Issue no.17 July 2007
Reviews
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Issue no.17 July 2007 Reviews |
 Mel’s Journal Celtic Woman: A Christmas Celebration Filming July 17th and 18th, 2007. The Helix, Dublin Ireland July 17th After spending the morning and early afternoon touring Dublin City, it was time to head to the Helix. I had already made a pre-run to the venue the evening before; to make sure I could find it. Having a rental car, I found that Dublin can be a bit...fun to try and find places. It was easy to get to once I found my route from the B&B I was staying at. I would say it was like maybe 3 miles; luckily my B&B was very near the street the Helix or rather the Dublin City University was off of (Collins Ave). I drove into the car park around 3:30, and headed for the doors of the Helix. Yep, I was the first one there. As I was standing there, people in black clothes, either women in dresses or blouse/skirts, or the men in all black pants, shirts etc, started showing up. After the first of them came to the door, a Helix employee came out and told them to go to the stage door. So as more showed up to the front door, I would ask if they are here for the show, as like with tickets, and they would say no, they are IN the show. So I started directing people to the stage door. I figure I could least be helpful. But I was starting to wonder if our familiar chorus group from the tour was even going to be in the show, as I had not seen one familiar face. Several of the people when I asked about them, they said they were singing in the choir. Ok, I figured they would have a choir, but this was going to be a big choir, since they just kept coming and coming. The one guy that had come out previously, came out and asked about me standing there, and when I explained I am here to watch the show that evening, he says, but the doors won't open till like 6:30pm. I told him I know, but since the seats are on a first come first serve, even though we have tickets, that I was making sure I had a good shot at the good seats. I then told him a few of us are from the states, here to watch the show, and he then goes: "Ohhhh...I heard about you"...and then he just laughs and goes back in. I am left wondering: “Is that a good thing. or a bad thing?” Now on this day, the weather tarts out sunny, then the clouds move in, with some periodic showers. Well this afternoon looked like a storm was brewing over in the west. So I kept my eye on it. I did have my rain jacket, plus the doorway area had a little bit of a roof to protect from the rain, as long as it wasn't like a blowing rain. Soon, somewhere between 4 and 4:15pm, McIrish showed up. We hugged, and proceeded to talk CW. Then around 4:30, others started showing up; Kathleen and her husband Paul, Susan and Suzie from the CWForum, Ghostrider, Scott (also of the forum, but not sure what his SN is), and then a few other non forum members, but also CW fans from the states. One couple was from Montana. Up till about 6pm, we pretty much were the only ones in line, with a few others joining us before then. The doors were supposed to open at 6:30 according to the guy who came out earlier, but we kept standing there, till I would say around 6:45. According to our emails, we were supposed to be seated by 7:30pm, but that was not going to happen.
While standing in line, Kathleen and I kept talking about what the stage would look like. Would there be snow, or trees and such. And one a lady once in a while would go inside, as it was getting passed 7:30, and she would come out saying “they had snow,” then the same woman went back in. and came back out saying: “Yes, there are trees.” Then we asked if they were decorated, and the lady replied: “No. they just have snow on them.” The lady soon comes back saying “they were cleaning up the snow,” and we got a puzzled look on our faces wondering why they had to clean it up.
