I will apologize up front that there will be no brief version of this review, you'll just have to read the whole thing.  Well, you don't really have to, of course.  Don't worry, there is not much travelogue in this one, but it is long.  This was an extremely emotional show and rivals Red Rocks as the “Show of the Century,” for many reasons.  I am writing this review out of sequence, although I will try to post it in sequence.  I am attempting to temporarily put Mohegan Sun out of my mind and I'm hoping that distance will temper the anger and frustration I am feeling for that show.  I want to get the Buffalo review written before the emotions get clouded by everyday life.

There are shows and then there are shows.  This was neither; it was in a class by itself.  The second night at Red Rocks was amazing and will probably be forever number one on my list, but the show in Buffalo Saturday night was, almost without question, the most emotional show I've ever been to.  And that emotion came from both sides of the stage.

The day started with the longest single leg of our trip, from Connecticut to Buffalo, almost 7 hours of driving.  Scott had brought quite a few CDs, from Deidre, Meav and Hayley, that I hadn't heard and the time passed relatively quickly.  I had hoped to see the scenery between Syracuse and Rochester this time, but alas it rained again during that portion.  We were, for the third and last time, meeting Ralph and his sister for dinner, so after checking into our hotel we headed for downtown Buffalo.  Neither Scott nor I knew what to expect but it is actually a fairly nice downtown.  There are lots of restaurants, a few hotels, and several theaters besides Shea's.  It had been raining off and on all afternoon and just as Ralph arrived the sun broke out and a beautiful rainbow appeared.  It was actually a double rainbow for a short while.  We didn't realize it at the time, but that was a sign of just how extraordinary  an evening we were about to have.

We hadn't decided yet where we going for dinner, so we made a random selection from the list in my GPS.  That's how we ended up at the Buffalo Chophouse, which is billed as having the best steaks in Buffalo.  They are correct.  Ralph, Scott and I had the New York Strip and we all commented that it was the best steak any of us had ever had.  If you leave there hungry it's your own fault because the steaks are huge and the side orders are even larger.  It's not an inexpensive place, but the service and food make it worth it.  Once again a little bit of luck had created a special beginning to what was to become a very  special night.

The restaurant is only a block from the theater so it was a short walk to the show.  When you walk into Shea's Performing Arts Center it's like stepping back in time.  Up until now I considered PPAC in Providence to be the nicest theater I'd ever been in, but there's no contest anymore.  Words can't do justice to the majesty that is Shea's, you have to see it to appreciate it.  There are marble columns, huge paintings, intricate carvings, gorgeous drapes, and chandeliers and brass everywhere.  I could go on and on.  It is truly breathtaking and is a treasure.  It was the best possible setting for what was about to happen.

Our tickets were not from PBS but were just regular old TicketMaster ones.  However, I was lucky and managed to get pit seats.  Although they were row CCC, which I assumed was third row, it turned out that we were on the left side of the pit area and there was only one row.  There were a lot of empty seats in the pit so we did a PSU and moved closer to the center, staying in our own section.  Surprisingly, there were several unoccupied front row seats in the center pit section, but we hesitated to move before the show in case there was a late arrival.  There was no such hesitation at intermission!

We had an excellent view of the stage which is quite large.  It's not as big as Radio City but is larger than most theaters I've been to.  Máiréad would have no trouble finding places to run and jump tonight!  We watched the “spotlight guy,” who operates the backlight spot, climb his ladder into position and the excitement started building.  But wait, he's coming back down.  Apparently there was a problem with the light and they performed the entire show without it.  It was a little strange, with some songs starting out in the dark, but it in no way detracted from the performance.  In fact, in some cases it actually enhanced it.

We started a nice round of applause for Ray, Nicky, and the band when they walked out and we prepared ourselves.  Scott and I had resolved to make this a special night for the girls to hopefully make up, at least a little, for the Mohegan Sun abomination the night before.

Seeing the show from this close after seeing it from so far away the previous night really takes your breath away.  As always, when Máiréad appeared I got a little chill and a little misty.  Without the spotlight she started playing in the dark but I kind of liked the effect.  The smoke swirling around made her look  like a shadow in the mist and as she moved forward into the light she appeared almost ghost-like.  It was (unintentionally) appropriate for Halloween night.

As the rest of girls came on stage for The Sky, Dawn, and Sun, Lisa smiled at me right away even though she was on the opposite side of the stage from me.  I sometimes wonder if they peek out from backstage before the show to see where the familiar faces are.  Chloë was right in front of us and sent the most amazing ear-to-ear smile to both Scott and me.  She quickly spotted Ralph and Connie and gave them lots of attention, too.  When Máiréad came out for her SDS solo she looked right at me and gave me the most mischievous smile.  Where is that bucket when you need it?

The four of us got so much attention from all of the girls that I lost count.  Every time they were on stage they were sending smiles our direction.  We reciprocated with standing ovations, which only yielded more smiles and Thank You's.  There were quite a few times that it felt like they were performing just for us.  In both Syracuse and Rochester I had gotten a personal “Thank you” from Máiréad.  Tonight it seemed I got one every time she played.

