Today was a long day.  I left Charlottesville around 8am and got to the Post Office to pick up 2 week's worth of mail around 12:30.  I got home a little after 1pm to find that there was still anywhere from 8 to 12 inches of snow in my driveway that hadn't yet melted from the blizzard 2 weeks ago.  My Jeep lived up to its reputation and I was able to force my way through it and get into the garage.  After starting a load of much needed laundry, I spent the next 2 hours plowing out.  I got some funny looks since everyone else had already long since done their's.  After getting cleaned up it was time to head for Baltimore to meet Tony, Scott (FurFace) and Dave for dinner before the show, so I didn't get much else done.

I was at the venue by 5:30 but, of course, Scott was on EMT (Eastern Meenan Time) so they didn't show up until almost 6:30.  There are virtually no places to eat in the immediate vicinity of the venue but we ended up at a “lovely” Scottish place with two arches above the front door.  I didn't have time to eat lunch so I was hungry and it was food.  We'll eat better tomorrow.

Tonight's show was at the Hippodrome which is another one of those lovingly restored old theaters.  It is not very big and only seats a little over 2,000 people.  The architecture is magnificent and the seats are rather steeply tiered which makes pretty much every seat a good one.  We had front row orchestra seats, right in the center and directly behind the pit.  This is the first theater I've been in where the pit was only a single row so we ended up actually being second row center.  The pit seats are very close to the stage and the stage is quite low so we had a great view.  Not bad, not bad at all.

Like the theater, the stage is very small and Máiréad didn't have much room to run, although she did plenty of running.  CW had only three of their big bass speakers on each side and they were on stage rather than on the floor.  They had the bass cranked up and the floor vibrated quite noticeably.  I think they overdid it though and, surprising to me, I don't think the sound was as good as it was at the arena in Charlottesville.  It wasn't as crisp and clear and seemed a little muffled and at times a bit distorted.

The crowd, like most lately, was a little quiet during the first half and there were only a smattering of standees after Mo Ghile Mear.  They got into it a little more during the second act and by the end they finally learned how to clap along to Spanish Lady, although one guy to my right had zero rhythm.

Because of the stage layout, there was no way to have either the chorus or Anthony enter or leave the stage through the audience.  There were no built-in steps like Charlotte and nowhere to add any temporary steps because the seats were so close.  At the end of Mo Ghile Mear the chorus members just remained on stage rather than leaving and returning.  Anthony's introduction to Amazing Grace, even though he couldn't do his normal walk down the aisle, was rather awesome.  Those of you who remember the Muppet Show should remember the two old guys who always heckled the performers.  The Hippodrome has side balcony box seats just like the one that Waldorf and Statler sat in and that was where Anthony stood for his solo.  He was backlit with a spotlight and both the visual and sound were quite amazing (pun intended).

Alex hit another one out of the park with My Heart Was Home Again.  I love that song more every time I hear it.  I'm getting to know it well enough that I can actually listen to parts of it in my head now.  A few more times should lock it in.   Máiréad did an amazing 11 spins tonight and, despite the small stage, was all over the place.  I got lots of attention tonight, actually we all did.   Máiréad gave me some of the most wonderful looks I've ever gotten from her, Chloë gave me the biggest smile near the end of Danny Boy, and I caught Lynn looking at me twice.  Each time I caught her she quickly looked away so I guess I won both times.  No insults for Ray and Nicky tonight, though, just seaweed.  Lisa kept looking at me, too, probably trying to figure out whether I had chocolate for them tonight.  I still have a tough time catching Alex's eye, though; her gaze doesn't linger in one spot very long.  Amazing Grace brought audible gasps from the audience and there were murmurs of astonishment after each of Máiréad's solos.  I heard the gentleman behind me ask his wife at one point, “Where's the orchestra?”  I didn't have the heart to tell him it was prerecorded.

There was a small scare during the Finale.  Máiréad was heading for the front right corner of the stage, giving the audience one of her “in your face” looks, when she hit the brakes and lost her footing.  She fell on her bum but got right up and barely missed a beat, laughing the whole time.  Mattius was unharmed as well.  We asked about her at the M&G and were assured that she was fine.  Apparently she was still laughing about it in the dressing room.  Our hearts collectively skipped a beat, though.  Please take it easy, Máiréad; we worry about you.