We also were informed that they had removed a lot of the seating to extended the stage out, so we really were getting our curiosities peaked. Around this time, Charlie Brock and his wife, along with C. Jensen and his wife, show up. They have a sign they had made they wanted all of us to sign. So we took turns, so as not to loose our place in line. The Helix women started taking our ticket subs, saying they were only allowed to seat 20 people at a time. I found this a good way of crowd control. And as the doors finally opened around 8pm, we headed in, with me in the lead. But as we headed into the hall, we found out it wasn't exactly free for all seating, but we were told to fill the front row on the left side (facing the stage) as the Helix volunteers were told to fill certain areas first, due to the camera angles. The Helix can hold up to like 1260, but with the special staging, it looks like it could only maybe at best hold about 1000 or maybe just a bit less. The first 7 rows of the center section of flat stalls were completely removed, as was a good part of the left and right sections. The added staging was like a huge diamond, with the center point, pointing at the center section of the tiered stalls. Now what they did on the left and right sides was angled the seats, but there was only like 4 or 5 rows. With seats 1 being right in front of the point on the left side. The right section had to contend with a huge camera on tracks (see what I mean about me picking the good side). So as I sat in the first seat, McIrish sat next to me, then Susan, Suzie, Ghostrider, Kathleen and her Husband Paul, and a couple more people we had befriended (I believe it was Montana lady and her husband), I had that left point of the diamond right in front of me. The stage setting was like a winter outdoor scene. The first thing you noticed as you walked in was the mist. With a huge backdrop that was painted gray, that then had various flecks of grays and white in it, with a huge screened in area cut out in the middle. There were 4 trees that looked like they were covered in snow, but had a few lights on the inside to give this soft look to the trees. Also there were some bare white branches, again, back along the backdrop. As we were sitting, the crew was still adding some touches, like gray draping to the steps in on the sides and along the diamond extension. Charlie and C. Jensen and wives, sat in the center section, front row, of the tiered stalls. Behind Charlie are 3 huge stationary cameras. So there was actually a bit of an open hole in front of the cameras, since they were like only 3 rows behind Charlie. There also was one camera on a long boom behind us, and then one camera that were being manned by 2 guys. One would carry it around while the other one would control it. Forgive me if I don't know all the technical names for each type of camera. There also was one guy who carried a smaller camera. Being a technical person, watching all this behind the scenes production was very fascinating, and I have a much more appreciation for what the cast and crew of CW has to go thru to put on one of these spectacular productions. The girls alone had to start early in the morning, least according to one of my sources.
We also have a full orchestra, and the signature piano on the left side (our side). Everyone is dressed in black, making this feel like a very elegant show. We also find out where all those other people I had seen earlier went to. As the technicians test more lighting, we see what is behind the big screened in area in the backdrop. It’s where a huge choir (we figured maybe around 60) is seated. We only see them when the lights behind the screen come on and illuminate the choir. Finally around 8:30, they were finally ready, and so were we. Since we had no program to go by, we had no idea what songs would be involved, or in what order. Then the first notes, and it’s Carol of the Bells. And it’s not Mairead’s solo version, but it’s now the opening number. Mairead of course comes out first, then the other 4 burst onto the stage. And WOW…they look stunning. They are all in different pastels colored dresses, with this thin, white overlay, that just makes them look like either frosted ornaments, or in my opinion Angels ready to go on top of a tree. As Carol of the Bells ends, the girls do their bows and then the crowd not only applauds, but there are whistles and even a few whoops…and it’s not coming from us…least not at first. I actually was surprised at the reaction, only because knowing it was a Christmas program, I figured the audience would be more, toned down. Next, is Méav’s and Silent Night. She does a beautiful job with the song, just slow and very moving. Next up is White Christmas with Lisa, Méav and Chloe. As Méav is singing her part, all of sudden, the lights go out, except one spot light pointing at Méav. For a quick instance I thought it was part of the show, but then realized even the orchestra was in the dark, but the girls were not even phased, and just kept singing, finishing up the song and even making their curtsies, and then the TD came out and said they had a little bit of a technical problem, the lights went out. At first she thought it would come back on, but as we waited, she finally comes out and says it may take a while, the generator had stopped working. So people got up and went out to the lobby for a break, and about half an hour or so later, the lights slowly came back up. After they tested all the lights, it was time to get back to the show. But the girls needed to start over