About the show . . . . . .
---------------------------
Click HERE to go to a page with maybe a better reading text color.
Michael Flatley about the Celtic Tiger show . . . . . .
<< Click here to download a MP3 with Michael talking
about Celtic Tiger >>
17th June 2005 Birmingham, UK Celtic Tiger Show report
Written by Linda Brongers
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files are copyrighted files.
The official websites of Michael Flatley are located on the "Links" page of
this website.
Now that the official titles of the parts of Celtic Tiger are officially know
I've put them into this show report, but you also can find the titles given by
Linda's imagination right after the official titles 1 t/m 26, shown as "<title>
".
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I hope you will all enjoy it!
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Thanks to Audrey Wichers for photo's !
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When Yankee Doodle comes to town………
THE TIGER ROARS!
Preparations
On Thursday evening 9 June 10.50 pm
a message from heaven was sent to me by a very dear Dublin friend. It read: “Hi
Linda, are you online? Go to Michael’s site right away if you are – Birmingham
tickets up for grabs!” Misfortune prevented me from reading that message
immediately. I was traveling for work and didn’t get home until midnight Friday.
Of course by then also Judy’s message had arrived in my mailbox and I think the
reply was sent within 20 seconds!
Saturday was very stressful as the reply never came. What if all tickets were gone??????? Then Judy’s slightly comforting message came that her computer had collapsed under the sheer volume of e-mails and that those without reply had to try again. I did (more than once I can say!) and Sunday that celebrated message came: “Linda, there’s a ticket waiting for you at the venue”.
Yeahaaaaaaa book the plane!! Get bags ready! Get passport, money, camera! We’re off!
Boy was that a long week. To see Michael dance after waiting and hoping for so long, to see a totally new show, having two Dutch dancers in the troupe, meeting so many friends from all over the world! Sleepless nights, mind absence at work, kids wondering what I was thinking of…..
Birmingham
Friday morning 17th June
2005. This was going to be a day to remember. Got up at 0600 hrs to get ready
realizing that at that very moment hundreds of fans from all over the world,
Ireland, Holland, Germany, Austria, UK, USA, even Brazil and more were having
the same thoughts, getting on planes, into cars, buses, trains, all heading for
the NIA Birmingham, all getting ready for this incredible event, all being
personally invited by Michael Flatley to be amongst the very first to see his
brand-new show in a private preview. And to see him dance after such a long
wait!
My friend Audrey and I walked through the wonderful centre of
After a nice meal by the venue, we started queuing up by the box office doors at around 4.15. The box office wasn't supposed to open till 5 but we figured we would get first in line to be sure of getting our tickets promptly. Unfortunately the ticket thing was a disaster. At 5 pm we were allowed inside to queue at the box office. 2 box office girls were sat in the booths, but they did not know anything about the tickets for 500 fans! They told us that, as this was a private event, the tickets were to be organized by the promoters, they surely did NOT have them.
By that
time the queue had reached peek length and the time to enter the venue, 6 pm,
had arrived. Lucky those who had been given tickets before – dance schools,
friends and family of the dancers, VIP’s. They could after all get in. How we
were going to get in in time was beyond me. The doors would close at 6.45? No
way would we have tickets by then! AAAAArgh!
Ok. Relax. Things would work out. Judy was there and in control. If tickets
would not turn up she would personally get us in. Meanwhile that greenhouse
location behind the glass of the waiting area in front of the box office was
getting to us. Two hours there was not only turning our feet to flames!
Finally some movement. YES, tickets! However, only A to F. Those 500 tickets we had been promised hadn't even been printed, the office staff had to print each ticket out, one at a time, for all 500+ people, from A to Z. Luckily I was a B and could get out quickly. My friends were all beyond F and had to wait much longer. My ticket was Block 3 F 120. A great seat at the right hand side of the stage, first level up, front row, close enough to see the dancer’s faces and at stage level. More or less all 500 fan seats were in that area.
The stalls were filled up with mostly kids from dance schools, along with a mixture of Irish dance celebrities and VIP’s. We spotted Bernadette Flynn, Damien O’Kane, Ronan Hardiman, Des Bailey, Kelly Bailey-Hendry, John Carey, Sarah Clarke, Stephen Scarrif, Stephen Brunning, Tony Lundon, Fiona Kidd, Chris Hannon, Fiona Harold, Dearbhla Lennon, Daire Nolan, Catriona Hale, Connor Smith, Michael Donnellan, Emma Holtham, Maire Duffy, Martin Flitton, Lisa Murphy (yes, they’re back together!) Micheal Edwards, Ciaran Devlin, Owen & Denis McAuley and surely there were lots more.
