As we’re writing this, we still find it hard to believe that RIVERDANCE is 25 years old, or maybe 25 years young is more appropriate. It seems with each year, and each fresh production, the team bring a youthful energy, yet retain all that is so good about the show, It feels as fresh now as it did way back then.
Like a lot of productions, Riverdance had to postpone its tour in line with the pandemic restrictions, but now they are set to return to complete its tour of the UK this year. Incidentally, tickets from the postponed dates and still valid. If you have some, you will be contacted directly. Don’t worry if you don’t, new tickets are now on sale for additional dates, but be warned, they are going fast here in South Wales.
The 25th Anniversary show catapults Riverdance into the 21st century and will completely immerse you in the extraordinary and elemental power of its music and dance.
It was on February 9th, 1995, that Riverdance the Show premiered at The Point Theatre in Dublin. This followed its initial debut at the Eurovision Song Contest the previous year. Who can ever forget that incredible moment? Well, it seems 300 million of us can’t, which was the size of the worldwide audience which saw the birth of Riverdance as the interval act. The performance was seven-minutes long, but from that, it has literally entertained and changed the lives of millions of people over the 25 years.
Since then, Riverdance has been performed over 12 thousand times, and has been seen by almost 28 million people in 546 venues worldwide.
The most poignant would have been on February 9th last year, 25 years to the day of Riverdance’s Dublin premiere. There was a special gala evening performance filmed for television back where it all began, at 3Arena Dublin.
Of course, Riverdance isn’t only about the dancing, the music is as iconic as those famous steps. Twenty-five years on, composer Bill Whelan has rerecorded his incredible soundtrack while producer Moya Doherty and director John McColgan who have completely reimagined the ground-breaking show with innovative lighting, spectacular projection and stage designs, and new costume designs by Joan Bergin.
Poignantly, the cast for this tour will feature, for the first time, many dancers and musicians who were not even born in the year that the show first opened. A quarter of a century later, both new and devoted fans of all ages will once again fall in love with the magic of Riverdance.
Lockdown has been difficult for everyone, as we miss family and friends. The Riverdance team have had a huge professional family they’ve missed too. Fortunately for fans of the show, they found a way to bring to everyone together, thanks to dance and technology.
From their homes in Ireland, UK, USA, Canada, Spain, Australia, Moldova, Ukraine & Russia as well as those dancers who have swapped their dancing shoes for scrubs, the Riverdance cast all came together, while being apart to say ‘thank you’ to all frontline and essential workers, as well as the people at home who continue to do their part in the fight against COVID-19.
Last March, the cast of Riverdance’s “Lee Company” took to the stage of the world famous Radio City Music Hall, in New York City, to a sold out audience which included UN Ambassadors representing 120 nations. Little did they know that as the curtain came down to yet another standing ovation, it would be one of their last shows in New York and one of the final shows of their much anticipated 25th Anniversary North American Tour. On the last night when they took their bow and the applause of the audience began to fade, the cast reassembled onstage to hear the news that, due to COVID 19, they had just performed their final show for the foreseeable future.
On the other side of the Atlantic on the UK Tour, as the cast and crew of Riverdance’s “Liffey Company” prepared to perform in Nottingham, they too got the news that theatres are to close bringing an end to their sold-out 25th Anniversary Tour of the UK. All the dedication, determination, vision and focus that went into reimagining Riverdance – the 25th Anniversary Show was put on hold and audiences around the world would have to wait a little longer to see it.
What came out of that, was this magical moment…………..
The RIVERDANCE 25th ANNIVERSARY SHOW gets to St David’s Hall in Cardiff from Saturday 4th to Monday 6th September 2021. There are two shows on the Saturday. We can tell you now they are already selling fast and the best availability is the weekend. Tickets are priced from £44.80 and you can get all the details right here. RIVERDANCE
In the meantime, grab yourself a cuppa, put your dancing feet up, and enjoy the story of Riverdance. And when you’ve done that, head over to their site to meet the full cast and creative team, and take a look at which famous faces have enjoyed the show, just like you and me. HERE
And this is the original 25th Anniversary show trailer…….