Review: Audience Roars for Riverdance
Early in the second act of the Riverdance 25th Anniversary Show, a dance-off breaks out between urban New Yorkers and Irish immigrants.
It felt much like a rap battle – as from the musical Hamilton – but instead of spoken riffs, kinetic dance moves provided all the talking: tall and straight vs. a more relaxed style.
The fierce, athletic, and hilarious performance drew cheers and howls from the theatergoers at Dallas’ Music Hall at Fair Park, one of several sets fulfilling my young bride’s wish “to see the feet move.”
The performances showcased Riverdance’s signature Irish style along with Flamenco, Russian folk, and tap and ranged from romantic to defiant and always athletic. At one point, the dancing became so physical the audience erupted as if Luka Dončić had just hit a last-second basket to win an NBA game.
The Riverdance singers softened the pace between dance numbers, drawing the audience to far-off places with hypnotizing harmonies and solos.
The Riverdance Band also wowed.
With percussion, saxophone, fiddle, low whistle, and uilleann pipes, the instrumentalists accompanied other performers when not monopolizing the stage for solos and jam sessions.
The limited early June run, part of the Germania Insurance Broadway Series presented by Broadway Dallas, concludes Thursday night.
Visit riverdance.com for the complete 2023 North American Tour schedule and updates.
You won’t regret it.
