CelticWomanForum.com

Got my tickets.

Section 104, Row C, seats 1 and 2.

Sounds like pretty  good seats.  Is this your first show?   

From the seating map, I'd say they're very good.  I think everything better got snatched up the instant they went on sale.

It will be my second.  I saw them here in College Station on Dec. 18th for the Christmas show.  Had pretty good seats there too; the best I could get without being an MSC OPAS (http://opas.tamu.edu/celticwoman.html) (the Texas A&M organization which brings these kinds of events to town) season ticket holder.  All of the front 6 or 8 rows (I forget exactly how many) were reserved for them only.  Only the day of the show did they release the last few for general sale, and I just couldn't spend $280 on more tickets and then just eat the ones I already had.  It was a sell out; I only noticed 1 empty seat and I assume that person just couldn't make it.  I have a friend who works with OPAS (she coordinates the use of the university's facilities for OPAS events, but works for the university itself while OPAS is technically independent) and she said they've received so much positive feedback from their sponsors, members, season ticket holders, and the public in general.  If CW does a Christmas show next year, OPAS will do everything it can to bring them back.  If possible, they might even try to move the show to a different venue in town which can hold about 10,000-12,000 while the location this past year only holds 2,500.

I saw CW at Grand Prairie in 2009 and it is a nice venue.  The seats are wider than normal auditorium seats and there are cup holders hanging off the back of the seat in front of you.  Yes, you can carry drinks into the auditorium.  This year I will see them in Longview and then board Amtrak Saturday morning, ride the train all day and arrive in San Antonio Saturday night.  Hopefully, I will get a good night's sleep and meet fellow fans for lunch on the river walk and then attend an afternoon show on Sunday.  I am glad that you discovered Celtic Woman and now you are part of our fan family.

Exactly three months + a little less than an hour before I will be very happily sitting and watching the girls.  (http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/CO757300/GIFs/kicking.gif)

One month, one month, one month.  ;D

Edit: Fixed my bad typing I just noticed.

One more week (http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/CO757300/GIFs/excited.gif)

Sounds like you're waiting (im)patiently.

It will be well worth the wait.

I'm not a patient person when it's something I really want.  ;D

Alright, I'm off to Dallas.  Might not post a report until I get home tomorrow.

Enjoy every last second!

Thanks Misha.

Heading to the theater in an hour.

Well, I'm back home.  The drive back sucked; had a 20-30mph cross wind trying to blow me off the road.

But enough about that.

I will do my best to write a review, but it’s been a long time since I had to write a review of anything and never of a live performance of any kind.  I will try not to make it sound like something a graduate student would write, although that’s where my serious writing training comes from.  But I'll give a few thoughts first and will post the rest after I write it up.

As noted before, the seats were the best I could get my hands on, Second 104, Row C, 1 & 2.  Basically this was the second row, there was no Row “A” in section 104, only in 101, 103, and 105.  The couple sitting in front of us was a real pleasure to talk to.  They’ve been CW fans since the beginning and have seen them 6 seasons in a row.  I had a great conversation with them before the show and during intermission about CW.  Like me, they really miss Lisa Kelly.

The Verizon Theatre’s stage is fairly small compared to others such as the Fox, so it did limit to some degree what Máiréad and the rest could do in terms of movements, but in no way did it make the show any less amazing.  The girls are great on DVD, but compared to in person, the DVDs aren’t even close.  Not one photo of the girls can ever do them justice; they are all so beautiful.

Sometime during the show, there was a shout of “Take that Charlie Daniels” from somehwere in the audience after Máiréad had finished one of her numbers.  She every tweeted about it later.  Being able to say something on Facebook and/or Twitter to the girls almost makes me want to join those sites, almost.

At the end, Chloe announced their return to Dallas on the 14th and 15th of December, although she messed up the dates and said 15th and 16th.  The tickets are now on sale on Ticketmaster.  Gotta figure out how to get up there again.

For those who haven't been to the Verizon Theatre, here is a picture of the seats, mine marked by the red dot.

(http://i42.tinypic.com/2d2etq9.jpg)

Twitter is the better bet if you want to interact with the girls. They love using it to respond to fans.

