An Irish Christmas December 5, 2014
Sure It Tis, An Irish Christmas Comes to
Cerritos
By Glen Creason
Any concert
describing itself as an Irish Christmas must allow plenty of leeway for the
American imagination. Such a show might range from the Pogues singing
“Fairytale of Old New York” to a swinging version of “Buala Bas” (Jingle Bells)
with uilleann pipes accompaniment. However,
the Irish Christmas that visited the Performing Arts Center over the weekend
was full of homespun Irish yuletide joy with a bit of Kerry for spice and
filled with plenty of surprises and authentic folk material that made it indeed 100% delightful. It was not like an old “Firestone Your Favorite Christmas
Album” full of the old chestnuts of the season but a heady mix of excellent
Irish dance, sprightly jigs and reels played by the Kerry men and women of the band plus
the sweet-as-a morning lark singing of an interesting variety of a few old
favorites and more true Irish folk delicacies. To balance the wildly exuberant
and thrilling dancing alongside the spirited, three part harmonies the show was
held together by a wise narrator, Sheelagh Cullen whose memories of an Irish
Christmas and selected prose and poety gave the whole an air of authenticity.
Sure, there was plenty of music, sung in pristine
harmony by Koral Aakre, Caitlin Ary and
Tamora Pellikka who were seamless throughout in versions of the familiar “Carol
of the Bells,” “The Holly She Bears a Berry,” “the Wexford Carol,” “Silent Night,”
and a jocular “the Twelve Days of Christmas.” These were mixed in with true
Irish gems “Ding Dong Dedero,” “Children’s Song,” “Si Do Mhaimeo,” Cead Mile
Failte Romhat a Losa” and the wonderful “Wren Song” (featuring,
appropriately to Los Angeles, one of the adorable Rodriguez dancing girls) that
was a delightful morsel for the finish after this big banquet of fun. Certainly, a great part of this joyful
celebration of the season was the marvelous Irish dancing by a dozen beautiful
young lasses and three handsome lads.
The stamina and skill was remarkable but the obvious joy in the numbers
when the dancers challenged each other to reach greater heights elevated the
show above mere holiday entertainment. Certainly, part of the appeal of the
evening was the fun the entire cast seemed to be having, quite like an actual family
Christmas celebration. This is a
terrific show with the exhilarating dancing and music of a Riverdance without the
entire slick Vegas dazzle that has attached itself to that once grand
show. For the first holiday show at the
Center for the yuletide this Irish Christmas was a fine one.
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