1hr & 40 min, color, 1995
Mysterious! Bracing!
Illuminating! Transfixing! Reverent!
Celebrative! Exhilarating! Soul-stirring! Uniquely Inspired and Inspiring!
I
was not far into my first viewing of “Riverdance” in 1995, when I found myself
experiencing all of the preceding. I
knew at once that I was in the presence of a piece of musical theater that was
special in that it was more than an entertainment, though it surely is
that. It was and is a spiritual offering
that calls forth the most sublime elements waiting to emerge from our human
hearts. When the show had its American
premiere that year in New York, it caused a sensation; news of it spread like a
wildfire and launched a Celtic revival here and worldwide (hence Celtic Woman,
Celtic Thunder and many other musical groups that have since emerged). Yes, we are approaching the twentieth
anniversary of this stage marvel, after it has been staged in at least forty
countries, perhaps more.
Some
of the most ingenious choreography ever designed in the western world is the
dazzling center piece. No less than
forty dancers participate, from various disciplines. The highlight of it is a form of hard shoe
that is not all that familiar in North America but is easy to get used to, and
many including myself have come to love it.
It involves very little bending of the hips and a limited use of the
forearms, with much of the performer’s control in the flexibility of the knees
and legs. The music in form is
traditional Irish for the most part, but it draws from other cultures as well,
even though the instrumentation is always that of a small ensemble, much on the
order of the famous internationally esteemed Chieftains. It is composed in large part of uilleann
bagpipes, sometimes referred to as “union” pipes, with percussion, accordion,
strings, guitar, mandolin, reeds, whistles and chimes accompanying. The orchestra numbers only about a dozen
players in this performance, but what a blast of sound they make! Great lighting effects serve an awesome
visual backdrop. I daresay this is one
stage production that would be next to impossible to perform
non-professionally. No high school or
college or local community troupe is ever likely to attempt it, not the least
because of the humungous personnel required both on stage and behind the
scenes. Beyond that, and more to the
point, is the level of virtuosity demanded of just about all participants. And there is not a sluggish moment anywhere
to be found.
“Riverdance”
works best, if it is viewed altogether on one occasion, not in selected parts
on scattered days, which may be the temptation when viewing it on DVD. Doing it piecemeal is certainly not a waste
of time; any segment of the whole would be entertaining and stimulating to the
senses, but taken together, with an evening or afternoon set aside as one would
allow for a movie or a play, a quality of experience over and above diversion
is almost assured. It is not a loosely
jointed revue, with the acts piled up in random sequence. There is a form and method in it. Seen through one continuous viewing it
provides a grander, loftier and more thrilling effect, an experience of serene
beauty and wonderment.
The
original version I viewed in 1995 only lasted a little over an hour; it was an
editing for TV from a longer treatment, whereas the DVD album I am plugging
here, a televised performance for Radio City Music Hall that took place in
1996, runs a total of 100 minutes. One
conspicuous difference between what I saw back then and what we find in this
expanded version is the use of narrated poetry, which is easy to follow because
of subtitles. This poetic material is
largely the reason for the show’s unity.
It provides something of an arc that binds the entire work
together. And yet, the words are not in
any way an encumbrance to the ballet.
These narrated passages are short in duration and link well with the
dances and with the lyrics of the songs that have become mainstays.
In my next blog entry I will be sharing
excerpts from the songs and the poetry.
Look for it sometime during the coming week.
The
first sound we hear is the band simulating, against a broad bass chord, the
flow of many waters, and the first solemn words we hear in voice-over play like
the beginning of an epic narrative: “Out
of the dark we came, out of the sea, where the long wave broke on the shore. As the day rolled back, there we stood, on
the land we would call home. Out of the
dark we came, out of the night, the first of many mornings in this place. What burns through the rain and mist? What banishes dark? . . .The sun is our lord
and father. . .lord of the morning, lord of the day. Lifting our hearts, we sing his praise and
dance in the healing rays.” These
wondrous words introduce us to the reel into which the approaching dancers
break. From this breathtaking beginning
we know that the history of humankind, from its most primal inception, out of
the sea, is being mythologized, and we are off to make the journey in music,
words and lively feet. And, as I say,
that is only the beginning!
The
epic gathers up the interminable human struggle with its pain and its
prosperity, its discoveries and its losses, its crises and the rewards of its
perseverance. There are hellos and
goodbyes. There is sunshine and storm,
war and peace, settlement and migration, the grievous cry and the aspirations
of the heart. The music is never
bizarre, unearthly, outlandish or revolutionary. Each episode’s song and/or dance is grounded
in a particular culture – Irish, Gaelic, Russian, Mideast, modern
American. There is even a sensational
flamenco dancer, Maria Pages, who commands the stage during no less than three
intervals. What a force she is!
It
all climaxes with a celebration of home – “Home and the Heartland” (my favorite
of the slow melodies, though they are all gorgeous). There is a huge choral number that cries out
for divine justice and for healing and nourishment of the soul, led by a super
powerful baritone soloist. The funniest
treat has Afro-American street boys and Irish youth running a personal
competition on an urban turf to see which can out tap the other and finally
learning to embrace each other’s craft.
Of course the highlight is Riverdance, a forceful number in which the
entire dance troupe participates, led by the stars of the show, Jean Butler and
Colin Dunne – two incredibly accomplished talents, both of whom played a big
part in the original creation of the show.
“Riverdance”
is derived from one seven-minute presentation composed by a Limerick native
named Bill Whelan that competed in the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest. Its favorable reception there incited a husband
and wife production team, John McColgan and Moya Doherty, to expand it into a
stage show, with Whelan doing the musical composing and McColgan directing; it opened
in Dublin on 9 February 1995, the cast and crew extremely nervous and fearful
of failure.
They
did not fail, and the rest is history.
I
have seen “Riverdance” many times since its premiere, including once live, and
it always leaves me feeling filled up and running over. As one who seeks evidence of the
divine-in-the-midst in community with others who seek it, I feel I have joined
hands with all such devotees from the earliest tribal adherents to those
present and practicing. Many of you, I
am sure, have seen the show already. See
it again and turn yourself over to its persuasive power. Make it new for yourself once more. You can rent it from Netflix or purchase your
own copy from Warner Home Video Inc., 4000 Warner Blvd, Burbank, California
91522 .
To read other entries in my
blog, please consult its website:
enspiritus.blogspot.com. To learn
about me consult on the website the blog entry for August 9, 2013.
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