It was a very intimate event anyway. Everybody seemed to know everyone. Everywhere you would see dance teachers, dancers, adjudicators, fans, musicians, saying hello, hugging, yelling. It was like the biggest family gathering ever, but after all, that’s what it actually was, a gathering of the Flathead family. Through the buzz you could feel the excitement growing!
The arena was pretty full, apart from the seats which had been kept empty because of the filming of the show. This was going to be the Celtic Tiger DVD performance and I spotted at least 15 cameras, some in camera cranes, some on rails, some fixed. Before the show started ladders were hanging from the ceiling and it turned out two lighting men had to climb up these ladders and be stuck up there in the heat for the duration of the show. What a job!
At 7.30 a guy walked onto the stage to stir the excitement a little more. Hi guys! (screams, loads of them) He first got a wave going through the venue then was telling us this show would be filmed to become the official Celtic Tiger DVD (didn’t we know) so he expected us to shout, yell, make as much noise as possible, stand up and dance and cheer all we wanted and that he would be disappointed if we wouldn’t. Well, we would anyway!
Then darkness turned upon us. Tension. Excitement, The Final Wait.
Celtic Tiger
First half
1 The heartbeat of the tiger
Suddenly a giant pair of bright red glossy lips lit up a huge
video screen filling up the back of the stage. The lips spoke: "There's no place
like home". It was followed by the reflection of a giant heart monitor and the
sound of a heart beat speeding up. In the faint light the stage seems huge but
empty with two scaffolds left (fiddlers) and right (drum section). Smaller
screens left and right projected tiger faces.
2 Dancing in the Dark
"Romans* "
In the
darkness some 30/40 dancers came marching onto the stage and began hammering
away in perfect unison with growing speed. There was no music in support.
Minimal lights at feet level could only make us guess who it was leading this
troupe but when the lights came - yes it was
Michael as we had all hoped. And
WOW did he look FIT! Yeahaaa da man is back! This is what we were all waiting
for and had hoped for! We, the crowd, everybody was going crazy!!!! There was
more noise than at the winning goal of a world cup! What a welcome this must
have been for the man who loves to be on stage so much. All the pain, endless
hours of training, getting this show together, all the organizing, it all fell
in place that moment. Man did he look happy! Michael was dressed as a Roman centurion in full
armour, a spectacular outfit, and his troupe of Roman soldiers were dressed
equally stunning. They were doing a Planet Ireland-like dance with complex and
precise ever changing rhythms, and every now and then the troupe dancing paused
when Michael did some spectacular solo dancing, a bit like his Feet of Flames
solo but using the entire stage! Michael was having some problems with his right
shin plate (luckily this wasn’t a Roman war!), couldn’t fix it and had to tear
it off and throw it aside.
After this breathtaking opening the centurion marched off with his soldiers.
3 St. Patrick
"Snakes* "
<< Click here to
download a Music sample of this Celtic Tiger number >>
Click HERE for the songtekst of this number.
Then
the screen showed a huge red apple and a snake writhing around a branch to the
left of it, pointed at the apple. The background image changed to a giant
cathedral. A few female dancers dressed in red suits were doing wriggly snaky
moves and dances. We hear the first new Ronan Hardiman music of the evening,
dramatic Gregorian chanting. It grabs you and drags you on stage amidst these
snakes as 8 dancing monks appear, dressed in long white silky robes with celtic
designs on them. These barefooted monks dance ballet-style with big leaps and
surround the snake chicks, forcing them into a hole in the ground. It’s a
wonderful dance, very theatrical and dramatic.
4 The sleeping tiger
"Song"
Click HERE for the songtekst of this number.
To
catch some breath Eimear Quinn appeared in a long silver dress, her long blond
hair hanging loose over her shoulders, against the background of a projected
purple light. It was the first musical interlude of the show. The fairy-like
song is about the struggles of the people but the w
ords could hardly be
understood, there definitely was a sound problem. We know the problem is not her
voice (she won Eurovision 1996 with “The Voice” by Brendan Graham) even
though it sounded weak and lacking in power. Yet her voice was so pure and
clear, surely this problem will be resolved. Somewhere in the middle of the song
there is a beautiful whistle solo.