The highlight of the the Meet & Greet actually came before we even headed downstairs.  Mitch was checking names off his list and when he saw the four of us he pointed to each of us in turn and said, “No. No. No. No.”  We, of course, replied, “Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.”  Mitch is a great guy with a tough job and the mutual teasing is always fun.

Our guests  for the M&G were Chloë and Lynn.  I haven't seen Lynn at  a M&G for quite a while and had quite a bit of stuff for her to sign.  I far exceeded the 5 item limit but managed to sweet talk Kelly into letting me slide.  I actually had 11 items and she only made me remove one of them.  Thank you, Kelly; most of those items were not for me and I really appreciate it.  I ended up not having much time to chat with either of them but it was nice to see Lynn again.  I mentioned that she didn't insult her “seaweed” tonight and I asked what they though of being “slimed” in Roanoke.  She said that they enjoy it.  I figured they would; it's all in good fun.

There's a matinée tomorrow afternoon and then we'll do it all again tomorrow night, this time from those super close pit seats.  Hopefully I'll get to see Máiréad at the Meet & Greet again.

The original review is here.

There were two shows today, a 2:00 matinee and a 7:30 evening show.  It was the four of us again, Tony, Scott, Dave and me and this time Scott actually got to the venue first.  Of course he only lives a short distance away and I had to detour around an accident that closed Interstate 83 into Baltimore.

For the matinee we had third row balcony seats at the left end of the center section.  The balcony seats are very steeply tiered and, unless you are behind a Boston Celtic, every seat has an unobstructed view.  This was my first (and hopefully only) viewing of the show from other than the first or second row.  I had watched one Isle of Hope show last year, in Roanoke, from row R in the middle of the orchestra and it was quite spectacular.  This show, to me, is not as visually stunning.  Last year they did much more with the lighting; this year, with a few exceptions, most of the lighting is either just washes on the drapes or searchlight sweeps across the audience and venue ceiling.  Two songs do stand out and are very nicely done.  The new Songs from the Heart has the star backdrop illuminated and lovely blue and green designs projected on the stage from overhead and is one of the most beautiful lighting effects I've seen.  Non C'è Più has a rippling pattern projected onto the stage which suits the song, since it's about a stream.  Other than those two, though, the lighting overall just didn't move me as much as the last tour.

Of course, the show is not about the lighting; it is about the music.  Unfortunately, I thought the sound at the matinee was less than the perfection I have grown accustomed to.  I don't know if it was the particular acoustics of our location or something else, but in my opinion the sound was even worse than the Saturday night show.  The instrumental parts seemed to be drowning out the girls voices and I heard noticeable distortion on occasion.

The performances, on the other hand, were perfect.  Máiréad did 11 spins again and stayed on her feet the entire time, no sliding into home plate today.  She did seem to be limiting herself just a little, probably to conserve energy for the main event later.  Once again Lynn left Ray and Nicky off the hook without an insult during her introduction of Dulaman.  And have I mentioned that I love Alex's My Heart Was Home Again?  WOW!

For Amazing Grace, instead of having Anthony standing in one of the side balconies he walked down the left aisle and stopped just short of the stage.  Then, while the girls were singing, he relocated backstage and entered from there for his part at the end.  I personally thought that having him spotlighted in the balcony was very cool.

I have to mention the audience, although I wish I didn't have to.  They were the bumps on the proverbial log and I am glad I'm not from Baltimore because I would be rather embarrassed.  We, of course, stood for each of Máiréad's solos and, as usual, were the only ones.  However, after Mo Ghile Mear we were once again the only ones standing.  Not even the people down in first few rows stood; not one of them.  That's just wrong.  After You Raise Me Up we managed to get almost the entire balcony on its feet, but the people in the floor seats still didn't get up.  Finally, after the Finale some of them stood, but even after Chloë told everyone to stand for Spanish Lady not only were there still people sitting but some of those who stood sat back down!  Oh well, we can only do so much and the evening show was somewhat better.

After the matinee we watched Anthony play his bagpipes in the lobby for a while and then decided to get some dinner.  The area around the theater is rather depressed and, as we had discovered Saturday night, there aren't many places to eat that are close.  Scott fired up his laptop and did a search for nearby restaurants.  Two of those that came up had gone out of business and the third was rather seedy so we ended up at the same Scottish place again.  At least we didn't go hungry.

