Direct from Ireland - Celtic Nights - Journey of Hope | Press Releases

Image: Celtic Nights 8 p.m., Friday, March 9, 2012
Fairfield University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts
Tickets: $45, $40 and $35.

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, Fairfield University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts presents Direct from Ireland - Celtic Nights - Journey of Hope, an evening filled with the power and majesty of music and the hypnotic fury of dancing feet at 8 p.m., Friday, March 9, 2012 . Tickets are $45, $40 and $35.

Direct from Ireland - Celtic Nights - Journey of Hope features some of the finest male and female voices of the Celtic world, showcased against a thundering backdrop of expert dancing and musicianship. Presented by the producers of the smash hit "Gaelforce Dance" that brought audiences around the world to their feet, Celtic Nights - Journey of Hope is a brand new, glittering production, featuring six of Ireland's most prominent vocal talents, complimented by six of its most accomplished step dancers. The results paint an exhilarating picture of a proud people who dared to dream big and doggedly carved out a home in the New World. In Celtic Nights, their story is told, through the power and majesty of music and the hypnotic fury of dancing feet.

Image: Celtic Nights Celtic Nights - Journey of Hope weaves together the lilting melodies and plaintive lyrics of the rich Celtic heritage of a people struggling to find their place in a changing world. In this stirring tale of the Celtic experience, the audience is invited to travel on this journey of hope throughout an evening filled with traditional ballads and vivid choreography.

Drawn from the history and folklore of Ireland and her Celtic cousins, Celtic Nights tells the story of a people leaving and arriving, their lives spent in a world of ships, trains and planes, coaches, horses, and on foot, moving on the surface of a foreign land, searching for a better place. The show takes us to a different place every eight minutes, filling us with laughter, sadness, melancholy, a sense of who we are and who our children will grow up to be, passing the mantle of the legacy of our forefathers through music, song, dance and storytelling with pride and passion.

The influence of the old music on what became American sounds - whether it be Bluegrass, Appalachian, Country and Western or the great songs and ballads from Shenandoah to the songs of The American Civil War - is part of the Celtic Nights experience. Many traditional favorites, "Danny Boy," "Isle of Hope," "Galway Bay," "Isle of Innisfree," "My Love Is in America," and "May We Never Have to Say Goodbye," are included in the evening's repertoire. The cast consists of three male and three female vocalists, two musicians, and six of Ireland's most talented international dancers, all guaranteed to leave the theatre ringing to the sounds of Celtic music old and new. Beautiful imagery and costumes enhance the two-hour showcase. Songs are sung with the audience, becoming a part of the story on stage. The evening captures the essence of a great people from a small Island and their journey of hope and desire. Image: Celtic Nights

Tickets are available through the Quick Center Box Office: (203) 254-4010, or toll-free 1-877-ARTS-396 (1-877-278-7396). Tickets can also be purchased online at http://www.fairfield.edu/quick .

The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts is located on the campus of Fairfield University at 1073 North Benson Road in Fairfield, Connecticut. Entrance to the Quick Center is through the Barlow Road gate at 200 Barlow Road. Free, secure parking is available. Access for people with disabilities is available throughout the Quick Center for audience members and performers. Hearing amplification devices are available upon request at the Box Office. Fairfield University is located off exit 22 of Interstate-95. For further information and directions, call (203) 254-4010 or 1-877-278-7396, or visit http://www.fairfield.edu/quick .