5 The Vikings
"Vikings*"
<< Click here to
download a Music sample of this Celtic Tiger number >>
As she left the backdrop turned
into a crashing ocean, and four dancers
dressed in white with huge bird
wing-like headpieces were performing a sort of ballet dance while six other male
dancers came into view rowing onto the stage with oars in the formation of a
Viking ship wearing Viking horned helmets. They were the invaders from the
North, to be fought by the Irish men. The video screen had turned to massive
castle ruins. The Irish men –one appeared
on stilts and had a huge shield
hanging by his side!- fought the invaders by dance. One red haired Viking Queen
did a solo with haunting pipe music, then 12 colorful girls did a graceful slip
jig to bedazzle the invaders. 11 Viking invaders then retaliated with a hard
shoe dance. Meanwhile the four violinists had come down onto the stage as well –
YES, Cora Smyth!- and the fight built up to a massive finale. This is very hard
to write down in words but the boys and girls were forming lines and mixed, did
solo’s, danced together in complicated patterns, all very exciting. Then they
were gone and the invaders driven out.
6 Celtic Fire
"Flute Jam - reprise"
<< Click here to download a Music sample of this
Celtic Tiger number >
The
drummer kicks off the second musical interval, joined by the four violinists
dressed in flashy red tops and wild black skirts. They were flanked by two
guitarists one of them John Colohan from Furry Village, Ger Fahy’s band. Michael
joins them for a “Celtic Fire”-like flute jam. A very powerful upbeat piece of
music! Michael is wearing black leather pants and a black leather waistcoat
(yes, a rare view of da man’s –VERY nice- bare chest during this show). This one
again shows what a superb flautist Michael is. This piece of music drove a lot
of dancers in the audience off their chairs especially the little girls in the
audience who surely deserved their moment of glory in the DVD for that.
7 The garden of eden
"Bug dance"
<< Click here to download a Music sample of
this Celtic Tiger number >>
Totally
in contrast is the next piece. A projected field of huge blossoming flowers in
every imaginable shade of red, orange and yellow was the spectacular colorful
setting for a “bug dance”. 14 female dancers dressed as butterflies, with huge
wings, and flowers danced a lovely and sweet, visually beautiful (soft
shoe)
dance to relaxing Ronan Hardiman forest music. It’s an idyllic picture of life
in Ireland. They lined up, darted out again, came in pairs to be tied together
with laces by other bugs like bees and bumblebees, separated again all holding
some laces and coming together again, then they all bent down and the flowers in
the back changed to a green field, while a second –smaller-video screen had been
placed in front of the huge screen, showing a pretty little white cottage. The
butterflies and bugs disappeared through the door of the cottage.
8 The redcoats , 9 The famine , 10 Bloody Sunday
"Rule Britannia"
<< Click
here to download a Music sample of this Celtic Tiger number > >
<< Click here to download a Music sample of
this Celtic Tiger number >>
Click HERE for the songtekst of this number
11 Four green fields
"Four Green fields"
Against
the backdrop of an air view over Ireland and it’s graves Paul Harrington, former
Eurovision winner –1994- and pianist at Lillie’s Bordello, treated us to an
emotional version of "Four
Green Fields".
His
appearance was that of a rebel and he sang with a very powerful voice. Again
there was a sound problem and the words were not clear but here they are:
What
did I have, said the fine old woman
What did I have, this proud old woman did say
I had four green fields, each one was a jewel
But strangers came and tried to take them from me
I had fine strong sons, who fought to save my jewels
They fought and they died, and that was my grief said she
Long
time ago, said the fine old woman
Long time ago, this proud old woman did say
There was war and death, plundering and pillage
My children starved, by mountain, valley and sea
And their wailing cries, they shook the very heavens
My four green fields ran red with their blood, said she
What
have I now, said the fine old woman
What have I now, this proud old woman did say
I have four green fields, one of them's in bondage
In stranger's hands, that tried to take it from me
But my sons had sons, as brave as were their fathers
My fourth green field will bloom once again said she
Croke Park*
When he finished a Gaelic Football player appeared on the
left playing with his football. The video screen showed cheering crowds happily
watching the game. Suddenly the crowds were gone and a British tank appeared,
the monstrous gun barrel covering the entire screen. The barrel pointed at the
football player and fired unexpectedly with an enormous bang leaving us in
shock.
12 A call to the arms , 13 The 1916 rising , 14 The banchee , 15 A nation once again
"Easter Uprising*"
The
British soldiers marched back on stage and lined up in the familiar V-shape,
when suddenly rebel Michael (brown pants, brown waistcoat, bare chested) came
racing out to do spectacular dance routines fighting the soldiers. The audience
was going wild when Michael was doing amazing solos, each solo leading to the
defeat of one of the soldiers. He was backed by the thunder of drums, the screen
showing lightning flashing through a dark and gloomy sky. Pipe music and
projected Irish fields follow, while Michael, looking determined and angry,
returned with a Bodhran (Yes, he plays it!) to support his troupe with the beat
of his drum in the next scene:
While a giant projected Dublin Post office is
besieged by English soldiers an angry line of Irish rebels slowly emerged from
the back of the stage. This is very dramatic and powerful and leads to the most
spectacular fighting dance scene I have ever seen. I seemed to recognize the
tunes of “A soldiers song” when all hell broke loose. While the post
office was being shelled and explosions and fighting scenes were dominating the
backdrop rebels and soldiers fought their terrible fight, the English soldiers
getting the upper hand, being beaten back by the spirited Irish rebels, pushing
forward and being overrun again.The dance/rhythm patterns were complicated,
fast, and powerful and while the screen was showing massive explosions the fight
got really tough.
