This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Celtic Woman performed in Utah earlier this year, so the Irish girls in the cast won't be back here this holiday season.
But will Utahns welcome a different gender from outside the United States bringing some thunder? And no, it's not Thunder from Down Under.
Instead, this is Celtic Thunder, a considerably more family-friendly group of singers and dancers. The sextet begins its Christmas tour Nov. 25, so this preseason West Valley City stopover will be focused on a variety of songs from throughout the group's enormously successful career (which has seen more than 350,000 concert tickets sold in addition to being a mainstay on PBS affiliate stations).
The group is in the midst of transition. Ryan Kelly left earlier this year but decided to rejoin the troupe and will perform in the Utah show. In addition, member Damian McGinty beat out 40,000 hopefuls to win the first season of the reality show "The Glee Project," which offers him at least a seven-episode arc on Fox's "Glee" this year, and left Celtic Thunder. He has been replaced by another TV star, Daniel Furlong, a 13-year-old boy soprano who won "The All Ireland Talent Show," a nationally televised Irish talent competition similar to "America's Got Talent."
"I can't believe I'm in Celtic Thunder and getting to go every place in Canada and America," Furlong told TheTribune. "The band buses are the coolest thing in the world — I love them. Being onstage is the best. It's taking a while to get used to working with inner-ear monitors, but I just love all of it, brilliant."
Someone who is used to tour buses and inner-ear monitors is Kelly, a native of Northern Ireland and a licensed accountant when he decided to pursue a music career, joining Celtic Thunder when it formed in 2007.
He left Celtic Thunder in May for personal reasons, he said, and rejoined once matters were ironed out. Luckily, he was welcomed back. "It felt like I hadn't ever left," he said. "Now I appreciate it more than ever. I'm loving it. … I'm here for the long haul."
The group's album "Storm" was just released in September, yet this tour is called the "Heritage Tour," and the set list will include traditional Irish songs as well as some covers and originals from "Storm."
For example — and here's a concert spoiler alert! — Furlong will perform a solo of "Over the Rainbow" and Josh Groban's "To Where You Are," as well as duets with tenor Emmet Cahill and guitarist-singer Keith Harkin.
Kelly is scheduled to sing the traditional "Black Is the Color," as well as Van Morrison's "Moondance" and a Celtic take on Garth Brooks' "Friends in Low Places."
The lone Scot in the quintet is George Donaldson, who will return to his folk roots by singing "Red Rock Cafe," made famous by Irish folk band The Fureys, and Phil Coulter's "Scorn Not His Simplicity." "It's a wee bit of something for everyone," Kelly said.
It wouldn't be a Celtic Thunder tour without the thunder, of course, so concertgoers should expect a big set, lots of lights and high production values. "There's always been a big budget for effects," Kelly said. "We want to give a big [theatrical] production."
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A little bit theater, a little bit music
P Celtic Thunder performs.
When • Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 7:30 p.m.
Where • Maverik Center, 3200 S. Decker Lake Drive, West Valley City
Tickets • $41.50-$77 at maverikcenter.com and all Ticketmaster outlets