Like Sleepless in Seattle there are a few detours but a happy ending.  A very happy ending, in fact, although not what you may be thinking.  To put everyone's mind at ease, Máiréad was back to her usual self, although she seemed to be holding back just a little as if she was testing her limits.

But first my standard travelogue; don't worry, I'll try to keep it short.  I left home on Sunday and made a business stop on Monday.  That's my usual routine when coming south because I can get reimbursed for some of my mileage.  I left for Atlanta Tuesday morning with my thermometer showing 42 degrees.  As I got further south it gradually rose through the 50s and 60s until it hit 75 degrees when I crossed the state line into Georgia.  Not a cloud in the sky either, although it was a bit breezy.  While standing at the front desk checking in who shows up but Tony.  Considering our radically different routes (and modes) of travel it was an amazing coincidence.  After getting settled in, Neil joined us in the lobby and we went walkabout.  Twenty minutes later we arrived at the Georgia Aquarium (on my list for Thursday) and had dinner at Johnny Rockets.  With freshly made milkshakes and an old fashioned jukebox with music selectors at each table it was like going back to the 50s.  After locating the CNN building which Tony would be touring on Wednesday and Thursday we walked back to the hotel and crashed for the night.  By the way, my hotel room is like a small apartment with a complete kitchen (full-size refrigerator, stove, microwave and dishwasher), a complete laundry (with washer and dryer) and more closet space than I have at home, for the same price as a regular room.

Wednesday dawned clear with the promise of another warm day.  There are morning tours of the Fox Theater so I opted for that before doing anything else.  There were several CWF members already there and the group ended up being about 15 people.  The tour is more than 90 minutes and goes through quite a few areas not open to a normal concert-goer and is well worth the $10 charge.  Pictures are permitted and I have plenty to share.  After the tour I ran into Tony, coming back from CNN, and Dwight, who had arrived early in the morning and crashed in Tony's room until check in time.  We went for lunch and by the time we were done catching up there was no time to do anything else.  Meanwhile, John and Amy had arrived so we made plans to meet for dinner.  After dinner I made several deliveries to John, gave everyone Lisa Lambe buttons, and we were off.

Once inside, the first stop was the merchandise table.  I got a couple of programs for myself and others and a sorely needed keychain.  Then came the first surprise of the night.  Our tickets were in row BBB and the seating chart put us just right of center in the second row.  It turned out that there was no row AAA so we ended up in the front row just feet from a nice low stage.  What a way to start my tour: an awesome seat in an awesome venue.  I chose the seat farthest from the center and was right in front of Tommy which is, not coincidentally, where Máiréad stands during You Raise Me Up.

As showtime approached I noticed that the theater was only about half full; very disappointing.  The delightful local PBS representative, Alicia, stopped by and thanked us us for supporting Atlanta PBS.  Finally (you thought I'd never get here, did you?), the lights dimmed, the wind started, and one by one Chloë, Lisa, and Lisa came out with their candles.  I haven't decided the best way to identify the two Lisa's yet, so for now I'll refer to the newbie as Ms. Lisa to distinguish her from Mrs. Lisa Kelly.

Let me get the “technical” details out of the way first.  There have been quite a few changes to the show since last year, most subtle but some not so subtle.  Several of the ballads seem to have had their tempos slowed down a little.  The lyrics felt a little less rushed and the girls seemed to sink their teeth into them a little more.  Goodnight My Angel is an all new arrangement with Brian on the piano.  I noticed several lighting changes, too.  Orinoco Flow now has lightning effects from the front lights as well as the back.  The lighting for the first part of Granuaile's Dance seemed more yellow/gold and was very pretty.

Some observations on specific songs:

Fields of Gold.  I think this may be the best performance I've ever heard Lisa give.  The apparent slower tempo allowed her to linger a little on the lyrics and she really put her heart and soul into it.  Bravo!

Coast of Galicia.  As I mentioned at the beginning, Máiréad seemed to be holding back just a little.  I think she was fine but needed to convince herself before going all out.  She started spinning very slowly but cranked it up and managed an easy 10 spins.  I had my “Spin Limit 12” sign displayed and she gave me one of those heart-melting smiles when she saw it.  *Sigh*  Can't get enough of those.