Then suddenly things turned quiet against the backdrop of a
burning Post Office, everyone dead or dying on the floor, the stage covered in
smoke. From the ashes and smoke an angel emerged, singing a beautiful angelic
hymn, just tones, no words, while floating over the battle field. While she
disappeared into the ground the English had disappeared off the stage. The
football player returned and lead by Michael the complete troupe walked forward
in their rebel clothes singing “A Nation Once Again”, Paul Harrington
leading. With the Irish colors, huge and waving, in the back, the audience rose
to their feet instantly to join in. Thousands of voices singing this song was an
emotional and exciting finale to the first half of this rather politically
charged first half of the show. As the Irish in the audience waved their flags
with pride, Act 1 ended.
A
nation once again,
A nation once again,
And Ireland, long a province, be
A Nation once again!
Celtic Tiger
Interval
The interval was a feast of recognition. Familiar faces everywhere! While saying hello to many there was just enough time to get some drinks and be seated again. All the time there was gorgeous flute music playing and I wouldn’t be surprised if that was Michael’s music from the long awaited new cd! When almost everybody was back in place this guy came back on stage to urge the slow ones back to their seats, as the show wouldn’t begin until everybody was there. So fasten our seatbelts, we’re off again!
Celtic Tiger
Second half
16 Freedom
"Captain Flatley"
The second half started with air views of Ireland, changing
into an airstrip with a huge airplane.
While the plane was taking off a solo
dancer appeared wearing a green/orange Aer Lingus-like air hostess uniform,
sunglasses and very high heels. She did some step dancing as far as possible
with such shoes until the plane was airborne and flying high. Boy were we flying
high when Captain Flatley appeared on stage, dressed in dark blue with gold
braid and peaked hat. As if it wasn’t enough to see him in this gorgeous outfit
he posed for a moment to slowly put on his shades (AAAARGH! Totally and utterly
sexy!) then walked on to be joined by 14 male dancers in similar pilot outfits. The guys positioned themselves in two lines front and back with the girl in the
middle, against a backdrop of bright US city lights and crowded streets. For a
moment Captain Flatley turned to the air hostess just to give her a tiny bit of
attention then the guys lifted her off her feet above their heads forming an
airplane flying over (projected) clouds. Very effective! Passing a screen filling Statue of Liberty they arrive in America. Once landed she is a
transformed woman, confident and sexy, ready for a new start. Off come the
glasses and the hat, and she does a wild kind of dance. Huge flames on the
screen and powerful “Stolen Kiss” guitar music surround a naughty striptease -
off come her gloves, her jacket and her silver top revealing a bikini top with
stars and stripes. Then off comes the skirt to reveal a tiny slip striped white
and red in front with a bright blue bum. Yes, the high heels stay on – ok guys,
you can have some fun too!
17 A new world
"Medley"
<< Click here to download a Music sample of
this Celtic Tiger number >>
With the stars and stripes projected in the back 4 guys
dressed in white carried huge white flags across the stage (A surrender to the
American way of life?). What came next kicked off the feel good feeling created
by the rest of the show and was a carnival of dance and music, showing various
styles that influenced dance in the US. First a pair of Latin dancers in bright
red outfits, followed by a pair dressed in white top to toe dancing ballroom,
jives and American tap.
Then two guys doing an amazing street dance act and a
Spanish pair showing off Flamenco style. Last in line were two ballet dancers,
graceful and refined. Then all of a sudden 30 or more Irish dancers exploded
onto the stage, very much like the 1994 Riverdance performance, to bookmark the
dramatic impact of those few minutes. Men in colorful satin shirts, beautifully
dressed girls, all took part in this dance explosion. One by one they did their
solo’s showing off and impressing one another - and us! At the end all dancers,
Irish and other, danced Irish Dancing together in a big happy finale.
18 The last rose"
<< Click here to download a Music
sample of this Celtic Tiger number >>
Who wouldn’t get goose bumps listening to Whispering wind, or be moved to tears.
