Review: Dallas December 15th

I knew, long before the show at Dallas, that this would be the most difficult review I'd ever write. Even though it was a little more than six months since my last show at Red Rocks and I have had longer droughts between shows, a few things had changed, not the least including a key personnel change with Celtic Woman. That is not to say that I didn't still want to go to the show; I absolutely did, and since Dallas was my only show for the Symphony Home For Christmas Tour, I knew I'd have to make the most of it.

As usual, there is a backstory to how I got my ticket. Roy originally bought a single ticket each for the Saturday and Sunday shows at Dallas when they first went on sale. I hadn't immediately gotten one myself because I was unsure what would happen with shows in the West and I wasn't sure I would do Dallas. By the time I was convinced that Celtic Woman would not again peform at my recurrent West Coast venue (Temecula), Roy had already gotten his tickets and we wouldn't be sitting together even if I did get my own. Then suddenly Roy decided to sell off both his tickets, deciding not to go. I decided to buy both from him, but I re-sold the Saturday one to Lester and kept the Sunday matinee one (row A, front row pit) for myself. Then in a totally strange twist, Roy changed his mind and decided he did want to go, and arranged to get a spare ticket that Mark Sterrett had put on the selling block. So now, he would ride up with me to Dallas. Got all that?

I was up at 2:30am, as Roy was going to join me at 4am. We had arranged to make the almost four hour ride to Dallas from the Houston area to meet up with Mike and Scott M. by 8am. While stopping at the Love's rest area gas station on Interstate 45 to use the bathroom facilites (which is a gas station chain that always takes pride in it's restrooms), Roy and I were informed that the men's room was out of order and that we'd have to use a portable outside. I was expecting to find a port-o-potty or two, but amazingly they had provided an office trailer with a row of bath stalls, with working plumbing. Amazingly of all, the facilities even had the aroma that Love's restrooms always have. Hats off to them.

Arriving in Dallas we sat with Mike and Scott in the hotel dining area for probably a half hour before heading out to Dealey Plaza, arguably the most famous spot in Dallas. It was here that President John Kennedy was assassinated, the fiftieth anniversary of which was less than a month prior. With intense interest we spent about an hour examining the site and listening to Sherman, a free-lance tour guide. For those of you who remember the old children's television series, it only occurred to me later that this might be the only time I would ever see a Sherman with a Mr. Peabody (Mike, that is) at the same time haha.

Because the show was a matinee, we had arranged a lunch at The Old Mill Restaurant as the forum gathering. We had Lester, Hubert, Eric (AggieGuy), Eric's mom, Mark, Coren, Mike, Scott, Roy, and myself (Clifford and his guest would meet up with us later at the venue). I made introductions where possible, as quite a few of these people hadn't met before. Conversation ranged from CW topics to Mark's passion for Oreos. You never know what you'll learn when Celtic Woman fans get together.

The Music Hall At Fair Park is a white-brick theater set within the State Fair complex. A fairly spacious lobby provides adequate space for patrons to roam. I don't know why so many of these theaters do this, but again the watering facilites are located downstairs from the main lobby in a basement. The interior of the theater is new construction, with acoustic shapes set into the walls such as I have seen on ceilings at other places. The balcony is set far back, with only a few rows to it. The stage is perhaps three feet high, and the orchestra on the stage leaves almost no room forward to the stage edge for the girls to get by Andy's drum kit. The pit consists of three rows of four-legged chairs, set in three divisions of center, left and right, with the front row less than three feet from the stage edge. I had front row pit, innermost seat on the drum side beside the aisle. One look at the layout told me I was probably going to be very happy with my seat position, as I saw an "X" on the stage floor almost directly in front of my chair. I passed the time talking to Hubert, and took note of spots for a later seat upgrade for him. I was also glad to again meet up with Dee... someday, he and I need to sit together for a show.

At many of my shows, unnamed persons have made an impression on me that I'll just never forget. This show was no different. Just before the lights dimmed, I gazed at the orchestra players sitting with their instruments, and a violin lady with short blonde hair locked eyes with me, gave me a huge grin, and winked. I took a deep breath.

John Page, who carries himself as the consummate gentleman, came out to conduct "Polar Express"... David made the introductions as he always does, followed by "Carole Of the Bells"; I really like this version of the song! It was Mairead Nesbitt who took her place directly before me on the stage, and she was so close that I could smell her perfume; it took Lisa Lambe all of one minute to find me, and Andy gave me a smile and a knowing nod... Lisa's "I'll Be Home For Christmas" took on special meaning to me this year because I really would be "home" for Christmas this year, visiting family in the northeast; thank you Lisa... my first live experience with Mairead Carlin in the spotlight was "Silent Night"; quite a beautiful voice, but I already knew that... very nice harmonies on "Ding Dong Merrily On High"... Susan, I adore that high note you hit on "The Christmas Song!!"... "Shenandoah" grew into "The Butterfly" in the beautiful way that it always does.