For some reason, even though it was officially a sellout, there was one cluster of seats up high which were empty, probably 30-40.  I guess perhaps some large group didn’t make it.  It somewhat filled in after the intermission as people shifted seats.

I’m not going to go into every single detail; others have already done it far better than I ever could.  Also, I might have the songs a bit out of order, especially during the second half.

I love how Máiréad leads the girls in for Awakening.  It is the perfect song to start the show.  The passion all of the girls is contagious and truly sets the stage, no pun intended, for everything that is to come.

While I cannot understand a word of Dulaman, although I know what it’s about, it’s such a lively song and Lisa does it so well.  Her interaction with Ray makes it even better.  He gets into the performance as much as the girls do.  She dances and spins around so much I’d be dizzy if I did that.  Ray has the best job in the world.

When Chloe comes out to do her intro and “Nocturne,” she did her Texas accent when talking about how much they love the state.  It’s so over the top but just too cute.  It made me laugh during the Christmas show and still does.  Everyone just loved it.  She also scolded the audience for not being enthusiastic enough after asking if we were enjoying the show so far.  Of course when singing Nocturne, she knocks it out of the park by miles.  She also looks so amazing; I hope no one ever criticizes her over her weight because she looks perfect.

I’m going to just say something once about Máiréad’s solos because it would just be repetitive to say the same things over and over.   Máiréad never, ever disappoints during any part of her performances; be it standing still to play part of the song or running around.  She puts such energy and passion into her performance and her interactions with the other girls, Ray, and the rest is everything from hilarious to incredible.  She can also get the audience into it more than anyone else.  I’m sure others have noticed it too, but she has the most amazing facial expressions, which are often just as communicative as the music itself.  Every now and then when she’s really getting into it, she’ll let out a little yelp which is just too cute. 

I can’t really say much about “Orinoco Flow.”  It’s one of the few CW songs I’m just fairly indifferent toward, even when it was Lisa, Orla, and Meav singing it.  That’s not to say the girls didn’t do a wonderful job, they did, just that there are other songs I would have picked over it.

Alright, “Caledonia.”  I had to make sure I kept an open mind on this one due to my love for Lisa and her rendition of it.  I would never want to judge Susan against Lisa since they’re two totally different people.  As others noted, Susan did a brief intro of the song and how Ireland and Scotland are connected in various ways.  Susan made it different from Lisa’s which is what I was hoping to see.  She was far more animated with the song and truly made it her own in a way that could never be compared to Lisa’s.

I love when Ray and Máiréad have their little “duel” before the start of Téir Abhaile Riú.  Ray had a couple of minutes on stage by himself to engage and talk to the audience, asking each section if we were enjoying it, before Máiréad comes out just as he’s leaving and of course proceeds to order him back on stage.  Chloe and Lisa began their parts of the song from in the audience, but neither near me.  Oh well, maybe next time I will intentionally pick seats near where they’d be.  I have to ask, what the heck were they signing at the beginning before the actual song started?  It seemed like filler that made no sense.  Anyway, I could not get a clear view of Lisa due to several heads blocking me so I had to focus on Chloe instead until they moved onto the stage.  This song makes me laugh and I had to contain myself although I doubt anyone other than those near me would have heard it.  The girls are just so expressive as they perform the song and you can tell they’re having so much fun doing it.  Remind me to never do something to get on Chloe’s bad side.  She does a great “drop dead” expression.  Poor Ray eventually got the boot from Máiréad and all the other lucky guys on stage got to flirt with the girls.  As many others have noted, they could not spin the girls around due to the size of the stage.

As soon as Lisa finished the introduction and said the next song was “Danny Boy,” there was a very audible response from the audience ranging from some clapping to various sounds of excitement.  They sang it perfectly as though one person was doing it with three voices at the same time.  It got one of the biggest and longest applauses of the night not counting “The Parting Glass” and the finale.

