Hi All!
I thought I'd write another post while on the bus to Grand Rapids....it's always a great time to get emails etc done on these journeys as well as some sleep!
Soon my Blog will be on my website with some more changes too, so drop in to www.maireadnesbitt.com for those.
Opening night in at the XCel Energy Arena in St. Paul Minneapolis went really well.
For me there's a lot to get used to. I have memorised the previous stage so well and was so used to the costumes that it's been a challenge to be at one with all that is new.
It was so great to see lots of people that I recognised, especially from the Máiréad Fan Forum-thanks for the support! Also meeting everyone at the Meet and Greet afterwards was really lovely. It was so nice to hear there that the show, for them, was every bit as good if not better than our previous show.
The audience were great and we all really enjoyed our opening night!
Tonight, we are coming from the Milwaukee Theatre and, for me, it was very enjoyable!
I'm finally getting comfortable with the beautiful stage and my memory for all the layout is kicking in!
It was a fantastic night with another lovely audience.
By the way, I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day!
We are in the Van Andel Arena tomorrow in Grand Rapids.
Looking forward to another arena and really tearing it up....
Thanks to our amazing band, choir, management, and crew for making every night so special and making sure it all goes so smoothly.
And finally, thanks to you, the audience, for making every night such a different experience and for being so supportive. See you at the concerts!
Le grá,
Máiréad.
Hey Máiréad!
ReplyDeleteI like your new blog! I'll be following along. I've heard the new tour is AMAZING and completely fantastic. I'm not seeing you guys until April in Orlando, but I am impatiently counting down the days! I have Meet and Greet tickets in Orlando as well as in West Palm Beach, so I'm hoping at some point I will get to meet you. :)
Anyway, stay safe, healthy and happy! See you soon!
Love always,
Emily
You and the others accomplished a stunning performance in milwakee. Everything from the performances to the dresses was spectacular. Loved the new songs and arrangements. Good luck with the rest of the tour and enjoy your days off!
ReplyDeleteBest Wishes,
Megan
Hello Máiréad
ReplyDeleteI Like your new blog :) I'm going to check it every day for new updates :D
I hope you will come to Holland real soon, so I can see you in a concert :)
greets and love,
Ralph (also known as shutny on your forum)
Hi Máiréad,
ReplyDeletehere is Peter from Germany (Hamburg) and now my first WHOW to you!
Last year in March at the very late night I zapped on TV (Norddeutsches Fernsehen N3) and spot to someone fiddling and moving around a stage between some singers. On TV-guide it was described as THE CELTIC WOMAN - A NEW JOURNEY...
Whow, who was that artist I think to myself and further on I had investigated in world wide web. Now today I know it and in the
meantime I've all DVD's and CD's. Last week I read all the guestbook entries on your web presence and it's unbelievable: The people around the world are at one!
First let me say: Thank you for the wonderful project CW and the fantastic style to interpret compositions and arrangements you, David and the team have done or adapted. The actual tour Isle of Hope in USA should get the same success like the shows before.
And it's truly a masterpiece of work behind the scenes and truly a masterpiece of logistics, it's unbelievable!
Traditional the first and the last act on stage but without a bunch of flowers. Oh dear, what a pity! But I think backstage you'll will get some when the near 300 years old fiddle is dismounted (lol - beloved audio engineering)?
Máiréad, I've not managed it yet to see you and CW live on stage, not in Ireland, Switzerland, US or in Germany. Oh dear...
So the only one is to see you now on the tv screen with DVD or perhaps read and see about something in world wide web. An actual report on mlive.com written by Sue Merrell on 16th (Grand Rapids) find all of the sudden some criticial words. But I think it stands more now for the very high and grown expectations of the listener/viewer since this project becomes to a very high level (pressure to succeed).
When I saw your visual performance on Granuaile's Dance in Slane I thought to myself that "the space on stage couldn't be big
enough for fantastic Máiréad! She was great and had realy her own style to interpret and dancing the score! Yipiieehh!"
The next I thought about was that "it must be a great fun to compose/arrange one instrumental title for Máiréad as an mixture
of interpretation by styles/compositions (classical / traditional irish) over the centuries", with an Gaillarde (leaping dance,
14 Century, French/Italian) up to a piece from J.S.Bach like the Italian Concerto BWV 971, 3rd Movement. In up tempo!
All in one arrangement for fiddle versus orchestra it will be a challenging and good experience for you and David in doing this
and last but not least: Not a problem for our Máiréad. Moving around, dancing barefoot (it's classical!), a cosmic playing and what ever. By every trick in the book. Showing the people what's the difference between styles (classic / traditional) and playing technique and show them who's got the hammer - who is the boss around here... A great fun, and words will fail to Sue Merrell (hahaha).
Now a days I could imagine that J.S.Bach would be look and hear instinctly to the irish artists and their performances because many figures reflects to his compositions and are nearly similar or be strucked to his compositions. Not so in that mathematic way more in a improvisational way and rather in a kindred spirit way.
Yes, this CW project is a great luck for everyone, in anyway. It comes right in time and perhaps in near future when you (CW) will climbing up higher on the ladder of success we will hear about "CELTIC WOMAN - THE MOVIE".
A time travel through the culture and music of Ireland, influences and effects from the outside (today Europe) - performed and illustrated on original places with the artists of CW. That's it!
Ok, so far and good luck for your actual and further projects, for the Isle Of Hope Tour- best wishes for all in team, hearty greatings to the main singers, the fantastic musicians and the choir, to you and David. God bless you all!
I'll keep my fingers crossed... The next stage for Video and DVD production should be gigantic, "our Máiréad needs it" (smile)!
Hope that it will be happen to me that I could see you some day live on stage, perhaps in Hamburg or Ireland?
We have some big stages here and in 2 years the very new futuristic concert hall in the central harbour-city (see the picture on my blog)...
Best wishes from Hamburg (Germany)
Peter
Hi Mairead,
ReplyDeleteThanks for setting up the blog. Well without getting sentimental much. Since seeing CW at Slane on PBS, my first show at the Greek Theater of 2007 sitting front row. Then going to Dublin, Ireland for the first time to go to the ACC tapings and last years last show on tour. All I hope to meet you and the ladies and could say more.
Go raibh maith agat,
Craig
Hi Mairead,
ReplyDeleteHope to see you and the girls somewhere along the Isle of Hope tour.
Slainte'
Mairead, Thank you for such a wonderful opening night. Isle of hope is amazing, everyone else did a wonderful job putting this show together. I could not have had a better night, seeing the new show and getting to meet you for the first time. I hope that our paths cross again but as of this moment, I do not plan of attending anymore shows. However, if things work out, there maybe a chance I will see you on July 1 and 2 in Colorado.
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Destiny