Fans hoping for a faithful reproduction of the Celtic Woman PBS special, DVD, and CDs got what they wanted, and they loved every minute of it. In that light, "Celtic Woman: A New Journey" is critic-proof.
From the traditional ("Danny Boy") to the new age (Enya's "Orinoco Flow" ) to the heart-tugging ("You Raise Me Up"), the foursome hit all the notes and smiled or looked sad at the designated moments. Nesbitt, a dead ringer for Kelly Ripa, ran around grinning and fiddling and offering random high kicks in tribute to the show's spiritual ancestor, "Riverdance."
"Isn't she something!" the older gentleman behind me kept saying. And yes, she was.
However, if you paid $75 for an orchestra seat expecting to be moved by a fresh take on Irish musical tradition or to hear a single moment of genuine, unrehearsed artistic interpretation, you went away disappointed.
Actually, there was one such moment: an acoustic guitar solo by one of the six backing musicians brought spontaneous applause that threw off the show's timing for an instant, the only such occurrence in the two-hour performance.
The show is sometimes criticized for its new age bent, but that was hard to discern except in drivelous lyrics such as, "We all travel the same road/ carry the same load/ reap what we have sowed."
Some might see new age in the rippling stage fog, the tinkling chimes, the abstract backdrops. But the dominant tone is really Vegas, from the two giant Emerson, Lake & Palmer -grade drum kits to the Up With People-style backup singers to the strafing spotlights. Not a lighting cue was missed.
In conclusion, five little words: Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.
