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Tuesday, Dec 02, 2008
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Riverdance: The farewell tour |
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| Riverdance: The farewell tour | ||
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by Eric Andrews-Katz -
SGN Contributing Writer RIVERDANCE THE PARAMOUNT THEATER THROUGH FEBRUARY 3 $26 - $62 When I sat in my seat for the farewell tour of Riverdance, it was moments after I was informed a good friend of mine had recently died. I wasn't sure if an entertaining show was what I was in the mood for, but it was only a few minutes until curtain and the time for choices had passed. It was with mixed emotions that I stayed and watched as the lights dimmed and the show started. Irish bagpipes sounded from the live band in the corner. They called out with a primal, eerie voice and the lights dimmed to a bruised blue, matching my mood. A solo dancer stood before a projected image - a rock moon - on a centered screen. The band thundered, calling the dancer's legs to explode with movement. A male dancer joined her and the line of Irish lads and lasses jumped onto stage. Each person moved with the perfect synchronicity that has been made famous by Riverdance, and what the audience has to come to expect. What the audience doesn't expect was something that I found myself drawn deeply into: there's a story here. While the dancers' precision delights the eye, it's very true that each movement tells a story, or more like a sentence. Put the sentences together on stage and you get a tale of celebration. Riverdance tells this story: The rain becomes the river. The river brings forth life. The life becomes us and in turn we celebrate life with dance. At least, this is the story it told me. There is more to Riverdance than just dancing. It's also part concert, with a band consisting of Irish bagpipes, fiddles, Uilleann pipes, saxophones and percussion of all sorts. There's a rhythm to this music that makes it difficult to sit still. The audience seemed called to join in and each number ended with enthusiastic responses more reminiscent of a rugby game than a theater hall. Vocalist solos and group songs bringing forth waves of emotional evocations. These singers set moods and act as pathways leading the audience from one dance vignette to another. The band and soloists make up more than two-thirds of the show. The voices are rich and moving. The instruments are expertly played and when either have their individual moments, the performers shine. It's the dancing that holds the audience captive. Whether it's the team leads, individual soloists or group line performances, the dancing is amazing to watch. Each step is sharp and while the upper half does stay (relatively) still, the legs of each dancer move an at incredible pace that barely seems humanly possible. The fast pace tapping of the running river and the individual solo "Firedance" were both incredible to watch, while the moon's lament was beautiful and touching. Act I ends with the line of dancers that is Riverdance. Act II brings the Irish to America. Set in "The Harbour of the New World," it continues life anew by mixing in older traditions. It shows life moving and moving around the world. The Moscow Folk Ballet dances the Russian dervish expertly with pretty women spinning in the air on the hips of handsome men. Tap types clash when the traditional Irish meets the modern urbanite. In what only could be called a "tap-off," three Irish lads take on two American dudes with both competition and encouragement of tap dance. At the same time an Irish fiddler takes on an American saxophone, both instruments summoning their sounds promoting their own cultures, while ingratiating themselves into the other. Evening comes to the land and so an instrumental salute is made to the night air. Dancers mingle and courting ensues. When all seems peaceful, the band erupts with a call of drums and fiddling. The people explode into thunderous movement. Dance lines are formed and torsos remain tight while legs fly into action. The group moves into circles, dancing and spinning and the meaning is clear; life continues, circles and never ends. When I left the theater, my blood was pumping from the sounds of synchronized tapping and my ears were ringing from the shouts of audience approval. My heart was still heavy at the loss of my friend, but I felt emotionally satisfied for the moment. I'd seen Riverdance on an entirely different level than I expected to and enjoyed it the more for it. Riverdance has been touring since 1994 and has sold more than 9 million videos and produced a CD, which not only won a Grammy Award, but went certified Platinum in the US. Currently it is playing at The Paramount Theater until February 3. Ticket prices range from $26-$62 and are available by calling 206-292-ARTS. In memory of M.C. |
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