Riverdance Abhann Productions Present Irish Revue
Riverdance (Pantages Theater; 2,800 seats; $ 66 top) Abhann Prods. and James M. Nederlander present a revue in two acts directed by John McColgan.
Originally conceived by producer Moya Doherty, the production has been staged with astounding attention to balance and mood by John McColgan, enhanced greatly by the set, lighting and sound designs of Robert Ballagh, Rupert Murray and Michael O'Gorman, respectively. The soul of "Riverdance" is the music of Bill Whelan, who has imbued the score with a mystical quality of both ancient melodies and modern harmonies, underscored by myriad ethnically diverse rhythms. The dancers and singers seem literally to be carried by Whelan's tunes, aided immensely by virtuoso performances by the members of the Riverdance Orchestra, highlighted by the flamboyant playing of Bronx-born fiddle champion Eileen Ivers. The heart of the show is the 26-member Riverdance Irish Dance Troupe, whose traditional still-armed step-dance routines on the opening "Reel Around the Sun," the seminal "Riverdance" and the show-closing "Riverdance International" are an exotic amalgam of power, grace and utter sensuality. The women in their contemporary mini-dresses and the black-trousered men perform their repertoire of hard-and soft-shoe tapping, slip jigs and reels with effortless precision, and it becomes a joy to watch them exhibit such hearty sexual exuberance in the ensemble number "Women of Ireland." Another show highlight features the men performing a capella in "Thunderstorm," punctuated by the fury of Murray and O'Gorman's thunderous lighting and sound effects. The two lead dancers are the driving force of "Riverdance." The American-born Jean Butler, who has been with the show from its inception, is like an ethereal wood sprite, moving with and through the other dancers with a ballet-like grace that commands the stage whenever she is present. The fleet-footed Colin Dunne brings a raw energy to his performance that is electric. One of the highlights of the evening is the brilliant, cross-cultural dance challenge between Dunne and the joyfully irreverent American tap dance duo of Winston and Wooten. A brilliant aspect of the production is the incorporation of flamenco dancer Maria Pages. Her sensual "Firedance" and floor-shaking "Andalucia" give tangible evidence of the universal synergy inherent in dance. Pages also supplies another highlight to the evening with her castanet duet with percussionist Jim Higgins. A great discovery in this evening of great dancing is the performance of the 10-member vocal ensemble, the Riverdance Singers, led by soloists Katie McMahon and Morgan Crowley. The crystalline, vibrato-less beauty of McMahon and the reedy urgency of Crowley on "Heart's Cry" and "Heal Their Hearts" offers a needed introspective balance to the dancers' freewheeling energy. Lending further accents to the evening are the virtuoso Moscow Ballet Folk Company and powerful performance of bass-baritone soloist Ivan Thomas.
Music composed by Bill Whelan; musical direction by Noel Eccles, Eoghan O'Neill. Executive producer, Julian Erskine. Producer, Moya Doherty. Set, Robert Ballagh; lighting, Rupert Murray; costumes, Jen Kelly; sound, Michael O'Gorman; projections, Chris Slingsby; poetry by Theo Dorgan; narrated by John Kavanagh. Opened Nov. 15, reviewed Nov. 16; runs through Dec. 1. Running time: 2 hours, 30 min. Lead dancers: Jean Butler, Colin Dunne, Maria Pages, Tarik Winston, Daniel B. Wooten. Lead singers: Ivan Thomas, Katie McMahon, Morgan Crowley. Lead musicians: Eileen Ivers (fiddle), Brian O'Brien (Uilleann pipes), Jim Higgins (ethnic percussion), Kenneth Edge (saxophone). Ensembles: the Riverdance Irish Dance Troupe, the Riverdance Singers, Moscow Folk Ballet Company, the Riverdance Orchestra and drummers. What began as a seven-minute television filler in 1994 has, by the pure power of its brilliance, grown into a two-and-a-half-hour stage show that glorifies the beauty of traditional Irish dance and celebrates the pulsating force of rhythm that holistically binds all cultures. Led by Irish dance champions Jean Butler and Colin Dunne, the show utilizes a company of over 80 performers and musicians that incorporates the talents of flamenco dancer Maria Pages, American tap specialists Tarik Winston and Daniel B. Wooten, bass-baritone singer Ivan Thomas and the six-member Moscow Folk Ballet Company. Divided into two acts (13 scenes), the show offers an impressionistic history of the Irish people, who originally came to the island from distant shores and later left Ireland to settle in many lands, bringing their hundreds of years of evolved culture with them.
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