Post by roger on Apr 6, 2007 9:53:28 GMT
From indystar.com:
Roger
'Accidental' careers grew from 'Riverdance'
By David Lindquist
Celtic Woman wasn't planned to be a long-term enterprise, but it's shaping up to be a blockbuster career for its members.
The collaboration of Irish female musicians began as a one-night proposition when David Downes -- former musical director of Irish step-dancing show "Riverdance" -- recruited four vocalists and a fiddle player for a single concert in 2004 that later aired on public television.
Celtic Woman has since generated three best-selling world music albums: a self-titled album released in 2005, "A Christmas Celebration" in 2006, and "A New Journey" in January.
On Wednesday, Celtic Woman will bring its "New Journey" tour to the Murat Theatre.
Looking back at the group's first-ever concert, singer Lisa Kelly says she didn't foresee a string of successes.
"I was just about to give birth when David asked me to do this," Kelly says. "He gave me a date, Sept. 15, 2004. I said, 'The baby is due Aug. 12. Yeah, I think I'll be around.' I thought of it as one night's work."
Kelly hadn't met fellow singers Chloe Agnew, Orla Fallon, Meav Ni Mhaolchatha or fiddle player Mairead Nesbitt before the show. The Celtic Woman ensemble rehearsed one day and performed the next.
The group promoted the PBS special with a trip to New York, where Celtic Woman made a St. Patrick's Day appearance on the "Today Show" in 2005.
"We never looked back after that," Kelly says. "It's been constant work and mayhem."
After growing up in Dublin, Kelly toured the United States for nearly five years as part of the "Riverdance" troupe.
"I'm like the America navigator for everyone (on the Celtic Woman tour)," she says. "Every time we're in a city, they ask, 'What's here?' "
Regarding Indianapolis, she mentions Circle Centre mall as a featured attraction as well as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where her favorite Irish driver, Eddie Irvine, raced in Formula One competitions.
Regarding Celtic Woman, Kelly says she's not surprised when adjectives such as "magic" and "mystical" are used to describe the group's airy mix of traditional Irish tunes and contemporary songs.
"I can understand why people find it healing and find it spiritual," Kelly says. "Irish music is very soulful music. It's music from the heart, and it's about the land and it's about love. Obviously, the Irish have a huge name over here. Nearly everybody you meet in America has some sort of Irish ancestry about them."
In addition to her knowledge of U.S. geography, Kelly has a background in American musical theatre.
She's portrayed the leading roles of Sandy in a production of "Grease," of Laurey in a production of "Oklahoma" and of Velma Kelly in a production of "Chicago."
Kelly's solo spotlights during the current Celtic Woman tour replicate her performances on the "New Journey" album and PBS special: "The Voice," "Caledonia" and "The Blessing."
If Kelly represents a contemporary sound within the Celtic Woman lineup, Fallon represents traditional Irish tones.
Agnew, Mhaolchatha and Nesbitt bring a blend of classical and folk influences, Kelly says.
"Everyone's going to see something different in the show," she says. "To me, that's the sign of a good show: People walk away and they've seen different things and they have different emotions."
Kelly -- mother to two sons, ages 4 and 2 -- says she's enjoying being part of a cultural phenomenon for a second time.
While "Riverdance" was a job, she characterizes Celtic Woman as something she loves.
"The kids tour with me, so I have that normality," she says. "Looking after them all day in a hotel room can be quite demanding and challenging. The show is the fun part of my day. Everyone else is coming to work; I'm coming to have fun."
By David Lindquist
Celtic Woman wasn't planned to be a long-term enterprise, but it's shaping up to be a blockbuster career for its members.
The collaboration of Irish female musicians began as a one-night proposition when David Downes -- former musical director of Irish step-dancing show "Riverdance" -- recruited four vocalists and a fiddle player for a single concert in 2004 that later aired on public television.
Celtic Woman has since generated three best-selling world music albums: a self-titled album released in 2005, "A Christmas Celebration" in 2006, and "A New Journey" in January.
On Wednesday, Celtic Woman will bring its "New Journey" tour to the Murat Theatre.
Looking back at the group's first-ever concert, singer Lisa Kelly says she didn't foresee a string of successes.
"I was just about to give birth when David asked me to do this," Kelly says. "He gave me a date, Sept. 15, 2004. I said, 'The baby is due Aug. 12. Yeah, I think I'll be around.' I thought of it as one night's work."
Kelly hadn't met fellow singers Chloe Agnew, Orla Fallon, Meav Ni Mhaolchatha or fiddle player Mairead Nesbitt before the show. The Celtic Woman ensemble rehearsed one day and performed the next.
The group promoted the PBS special with a trip to New York, where Celtic Woman made a St. Patrick's Day appearance on the "Today Show" in 2005.
"We never looked back after that," Kelly says. "It's been constant work and mayhem."
After growing up in Dublin, Kelly toured the United States for nearly five years as part of the "Riverdance" troupe.
"I'm like the America navigator for everyone (on the Celtic Woman tour)," she says. "Every time we're in a city, they ask, 'What's here?' "
Regarding Indianapolis, she mentions Circle Centre mall as a featured attraction as well as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where her favorite Irish driver, Eddie Irvine, raced in Formula One competitions.
Regarding Celtic Woman, Kelly says she's not surprised when adjectives such as "magic" and "mystical" are used to describe the group's airy mix of traditional Irish tunes and contemporary songs.
"I can understand why people find it healing and find it spiritual," Kelly says. "Irish music is very soulful music. It's music from the heart, and it's about the land and it's about love. Obviously, the Irish have a huge name over here. Nearly everybody you meet in America has some sort of Irish ancestry about them."
In addition to her knowledge of U.S. geography, Kelly has a background in American musical theatre.
She's portrayed the leading roles of Sandy in a production of "Grease," of Laurey in a production of "Oklahoma" and of Velma Kelly in a production of "Chicago."
Kelly's solo spotlights during the current Celtic Woman tour replicate her performances on the "New Journey" album and PBS special: "The Voice," "Caledonia" and "The Blessing."
If Kelly represents a contemporary sound within the Celtic Woman lineup, Fallon represents traditional Irish tones.
Agnew, Mhaolchatha and Nesbitt bring a blend of classical and folk influences, Kelly says.
"Everyone's going to see something different in the show," she says. "To me, that's the sign of a good show: People walk away and they've seen different things and they have different emotions."
Kelly -- mother to two sons, ages 4 and 2 -- says she's enjoying being part of a cultural phenomenon for a second time.
While "Riverdance" was a job, she characterizes Celtic Woman as something she loves.
"The kids tour with me, so I have that normality," she says. "Looking after them all day in a hotel room can be quite demanding and challenging. The show is the fun part of my day. Everyone else is coming to work; I'm coming to have fun."
Roger
