REVIEW: Riverdance 25th Anniversary Tour Now Playing Chicago Through February 9, 2020

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RIVERDANCE 25TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW

AT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO’S CADILLAC PALACE THEATRE FEBRUARY 4 - 9, 2020

Riverdance Production Photos by Jack Hartin unless noted

*Runtime is 2 hours with an intermission*


Riverdance Lead Dancers
Photo Credit Ewa Figaszewska & Fatima Caballero

REVIEW:
By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

Whether the sum total of your knowledge of Irish step dance is curly wigged kids bouncing in unison in parades, or whether you're a diehard Riverdance fan who has followed the show for a quarter of a century, this tour has something to wow. The Riverdance 25th Anniversary Show opens and closes with a video montage of the past, a nostalgic nod to the award winning dancers who laid the foundations to make Riverdance a worldwide phenomenon, and the stellar success it remains today.

The dancers are world class, at the top of their game, and their lightning fast footwork is astonishing. Add the haunting solos of siren sopranos, talented musicians on traditional Irish instruments, and panoramic backdrops, and this show will leave you longing to travel. 

Caoineadh Cu Chulainn

We were elated that the drummer was a woman, and an excellent one at that, in what's sadly still a male dominated niche. 

Firedance

We particularly enjoyed the multicultural dance numbers that go beyond Irish dance to highlight the similarities to Flamenco, tap, Russian dance and more. The dance battle on the streets of New York was especially fun as was Thunderstorm, a sexy and powerful number. 

Thunderstorm

Trading Taps

Bring the whole family. Kids will be inspired and adults will be awed. The colorful costume changes, clever, moving background scenes, driving beat and flying feet will easily keep the attention of all ages. Highly recommended.

Don't forget to try your luck at the digital ticket lottery. Full details are below.
There will be a limited number of digital lottery tickets sold for every performance at $25 each. The lottery will happen online only the day before each performance. In addition, there will be a limited number of in person rush tickets sold for each performance at $30 each. These will be available at all performances of the run for purchase in-person at the Cadillac Palace Theatre box office beginning when the box office opens daily. Seat locations vary per performance for the digital lottery and day-of show tickets.

How to Enter Digital Lottery
• Visit www.broadwayinchicago.com/show/riverdance-2020/
• Follow the link “Click here for details and to enter the lottery”

Bonnie Kenaz-Mara is a Chicago based writer-theater critic-photographer-videographer-actress-artist-general creatrix and Mama to two terrific teens. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly). 

Broadway In Chicago is delighted to announce that RIVERDANCE 25TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW is now playing at Broadway In Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W. Randolph) for a limited one-week engagement through February 9, 2020.

Riverdance 25th Anniversary Show is Riverdance, as you’ve never seen it before! A powerful and stirring reinvention of this beloved favorite, celebrated over the world for its Grammy Award-winning score and the thrilling energy and passion of its Irish and international dance. Twenty-five years on, composer Bill Whelan has rerecorded his mesmerizing soundtrack while producer Moya Doherty and director John McColgan have completely reimagined the ground-breaking show with innovative and spectacular lighting, projection, stage and costume designs.

Immerse yourself in the extraordinary power and grace of its music and dance–beloved by fans of all ages. Fall in love with the magic of Riverdance all over again. Riverdance 25th Anniversary Show has been designed by lead designer Peter Canning, featuring Set by Alan Farquharson, Lighting by Andrew Voller and Video by Cosmo AV along with Costumes by Joan Bergin and Sound by Michael O’Gorman.

American Wake

Riverdance began its journey as the interval act in the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, produced for television by Moya Doherty. This electrifying and innovative seven-minute dance piece was then developed into a full-length stage show by Producer Moya Doherty, Composer Bill Whelan and Director John McColgan. With its fusion of Irish and International music and dance, the show broke all box office records during its world première run in Dublin in early 1995. When the show transferred to London the reaction was unprecedented. There followed a hugely successful tour starting in New York in March 1996, where 8 sold-out shows at Radio City Music Hall heralded the start of two decades of touring by Riverdance companies throughout North America. Since its inception, Riverdance has packed theatres throughout North America, Oceania, Asia, Europe, South Africa and South America.

For more information, visit: www.riverdance.com.
Follow @Riverdance on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Countess Cathleen

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 7:30PM Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 2PM & 7:30PM Thursday, Feb. 6 at 7:30PM
Friday, Feb. 7 at 7:30PM
Saturday, Feb. 8 at 2PM & 8PM Sunday, Feb. 9 at 2PM

TICKET INFORMATION
Individual tickets for RIVERDANCE 25th ANNIVERSARY SHOW are on sale now and range in price from $32 – $90 with a select number of premium tickets available. Individual tickets will be available by calling the Broadway In Chicago Ticketline at (800) 775-2000 or by visiting www.BroadwayInChicago.com. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or emailing GroupSales@BroadwayInChicago.com.