My Lagan Love.  This was Ms. Lisa's first solo and I promised myself I'd keep an open mind.  The first thing she has done to try to put her own stamp on it is to start out speaking rather than singing.  The opening seemed to be an old Irish poem of some sort.  I didn't recognize it and need to hear it a few more times.  While her voice seems to have about the same range as Lynn it has a softer sound to it, not quite as crystalline as Lynn's.  It's neither better nor worse, just different.  This will always be Lynn's song, but I don't feel as badly about it as a certain other song.

Galway Bay.  Chloë mentioned in her (very long) introduction that she recently learned that this was her grandfather's “go to” party song.  Like FoG, the pace seemed to be slower and Chloë took full advantage of being less rushed.  The family connection made her more emotionally involved than I've seen before and it really showed.

Granuaile's Dance.  After taking it a little easy during CoG, Máiréad seemed more comfortable and notched it up a little bit.

My Heart Was Home Again.  Dueting Lisa's.  I still think this should be a solo and not a duet.  With the seemingly slower tempo, Lisa almost had me.  Almost.  Then Ms. Lisa almost had me.  The song is a story and changing storytellers in the middle just doesn't make sense to me.  It was the best effort yet, though.

Goodnight My Angel.  I like the new arrangement but I would change one thing: reduce the piano volume.  It's a lullaby and the piano overpowers Lisa and Chloë at times.  Chloë dialed her voice back last summer, now do the same to the piano.

When You Believe.  Chloë becomes her own best cheerleader at the end of this one.  After nailing that last note, she shakes her fists and lets out a “Yeah!”

The Moon's a Harsh Mistress.  Another song that seems slower, Lisa nailed this one like never before.  She did get me.

Dulaman.  Ms. Lisa's second chance to shine and here she has really put her own stamp on things.  From her delightful semi-insulting introduction to her Hawaiian movements to her surprise instrumental interlude she has wrestled this one away from Lynn.

Last Rose Fantasia/Mason's Apron.  So much beauty, so little time.  Ray and the new drummer, Andy, do their best to woo Máiréad.  In the end, Ray gets butt-butted clear off the platform and Andy gets hip-butted off the other side, although it take three tries before he takes the hint.  This number is so much fun to watch and Máiréad is at her flirtatious best.  She's back to full throttle.

In summary, the show was outstanding and Ms. Lisa has done an admirable job in becoming a Celtic Woman.  Someone seeing the show for the first time would never know she was new if she hadn't mentioned it in her introduction to Dulaman.  There was lot of interaction with the artists tonight.  Lisa and Chloë spotted me right away, of course, as did Máiréad.  Ms. Lisa gave me a few looks during Nil Se'n La but she obviously didn't know who I was yet.  As the show progressed I got more and longer looks; I suspect she had been told that chocolate would be her reward.

After the resounding Finale and Spanish Lady encore it was Meet & Greet time.  Two representatives from PBS led us to a side room where we showed our passes and got our names checked off the list.  We were treated to what I believe is the first ever double Lisa M&G.  While I had obviously hoped for Máiréad, I had things to talk about and deliver to all of the girls.  I'll get my chance to see her next week.  PBS had free soft drinks and snacks to keep us occupied while we waited, which was good since there were 40 people.  The new style M&G process, though, made the wait worth it as nobody was rushed.  I took a few non-flash pictures as non-forum members went through the line, but the room was too dark even for my M&G camera.  I reluctantly used the flash when I got in line but I was more interested in chatting than photography tonight.

Ms. Lisa was first and seemed to know me before I even introduced myself, so apparently the CWIA (Celtic Woman Intelligence Agency) had indeed blown my cover earlier.  She immediately noticed the Lisa Lambe button on my jacket and commented, “Ooh, I have a button!”  Of course, I gave her one of her very own and she seemed genuinely pleased.  Kudos to those on the LL forum.  She has a beautiful autograph, too.  Thank you, Ms. Lisa.

Then it was time for the queen of the M&G.  Right away Lisa mentioned that she missed me at the first couple of shows and said she got a little nervous when she saw me tonight.  Anticipating a review perhaps?  I had some personal things to thank Lisa for and I actually remembered them.  We had a wonderful little chat, reminiscent of Manchester last year.  Thank you, Lisa.

Thanks also to Bubba and Dustin for a very pleasant M&G experience.  I introduced myself to both, although I didn't seem to be a stranger to either of them, even though I had never met them before.  CWIA again?  They are both extremely nice gentlemen, and I don't use that word lightly.

Final score.  Lighting: 10 (Yes, they got it right)  Audience: 7  Show: 10+

The original review is here.