Celtic Crossroads
Celtic Crossroads is an Irish music, song, and dance show that is firmly rooted in the tradition, but also embraces the outside influences, both historic and modern, that have made their presence felt in Ireland and in the culture of the Irish diaspora. The show features five musicians, each one of them highly skilled multi-instrumentalists playing a total of eleven instruments, and three dancers that are masters of competitive Irish step and tap, bringing to the stage an explosive and unbridled energy that audiences find absolutely infectious. Most of the troupe are from Ireland, though Australia, Canada, and the United States are also represented on stage.
Though the bulk of the show’s music and dance repertoire is comprised of traditional reels and jigs, the additional musical selections are surprisingly diverse, including a blazing set of bluegrass fiddle tunes and a show-stopping Hungarian gypsy violin piece performed by the show’s musical director, Michael McClintock, a beautiful harp solo and imaginative polka both composed and performed by singer and instrumentalist Lisa Canny, and a drum solo from Diarmaid Hurley and percussive dance piece by Marcus Donnelly combined into a rhythmic exploration that is at the same time unbelievably tight and absolutely vibrating with energy and humor. The show’s vocal numbers are equally varied, including traditional American folk songs, Dougie McLean’s beautiful song ‘Caledonia’ sung from the Scottish emigrant’s perspective, a dying lament of ‘The Last of the Great Whales’, and the timeless classic ‘Danny Boy’, as well as the ancient Irish love ballad, ‘Ned of the Hill’.
In today's world of pre-recorded music and piped-in entertainment, the best thing about Celtic Crossroads is that the show is, at every single moment from start to finish, 100% LIVE. There are no backing tracks, no miming, no faking, and no safety net, making every single performance of Celtic Crossroads a unique interaction between the cast and the audience, and that, ladies and gentleman, is what Celtic Crossroads is all about.
Celtic Crossroads are appearing at The Sellersville Theater March 10.
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