A Toast to Maggie, the Music, and the Moments That Stay With Us

Something’s happening in Albany this summer that carries the weight of tradition — the kind passed hand to hand through stories, songs, and the places that hold them, the warmth of nostalgia, and the pulse of legacy.

theREP is opening “Once,” the Tony Award-winning musical, which will also mark the final show directed by Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill, after three decades of building something rare and beautiful in Upstate New York. To honor that moment, theREP isn’t just putting on a show. It’s stepping outside and inviting the city to meet the music where it began: in the street.

Buskers & Brews is more than a kickoff event. It’s a living echo of everything. “Once” was rooted in strangers gathering, songs shared without ceremony, and art made in public. In Ireland, busking is a tradition. From the cobbled lanes of Galway to the bustle of Grafton Street in Dublin, the act of playing music in the street has long been a way to share culture, tell stories, and pass timeworn songs from one generation to the next. It’s how musicians begin, how they connect, and how they remain rooted in community. Busking isn’t background music — it’s heritage in motion.

This summer, theREP ties the streets of Ireland to the sidewalks of Albany. It connects the legacy of artists like Kevin McKrell, whose life has moved between those two worlds, to the mission of places like the Irish American Heritage Museum, who preserve those stories. And at the heart of it all is the stage Maggie directed for decades, where tradition and transformation have always shared the spotlight. This isn’t just theater. It’s a cultural loop closing. A final note being played before the next song begins.

So we’re raising a glass— to the keepers of stories, to what comes next, and to Maggie.

May the road rise to meet her.
May the wind be always at her back.
And may her next act be as full of joy,
as those she guided from page to stage.

—Katie McKrell