Digital Lottery & Rush Tickets
There will be a limited number of digital lottery tickets sold for every performance at $25 each. The lottery will happen online only the day before each performance. In addition, there will be a limited number of in person rush tickets sold for each performance at $30 each. These will be available at all performances of the run for purchase in-person at the Cadillac Palace Theatre box office beginning when the box office opens daily. Seat locations vary per performance for the digital lottery and day-of show tickets.

How to Enter Digital Lottery
• Visit www.broadwayinchicago.com/show/riverdance-2020/
• Follow the link “Click here for details and to enter the lottery”
• Click the “Enter Now” button for the performance you want to attend.
• Fill out the entry form including the number of tickets you would like (1 or 2). Patrons will receive a confirmation
email once they have validated their email (one time only) and successfully entered the lottery.
• After the lottery closes, patrons will be notified via email within minutes as to whether they have won or not.
• Winners have 60 minutes from the time the lottery closes to pay online with a credit card.
• After payment has been received, patrons can pick up tickets at the Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W Randolph) no
sooner than 30 minutes before show time with a valid photo ID.

Digital Lottery Additional Rules
Limit 1 entry per person, per performance. Multiple entries will not be accepted. Patrons must be 18 years old and have a valid, non-expired photo ID that matches the names used to enter. Tickets are non-transferable. All lottery prices include a $3.50 facility fee. Ticket limits and prices displayed are at the sole discretion of the show and are subject to change without notice. Lottery prices are not valid on prior purchases. Lottery ticket offer cannot be combined with any other offers or promotions. All sales final - no refunds or exchanges. Lottery may be revoked or modified at any time without notice. No purchase necessary to enter or win. A purchase will not improve chances of winning.



Lead Dancers’ Biographies
MAGGIE DARLINGTON. Maggie began dancing with the Claddagh School of Irish Dance in California. She won four North American Championships, two All-Ireland Championships and in 2007 won the World Irish Dancing Championships. In 2010 Maggie performed the lead role in Busch Gardens’ production Celtic Fyre and originated the lead female role in Battle of the Dance. She joined the cast of Riverdance in 2011 and became a member of the female principal team, touring internationally. Maggie was also featured dancer with Heartbeat of Home.

ANNA MAI FITZPATRICK. Anna Mai began her dance journey at the age of four. She danced competitively for 16 years alongside her brother Fergus, realising quickly that it was her passion. As a competitor, she has won many major championships such as the All-Ireland Championships, Great Britain Championships and the British Nationals. She joined Riverdance and went on to tour China with the fantastic cast of which included her brother Fergus and spent the last two summers performing with Riverdance in the historic Gaiety Theatre, Dublin. Aside from her dancing, Anna Mai has also received a qualification in personal training from the University of Limerick.

GIANNA PETRACIC. Born in Australia, Gianna attended the Halloran School of Dance, training in Irish dance, ballet, contemporary dance and musical theatre. There she obtained several championship titles in Irish dancing. She also studied ballet part time at the Australian Ballet School and part time acting at NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Arts). Gianna was a part of the cast of Prodijig’s show Footstorm. She is also an original cast member of Heartbeat of Home, touring and performing in London’s West End as a featured dancer. Gianna joined the cast of Riverdance in 2014 and has since toured the world as part of the female principal team.

WILL BRYANT. Born in Sydney, Australia, Will trained with the Halloran Dance School in Irish, ballet, contemporary and tap from the age of four. Will performed lead roles in musical productions and made regular appearances on TV. At University he studied for a Bachelor of Music and is an accomplished guitarist. An ambitious athlete, Will is studying personal training on and off tour. Following an impressive competitive Irish dance career, placing top-three internationally and winning state and national titles, he then went on to perform with Celtic Illusion and Heartbeat of Home. In 2014 he joined Riverdance and has toured in over ten different countries. He is thrilled to be part of the lead team.

PATRICK O‘MAHONY. Patrick is a native of Rusheen, Ballylongford, Co Kerry. He began his dance training at age two with Rinceoiri Na Riochta. He has many titles and he became All-Ireland champion in 1995. Moving to the U.S state of Virginia in 2004, he spent eight years dancing with Irish Thunder in Busch Gardens, Williamsburg. Back in Europe, he toured extensively with Gaelforce and performed in the Breandan De Gallai productions Noctu and the Rite of Spring. Patrick joined Riverdance in 2012 and went on to become Lead Dancer and has toured extensively with the show. In 2015 he was also principal dancer in Heartbeat of Home.

JASON O’NEILL. Jason started dancing at the age of five alongside his six sisters. Under the tuition of the Armstrong school in Belfast he developed a deep-rooted passion for rhythm. Jason has been a lead dancer Riverdance, Heartbeat of Home and with Prodijig’s Footstorm and is truly honoured to attain the lead role in three shows. As an avid traveller he has now performed in over 200 cities worldwide

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 20 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country. A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining more than 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including CIBC
          
Theatre, James M. Nederlander Theatre, Cadillac Palace Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at the Auditorium Theatre.

For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
Facebook @BroadwayInChicago ● Twitter @broadwaychicago ● Instagram @broadwayinchicago ● #broadwayinchicago