For the evening show we had the first four seats at the left end of the single pit row.  The pit seats curve and the center seats are about 6 feet from the stage.  I was on the end and my seat was so close that my knee was against the stage.  And with the relatively low stage height I had a great view.  The reverse was true, as well.

The sound was much better this time, for two reasons.  First, because we were right up against the stage we were hearing the small stage speakers which were relatively unaffected by the building acoustics.    More importantly, though, we were behind the main speaker arrays and most of the songs became acoustic performances, some quite so.  Hearing Lisa singing The Moon's a Harsh Mistress and having the sound follow her as she moved across the stage is another one of those WOW moments.

Because of our location, most of the lighting effects were lost on us, which didn't matter to me.  The proximity did mean that I could really see the new gowns closeup for the first time and they are breathtaking.  There are so many small details in their design that you can't see from even 10 feet away.  The first half gowns, although they are basically varying shades of beige, have very subtle variations that are invisible from a distance.  I don't know the technical terms, but the second half gowns have intricate beaded designs that are very beautiful.  The necklaces that they wear in the second act are quite lovely, too.

Of course, the best part of being that close is the interaction and there was plenty.  I got a big “Hi!” from Máiréad at the beginning of Coast of Galicia during which she tied her all time record of 12 spins.  About half way through I could tell she was going for it and it was a sight to behold.  She also shredded quite a few bow hairs tonight.  There were several young girls in the front row and they got lots of attention from a certain fiddler, at least partly because they all had shiny new Fiddler Crossing signs to hold up.  When Máiréad saw the first one she flashed the biggest smile; it was a joy to watch.  I even got some looks from Sarah tonight; maybe it was chocolate withdrawal.

Have I mentioned that I love Alex's My Heart Was Home Again?  As if it wasn't already amazing enough, hearing it acoustically made it even more spectacular.  Double WOW!  And the insults are back.  Tonight when Lynn introduced Dulaman she, as usual, said that Ray and Nicky were her two pieces of seaweed but then added, and I quote, “but it has nothing to do with the way they smell.”  Ouch, that one had to hurt!  Anthony repeated his afternoon entrance for Amazing Grace.

The audience was better for the evening show but far from perfect.  Virtually nobody stood for Mo Ghile Mear and I felt bad for the girls.  I've started calling it “Velcro Seat Syndrome.”  By the end of the second act most of them actually stood, and stayed standing, when they were supposed to.  Some of them probably wouldn't have stood if we hadn't started it, though.  We also had to start most of the clap-alongs.  Not a great crowd but better than the matinee.  As much as I hate to do it, I have to mention the spotlight guys.  I was going to give them a 98 out of 100 after the first act on Saturday; there were only a few very minor mistakes.  By the second act they were down to a 95 and today was all downhill from there.  I thought practice was supposed to make you better.  Oh, well.

Tonight was another great Meet & Greet.  Our guests were (surprise!) Chloë and Máiréad.  We had Chloë last night and that's 3 out of 4 nights for Máiréad.  Do I hear anyone complaining?  I didn't think so!  The best part was seeing the young girls from the front row go through the line.  Two of them had brought a small fiddle to be signed.  After Chloë signed it and handed it to Máiréad, one of the strings had apparently come loose.  We got to watch Máiréad's Violin Repair Shop in action as she restrung it and tuned it right before our eyes.  What a treat that was to watch!  I didn't have anything for Chloë to sign and only a few things for Máiréad so I took care of a little forum business and just chatted for a while.  I checked their chocolate inventory and apparently they are running low so I told them that I'll deliver a fresh batch in Erie on Tuesday.  Interestingly, at intermission one of CW's security people came down to chastise someone for video recording the show (tsk, tsk.  When will people learn?) and he stopped to chat with us for little while.  During the short conversation he mentioned to me that the girls love the chocolate, so I'm apparently on CW's security radar, too, as the chocolate guy!

Despite the spotlight issues, which I've come to expect, and the lackluster audience, I'd have to give tonight's show a solid 11 out of 10.  The girls were perfect and the amazing sound put it over the top.

The original review is here.