Staff Reports
Riverdance, the thunderous celebration of Irish music, song and dance that has tapped its way around the globe, will play five farewell performances at Shea’s Performing Arts Center beginning Friday.
“Since 1996, the success of Riverdance in North America has gone beyond our wildest dreams,” said producer Moya Doherty. “The fact that the show continues to draw and excite audiences 14 years after its debut in Dublin is a tribute to every dancer, singer, musician, staff and crew member who have dedicated themselves to the show.”
Composed by Bill Whelan, produced by Moya Doherty and directed by John McColgan, Riverdance has played over 10,000 performances, been seen live by more than 22 million people in over 350 venues throughout 40 countries across four continents. They have traveled over 600,000 miles, played to a worldwide television audience of two billion; sold over three million copies of the Grammy Award-winning CD and over 10 million videos. Riverdance had its world premiere at the Point Theatre, Dublin in February 1995, where it opened to critical acclaim.
What began as a seven-minute dance segment on the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest (televised to over 300 million people in Europe) and then quickly turned into a full-scale production, has become much more than an international theatrical success.
“I believe Riverdance has been basically a pathfinder,” said Niall O’Dowd, founder of Irish America Magazine and the Irish Voice newspaper. Along with the peace process in Northern Ireland and the economic miracle in Ireland proper, the show “has been a hugely important part of a transformation of the image of Ireland in the last 20 years.”
Riverdance helped change the face of Irish dance and was voted the top variety/family entertainment show in the US in 1998.
There have been many milestones along the way including the distinction of being the largest Western musical to play China, a record-breaking line of 100 Irish dancers entertaining 85,000 people at the 2004 Special Olympics in Dublin, a 10th Anniversary celebration at Radio City Music Hall and a performance in Red Square and on the Great Wall of China, among other performances.
Riverdance at Shea’s
Performances are scheduled for:
• 8 p.m. Friday
• 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday
• 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets for Riverdance are on sale for $34.50, $49.50 and $59.50 and are available by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000, online at www.ticketmaster.com and at the Shea’s Ticket Office, 650 Main St., Buffalo.