Lynn and I had a staring contest in Syracuse and I caved and let her win.  Tonight I caught her looking at me and this time when I looked back she surrendered and looked away for an instant.  Then she looked back and gave me the most wonderful smile.  Now we're tied!

Of course, I can't leave out the most important statistic of the show.  Máiréad only did 9 spins during Coast of Galicia tonight, but I think she may have been a little distracted.  Or maybe she was just spent because she was an incredible ball of fire.  When she would leap off the front of the platform (and she did that a lot!) she was at least 3 or 4 feet in the air.  She must have non-skid soles on her shoes because she absolutely “stuck” every landing!

At intermission we took care of the little matter of the unoccupied front row seats.  We just couldn't let that happen.  The proof of the pudding that the girls were giving us a little special treatment came during The Call.  As soon as Lisa got to what had been our side of the stage I saw her look at our now empty seats and this slightly puzzled look came over her face.  When she saw our new home she immediately broke out into the most beautiful smile as if to say, “Ah, there you are!”

I've always felt that the second act is better than the first, partly because of the two Fantasia's, but it became even more amazing tonight because of our proximity.  Our new seats were now so close that when we stood we could almost rest our arms on the stage.  The set arrangement allowed the girls to come all the way to edge of the stage so when they were up front we were literally less than 3 feet from them.  If you can imagine the interactions from mid-stage to being seated in the pit, then think what it's like when they are taking their bows only two feet away from you.

Interactions aside, the show was phenomenal, helped by Shea's wonderful acoustics.  Lisa's voice is so smooth in Fields of Gold and The Blessing that one can just escape into a different world while listening to them.  And boy did she nail The Voice!  That one now always gets a standing ovation from me, regardless of what the rest of audience thinks.

Chloë's When You Believe continues to blow me away.  Even though I know it's coming, when she hits that high note and then just cuts it off and lets it bounce off the walls for a while I get a chill up my spine.  Nella Fantasia, of course, has always done the same thing.  There seems to be a common theme here...

Lynn has really blossomed and in both of her solos she really lets herself go and becomes a part of the music.  Her flirting with the chorus guys during Dulaman seems to get a little saucier (just a little) each time and lately she is getting a little more brazen with Ray, too.  And he loves it!  I get such a kick out of the way she and Máiréad play off of each other in Carolina Rua.  Their looks and smiles at each other as they dance are a joy to watch.

Alex has so much power and stage presence that you can't help but be drawn into her songs.  She has the most expressive face of the group (except maybe for Máiréad) and watching her closely really enhances the enjoyment for me.

Saving the best for last, what haven't I already said about Máiréad.  I've long since run out of words to describe what her performances do to me.  Last Rose Fantasia brings me to tears every time and Shenandoah is not far behind.  Her ability to put so much of her personal emotions into her slow numbers is beyond compare.  She is literally speaking through her instrument and what she has to say is so beautiful.  In fact, it's probably better that it's not words because I'm not sure that there are words that beautiful.  Tonight during Coast of Galicia and Granuaile's Dance she was airborne almost as much as she was on the ground.  She must have had her Wheaties that morning.

The ensemble numbers just get better and better.  The Sky, Dawn, and Sun and The Call are the perfect opening numbers for their respective acts.  When Máiréad plays those first 5 notes of SDS something happens to me.  Now, having visiting Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty two days before this show, both Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears and O, America have a much more profound effect on me and I will from this point forward always stand for both.

I've noticed that he girls continue to add or change subtle things during At the Ceili.  One of tonight's changes was during Máiréad's second entrance, when she comes from the left side of the stage and flirts with all of the guys.  She used to just stand and play next to Brian while he sat at the piano but tonight she sat down on the bench next to him and played for a while, with that impish grin that melts your heart, until she deemed him unworthy and moved on.  Alex and Lisa continued to ham it up during Lynn's part but tonight they were back to standing instead of sitting like in Syracuse.  They changed it again in Columbus.  It's clear that they are having almost more fun than should be legal!

As I said at the beginning, this was a very  special night.  The fortuitous appearance of a lovely rainbow, the lucky choice of a fabulous restaurant, the glorious venue, and one of the most amazing shows ever combined to make it a night that I'll never, ever forget.  Sharing the night with good friends only made it more remarkable and memorable.  It was almost as if the entire evening was being orchestrated somehow.

I hope that we restored some of the girls' faith that their performances are well and truly appreciated.  Scott and I both felt so bad that there was nothing we could do in Connecticut to make them feel loved.  Immediately after that show, we resolved  to do our best to make the girls understand that that show was an aberration.  We hoped to make Buffalo such a special show that they would forget all about the previous night.  I don't know if we succeeded, but we certainly gave it our best shot.  They certainly made it special for us.

The original review is here.