Review: Celtic Woman hits highs, lows in C.R. show

CEDAR RAPIDS - The 10th anniversary tour of Celtic Woman rolled into the U.S. Cellular Center on Friday night, bringing high production values but fairly bland content to a somewhat sparse crowd.

The performance opened with a 30-minute set by the Celtic Tenors. Matthew Gilsenan, James Nelson and Daryl Simpson sing well together, though Simpson's voice is thinner than his peers' fuller, warmer tones.

While they did perform one number in Scottish Gaelic and one aria - thereby delivering on the promise of their name - the Celtic Tenors devoted half the six-song set to songs by Americans Martina McBride, Bob Dylan and John Denver. The trio sang to recorded tracks, which, despite their skill, gave the performance something of a karaoke vibe.

The four women - three vocalists and a fiddler - who make up the current incarnation of Celtic Woman delivered, for the most part, lovely vocals and engaging fiddle riffs. Their close harmonies, particularly in interesting arrangements of 'Danny Boy” and 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” were pleasant to hear.

Supported by a sizable band, four dancers/vocalists and a thoughtful lighting design, the members of Celtic Woman hit their marks and were engaging performers. Still, much of the show's content felt uninspired. There was a sameness to the song choices, a predictability to many of the arrangements and a flatness to most of the movement.

What passes for dance for most of the show is undulating arms and hip swivels. The fiddler offered the occasional kick but did far more thrashing around and hair whipping than dancing. Two male dancers did offer a step-dancing feature, delivered with the swagger of American tap dancing rather than the stiffness of traditional Irish step, which was one of the highest-energy moments of the show.

The performance of 'Amazing Grace,” which began with a bagpiper at the back of the main floor and built to a soaring climax, was another highlight. Indeed, in a different sort of performance, this rendition of the hymn might have been the closing number.

When the end did arrive - following the performance of 'You Raise Me Up,” which has been part of the show's repertoire since the beginning - some audience members stood to applaud while others stood to find the exits as the encores unfolded. That's probably a fair assessment of the show - greatly appealing to some, good but not great to others.