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Riverdance on PBS
D. Shaw
Jan. 20, 1997, 8:05 a.m. (Message 6272)
For those of you in the US, I just saw a promo on PBS that said:
Riverdance -- coming February 26 to PBS.
I don't know if that's national or local, but I would think national if they
said PBS and not WUNC.
For those of you elsewhere...sorry!
Cheers,
Deborah
Riverdance was shown in the Tucson area just before Christmas - during the Begathon - or Pledge Break. It proved so popular it was replayed three times in a two week period. I was glad to see they cut out the tap dance section... whether in order to make the show more brief or out of good taste, I can't decide. ;-) -- Courtney Cartwright Tucson, Arizona xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx
Courtney writes: >I was glad to see they cut out the tap dance section... whether in order to >make the show more brief or out of good taste, I can't decide. ;-) Well, orinarily I would now leap to the defense of the tap-dance section in Riverdance. I should first explain that, in addition to SCD I also do a whole lot of tap dance. BUT, this is now dependant on whether the version being shown was #1 (with Michael Flatley) or #2 (with Colin Dunne). Having last weekend seen #2 for the first time I can now support Courtney a little bit. While the tap section in #1 is OK but nothing special, the tap section in #2 is *absolutely outstanding* and should be missed by no one. Alan
Oh dear Courtney, for the first time I have to disgaree with you. But maybe not, it depends on which of the Riverdances you were watching. In the original show, the tapping was pretty uninteresting, and I'd agree that it should go. But in a later version, the tap number was called "Trading Taps", and involved two (very, very good) tap dancres trading steps with three equally good Irish step dancers. It was brilliant from all points of view:the choreograohy, the technical level of the dancing and the execution, the staging ... It even had a sense of humour and on top of all that helped to point out the link between the two dance forms. So please don't tell me that that's been cut! Maghi Courtney Cartwright wrote: > > Riverdance was shown in the Tucson area just before Christmas - during the > Begathon - or Pledge Break. It proved so popular it was replayed three > times in a two week period. > > I was glad to see they cut out the tap dance section... whether in order to > make the show more brief or out of good taste, I can't decide. ;-) > > > -- > Courtney Cartwright > Tucson, Arizona > xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx -- Please note my new e-mail address (old address was xxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xx) Maghi King | E-mail: xxxxxxxx.xxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xx ISSCO, University of Geneva | WWW: http://issco-www.unige.ch/ 54 route des Acacias | Tel: +41/22/705 71 14 CH-1227 GENEVA (Switzerland) | Fax: +41/22/300 10 86
>Alan wrote: >BUT, this is now dependant on whether the version being shown was #1 (with >Michael Flatley) or #2 (with Colin Dunne). Having last weekend seen #2 for >the first time I can now support Courtney a little bit. While the tap section >in #1 is OK but nothing special, the tap section in #2 is *absolutely >outstanding* and should be missed by no one. > Where have I been - there's a second video out of Riverdance? Did they change the cover? How long has it been out? More info PLEASE! LuAnne
I should like to add my thoughts to this topic. Having seen the
original tape with Michael Flatley and the stage presentation at
Radio City Music Hall, the stage version was so much more thrilling.
Literally, my breath was taken away at the opening sequence. I
understand, though I`ve not seen it anywhere, that a new video with
Colin Dunne is in the works. I thought that, with no offense meant to
those involved, that the tap sequences and gospel music tended to
slow down the pace of the concert. However, it seemed much more
tightened during the stage version with the gospel end eliminated and
the tap dancing was indeed a thrilling display, particularly in the
contest, if you will, between the 3 Irish dancers and the black tap
dancers before they joined forces.
In March, Michael Flatley brings his Lord of the Dance to
Radio City for a week. And on February 11, the video of Lord of the
Dance will be available and, like Riverdance, it, too, was taped at
the Point Theatre in Dublin. It will be interesting to be able to
compare and contrast the two shows in terms of virtuosity, glitter,
and excitement. I`ll be seeing Lord of the Dance in March. If anyone
else out there should see it, it`ll be interesting to see what kind
of discussion it engenders.
Oh, and btw, I`m a country dancer as well and have been for many
years.
