`Joe Fearless’

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These reviews by Simon Saltzman were prepared for August 9, 2000

edition of U.S. 1 Newspaper. All rights reserved.

Broadway Reviews: `Riverdance’

An undisputed phenomenon of the dance and theater

world,

"Riverdance" has made a spectacle of Ireland’s native dance

and culture. That it has gradually embellished its lavish and

slavishly

Irish-ized program of mass step dancing with musical and folkloric

elements from other cultures provides devotees with encouraging bits

of freshly interwoven entertainment.

Having been awed by the large, impassioned troupe that regularly fills

arenas as easily as does the Barnum and Bailey Circus, I approached

the latest edition, now at the Gershwin, Broadway’s largest theater,

cautiously, yet with the expectation of getting caught up in the whirl

of fierce and frenzied feet. A far more intimate venue than the show’s

previous home at Radio City Music Hall, the Gershwin allows individual

personalities

to peek through this international company of 80 singers, dancers,

and musicians. Whatever you may think, stomping feet and rigid bodies

flying across the stage in various patterns and purposes can be

viscerally

exciting, especially when enhanced with acrobatics, attitudes, and

even a turn or two sur les pointes (pardon the French).

But my best surprise was discovering that, on the night I attended

the show, the principal male role, usually danced by Pat Roddy, would

be danced by understudy Conor Hayes. Actually great news for a critic

who may chance to see the making of a new star.

If the nature of step dancing appears more spectacularly demonstrated

by the combined two-dozen male and female corps, the Riverdance solos

appear more of the same only a little more intricate. Just as none

of the soloists in the Radio City Music Hall shows can compete with

the presence and precision of the Rockettes, the opportunities for

showing off an individual’s agility and speed are modestly offered.

One might say that this is where an individual’s unique personality

must take charge, since uniformity and precision are strict demands

of the genre’s technique.

With that said, Hayes does indeed have that extra-special something

that makes him stand out from the crowd. In particular, Hayes makes

a solid impression when supported by three other dynamically charged

Irish dancers as they respond to four loose-limbed black tappers in

a challenge dance, "Trading Taps." Principal female dancer

Eileen Martin moved like a breeze, and sometimes like a tornado,

through

her solos, especially memorable for her fouettes as "The Countess

Eileen." In this edition, the Moscow Folk Ballet performs a

whirling

balletic and acrobatic "Russian Dervish" that offers a

breather

from the Irish step dancing, while Maria Pages, a sensuous flamenco

dancer, displays Spain’s own genre of fancy footwork in a couple of

audience-pleasing numbers.

Although amplification renders the lyrics of composer Bill Whelan’s

folk songs inaudible, Brian Kennedy’s lofty tenor voice makes whatever

they were seem warm and loving. The clear bell-like soprano voice

of Sara Clancy adds a feminine texture to their duet "Lift the

Wings." The Amanzi singers from Africa, led by Tsidii Le Loka,

formerly of "Lion King," get the audience clapping

rhythmically

through a couple of rousing numbers — "I Will Set You

Free,"

and "Let Freedom Ring," and through their patriotic finish

"Endless Journey," which presumably alludes to the show’s

effort to affect a multicultural agenda.

The show still, however, imagines itself primarily as a

quasi-historical,

magical, mystical, fantastical homage to Irish legend. As such Robert

Ballagh’s impressionistic moon and sun settings, enhanced by Rupert

Murray’s lighting, create a mix of medieval and modern atmospherics.

The numerous costumes designed by Joan Bergin are colorfully quaint

and science-fiction. As narrated with dawn-of-creation-like austerity

by the voice (from beyond, via tape) of Liam Neeson, the show casts

its undeniable spell. A highlight for my eyes and ears is the

Riverdance

Orchestra, seated on either side of the stage. The musical interludes,

including virtuoso turns on the fiddle, Uileann pipes, drums, guitars,

and accordion, offered joyous and celebratory affirmations of the

Irish temperament and musical heritage. HH

— Simon Saltzman