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Celtic Woman Bring Their 'Isle of Hope' to IU Auditorium

Alex Sharpe is one of the quartet of featured singers for Celtic Woman's "Isle of Hope" tour.

"I'm from Dublin and really I've been singing and acting all my life. In primary school we had a very ambitious teacher. She loved the Gilbert and Sullivan operettas; you know things like Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado. They're difficult complicated pieces, but for a bunch of eight and nine year olds we did pretty well."

"Later, I acted in school productions and local things as well. My big break actually came when I was nineteen and got the role of Dorothy in a local professional production of The Wizard of Oz. It was the part that really got me started."

Since then Sharpe has had a rich and rewarding career with a variety of parts. "I did play in a version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. That was pretty different! Then, I had two years as the poor little waif in Les Miserables, getting shot to death as the audience wept."

One unusual story from Sharpe's career is a recording with Madonna. "Well, I was asked to audition for Evita and they were very nice and complimentary, but nothing happened for weeks and I figured it was just something to let go of. But then I got a call and went over to London to a studio and did the recording. I've seen the film and you won't see my face, but there is an actress in it who has my voice."

Although Sharpe's background is in musical theatre, she's found the transition to singing in Celtic Woman easier than she thought. "To me, when you're singing a song, no matter what the context, you're telling a story. I think from being in musicals and learning not just to sing a song, but to tell a story-is something that I bring to the shows."

Celtic Woman: Isle of Hope Tour

IU Auditorium

Sunday November 8, 2009

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