Celtic Woman: Songs from the Heart ~ Review
San Diego, CA
Civic Theater ~ May 7th, 2010Hi, everyone! Little ol’ Rain here, back from the long trip to San Diego!
Whew, where do I start?
~~~~~Getting There~~~~~Hmmmm…how about, when I got a call from my aunt on the day of the show. “Sorry, but the car broke down.” I think I was allowed to freak out quite a bit! My mom told me I was overreacting, which, I suppose I was, since it was only 1 P.M. and the concert didn’t begin until 8 P.M. My aunt told me that everything was alright, and after that, all I heard from her was a babble. Something about the battery, they were going to get it fixed, yadda-yadda-yadda…I didn’t care. I just started to think that the universe was going to play some sort of sick joke on me that day and keep me from the best night of my life.
But, no! I wasn’t going to let this little mishap crush my spirits! I was GOING to San Diego, even if I had to walk there myself!
Two painfully long hours pass, and my aunt calls again, “I’m five minutes away, make sure you and Angelica are ready!” I tell my younger sister to get the suitcase we packed the night before, and I grab my purse. Packed in the suitcase was my IOH program from Long Beach and I had bought a little birthday card for Lisa about week before the show. I was hoping to give it to the twins (Katharine and Kristine) so they could pass it on to Lisa, or whoever was there at the M&G. Also, I had my two fiddler crossing signs (printed on good ol’ fashioned paper, not the fancy-smanshy ones all you Máiréad forum folks have!
) In my purse, I had my SFTH and Tinkerbell: The Lost Treasure DVDs that I planned on watching with Angelica after the show on her portable DVD player.
So, for those of you who DIDN’T know how I came across my tickets to San Diego, it was all due to my AMAZING Auntie Crystal. This night would not have been possible without her, and I really hope I got my gratitude across to her from the minute we left, to the moment we arrived back home. Buuuuut….I ALSO didn’t even know where my seats were until about HALFWAY into the long trip! After we picked up my uncle and Lamb-chop (Their miniature Spaniard poodle who would be riding along with us) we were finally on our way.
The ride was nerve-wracking, if you want it in a nutshell. After about two and a half hours, and five wrong turns later, we found our hotel, the Hilton. GORGEOUS bayside rooms, and all throughout the day, I couldn’t believe we’d driven all the way to San Diego!
I was checking my phone every two seconds. It was already around 6:30 P.M. when we checked into our rooms, and we hadn’t even gotten the chance to sit down to eat yet!
Eventually, we finished dinner at this nice little place called the Fox Sports Grill. 7:00 P.M. I was afraid I wouldn’t make it, since we still needed to figure out how to find the actual theater. And downtown San Diego, my friends, is NOT a pretty sight in the evening. Ugh.
Skipping the drama, my uncle dropped us off in front of the venue. I could clearly see the merchandise table, set out with all the cool new stuff! I picked out Rachel and Caitlin from the crowd and called over to them. We hugged and talked for about a minute, until I finally bought two T-shirts for myself and Angelica and a Songs From the Heart program. 7:45 P.M. Fifteen minutes. Promising that we would catch up later inside, Rachel and Caitlin separated from us. Since my aunt hadn’t bought any tickets, it was time for her to let us go in. After swearing that I wouldn’t let my sister out of my sight, she finally waved us off.
I pulled out the tickets from my purse and showed them to staff. “Row M. Kay, you’ll guys will see a row marked ‘M’ and that’s where you’re sitting.” We found our row. Practically the same seats we got from Long Beach (center row of the orchestra section), which weren’t all that bad, but I could tell Angelica was disappointed (and trust me, I was, too!) that we hadn’t gotten up at least a little closer. Oh well, I thought to myself, I’m still here, and all that counts right now is that we have a good time!
It was just that…and more. So much more than I could ever possibly have imagined.
We still had about ten minutes to waste before the lights dimmed. Angelica and I walk up to the front of the orchestra section, where we know all the ForumFest people are! After shaking hands with everyone, I see a Fiddler Crossing Jacket, “Oh my God! Who’s is that?!“ I couldn’t help but point and go “I LOVE IT!“ (I totally wanted one of my own right then!) I’m introduced to the owner of the jacket, tink, and it was very nice to meet you!
Then, I see Katharine and Kristine, and I couldn’t believe it! They were HERE! The TWINS! Two of the greatest friends ever, no less than a few steps in front of me!!! THIS IS SO COOL!
So we hug and chat a bit! Hayley and Miranda (YoungTwins) were sitting right next to Kath and Kris, and we say hi and hug as well. (A pair of twins, not exactly something you see every day!) It’s all a blur, but I remember Hayley and Miranda suddenly asking me where our seats were. “Practically same place I got last time. Row M. Middle orchestra.” I shrugged, still smiling. “Oh, we have two extra tickets for row J.” “Is that….closer?” (Like I don’t know my alphabet! Haha! I felt so stupid!) “Yeah!” I thank them and they hand me the tickets, making the first half of the show even more spectacular than I was hoping for it to be! Thanks so much, you two!
A few minutes before I was going to head back to our (NEW!) proper seats, I faintly hear the name “Lisa.” and it all rushes back to me. I look at Angelica, “Oh my God. No. No!” I forgot her birthday card! And then….birthday card is with IOH program. IOH program in suitcase. Suitcase at hotel. FIDDLER CROSSING SIGNS in SUITCASE. Gah!!!! I wanted to slap myself. I was really bummed because of that, but tried not to let it dampen my spirits too much. I was still here to have a great time. The twins gave me their extra two seats, which were closer than our original. Awesome. This show is going to be unforgettable!
David’s voice comes over the speakers. Five minutes to go. I quickly tell the twins and all the other ForumFest people goodbye and that we’ll see each other at intermission!
Angelica and I rush back to our new seats. Awesome! This was totally better than what we had before! About a full five rows closer to the stage! No need for binoculars this night!
Suddenly, I overhear three people behind me chatting about “One of the girls. Isn’t she about eighteen or nineteen or something?” They’re talking about Chloe. My natural CW instincts kick in and I turn around, seeing them point at one of the girls, “Oh, that’s Chloe. Yeah, she’s twenty.” From there on, I had a nice little conversation with the three people, and I even passed on to them that it was Lisa’s birthday! When asked who Lisa was, I gladly pointed her out on their program. Soon enough, “Who’s this? Who’s that?” And I named all the girls as I pointed at each one, not bothering to even look at who was who because I had the order memorized!
Then….the show was starting! I quickly turn back around in my seats, satisfied with the CW love I was able to spread, and the lights dimmed.
Now, I’m the kind of person who doesn’t really mind spoilers all that much. I knew what the intro would be like. Candles. Nil Se’n La, only with a slow intro. I was wondering how it would all look while it happened right in front of me!
Heeeeeeeeere we go!
~~~~~End, Getting There~~~~~
