Longford's Emer Barry lifts spirits with a fun, warm performance in Backstage

Emer Barry’s homecoming performance of ‘Celtic Dreamer’ in Longford’s Backstage Theatre was a majestic and enjoyable experience. Taking place on Saturday, August 30, the soprano singer explored various genres of music that took the audience from movies, to opera, to Irish.

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The performance began with Audrey Hepburn songs from some of her most famous movies, such as ‘My Fair Lady’ (‘I Could’ve Danced All Night / ‘Just You Wait), even going as far as becoming the character with a Cockney accent. ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ was another film from the love of Audrey Hepburn.

“I'm half-Irish, half-Dutch, and I was born in Belgium. If I was a dog, I'd be in a hell of a mess!” recited Emer, quoting Audrey Hepburn when giving some background about the actress.

There were modern songs from Taylor Swift and Katy Perry, as well as Westlife. Barry ventured through musical, modern, Irish and opera through this two-hour spectacle, accompanied by her violinist (Mary) and harpist (Teresa), as well as an occasional backing track for some of the songs with a bigger ensemble (‘Phantom of the Opera’ and Kate Bush’s ‘Wuthering Heights’, which Emer had done with the FILMharmonic Orchestra, Prague).

With a charming personality, Emer provided anecdotes about many of her songs performed. The songs were accompanied by a digital backdrop of posters from respective movies or scenic views. An Irish song on seaweed had a colourful visualiser to show how seaweed is “beautiful” to deserve a song. As Emer said, some write on the ocean, flowers or butterflies.

Aside from being able to get into character for ‘My Fair Lady’, Emer showed her fine acting skills when embodying the character of Carmen by Bizet. This performance had Emer circulate the audience, and she described it as the ‘flirty’ song. The round of applause received after doing this piece surrounded the entire auditorium, bringing plenty of laughs to those who watched. Emer told of how it was her mother’s favourite of the bunch through a funny retelling of how she told her mother the setlist prior to a performance.

An unexpected feature of Emer’s performance was the elaborate costume changes between the three performers.
The white, vintage dress for the Audrey Hepburn segment, to the shiny, Emerald green gown for the Irish added a sense of belonging and place to each part of ‘Celtic Dreamer’.

During costume changes, there would be opportunities for instrumental performances by Emer’s respective accompanists. Each gown defined what genre the next song would be in.

With the tenth anniversary of ‘A Celtic Christmas’, which the trio does in the USA every year, it was clear to see why the audience is so enamored with Emer’s talent.

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When the performance concluded, Emer made time to meet and greet the audience, as well as do signings and pictures.
“I’d just say how lovely it is to return home for a concert. There’s nothing quite like the home crowd. They’re so warm and always up for some fun! I met so many people after the show who had stories and memories of my Dad who passed away 20 years ago and it’s so heartwarming to meet people who remember him.”