Bhí sé sin iontach! 'Riverdance' at the Fabulous Fox

O.M.G. It isn’t often I walk out of a theatre, after a show, blown away by the perfection I saw in both the quality of the performance and in the display of massive talent. But I was recently at the Fabulous Fox Theatre after having seen a performance in the limited engagement of “Riverdance 25 Anniversary Show,” and, yes, I was blown away. Several states away.

“Riverdance” originated as an interval (intermission to us) performance act during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest (think of it as “America’s Got Tale nt” on steroids). It featured Irish dancing champions Jean Butler and Michael Flatley and a vocal ensemble. Let’s just say it was a hit, and shortly afterwards in 1995 it was expanded into an internationally-flavoured (flavoured, get it?) stage show of beautiful and haunting songs (composed by Bill Whelan), lively, pulse-and-seat-pounding music, and a celebration of multiple styles of dance.

You might think a show of this nature, basically music and dance, would literally strike a chord at the right time and place, but, eventually, quietly disappear. Not so “Riverdance.” Although the bones of the show (which I’ve seen mucho times on VHS and PBS specials) are essentially unchanged from its roots, enough has been added to make things interesting, and the use of huge video screens with fantastical scenes definitely ramped up the Wow! factor.

In my opinion, in the cast of 37 (if I’ve counted right!), every single one should be tagged a principal performer. Although some of the dancers and singers may have been “featured,” and usually the band/orchestra are considered just support for the "main" talent, here there was no “secondary” ensemble, no band toiling unseen and little appreciated in a pit, no sense that (given its origins) the Irish dance numbers were any way better than the Flamenco soloist or the Russian Folk Dance Troupe, or the “American” street tappers. Each and every dancer, singer, and musician displayed extraordinary talent.

I could gush on with specifics, but, again, I don’t feel it’s a specifics type of show. It's a compilation of visual, audial, physical, and emotional elements that meld into something amazing and unforgettable. “Riverdance 25 Anniversary Show” is one of the finest productions I’ve been fortunate enough to experience live. It’s still going strong nearly 30 years on, and— if the appreciation of the audience my night was any indication—it will keep going for some time yet. I hope to be around to catch their 50th anniversary show! By the way, Bhí sé sin iontach! is Irish Gaelic for "that was wonderful."

Oh, and one thing I didn’t expect at the Fox was the use of a pre-show video ad for travel to Ireland. In movie theatres, yes, but.... But it was short and did feature show dancers, so it was not too cheesy. Just something of a surprise.