from the start as they had a rhythm to the show, and they had lost that with the break. So it was easier for them to just start from the start, and so they did the first 3 songs again. This time White Christmas went off with out a hitch. Now we did have more technical issues, where some songs had to be redone again, but it didn’t seem to be that many. Orlagh came out next and sang Away In the Manger. Up next is Ding Dong Merrily on High, and what a great song. All the girls come out again with Mairead. The choreography of this show so far is outstanding. The girls are moving around a lot, so they are in different ends of the stage throughout the songs. For Act 2 and Act 3, the girls have removed the white overlay, and just are now in the beautiful pastel dresses. The 2nd Act starts out with, the chorus first coming out on stage, and then Ray with a cute little drum. He is the Drummer Boy for Chloe and Orlagh’s Little Drummer Boy song. Next song is Lisa’s The Christmas Song. She sang the song standing by the piano with David Mairead is up with a new solo. Close to the end of the tune, Lisa walks out from the right side, and stands, and then as Mairead ends the piece, she bows, and points her bow to Lisa…and then Lisa just goes right into…. The First Noel. She sings the first few refrains, and then Chloe comes out from the left side, and joins in. Now this is the first time we will hear Lisa and Chloe sing together, and I tell you now, it was just beautiful. Then Méav and Orlagh join in. Now at first this song starts out low and slow. But as all the girls now start singing, the song just gets more and more powerful. As the song ends, I again, am just in absolute awe of how well these ladies voices blend so well together. Now I believe the Wexford Carol is next, with Méav. Once again, she just sounds beautiful. Then…Christmas Pipes. I have been waiting so long to see this one performed. And I was not disappointed. I am not sure, but I think this song is the first appearance of the Choir. My fellow fans, be prepared to fall in love with this song all over again. If this performance does not just put a huge ball of joy in your heart and soul, well, then I don’t know what to say.
O’ Holy Night is up first, and again, one of the songs most of us have been waiting a long time to see performed. This song has a very special meaning, as it was one of my mother’s favorite Christmas songs. So as I watched the girls perform this, I gave a quick “this is for you Mom”, and it felt so wonderful. Up next is Panis Angelicus. First they set up several music stands, and chairs, as we have (I think) 2 violin and 2 cello players, sit in a have circle, as Chloe sings this song. Simply beautiful. Then Lisa comes out again, and it’s a new solo! I have never heard the song before, and after it was over, some of us wondered if it is a new David original written just for Lisa. It’s really is a Lisa song. Again, with no program, not sure of the title, but I am guessing it is called Green All Year Round, since this phrase is repeated thru out the song. Don Oiche Ud I Mbeithil (That Night In Bethlehem) is next. With Chloe and Méav, and Orlagh on her harp. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is next. It’s just so rare to find 4 women who can harmonize as well together as these girls do. O Come All Ye Faithful is the Finale song. And so we, the forum members stood up for the first standing ovation of the night. Very quickly others followed. And as the song ended…we get another Chloe Thank you, and it’s a nice long one too!
Encore song: Ok, I am not going to give much out on this one, as this is the one song that really is just pure fun for the girls, and I really want others to see it fresh, without any preview. But l will have to mention that this song is just a riot. Lots of expressions and moves. It’s also the only clapping to song. Right off the bat, people start clapping, but at one point, as I am watching Méav, since she is standing right in front of us, she give this LOOK, and I know I just started laughing. And then the next thing I know. I am out of sync with my clapping, and Méav is trying not to laugh. I think Méav saw us having troubles with the clapping after she gave that look, and she just couldn’t help but laugh. And as this show comes to an end, once again, a thunderous standing ovation. And as we stood around, not quite wanting to leave yet, to savor the moment, we would continue to discuss the show, but soon, the Helix people ushered us out, so they could clean up the area. We then stood around in the lobby, since the bar was still open. Some enjoyed another glass of Guinness, and again lots of talk about the show we had just experienced. Finally it was time to head back to our various hotels or B&B’s, to wait for the events of the following evening. Then as the 3 of us are going thru the doors, the one woman asked us if we enjoyed the show, and all of us said “Yes!”, that we really just loved it. The woman then asked us if we came from the states, and again we said "yes," and she asked "Did we come over just to watch the show?" And again,we said: “yes, we are huge fans of the girls.” Then the woman smiles and says “Oh, well, I am Méav’s Mother. Susan and Suzie also talked with Méav’s mother. They are just tickled that we would come to Ireland to see the show. I just said: ”If it wasn’t for the girls, we would never have taken the initiative to come to Ireland. Ireland had been on my list of places I had wanted to go but just never had the push to go.” Thus ends day one of Christmas in July.
