Canadian fiddler, step dancer to give three concerts

LEWISTON — New England Celtic Arts will present Prince Edward Island fiddler/step dancer Cynthia MacLeod Tuesday May, 19, at the Franco American Heritage Center; Wednesday May, 20, at Skye Theatre Performing Arts Center in Carthage; and Thursday May, 21, at Lakeside Theater in Rangeley.
Concerts will begin at 7 p.m.There will be a preshow jam at 6:15 p.m. at FAHC and at Skye when audience members are encouraged to bring their instruments and jam for a few minutes with the artists.
MacLeod has built a reputation founded in raw talent, nurtured by boundless energy and polished by a touring schedule that has taken her across Canada, through New England and as far as Japan.
Fellow musicians have awarded her more than a dozen Music PEI awards, including multiple awards as Roots/Traditional Artist of the Year and Instrumental Artist of the Year. Audiences have also twice chosen her as Entertainer of the Year.
She has produced three critically acclaimed (and top-selling) CDs. “Head Over Heels,” 2002, won her instant credibility and was named Album of the Year. Her second CD, “Crackerjack,” 2004, built on her growing reputation as a precise, lively interpreter of traditional fiddle music. “Hot Off The Floor,” 2007, combined that traditional sound with newer compositions.
Jon Matthews, a member of PEI’s 2006 Group of the Year, The Celtic Ladies (despite not being female),will accompany her on stage.
The Franco center is at 46 Cedar St.; Skye Theater is at 2 Highland Drive off Winter Hill Road and U.S. Route 2 in Carthage; and Lakeside Theater is on Main Street in Rangeley. Tickets re $10 at the door. Call FAHC at 689-2000 (or go online to www.francoamericanheritage.org), Skye Theatre at 562-4445 or Lakeside Theater at 864-5000.