Those looking for a special way to celebrate the Christmas season this year will find a welcome occasion to do so in “Christmas with the Celts,” the Bowlus Fine Arts Center’s first show of the 2020-21 season. Tickets for two Dec. 12 performances — a 2 p.m. matinee and a 7 o’clock evening show — go on sale for the general public today.
“Christmas with the Celts” is a joyful medley of American and Irish music, high in tempo and full of timeless holiday favorites. The fiddle, bagpipes and Irish dancers are likely to allow Bowlus patrons a chance, even if it is a fleeting one, to escape the world around us. 
And for Dan Kays, executive director of the Bowlus, that’s what’s so special about this show, and why it’s so necessary.
“This facility exists to provide hope,” said Kays. “We are trying to go forward with the arts. I keep saying that if sports can find a way, the arts have to find a way. The arts are so important to our DNA as human beings.”
Mandy Moyer, assistant project director of the Bowlus, agreed. “It’s wonderful for us to provide a place for people to celebrate Christmas with music and dancing,” Moyer said. “Christmas is an important time for the Bowlus.”
The first live performance of “Christmas with the Celts” was performed in Nashville’s prestigious Ryman Auditorium, but such an auspicious start belies the show’s origin. At the time, Ric Blair, the show’s founder, was studying jazz at the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music. He had no interest whatsoever in Celtic music, but one evening, a friend convinced him to tag along to a small concert hall where an Irish group was scheduled to perform. The decision changed his life.
At the venue, Blair recalled opening the doors “and people were literally dancing on the tables. The music was so happy. As soon as I heard the pipes and Irish fiddle, something in my blood hit me and said, ‘This is what I want to do.’”
Years later, “Christmas with the Celts” has now featured in some of our country’s most renowned performance halls and appeared on national TV, and Blair’s resume now includes several Grammy nominations.
“Christmas with the Celts” has carried on despite the considerable setback of losing its lead piper, Fiachra O’Regan. Because of COVID restrictions put in place by the Irish government in response to rising coronavirus cases, O’Regan is unable to enter the United States. In his place, the Irish-born but Los Angeles-based Patrick D’Arcy is part of the entourage. D’Arcy is hardly a second-stringer, having performed with world-class musicians like Bono and Sting.
Adult tickets to “Christmas with the Celts” cost $18, while children are $13. Because the Bowlus will enforce social distancing in its seating, tickets must be purchased by phone or at the Bowlus ahead of time.
Regular patrons to the Bowlus also may be surprised that seats they’ve had for years as season ticket holders can no longer be honored, said Kays, in order to allow three seats between parties. Additional COVID-related procedures, such as mandatory face mask use, have been put in place by the Bowlus; readers can find more information here.
Yet in spite of considerable obstacles to bringing “Christmas with the Celts” to the Bowlus, including working with “about half the time” as usual to bring the performance together, Kays remains convinced the effort is worth it. “The show must go on,” said Kays. “Communities like ours are the ones that get the arts going again. We’re building the models larger communities will follow. We’re in a position to take a chance.”
For those who relish an evening of high-stepping fun, of music that celebrates community and the Christmas spirit, this show’s a safe bet.