The girl then explained they need a few people to fill some seats while they did mostly close ups, and also some behind the scenes extras for the DVD. As we got to the stage door, another woman was letting in others, the girl, told the woman that I had tickets for tonight, and if I could go in. The woman said sure, just let me put your name down. I was then lead into the auditorium and to the right side seating area. First off, I noticed that all the seats on the left side (the side we sat at the previous night) were removed, and cameras set up on that side. We were seated in the first 3 rows. Being one of the last to enter, I was in the last seat in the 3rd row. Now it was not a bad view, just an odd angle to watch the show. Apparently some of the other participants were either friends/relatives of the cast or crew, or just people pulled off the street, least the one woman next to me seem to have been. She first calls someone on her cell phone, saying she is in some show being taped, and she has no clue who is performing. We basically get the same talk from the Technical Director, as the night before. Basically this was just another rehearsal, so the songs were pretty much in the same order. Just there were a lot of stops, and re-do-over. But again, watching how the cameras were being used was very interesting. The one guy with just a single camera was getting a lot of close ups of the orchestra and band, some of the CW Chorus also. So any close-up shots of the orchestra or CW band, including Ray and Nick were done that afternoon, as well as the girls. The audience also included a few children (the CW staff gave all the kids ear plugs since the speakers were like right there), most in the front row, so this gave the girls something to really look at and smile for. It’s one thing to smile for the cameras, but when you have cute kids to look at, well you get those grins popping up. In between takes, some of the girls in the chorus, who were standing on the steps in front of us, would just coo at the kids, and wave. It was so cute!
After the 2nd Act was over, they decided to take a 15 min break. This gave people a chance to go stretch their legs, since this rehearsal had already been going on since 3:30 or so, and it was now like 5pm. As I headed out for a quick look to see if anyone was standing outside in line yet, I was relieved to see no one. Then I quickly ducked back inside. I knew the others were going to be wondering where the heck I was, but since the cell phone I had rented from Sprint never worked, (never could get a signal for a network) I was unable to call anyone. Besides, they were going to be jealous for my good luck
As I and a few others were sitting there, some of the CW staff came around and gave us water. I thought that was really nice of them.
Finally the 3rd Act was ready to start. Sometime during the 3rd act, I want to believe it was Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, but I am not sure. Just know that all 4 girls were on stage. They had to re-do the song, and as they were getting set back up in the recording area, Chloe looks right at me, smiles…and gives a little wave. I then smiled back, give a small wave, and then …everyone turns to look at me. You could tell they had this look on their faces as to who I was that Chloe was waving at me. I just kept smiling and continued to watch the rest of the show. I just thought that was so sweet of Chloe to do that.
Finally around 6:15 or so, they finished up. As I headed out the doors, I could see our group standing outside the outer doors. I was hoping they couldn’t see me, as I did not want to have to explain why I was on THE OTHER side of those doors…least not yet.
As I exited the stage door, and went back around, as I approached the group, I ran thru my head what I was going to say. So putting on my most frustrated look, as I got closer, Kathleen I believe was the first to spy me. As the others start asking where I had been, they had expected me to be at lunch, or least standing at the door. I then proceeded to ironically tell them I had spent the last 3+hrs in sheer misery….behind those doors. As questions started flying, I explained the whole thing, and how it came about. Let’s just say it was an interesting topic to pass the time.
We were hoping to get the same seats as the night before, but we were quickly told that they were making the left side for the handicapped, as we had seen a lot of people in wheelchairs arrive for this show. So we decided we would shoot for the front row center. But I think me and Kathleen got the better deal, as we were only like 5ft from the stage. The chairs were funny though, you could almost lean back in them, so it actually helped with looking up at the girls. Kathleen kidded that too bad they weren’t reclining chairs; we could put our feet up. Actually you had to keep scooting up, because at times you almost felt like you would slide out of the seat.
