By Mike Farragher

IT’S beginning to look pretty green over at public television, and I’m not talking about the viewer support from their telethons.

You’ll recall reading last week about the debut about the new Celtic Woman show on their airwaves; now comes news that PBS (WLIW 21 here in the New York area) will be airing From Galway to Broadway on December 12 at 8PM.

The program stars Irish tenor Ciaran Sheehan, a performer of bottomless talents. Sheehan made his Broadway debut in Les Miserables before being cast as the phantom in Phantom of the Opera.

He is paired with the equally talented Gay Willis, a veteran of the stage who played the part of Christine opposite Sheehan during his run in Phantom. Against the backdrop of the majestic Marble Collegiate Church in Manhattan and supported by an orchestra led by current Mama Mia! Conductor David Holcenberg, the duo glides their mighty voices over the familiar melodies of the Great White Way and the Emerald Isle in this televised concert.

Sheehan, with his square jaw and spit curl bobbing across his broad forehead, evokes images of Superman if he ditched the blue tights in favor of a tux. He is leading man material, adding a spine-tingling dramatic flair to Broadway gems like “Music of the Night” from Phantom. Michael Crawford, who?

Those good looks not only landed him on this stage. He has made guest appearances on Law & Order and One Life to Live.

PBS should be commended for waving the Irish flag so vigorously on their airwaves, and From Galway to Broadway is great Celtic theater any way you slice it.

One minor complaint is over the somewhat unimaginative portrayal of Irish culture. Like Celtic Woman, From Galway to Broadway relies heavily on the trite, stereotypical tunes associated with Ireland, such as “Danny Boy,” “Fields of Athenry,” and “I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen.”

Sheehan’s performance on a set list like this is akin to the first brick of a well worn pathway to stardom that Irish tenors like Ronan Tynan have walked for decades.

Here’s the recipe for success — first, take “Lady of Knock” to public television so that the hardened hearts of blue-haired Irish American matriarchs (or worse, faux redheads in tartan skirts) melt all over the remote control.

Next, sprinkle in patriotic ditties like “God Bless America” and “America the Beautiful.” You want to seal the deal? Throw in a hymn or sing at a public servant’s funeral!

Finally, you take the show on the road. Younger Irish Americans like me, eager to elbow their “golden boy” siblings from their premium perches on the Last Will and Testament tree, escort their parents to hallowed venues like Carnegie Hall for the show.

With his ticket to stardom punched with the obligatory set list of From Galway to Broadway, and the collective hearts of the 46 million hearts in the Irish American demographic tucked neatly in the hip pocket of his tuxedo pants by the end of this year, Sheehan can concentrate on singing the songs that feed his soul without abandoning the blue haired lasses that got him where he is today.

That reinvention makes for far more interesting tenor and better viewing than you’ll see on From Galway to Broadway, though the talents displayed on this program have piqued my interest on what Ciaran Sheehan will transform into down the road.

But I digress. During the PBS broadcast, WLIW will offer viewers opportunities to support their programming with pledges that will nab some pretty nifty swag, including discounts to local museums and tickets to Sheehan and Willis’ upcoming performance at Carnegie Hall this February.

For more information, log onto www.wliw.org.