Alright, a couple things about "O Tannenbaum." What impressed me about Mairead Carlin for this show was not those high notes that she hit. Instead, it was the vibrato, in my opinion among the prettiest sounds that a female voice can produce, that I loved. M.C. performed an exquisite vibrato, and I really hope they can have her do more of those on next year's tour. Bravo for the vibrato. But David in my opinion made a bad trade for this tour. "O Tannenbaum", you're no "O Holy Night."

The crowd was about average in terms of participation, but it was almost an Atlanta Taping compared to the Symphony crowd at College Station the previous year which until the very end had created a new definition of the word "dead." Lighting was very good. There was a good and bad to the sound: because my seat was so close to the front, and because the stage had enough of a curve to it, the speakers were actually behind me, so I received an echo effect. I do not take this as a defect even though it was irritating; because of the configuration there was no way to compensate for it. It had a hidden advantage in that I could clearly hear the girls' unplugged singing before the echo. The disappointment with the sound came from the fact that there was a muffling noise you get when you speak into a mic too closely. For some reason it was most noticeable during one song (I forget which) when Mairead Carlin sang, even though she was holding the mic about where she should have. It was somewhat of a strange happening for a second show at a venue.

During the intermission I pointed out the empty seat behind me to Hubert, got the chance to give Laura a hug (who I hadn't seen in a year and a half), and gave my opinion of Mairead Carlin when asked. There were positives to accentuate, so I accentuated.

Second act... Mairead began the first notes of "In the Bleak Midwinter" and suddenly I thought back again to the end of last year's Symphony show at College Station, when I first heard the actual lyrics to this song when Blanca sang it for our little forum group, and my eyes welled with tears at the memory of that evening... unlike in the DVD, there was no snow coming down for "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas"... OH GOSH!!!!! Susan's "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear" was unbelievable!!!!! How I wish she could do this on the regular CW tours... very participatory "Granuaile's Dance"... thanks again Lisa for "Auld Lang Syne", I always look forward to hearing you sing it... my seat position wasn't the best to enjoy the combining of Mairead Carlin's voice with Anthony's bagpipe.

As Mairead Nesbitt pulled back her bow to begin the opening strains of "You Raise Me Up," I thought quickly of closing my eyes just before the other Mairead would sing what I consider the most important lyrics in all the Celtic Woman canon: "Then I am still and wait here in the silence/Until you come, and sit awhile with me." But I realized that I had to let go and allow Mairead Carlin to shine in my heart. No matter what the official chronology says, in that moment Mairead ceased to be the "new girl" and became truly a part of Celtic Woman for me.

Mairead Nesbitt whispered "Let it snow!" to finish, and Lisa Lambe blew me a parting kiss as she walked by me. My 2013 shows were concluded.

We stepped outside to wave as the girls boarded a van. Roy, Scott, Mike, and myself - four guys that had experienced much together over these years - went to the local Jack In the Box for a quick bite, but Roy and I needed to head out for another four hour ride back to Houston. Goodbyes to dear friends are often the hardest parts of these shows, but there's always next time, and until then, they'd be in my heart and I knew I'd be in theirs.

There were also dear fan friends who never sat with me at Dallas but who were there in spirit. You know who you are.

Since I had only one show for this tour, I have no tour summary to write; the review above is just about it, although there is one little thing I have omitted, the first and only disappointment I have ever felt towards any of the stage performers for anything done or not done on stage. I'll be doing more CW shows in the spring, and that would afford a better opportunity to reflect on the state of the tours. Instead I will conclude with something else. The reason that this review was the most difficult I've ever written is because there was something different for me with this show. It was not necessarily something worse, or better, but something different. It really could be nothing else, if you know me and if you know the recent history of Celtic Woman, in combination.

There is always an emotional turmoil when a fan sees his or her first show after their favorite is gone from the lineup. I have watched my friends at shows go through this: John (MeavMan) and Tony seeing Lynn performing in Meav's place; Wickie seeing Alex performing instead of Orlagh; Amy seeing Lisa Lambe singing in the slot that Lynn had occupied; and Roy, Jim Allen, Thomas, and Laura seeing Susan in place of Lisa Kelly. I had heard how it had been for Kelly Mann at a show in the northeast on this very tour. And finally, this show was my turn to experience this same feeling.

Maybe it would have been different if I had been at Vegas, where Mairead Carlin and even her family had been personally interactive with some of the fans. But at present she is the performer that I feel the least personal connection to. This is not meant to be a knock in any way against her, for she is a fantastic talent in her own right and I like to think my review speaks well of her as a stage performer. If I had been introduced to her, I could almost have said "It's not you; it's me." Anyway, I'll have a M&G in the spring which will give me the chance to build a history with her. So a dear and tender goodbye til next year to the ladies of Celtic Woman that brought me to Dallas: Mairead Carlin, Susan McFadden, Lisa Lambe, and Mairead Nesbitt.

But I conclude this review - and this year of reviews - with a goodbye to someone who was in my thoughts many times on this day, someone who wasn't even in Dallas, yet someone who will always be a part of Celtic Woman, someone whose voice carried me across this beautiful country, and someone who inspired me and helped me to inspire others. Take care til we meet again, Chloe Agnew.

Celtic Woman Forever!