HOLLYWOOD HILLS—On April 18 through April 23 the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood Hills will host “Riverdance.” “Riverdance” started as an interval act during the Eurovision Song contest in April 1994. An annual European music competition.
It was a short theatrical act blending traditional Irish music and dance. The song from the original video spent 18 weeks top of the Irish charts in 1994. It is the second highest selling of all time single in Ireland.
The original score was produced by Bill Whelan. Dancers Michael Flatley and Jean Butler combined with drummers and musicians Anúna. Husband and wife production team John McColgan and Moya Doherty formed a stage show based on the original seven minute production.
It opened as a stage show in Dublin, Ireland in 1995 for five weeks. Since then it has played at 450 venues. The show is currently on a 53 city tour across the US until June 11. The show had its 5000th performance in San Francisco in 2002.
Riverdance.com states, “For the 25th Anniversary production, renowned Irish lighting and video design creatives, High Res, were commissioned to produce and deliver an innovative and integrated set, lighting, and motion graphics design. The High Res team brings a wealth of creative experience, enhancing the visual onstage story telling though the use of technology and expert design.”
The production displays song, dance and performance around traditional Irish stories, myth and history. For example, scene 4 shows “a lone piper mourns Cú Chulainn, the implacable Bronze Age warrior, the great hero of Celtic myth.”
Eight shows will play at the Dolby Theatre this month. The theatre is located at 6801 Hollywood Blvd.
There are options for afternoon and evening shows. Tickets can be purchased at Riverdance Tickets | Event Dates & Schedule | Ticketmaster.com
