Taking its title and inspiration from a 1912 song composed by William Jerome (real name: William Flannery) and Jean Schwartz, “If It Wasn’t for the Irish and the Jews” is an entertaining and insightful examination of cross-pollination in a bygone era of U.S. cultural history: when vaudeville and Tin Pan Alley flourished with the fertile contributions of Irish and Jewish songwriters, theatrical producers, and music publishers. The stories of former Broadway luminaries and a trove of archival film footage populate Dr. Moloney’s richly illustrated talk about the nimble wit, socioeconomic observation, exuberant rhythms, melodic charm, and sentimental appeal that defined this under-appreciated chapter of our musical heritage.

This is the second edition of Intercultural Connections, Dr. Moloney’s series exploring the contributions of Irish artistsin a global context.