“Mo Ghile Mear” is another song which I cannot understand what is not in English, but the melody alone is enough to make it extremely enjoyable.  Since I had read the previous reviews, I knew it would start with a bang, so I didn’t jump, unlike some people around me.  The couple in front must have known too because the lady let out a little “woo-hoo!” and some brief applause when it started.  As Misha noted, it seemed to work better than in ANJ simply because there we so many people participating during ANJ that it was overkill.

Thankfully next was the intermission because by this point I needed to stretch my legs.  After moving around a bit, I mostly just chatted with the couple in front of me until the show resumed.

“Amazing Grace” begin as soon as the lights went down again with Anthony playing the bagpipes on the left side, close to the top of middle section of the auditorium.  It brought out an immediate applause and continued until he was on the stage.  Dang he is good; nothing makes “Amazing Grace” work like bagpipes.  It has always been one of my favorite religious songs and was so glad to hear the girls sing it live.  It got another huge applause with some standing when it was over.

“Nil S’en La” is another one of those songs which really got the audience into it.  Every time the girls switch to their “one off” dresses such as here or in “Téir Abhaile Riú” it is a completely different type of production for that one song.  It started with instruments including Ray and the choir off to the left and right, same places Lisa and Chloe were for the start of “Téir Abhaile Riú.”  What I find so enjoyable about it is you can tell everyone on stage is just having a lot of fun doing it be it Máiréad smacking someone on the butt with her bow or Lisa and Chloe pretending to be annoyed with one another.  They all have such amazing chemistry with one another; something that can’t be faked.  Most people were clapping throughout, but some in my section, including yours truly, stopped for a bit.  (Clapping wrong while wearing my Aggie ring makes my hand hurt.)  Unfortunately Máiréad and Lisa both noticed this one small cluster of non-participants, like two dang teachers catching the one kid not behaving.  Lisa gave us a dirty, but clearly playful look, and Máiréad accusingly pointed her bow at us.  Needless to say we had to start clapping again.  All in all, it was a lot of fun.

I’m not going to say anything about the Broadway Tribute since I could really care less about theatre (plays).  It was nice music and well done, but like with “Orinoco Flow,” there are other songs I would have preferred.

As others have mentioned, Lisa began “Bridge Over Troubled Water” with an explanation of their love for America and how much all of us mean to them.  She put everything into her rendition of this song like it was the performance of her life.

The stage was almost completely blacked out for “Ave Maria” except for dim bluish or violet lights (I can’t remember the exact color, perhaps some of both).  The candles carried by the choir illuminated Chloe as much as the stage lighting did.  She looked so beautiful.  I still cannot believe anyone could call her ugly; she’s gorgeous and her smile is infectious.  She put as much into it as Lisa did for “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”

I’ve had to think very hard about how to write this because in no way do I want it to come out the wrong way.  Anyone who has seen my other posts knows that Lisa Kelly will always be my favorite CW, and her rendition of “The Voice” is the reason I am a CW fan.  “The Voice” (along with “Caledonia”) will always be Lisa’s to me.

Now, this is not a criticism of Susan’s rendition of “The Voice;” she did an amazing job in her own right.  However, to me it seemed that several times she tried to mirror Lisa, even down to how she moved, walked onto the stage, and interacted with Máiréad.   I would have liked to see her make the performance wholly and uniquely her own like she did with “Caledonia.”

Máiréad actually spoke!  It’s so rare to actually hear during the show compared to the other girls, but so nice since she has such a cute voice.  She gave the intro for “You Raise me Up.” It’s a truly uplifting song, another I’ve enjoyed since it became popular in many church services.   Anyone who might have been drifting off would have been snapped right back to full attention.

After “You Raise me Up,” which at first some thought was the end, they came back to do “The Parting Glass.”  Lisa asked if we wanted to hear one more and provided the intro for this song, pretty much saying the same thing that Misha mentioned in her review.  A lot of people sang along, which the girls encouraged, but I couldn’t.  I cannot sing to save my life and will not curse anyone with an attempt.

Everyone was on their feet by the end of “The Parting Glass” and no one sat down again.  The applause only stopped long enough to let the girls say their farewells and to give honors to the musicians, dancers, and the choir.  Once they did and the finale began, everyone was clapping, either along with the music or just as applause.  The finale which was a good 2-4 minutes with the girls moving to different places on the stage to take their bows and blow some kisses to every section of the audience.

