April 19–26, 2001

mix picks

Choice Joyce

David Norris. a senator in the Irish Parliament and an all-around entertaining guy, was first introduced to Philadelphia audiences in 1997 when he performed his one-man show about James Joyce, Do You Hear What I’m Seeing?, for a capacity crowd at Rittenhouse Square’s Church of the Holy Trinity. Later that year in our CP Choice issue, the memory of that enthralling evening caused us to retroactively cite him as "the best argument for government involvement in the arts." Now, bless us, he’s back, and the show, this time at the Arden Theater, has reputedly been polished to a professional sheen. Skilled as both actor and raconteur, Norris leads the audience on a lively trip through the entire Joyce canon from Dubliners to Finnegans Wake, reading his words, embodying his characters and otherwise communicating the spirit of the century’s most influential novelist. Performances benefit The Joyce Center in Dublin, of which Norris is the chair.

—David Warner

Do You Hear What I’m Seeing?, Apr. 25, 26 & 28, 8 p.m., at the Arden Theater, 40 N. 2nd St., tickets $20, seniors & students $15, available at the Arden, 215-922-1122, or at The Plough & the Stars restaurant, 215-733-0300.