Ciaran Connolly with Troupe 2
Armed with rhythmical feet and electric bodies
STAGE REVIEWS
August 12, 2008
By Adrienne Sichel
The Lord Of The Dance
Creator-Producer: Michael Flatley
Where: Montecasino Teatro
When: Tuesday to Friday 8pm; Saturday 2pm and 8pm; Sunday 1pm and 6pm. Until August 31
Rating: ****
If only evil could be simply vanquished, not with guns or bombs, but lethal footwork as it is in this dance spectacular.
When The Lord of the Dance (immortalised by Michael Flatley), bearer of goodness, finishes off Don Dorcha, the bad one, the weapons of destruction are his rhythmically armed feet.
The storyline remains as flimsy as the gold dust the twee Little Spirit sprinkles around this highly sentimental spectacle. Bottom line: The Lord of the Dance is about the music and dancing.
Thankfully this company (one of the two international touring troupes) of 22 dancers is a vast improvement .... Part of the invigoration is the presence of tall, blond Ciaran Connolly in the title role. His swashbuckling elegance, megawatt personality and electrifying technique simply ignite this Celtic variety show tinged with folklore.
The character and choreography of Don Dorcha (Zoltan Papp) is muscle-flexing melodrama deluxe, but again it's about the dancing . The colleens are led by the graceful Siobhan Connolly.
Since Michael Flatley launched this entertainment phenomenon, a highly theatricalised brand of Irish step dancing, on the world 12 years ago it has created its own conventions, trad itions and audiences, not unlike that of pantomime.
Devoted fans know the drill and clap along happily. The surprises lie in the interpretations and quality of the musicianship and ensemble work.
Erin the Goddess (Deidre Shannon) is sublime to look at and listen to. The fiddlers - Mark Hennessey and Juliette Primrose - dazzle with their prowess. What clinched the evening for me was the superb Warlords number also featuring Connolly. Thrilling speed, precision and macho attack add up to sheer perfection.
The showmanship is not limited to the performers. The lighting, obviously designed for a much larger theatre or stadium, competes for attention (and can be blinding at times).
Yes, there are flames, and (very loud) fireworks, but the real pyrotechnics lie in those possessed feet and electric bodies.