I was always hoping for something like a smile or wink from one of the girls since they had done it to other people sitting in the first few rows.  Knowing this was my last chance, when Lisa looked down at my section, I looked right at her with as much of a smile as I could muster.  And I wasn’t disappointed.  Lisa looked right back at me with one of her beautiful smiles.  I could have died happy right then and there.  I didn’t mention this earlier because I wanted to save it for my review.

For the life of me I cannot remember what it was, but they sang several verses from an earlier song and Máiréad actually sang as well rather than played her fiddle, which I just loved.  Her voice is just as beautiful as Chloe’s Lisa’s, and Susan’s.  The girls exited up the stage, each one stopping to give one last bow and/or kiss to the audience as each exited.  Máiréad was last with her usual departure of one last strong note from her fiddle, holding her bow in the air, and then running off stage.

Phew, I thought I was going to end up writing forever and had to stop repeating myself too much since I can only think of so many ways to describe the show and the girls.  They really are very special for more reasons than can be listed.

I look forward to seeing them in Dallas come December and perhaps somewhere next year where they have a M&G or at least seeing a show with some people from the forum.

It's a dramatization of how Irish women argue, expressed through song and pantomime. The meaning can get a bit lost if you can't see clearly but basically Lisa's been flirting again and neglecting her chores, and "big sister" Chloe has had enough and confronts her, til Susan intervenes to settle the argument. As for Chloe, I honestly wasn't planning on another CW show after this, since they are expensive and I have already fulfilled my dream of meeting the girls. But Chloe made me promise her that she'd see me again next spring, and I can just imagine the look on her face should I not keep my promise.

 

I agree 1000 percent


Glad to know you noticed and enjoyed the difference.


I got the same look for the same reason from them both at my show. I started clapping again in a hurry.


It was a mix of both that almost created a deep midnight purple


Ah, but its a tradition. You should have! Its traditionally sung at the end of the night in pubs, and everyone regardless of singing ability!


Congratulations. Lisa works hard to make her fans feel special. All the girls do.


The song is "Mo Ghile Mear" and I agree wholeheartedly re: Mairead's singing voice. Now if only we could convince her of that.


Yes. Yes they are. Glad you had such a wonderful experience and took the time to share it here!

Misha, thanks for replying to so much of my review. You make me feel warm and fuzzy. (http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/CO757300/GIFs/happy.gif)


I understand the song itself, mostly, but they seemed to just be singing nonsense for a couple of minutes while standing in the audience.  I guess since that either doesn’t occur on the Believe DVD or it’s not shown is what kind of threw me off.  It's such a riot to watch them "fight" and play around with all the guys, even the musicians who don't get to do nearly as much interaction as Ray, Andrew, and the choir.

I’m sure you’ll have fun seeing Chloe again.  Hopefully I’ll get the meet them one day as well.


Glad to know it wasn’t just me.


She really does; not to say the other girls don’t, but Lisa seems to make a continual and noticeable effort throughout the show.  I'm just not the type of person who will do something flashy to get attention so I was really touched that Lisa noticed me at the end.  This is why I had the brief urge to create a Twitter account to say something to her.


Maybe next time. Of course, if I got a "sing or die" took from one of the girls, I'd find a way.  :D


I thought it was, but just could not be certain.  I was too busy watching the girls and looking for my chance to get Lisa’s attention.


Thanks and thanks for replying (http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/CO757300/GIFs/happy.gif)

And an obligatory photo of my souvenir from the show.

(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/CO757300/CW/IMG_3195a_zps62f00e2d.jpg~original)

Aww. I was directly referring to the 'fight when I wrote this. It is gibberish syllables but they're mimicking an argument and setting the stage for TAR

Ah, I think we're on the same page now.  :)

The point is to watch what they're acting out. The story they tell through their actions is the reason why TAR gets sung/

If they do it at the next show, I'll make sure I can see them both clearly.  I could really only see Chloe from my seat.  I would guess we'll see it on the South Bend show whenever that is released.

Yes it was recorded