‘Fine Beauty’ coming to the Phipps Center

“The Fine Beauty of the Island,” a solo musical theater piece written and performed by Celtic harpist and storyteller Patrick Ball, will be presented on Saturday, March 15 at 8 p.m. at the Phipps Center for the Arts, 109 Locust Street, Hudson, Wis.

Ball is one of the premier Celtic harp players in the world. He has recorded nine instrumental and three spoken word albums which have sold well over one-half million copies internationally and won national awards in both the music and spoken word categories.

“The Fine Beauty of the Island” is a musical journey to Ireland’s legendary Blasket Islands in search of an unforgettable tune and the vanished islanders who played it.

There may be only one person onstage, but an entire culture appears. Through the voice of his Celtic harp, the lilt of his penny whistle and the brogues of a pubful of characters, this contemporary bard weaves a pageant out of scraps of stories, researched history and the raucous dark humor of the Irish.

By blending a personal inner journey with the sensual reality and harsh beauty of the Blasket Islands, Ball creates the haunting story of a world that ceased to exist.

Tickets are $21 for adults and $14 for all students with a current I.D. Reservations may be made by calling the Phipps ticket office at (715) 386-8409 or at www.ThePhipps.org.

Tags: patrick, phipps, center, entertainment, ball, celtic, harp