Gaelic Storm in Concert at Jergel’s; CLO Cabaret Continues ‘Up and Away’ (Sun., 2/25/18)

1) Gaelic Storm, who come to the Jergel’s Rhythm Grille tonight, became one of the world’s most popular Irish bands overnight when they were featured in the blockbuster of blockbusters, Titanic. The group was seen entertaining the third-class passengers in the ship’s steerage section. Since then, they have maintained their place as leading ambassadors of all things Irish, recording every famous Celtic song there is and writing a few of their own. The band, however, strangely has had difficulty keeping a fiddler for more than a few years, that position apparently being to them what the drummer is to Spinal Tap (minus the spontaneous combustion, of course). Their most recent album is 2017’s Go Climb a Tree. Sold out. 8 p.m. 285 Northgate Dr., Warrendale. (EC, RH)

There’s a tug of war with a woman in the middle in CLO Cabaret’s ‘Up and Away.’ (l. to r.) Michael Greer, Erika Strasburg, and John Wascavage. Photo: Matt Polk.

2) What does the CLO in Pittsburgh CLO stand for? Long ago the company was known as Civic Light Opera, a euphemism for “we do musicals.” And CLO continues to mount full-up productions of big Broadway musicals, while branching into a side venture that you might call Civic Light Chamber Opera: smaller, more intimate shows done cabaret-style. The newest in this vein is the world premiere of Up and Away. Like many CLO Cabaret offerings, it’s a comedy, for as every comedy-club fan knows, small spaces are conducive to big laughs. Written by a K duo—Kevin Hammonds and Kristin Bair—Up and Away has a cast of five playing over 50 characters, in a plot that revolves around two brothers leaving a small town to pursue their destiny in the big city. Their misadventures are accompanied by song and dance. 2 p.m. Performances continue through April 15. Cabaret at Theater Square, 655 Penn Ave., Cultural District. (MV)

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