The Celtic Angels Christmas will bring a glimpse of Ireland during the holiday season to Evans on Dec. 20.
“It’s so social at Christmas. We want to celebrate that feeling,” said Louise Barry, a native of Dublin, Ireland, who founded the group. “A few things we tend to do are specific to Dublin.”
It’s patterned after a traditional Irish ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee), which is a gathering among friends and neighbors, usually involving music, dancing and storytelling.
The Dec. 20 event at the Jabez Sanford Hardin Performing Arts Center will have all those elements.
In addition to the singers who will be bringing the sounds of the season and maybe a surprise or two, Barry is joined by the Celtic Knights, a group of champion Irish dancers Some of them have performed in London’s West End and on Broadway.
“They’re an incredibly talented group,” she said.
For the final ceilidh element, Barry tries to include audience members so they feel like they’ve been among friends by the end of the performance.
“I do tend to make a demand on the audience,” she said. “I do ask for participation.”
Audiences, however, tend to want to oblige in the spirit of the season.
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Barry and her group have been to Evans before and have always received a warm welcome when performing.
“Southern hospitality is even more than I expected,” she said. “I’m thrilled to be back.”
The Celtic Angels Christmas is more than just a concert. It’s an experience, according to Barry.
“It’s a fluid and cohesive show,” she said.
It’s not just a dance number thrown in here and there that doesn’t blend with the overall performance, Barry said, but everything is brought together seamlessly.
The Celtic Angels will have two shows Dec. 20 — a matinee at 4:30 p.m. and an evening performance at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $46.95 and are available by calling Augusta Amusements at (706) 726-0366.
Other concerts in the Augusta Amusements 2022-2023 season include So Good – the Neil Diamond Experience at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27, 2023 and the Evans Opry featuring the Malpass Brothers and Teea Goans at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 3.
For information on other upcoming performances, visit augustaamusements.com.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the publisher of Augusta Good News. Sign up for the newsletter here.
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