The assembled voices of Celtic Thunder take it to the Count Basie stage on Thursday, for a “Very Best of” extravaganza engineered to keep our collective Irish up in April.
It’s technically not a St. Patrick’s Day event, not even one of those post-Pat’s curtain calls and codas that keep the Wearin’ o’ the Green fresh for one more wash cycle. But when the show known as The Very Best of Celtic Thunder comes to the Count Basie Theatre this Thursday night, April 2, it’ll serve as the unofficial opening volley in a calendar-wide cultural celebration that keeps the greater Red Bank Green in a forever-fleadh humor.
Spotlighting the core vocal group of the international touring Thunder phenomenon — and backed by the full faith and fury of an 8 piece live band plus “Mythology” Dancers, “married with that huge Celtic Thunder signature sound, dramatic lighting and imposing set that audiences and fans everywhere have come to expect” — the 8 pm extravaganza “aims to combine all Celtic Thunder classics, fan favorites and hit songs into a formidable stage show.”
Drawing from Celtic Thunder’s eleven CD releases, nine PBS specials and eight previous US tours, the program is expected to deliver such favorites as “Heartland,” “Galway Girl,” “Seven Drunken Nights” and “A Place in the Choir” — along with solo selections (ranging from “The Dutchman” and “Ride On” to the evergreen “Danny Boy” and even “Puppy Love”) and the group’s traditional crowdpleasing finale number, “Ireland’s Call.” The performance is expected to feature at least six of the principal singers in the Thunder collective — an elite assembly that includes Paul Byrom, Neil Byrne, Emmet Cahill, George Donaldson, Daniel Furlong, Keith Harkin, Colm Keegan, Ryan Kelly, Damian McGinty, and Emmett O’Hanlon.
Tickets for The Very Best of Celtic Thunder ($10 – $25) can be reserved here.
