Music is served … - Irish American News

January 2006 IRISH AMERICAN NEWS 31Houlihan and Sons go Hollywood“Houlihan and Sons” soundslike the punch line for one of hisjokes, but Irish American News columnistMike Houlihan is serious aboutthe family business. Bill and PaddyHoulihan are Mike’s twin sons and2006 marks the dawning of their latestendeavor, as they prepare to make theirstage play, Tapioca, into a movie.“Yeah, we’re going to work for theold man.” says Bill. His brother Paddysays with a laugh, “It’s either the mostinspired move in my career or the biggestmistake I’ve ever made.”Mike says, “They’ve been on mydime since day one, so they might aswell pull their weight.”Mike Houlihan has been runninghis own business in one wayor another since returning to hishometown of Chicago in 1985. Hespent a dozen years previous to thatin New York, where he paid his duesas an actor and producer.He returned to Chicago to directand produce former NBC politicalcommentator Peter Nolan’s hit comedyThe 51st Ward. Houlihan then wentinto partnership with Nolan, where heacquired an expertise in TV, radio, andfilm production. Mike then struck outon his own in 1991 with Mike HoulihanCreative. Since then he has produced aseries of award winning plays, publicrelations campaigns, and unforgettableTV and radio commercials for clientslike the Illinois Department on Aging,Metra, the Chicago Board of Trade, theBrick Marketing Council, and numerouspolitical candidates. The hallmarkof Houlihan’s work in print, radioand TV is the unforgettable humorhe brings to each campaign. Folks inChicago are still chuckling over Mike’s“flamshooter” spots for the PlumbingCouncil of Chicagoland, and he performedhis hit comedy GOIN’ EASTON ASHLAND for six years all overtown. Mike wrote the popular “Houliin ‘da Hood” column in the ChicagoSun-Times for three years and continuesto contribute occasional featurearticles to the paper.Houlihan sees the inclusion of hissons to the business as a direct responseto a younger audience and an expandingdemographic of youthful entrepreneurs.“We’re in the business of communication,and we’re no longer going to berecognized as one personality but a triplethreat of equally talented ideas witha fresh and innovative approach. Myexperience and my sons charisma andenergy present new ways to entertain,inform, and communicate the messageof our clients to an audience.”The young men, (both 25), are recentgraduates from Columbia College Chicago.Bill was a marketing major whilePaddy studied film with a concentrationon screenwriting. The two brothers firstjoined their dad onstage in the 2004comedy “experiment”, TAPIOCA.TAPIOCA was a stage comedywritten by Mike, with help from hissons, that included original musicand sketches with a theme centeredon Chicago’s homeless. They enjoyedacting together and recently startedwork on a film loosely based on thecharacters from TAPIOCA.“Tapioca”, the film, was written byMike and Paddy. Paddy will direct thefilm while Mike stars as “Pipes Mc-Gonigle”, a stand-up comic that findshimself homeless after a magical encounterwith a Streetwise vendor. Paddysays, “It’s a movie about the everyman,religion, racism, the dreamer and ofcourse a comedian. ‘Tapioca’ is a comictale of redemption shot on the streets ofChicago.” Bill and Paddy Houlihan alsohave feature roles in the film.Back in September the fatherand sons traveled to Hollywood topromote the film and it was there, “inan unusual moment of clarity”, Mikesays, that the family business wasborn. The trio recalled how, whileworking on the stage performance ofTapioca, they realized they had tappedinto something unique and special.Mike says, “The boys had enlisted thehelp of their friends Steve Fleming,Vince Mammoser, Clay O’Brien, andKevin Horan, while I had enlisted thehelp of my friends and veteran actorsMike McNeal, and Jack McCabe. Thecollaboration between young andold allowed the show to take a shapeof it’s own. The frame of referencebecame so much larger because ofour different takes on what makessomething funny, and when ideas ofdifferent generations come together,great things happen!”“The boys were willing to take arisk, and that risk turned out to be abeneficial one.” Bill adds, “l knew thatgoing into business with my dad wasnot going to be an easy task. The fightsat home while growing up were sometimeslike Armageddon, but we alwaysseemed to get past them to eventuallytell some really funny stories. I knowthat all success stories come with agreat bit of struggle, and at HoulihanCreative we will overcome all adversityto create great benefits for our clients.”2006 projects include the film ofTapioca, a slate of political publicrelations campaigns, event planningand marketing events. Mike says,“Paddy will direct the film. Bill willhelp coordinate our sports marketingevents through our friends at theChicagoland Sports Hall of Fame, anddad will cash the checks.”Houlihan Creative is seeking aselect clientele requiring media relations,marketing assistance, TV andradio commercial production. It’s afull-service boutique shop taking anenormous leap into new and creativeways of marketing and selling productsand ideas.Houlihan Creative is located at12 S. 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