Saturday, April 16, 2011

Westlife, Riverdance and movie star Neeson all lined up for big royal gala

Westlife


By Melanie Finn, Showbusiness Editor
Saturday April 16 2011
SOME of the best-known names in Irish music have been added to the line-up for Harry Crosbie's exclusive gig for Queen Elizabeth.
The Point Village boss is determined to pull out all the stops to wow the monarch during her visit to Dublin next month, with plans well underway for the historical cultural evening in Crosbie's new Grand Canal Theatre.
The Herald can reveal how among those being head-hunted for the VIP musical event are Westlife, The Chieftains and the cast of Riverdance.
Organisers are also hoping that Hollywood legend Liam Neeson will perform a poetry reading to add some A-list sizzle.
Chatting
The British ambassador Julian King was seen chatting to members of Westlife backstage at their Dublin gig last weekend, further fuelling speculation that they will perform at the gig.
"They're being tipped to sing You Raise Me Up. It's undoubtedly one of their biggest hits from the past 12 years and is always a massive crowd pleaser," said a source.
The queen and her husband, Prince Philip, will fly into Ireland on May 17 for a three-day visit, with a carefully planned schedule in operation for their time here.
It's the first official visit by a British monarch to the Republic and has sparked some controversy, especially given the queen's visit to Croke Park.
This week, PJ Stone, of the Garda Representative Association warned that €25m would be needed to fund the massive security operation which will be on a scale similar to that of US presidential;visits.
mfinn@herald.ie
- Melanie Finn, Showbusiness Editor

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