Fiddling Star Natalie MacMaster Returns To Majestic With 'A Celtic Family Christmas'

Star fiddling duo Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy return to Gettysburg this December with an incredible array of musicians, including their own children. MacMaster, Leahy and clan present "A Celtic Family Christmas" at Gettysburg College's Majestic Theater on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m. MacMaster and Leahy last performed in the Majestic stage in 2007 and 2008.

"This fiddling family from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia has more talent than Santa has elves," explained Majestic Theater Founding Executive Director Jeffrey Gabel. "A ticket to this concert is the perfect gift for any Scrooge on your gift list."

Ushering in the Yuletide spirit with a lineup of holiday favorites intermingled with classic Celtic songs and dance, "A Celtic Family Christmas" is a joyous celebration that welcomes audiences to the MacMaster-Leahy clan. When they married in 2002, MacMaster and Leahy were already both fiddling stars in their own right. MacMaster is a Cape Breton native who has been performing since age 9. Leahy is the oldest brother of acclaimed family folk group Leahy. Combined, they have sold over one million albums and performed with collaborators such as Yo-Yo Ma, Alison Krauss, Bela Fleck, amassing a devoted audience around the globe. In "A Celtic Family Christmas," MacMaster and Leahy are joined onstage by five of their seven children, who often join their parents on the road.

"Initially we were reluctant to let the kids perform. We worried the expectations might be too much," said Leahy. "But then one night we put Mary Frances on stage. Soon after that Michael wanted to play. And you must reward practice."

"This whole thing - first playing music by myself, then playing music with Donnell, then touring with Donnell and the children and all of us playing music together - has evolved in a very natural way," added MacMaster. "We feel incredibly lucky to be together as a family and to be letting our children develop their musical talent."

Tickets for "A Celtic Family Christmas" start at $39 and are available at the Majestic Theater Box Office, 25 Carlisle St., Gettysburg, by calling (717) 337-8200, or online at www.gettysburgmajestic.org. The Box Office is open Monday through Saturday, 12-7 p.m. and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Free parking and roundtrip shuttle service for the performance is available from Gettysburg College's Constitution Parking Lot. Shuttle starts one hour before each performance and is ADA accessible. Metered parking is available at the Gettysburg Borough Parking Garage in Race Horse Alley as well as along Carlisle Street.

The Majestic Theater at the Jennifer and David LeVan Performing Arts Center is owned and operated by Gettysburg College to create cultural capital for its campus and community.