I looked around at the staging, and I realized that the backdrop seems to have more white added to it, plus there were more white branches around. And as the show progressed, I noticed they were using a lot more lighting too. And I swear the Christmas trees had more snow added too.
As the show got started, we realized these would be THE BEST seats. The girls were right there, and with being that close, lots of interaction with smiles, singing, especially Chloe and Orlagh.
At one point, Kathleen suggested moving our chairs up a couple inches, just so we could say we sat closest to the stage, but I also thought maybe I wouldn’t get a concussion in front of the girls. We noticed the 2 girls in the seats on the other side do the same thing, and Kathleen said one of them did have the camera guy bump into her.
I realized tonight’s show was different. It was a full production, not like last night’s show. It was like watching a regular show, except for the quick breaks between the Acts. And this time, the girls nailed every song; there were no re-do-over, or glitches that I know of. It was absolutely perfect.
And soon, it was the finale with O Come All Ye Faithful, and this time we stood up immediately. And of course we knew what was next: Let it Snow!
And as the lights come up, and we head out to the lobby once again, we are just glowing in the aftermath of 2 wonderful nights of glorious music.
As I got into my car, I sat for a few minutes just reeling in the emotions of the night’s events, and thinking, how is it that I came to be so lucky for once in my life, to be part of something so special. To think back to March 2005, and my first discovery of Celtic Woman, and to know that 2 and half years later, it would bring me, and others, back to where it started, Dublin Ireland, and the Helix.
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Once the doors did open, I then proceeded to the ticket counter to get the ticket.
We would be in the Mahony Hall (which is where they filmed the first DVD). There were entrance sides, Doors A and Doors B. I and the other headed for door A, which after we got in, was a very good choice. As we were standing there, one of the Helix volunteers, put up one of those stretchy line control systems. Mainly to keep us from getting to close to the doors, since they do push out toward us, and they didn’t want us, for one, blocking the door for others to go in and out, and also to not get hit by the doors. They were huge heavy doors. Once again, our little group was told we could go sit down, since it would be a while before the doors would open, but once again, we explained that we came from the states to see the show, and since its first come first serve, we were staying put, plus we are use to standing in line. Once we explained, she and another lady got a kick out of us. They became our best friends.
We also have what I would assume is the technical director possibly, for when she came out, she was the one to tell us about how all this was going to work. About how this was a production being recorded, how it will be done in 3 acts, with small breaks in between each act, how the cameras would work, that we would need to be patient, as they may have to redo some takes and such. Also it was ok for us to sing along.
After last nights show, I found it hard to get to sleep. I finally nodded off around 6am and woke up at 8:30am. After having my breakfast, I headed off to the bus stop to catch the 130 bus to City Centre. I had planned to do a bit more touring of Dublin as this would be my last free day in Dublin. I also was to meet up with the others at the Hard Rock around 3pm for lunch. But by the time I got down to City Centre, got on the Tour Bus, stopped off at a couple more places, and got back to the B&B it was already 2:30, and I realized I would not be able to make the lunch. So after getting changed, I decided to go ahead and head to the Helix. I arrived around 3:15. As I was walking up to the doors, to young ladies were standing there, I then realized they looked to be Helix Volunteers.
One of them asked me if I was here to see the show, and I responded “yes, I have tickets for tonight”. She then said the doors won’t open till 6:30, and once again I explained that I knew that, but I wanted to be first in line. I then thought maybe she was going to tell me I couldn’t stand there, so I started to say that the seats are first come, first serve. She says, oh, she knows, and that isn’t what she was going to say. She only wanted to know if I would like to watch the afternoon rehearsal. I am sure I had a shocked look, then a huge grin on my face, as I said “SURE!!!”
We decided to once again to hang around, have some drinks, and just bask in our new found friendships, and the experience of that night. At one point as I was getting my car park ticket paid for, I once again saw Méav’s mom, and I briefly spoke with her. I told her it was so wonderful to talk with her. As the lobby slowly started to become empty, our group talked more about what we saw, and what was different from the previous night.