Celebrate CHRISTMAS WITH THE CELTS 12/8 at The Bijou

The Bijou Theatre is proud to present Christmas with the Celts. Ric Blair and his band are bringing their blend of Celtic and Traditional holiday music to the Bijou stage this December 8th at 7:00pm. The show is an interactive community experience celebrating the warmth, joy, and magic of the holiday season. Tickets start at $45 for theatre seats and $55 for table seating.

A virtual encyclopedia of Celtic history, Ric Blair recorded 'Christmas with The Celts' as an alternative to the well-worn holiday standards that flood the airwaves each year. Aided by close friend and fiddler Deb Shebish who earned a graduate degree in Ethnomusicology at the University of Edinburgh, Blair embarked on months of painstaking research, rediscovering long-forgotten recordings and transcripts of Irish and Scottish tunes dating as far back as the 12th century. "One of my favorite songs is the ancient 16th century Scottish Christmas Carol "Balulalow," says Blair. "That song is sung in the broadscot dialect, which is a mixture of English and Gaelic." Other notable songs resurrected by Blair include the 15th century Scottish carol "Da' Day Dawis" and the 12th century Irish "Wexford Carol," which the band performs alongside Celtic renditions of better-known Christmas tunes like "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Joy to the World."

"Our goal is to have people forget about their problems for a while," says Blair. "You just can't listen to Celtic music and not be happy." The Celts reprise their nationwide Christmas With The Celts tour this year with a fantastic line-up of world-class talents. Christmas With The Celts is a perennial tradition.

Featuring:

Ric Blair: vocals, guitars, bodhran, mandolin, & piano
Laura McGhee: vocals and Scottish Fiddle
Michael Stribling: Uilleann pipes and Irish whistles
Colleen Gavin: Irish whistle
Tony Marveli: eight-string bass guitar/vocals
Michael Boris: drums
Alice Ann Robertson: lead dancer
Jeff Durham: percussion, narrations and Irish wit.

The Bijou Performing Arts Center is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to providing visual and performing arts programs and events for the community. The Bijou Performing Arts Center offers educational programs in Dance though New England Ballet, Music & Theatre, as well as special events and live theatre performances. Private donations, grants, tuition fees & ticket sales fund the Bijou Arts Center, which is located at 275 Fairfield Avenue in Downtown Bridgeport. The Bijou Theatre, one of the oldest buildings in the country used as a movie house, reopened its doors in 2011. In addition to continuing its historic character of showing movies, the Theatre offers a full repertoire of live music, comedy, theater and dance, which can be enjoyed in either theater seating or cabaret style. The Bijou Theatre is a multi-functional venue with integrity and an open-minded philosophy -- a symposium for film, theatre, art, comedy and music. The Theatre is available for private rentals, holiday parties, corporate events, and much more. For further information, call (203) 332-3228 or visit thebijoutheatre.com.

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