Celtic Thunder performs a concert.  Photo courtesy of Celtic Thunder.

The Chester Fritz Auditorium was full of music, laughter and applause Monday night, as the Irish supergroup Celtic Thunder performed.

The six member group’s show “Mythology” provided a blend of Celtic and Gaelic songs, original music and modern classics with a Celtic twist.

The group consists of members who all have award-winning solo careers. Members Colm Keegan, 23; Emitt Cahill, 22; Keith Hawkin, 26; Neil Bryne, 35; and Ryan Kelly, 28, all hail from Ireland, while George Donaldson, 42 is from Scotland.

The lead members were backed by a band that sang and played a variety of string, wind and percussion instruments.

“Their blend is tremendous,” Crystal, Minn., resident Camburn Shephard said. “You have a very astute violin player; the cello player is absolutely marvelous; the guy on the left –^–— there isn’t anything he can’t play.”

Visual elements

The stage used scenery pieces to create the Irish scenery for each song. A Gaelic cross stood center stage, surrounded by four large rocks that resembled those by the Irish shoreline. Imagery of the Irish landscape and people were projected onto to the rocks and a changing sky backdrop to aid themed songs.

The group made its presence felt through choreography, lights and instrumental music. Each song they performed had a thematic backdrop and corresponding skit. The Irish folk song “Seven Drunken Nights” had the audience laughing, as the comedic bit had the singers acting and employing physical comedy gags.

The group made itself relatable by telling stories about each other during song breaks, interacting with audience and inviting the audience to sing and dance along.

Shephard and his wife Jane Shepard came to see the show as a 37th anniversary outing.

“My wife and I, we’ve sang with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra,” he said. “As somebody who loves music, that was fun to watch.”

The audience was mainly adults and older individuals, many of who came in groups.

“Most of the shows that we program are for the entire community,” said Betty Allan, director of the Chester Fritz Auditorium. “It’s those big flashy shows, like Celtic Thunder, that the community wants to see, that are going to make the money that we need to keep going.”

Previous attendance plays a big role in deciding which acts to bring back to the venue. To people who say they’ll catch the show another time, Allan advises them against it.

“If people don’t support something, we probably won’t bring it back,” she said. “So, consider that. If you really want to see something — you need to go now, because it might not come back if it didn’t get the support that we felt it needed.”

Paula Kaledzi is a staff writer for The Dakota Student. She can be reached at [email protected]