On June 23, 2026, Irish tenor Emmet Cahill made his solo debut at
54 Below in New York City, New York. This show was entitled “From Dublin to
Broadway” and featured an eclectic range of music, from traditional Celtic songs
to Broadway showtunes.
The setlist was packed with a variety of music. Throughout
the concert, Cahill sang a variety of songs, from Celtic to Broadway. While it would
have been nice to hear more Celtic songs, it made sense that the show was more
Broadway-heavy since it was in New York City. Emmet did, however, make
connections between the Celtic world and Broadway.
Between songs, Cahill talked a lot about the song that was
coming up next. These transitions allowed people to get to know Emmet better as
he told the stories behind what the songs mean to him. Hearing his stories and
connections made the songs much more impactful.
My seats were in the
front right near the stage. This made the show even more intimate in a venue
where there are no bad seats. I was aware of the fact that the show was being
livestreamed, which made me conscious of how much noise I was making and the
things I was doing.
Cahill talked a bit about his time with Celtic Thunder so
far, and he even sang “Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears,” which was a song he
performed with Celtic Thunder. Emmett O’Hanlon, who was also in Celtic Thunder,
was Cahill’s special guest. It was cool to see how much O’Hanlon has grown as a
musician in his time since Celtic Thunder.
One of the coolest parts of the concert was the lighting. I
saw Cahill perform at a church in 2023, so seeing him at a venue that has
lighting that can be changed was a different and special experience. Both
venues were special in their own ways.
Another aspect I loved about the table seating was meeting
new friends (shout out to Cassie and Seth). I loved hearing about how they came
to be fans of Cahill and learning about them as people. We had amazing
conversations over dinner and after the show.
Overall, the concert was a memorable night. I am glad I got
to talk to him afterward as well. Cahill was in excellent voice as usual, and
his banter between songs allowed us to get to know him even better.
Related Articles:
-Concert Review: Celtica Nova: https://kiltedowl.blogspot.com/2026/03/concert-review-celtica-nova.html