OMAHA - Smiles spread like wildfire Friday night when Irish fiddling sensation Eileen Ivers and her Immigrant Soul band joined the Omaha Symphony Orchestra for a SuperPops concert.

Her fiery-fast jigs and reels had the audience clapping along and wishing they could keep up with the high-stepping dancers on the stage.

The rollicking show at the Holland Performing Arts Center helped set the mood for the St. Patrick's Day holiday. The SuperPops concerts continue with shows tonight and Sunday afternoon.

Ivers was one of the original musicians for the hit show "Riverdance." Born in New York's Bronx borough, she's the daughter of Irish immigrants, and has been performing since the age of 8. She was the All-Ireland Fiddle Champion nine times.

The SuperPops program celebrates her Irish heritage in both traditional and modern ways. She evokes the full emotional impact of old tunes and then incorporates new influences from jazz, blues and bluegrass.

The orchestra, with Ernest Richardson conducting, opened the formal concert with "The Irish Washerwoman" from the "Irish Suite" by Leroy Anderson.

The playful arrangement featured different sections of the orchestra playing the familiar jig. Finally the full orchestra came together, finishing with a dramatic flourish.

Ivers came to the stage with her back-up band and performed such traditional tunes as "Flowing Tide" and "Maudabawn Chapel" with orchestral accompaniment. Then she introduced her own composition "Bygone Days," inspired by her parents' lives as Irish immigrants and her own visits to Ireland.

Ivers traded her violin for an electric violin and closed out the first half of the program with "Immigration Suite," a series of jazzy, syncopated tunes inspired by traditional melodies, reels and jigs. The different riffs showcased the talents of the Immigrant Soul Band.

Tommy McDonnell played drums, blues harmonica and sang lead on vocals. Isaac Alderson played uilleann pipes (a bagpipe worked by the elbow), flute and tin whistles. James Riley played guitar. Gregory Jones played bass.

After the intermission, Ivers and her band returned to present fiery themes from "Riverdance."

Then they totally engaged the audience with the bluegrass tune "Blizzard Train." Inspired by bluegrass musician Ralph Blizzard, with train whistle sounds created by percussionist McDonnell on harmonica, this racing, syncopated tune brought the smiling audience to its feet for a loud standing ovation.

The audience stayed standing to sing and clap along to an encore performance of "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," with McDonnell leading the crowd on vocals.