Jul 02

Follow Your Dream, Day #381: Celtic Tiger on The Shows Must Go On

Mark your calendars! From 3 July 2020, Michael Flatley's Celtic Tiger will be presented for free by Universal on "The Shows Must Go On" YouTube page from Friday 3 July at 7pm BST, available for a full 48 hours: https://www.youtube.com/theshowsmustgoon

Professional Irish dancing is a genre Michael Flatley invented, and the three most commercially successful shows within that genre all have Michael in common. Celtic Tiger, in particular, has some of Michael's most astonishing rhythm patterns and choreography. Released a decade after Michael's first show, you can see the tremendous evolution of his work as a dramatist; it's a show that speaks more in abstraction and theme, dares to provoke some very intense emotions, and utilizes onstage screens as a major element of the storytelling process instead of relying upon physical sets.

There are also some interesting tweaks to the "Flatley formula" for an Irish dance show; Celtic Tiger *opens* with an a cappella number, which is usually reserved for the tail end of the first act. And the first act doesn't end with dancing at all, but rather a rousing song. The second act, meanwhile, dramatically shifts in tone and setting, as the audience is taken from the old world to the new world. And, most notably, it is a show without any central characters; instead, it's about the journey of a *people* through time, showcasing the Celtic spirit overcoming adversity again and again.

Celtic Tiger is a big, loud, bold, incredibly audacious show. And would you expect anything less from Michael Flatley?

Tune in this weekend and enjoy it for free!

#FollowYourDream