The cast of Riverdance. Photography by Jack-Hartin.
Yes, they stomped by again. If you were within hailing distance of Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Vienna you likely may have heard the syncopated cacophony that is the dance experience Riverdance. After more than 10,000 performances, this sound and motion spectacle might cause a few ho hum reactions from those who’ve experienced the show several times.
Opening night brought a quieter audience that needed to warm up to the RD 2.0, but after the first rousing tap syncopation, the essence of the show started flowing.
This is, are you ready—the 20th-anniversary tour of the Irish dance and music extravaganza. It has had at least 5 reboots over the years, but the show’s core element is essentially visceral. It is really meant to make the audience go wow.
The show, the brainchild of Sir Terry Wogan, originally featured the oversized ego and testosterone-glazed machismo of Michael Flatley, juxtaposed with the technical brilliance and ice maiden sultriness of Jean Butler, both Irish dancing champions. Since that personality-driven beginning, the ensuing editions of Riverdance have been true ensembles, with many interchangeable parts supporting the show.
This tour is the first in North America in over four years, and for the occasion, the show has polished the exteriors, one could say. They have revamped the show with new outfits, a nod to new audio-visual theatre techniques with the use of background projections and mood effects. It meanders a bit as it tries to find its focus in a generalized theme of travel to new countries and new adventures.
It is really meant to make the audience go wow.
The center projection changes from an evening sun to a full moon to a country pastoral scene. The ominous voicing lends gravitas where there is no real need for it, and the pretentiousness slows down the first part of the show. But as the immense dancing talent—influences of Irish, Russian and Flamenco—unfolds, we sit back and enjoy the sight and sound sensation. Of course, the dancing is superb, and one almost gets hypnotized by the precision.
The musical accompaniment, especially the fiddle, works well, if a little long at times in the solos. The musicians — fiddler Pat Mangan, drummer/bodhran Mark Alfred, saxophonist Ken Edge, and Matt Bashford on uilleann pipes and whistles –were accomplished and a delight to listen to. The singers were competent, but in such a fast-moving show, the songs actually slowed down the momentum.
Lead dancers Maggie Darlington and Jason O’Neill, well versed in their roles, take on the demanding roles with grace and power. Darlington, a doppelganger to the original Butler yet smiled more frequently, was technically excellent. O’Neill, a very tall dancer reminiscent of Broadway star Tommy Tune, gave a strong performance in both soft and tap. More controlled polish than Flatley’s bravura, it was well received.
The highlight of the show was “Trading Taps” featuring the bravura performances of American tappers Michael Everett and Tyler Knowlin. Showing the NY jive street dancing style of the early 1900s, their freelance tapping was technically exquisite and joyful, showing much more variety of motion than the Irish dancers that joined them, in an onstage tap-off. A stunning explosion of tapping speed pushed the dancers to the limit. Reminiscent of West Side Story, the Irish and the Black American tap dancers went back and forth exchanging routines, to the raucous delight of the crowd, before the dancers joined together in a cultural kumbaya.
But the essence of Riverdance is ensemble driven uniformity of motion—at times nuanced, at times explosive. It is at its best when the troupe is aligned left to right with purpose and power, and it always works. If you‘ve not seen Riverdance, the experience is worthwhile, though not the groundbreaking hit it once was.
Running Time: 2 hours with an intermission.
Riverdance is performed at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna, VA 22182 on June 23-26, 2016, with matinees on Saturday and Sunday. For tickets to this or other performances in the Wolf Trap summer schedule, call the information line at 703.255.1900, the ticket line at 877-WOLFTRAP or online.
