Celtic Woman members Máiréad Nesbitt, Lynn Hilary, Lisa Kelly and Chloë Agnew pose for a picture.
The Irish group will perform at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Saturday at 8 p.m.
Photo by Agata Stoinska
Lisa Kelly’s parents literally pushed her on stage at a very young age. Her parents were both involved in amateur theater in Dublin, Ireland, and Kelly and her sisters often got to experience life in the limelight growing up.
“We did a lot of musical theater,” Kelly said over the phone. “My parents involved all of us in every local show that was on.”
And her theatrical background has definitely helped give her an edge in her musical career, she said.
Today, she is part of the all-girl band, Celtic Woman — a group of talented singers featuring Kelly, Chloë Agnew, Lynn Hillary and fiddle player Máiréad Nesbitt. The Irish band, popular for weaving Irish classics with contemporary tunes, comes to the Mann Center for Performing Arts in Philadelphia, Saturday.
Kelly was working in the computer industry in 1999 when she landed a role in a Christmas show at Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre. She was spotted by music director David Downes and was cast as lead vocalist in the U.S. touring company of “Riverdance.”
“It was an incredible experience being in such a huge Irish show,” Kelly said.
She also met her husband, a dancer, on the tour.
“It was good in more ways than one,” she said with a laugh.
Kelly, who stayed with the “Riverdance” tour for five years, was again approached by Downes — this time she was asked to perform in a one-night-only show alongside other female Irish singers at Dublin’s Helix Theatre.
“I knew we had something special right away. It was a magical feeling,” Kelly said.
It’s been five years since that performance in Dublin, and Celtic Woman, meant as a one-time performance, continues to be successful. The group has sold five million albums, they have had two top 10 album debuts on the Billboard Top 200 list, three gold and platinum albums and sold a million concert tickets.
“Songs from the Heart,” their fifth album, released in January, debuted as number one on Billboard’s World Music Chart and number nine on Billboard’s Top 200 list.
The women enjoy working together, Kelly said, and it shows in their performances on stage.
“It’s a lot of fun. It’s a sister relationship ... there’s no competition between us, no egos. There’s such a huge variety of talents between us,” Kelly said. “We all work very hard and we have the same objective all the time.”
The group’s main goal is to entertain their audiences, she said.
“We love performing live. We love to connect with the audience and see the look of joy on their faces,” she said. “It’s so rewarding.”
Kristie Rearick
The Jersey Journal - NJ.com
Jersey City, New Jersey
Friday, July 30, 2010, 12:50 PM