Jeff
Courtney wrote >>I was glad to see they cut out the tap dance
section... whether in order to make the show more brief or out of good
taste, I can't decide. ;-) <<
Hmmm, even *with* that little smiley face, Courtney, you're on the
edge here! [;-), yourself!] I had the good luck to travel to London
on business last fall, and the better luck to see the show while I was
there (the resultant bliss even made me forget British Airways'
determined attempts to lose my luggage). I thought the tap routines
were fantastic, although, to be fair, the tap dancers in the show are
different from those on the video, and IMHO, better. That old
vaudeville-style trick of a running start up the wall ending in a
backflip just hasn't lost its charm for me, anyway!
Regards,
Jennifer Sawin (wondering why on earth anyone would want to make
Riverdance more brief??)
Having just seen the show live in Boston on Friday night, my info is probably as current as you can get! The tap number features three Irish dancers, three tap dancers, the fiddler, and a sax player. One of the tap dancers and the lead male Irish dancer clearly star in it. I found the number very effective and entertaining. I believe the same number was featured on one of the late night shows (Letterman?) a few months ago. According to an article in the Boston Globe, both the male and female leads have changed since the show that was taped for PBS. The live show in Boston also features the fiddler more, integrates the singers better with the dancing, and uses great background and lighting effects. I don't know if the taped version of the show shown on PBS has changed since the one I saw. Loren Wright <xxxxxx@xxx.xx.xxx> Roger Wagner Publishing
I own a copy, but it's at home, so I can't check. I think though that it's just called "The New Riverdance" Maghi LuAnne Anderson wrote: > > >Alan wrote: > > >BUT, this is now dependant on whether the version being shown was #1 (with > >Michael Flatley) or #2 (with Colin Dunne). Having last weekend seen #2 for > >the first time I can now support Courtney a little bit. While the tap section > >in #1 is OK but nothing special, the tap section in #2 is *absolutely > >outstanding* and should be missed by no one. > > > > Where have I been - there's a second video out of Riverdance? Did they > change the cover? How long has it been out? More info PLEASE! > > LuAnne > > -- > LuAnne Anderson <xx@xxxxxxxx.xxx.xxx> -- Please note my new e-mail address (old address was xxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxx.xx) Maghi King | E-mail: xxxxxxxx.xxxx@xxxxx.xxxxx.xx ISSCO, University of Geneva | WWW: http://issco-www.unige.ch/ 54 route des Acacias | Tel: +41/22/705 71 14 CH-1227 GENEVA (Switzerland) | Fax: +41/22/300 10 86
>Alan writes: >BUT, this is now dependant on whether the version being shown was #1 (with >Michael Flatley) or #2 (with Colin Dunne). Having last weekend seen #2 for >the first time I can now support Courtney a little bit. While the tap section >in #1 is OK but nothing special, the tap section in #2 is *absolutely >outstanding* and should be missed by no one. You're right Alan -- I was referring to the Michael Flatley version. Courtney
LuAnne Anderson wrote:
> Where have I been - there's a second video out of Riverdance? Did they
> change the cover? How long has it been out? More info PLEASE!
details are available at the riverdance web page, www.riverdance.com.
the new tape is simply called "Riverdance: The New Show". It was filmed
at the Radio City Music Hall shows of October 1996 (a year and a half
after the first video with Flatley/Butler, 2 1/2 years after the
original Eurovision appearance). It has Colin Dunne as the lead
(though now he's no longer with the show either), and i don't
know if Jean Butler was at that show or if it was after she left.
Anuna had also left the show by then, although some members left
Anuna to stay with the show. The cast in terms of the ethnic dances
(the flamenco and russian portions) is completely different, so i would
expect the dances to be different even though the music is the same.
The american tap number, "trading taps" was originally just american
tappers when the first video was made, but the idea of comparing
American and Irish in the same number was a Michael Flatley addition
worked out just prior to his leaving the show before the London 1995
run.
the new video should be available by the end of the month
(theoretically),
and can be pre-ordered at their web page (see above). both PAL (europe)
and NTSC (american) vhs tapes are available.
as for "What Is Riverdance?". I answered this one the last time this
topic came up...check the archives.
as for "a scottish answer to Riverdance". last i heard, Guitarist/Piper
Malcome Jones (of Runrig) and Piper Fred Morrison (of Capercaillie;
he played the smallpipes on screen in "Rob Roy") were in the process of
writing a scottish dance showcase; but that was in early 1996, and i've
heard little since then.
joe
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