it’s as much about singing in tune as it is about being in tune with people.”
In recent years, Londra has been mostly “consumed with producing shows,” including his PBS series, Ireland with Michael, the idea for which came just before the onset of Covid. He decided to “go out into the streets and start taping and see what happens.” PBS picked up the show and it has really taken off. Now, being back on tour singing, Londra says he’s happy to be doing it again. “I love my band and the shows,” Londra says. “When we get together, we have a great time.”
When he puts a show together, the repertoire is the very last thing to come into play. A priority is shining a light on many other musicians. He says he “loves finding great talent,” drawing a parallel to his PBS special that highlights various artists, giving them a platform. But for his stage show, he says, “I just put everyone in the room and just see what happens.” From there, he likes to see what the energy is in the room and see what the other musicians want to do and work from that, picking songs from there. For Londra, “It’s always about the emotional bond. How do you want to move people? What do you want people to think about during that hour and a half?” To him, the show gives them a means to transport away from the humdrum and issues of their everyday lives and connect to something different.
Of the stage show he’s currently touring, Londra says it’s “essentially, an element of the TV show.” The show incorporates a multimedia experience in which the audience is taken on a journey, “So when I’m talking about songs and I’m talking about the origins, you can see what I’m talking about, and I get very personal,” he says. As part of the stage show, behind the musicians, video projections are displayed on ship sails. The production, he says, allows the audience to look at Ireland through a different lens. You can even win a tour of Ireland for September 2023.
In this show, Londra says he doesn’t have a particular favorite song in the set, but shared that one song, “Tomorrow’s Child” by Marcus Hummon, does hold special meaning. In 2013, Londra was invited by the Irish government to perform at an event marking the 50th anniversary of JFK’s visit to Wexford, the former president’s ancestral home. Before heading to Ireland, Londra was also invited to sing at JFK’s gravesite in Arlington National Cemetery. At Arlington, he sang “Tomorrow’s Child” to Caroline Kennedy, with his own mother sitting right beside her. Growing up where he did, “in every house there was a picture of John, Bobby, and of course the part of the Holy Trinity was Pope John.” Of the event, Londra says, ”It was a beautiful moment. I cherish the song.” He even created a one-man show about the JFK connection.
If it’s not already evident, although now based here in the States, Londra remains a Wexford man at heart. When we talked about the Commodore John Barry Arts and Cultural Center (the Irish Center) and his upcoming show there, he noted, “It’s the Commodore Barry Center. Commodore Barry is from my home county. He was a Wexford man. So we’re proud of that association. I’ve always wanted to play there (the Irish Center).”
Londra’s tour, which ends the first week of April, makes its debut at the Irish Center, March 26 at 3 p.m. If you’d like to see the show, tickets are on sale via the Center’s website. To stay up to date with Michael, you can visit his website or follow him on Facebook or Instagram. In addition to seeing a great show, who knows, you may just win yourself a trip to the Emerald Isle.