Who wouldn’t
fly away on the wings of that masterpiece. What comes next may stir your senses
even more: While 2 ballet dancers stand on a platform in front of a projected
painting of an old castle, looking like they are part of the painting,
Michael
appears in a spotless white tuxedo, his undone bow tie hanging down, to play a
wonderful version of "The Last Rose”,
a slow Irish air. The flute he plays is a rare
flute that was made in London in 1836, made of cocus wood and silver. While he
was playing the ballet dancers, dressed in dark blue and silver white costumes,
stepped down from the platform to dance their love story, and music and dance
are one. When the last tunes melted away the ballet dancers had returned to
their painting, their motion frozen.
19 Celtic kittens
"Tigerdance"
< Click here to download a Music sample of
this Celtic Tiger number >>
Next the Celtic Tiger was
definitely released. Against a whirling red and purple backdrop the four
fiddlers wearing beautiful tiger dresses played a fast upbeat jig. P
laying
faster and faster 5 dancers dressed in tight tiger cat suits leapt out and came
crawling forward to do an exciting tiger dance. While a giant pair of tiger eyes
was looking at us they were joined by two boys in similar tiger suits racing
across the stage like a tornado, sometimes jumping onto the scaffolds. Their
dance ended with a big leap of the tiger troupe, all landing in splits.
20 Capone
"Feet of Flames
III"
<< Click here to
download a Music sample of this Celtic Tiger number >>
Who
doesn’t remember Michael’s giant silhouette projected against the screen at the
FOF Hyde Park 1998 performance? So impressive, this one man who was so much
wanted on stage, this heap of energy ready to burst out, the audience going
crazy! The tiger brings him back, his silhouette against a scarlet screen,
wearing a wide brimmed hat. Jazzy music. His tap dance fast, varied, complicated
and seemingly effortless. The man was flying and the audience went wild.
Then he
came out and jumped onto a raised platform in the centre of the stage, dressed
in a pinstriped 30-s Chicago gangster suit, including the white shoes, a bright
red rose stuck in his buttonhole. Then he began to dance, an evolved version of
the last Feet of Flames solo. No high kicks or clicks, but fast and furious
footwork in complicated patterns. An overhead camera projected his moves on the
big screens at the sides of the stage. It was exciting and maybe even better
than the best moments he ever had before! Faster and faster he danced, smoke
rising from the platform. But the heat was rising and the platform caught fire.
Yet this one cool dude was dancing even faster until also for him things were
getting too hot and he jumped off, just before the platform exploded with
massive pyros that made us all jump! The bikini girl then handed him a machine
gun, he pointed at the audience and started shooting left to right, each shot
visualized by an explosion bursting from the front of the stage.
Gangster clan
<< Click here to download a Music sample of
this Celtic Tiger number >>
<< Click here to a second download a Music
sample of this Celtic Tiger number >>
Michael
left the stage while 12 female dancers appeared, dressed in
white suits with black stripes, white hats, doing a heavy shoe
routine to jazzy music. The backdrop was vague and colorful sort
of like Broadway and city lights. The girls danced very fast and
lined up to welcome Michael back, who then did a great American
tap solo. Together they were speeding up, Michael in front of
the line of dancers, their moves fresh, powerful and exciting.
At the last step the girls menacingly formed guns with their two
hands, pointed at the audience. Michael in front, left arm at
his side, stretched right arm with his hand forming a gun, also
pointed at the audience. (Was this aimed at the unfair critics
he has had over the years?
21 Forever Free
Wearing a pink and silver dress
with silver shoes the fair haired second singer then passionately sang “Forever
Free”, which sounded like it could be a George Graham song. A very sensitive
song, but the words were not clear.
22
Cowboy cheerleaders
"S.T.A.R.S: Stars and Stripes"
Then against the backdrop of a
giant stars and stripes 6 boys and girls whirled onto the stage dressed in red
white and blue (The mini skirts striped red/white/blue and the tops blue/white;
the boys wearing blue trousers and red/white/blue t-shirts). They seemed to
disappear only to appear in greater numbers (10 boys and 10 girls). In the back
big stars were criss-crossing the screen. This was a whirlwind of dancers
enthusiastically following exciting and complicated patterns with boundless
energy. Surely these patterns were clearly visible from the screens thanks to
the overhead camera but It was too hard to move your eyes away from the stage.
We’ll have to wait for the DVD for that. More dancers seemed to join them and
there must have been at least 30 of them doing this brilliant dance. The music
was exciting and fun and somewhere in the middle there was a crisp banjo solo
which debuted the Yankee Doodle theme, a theme that would be back repeatedly.
History
While
the band played the screen showed the history of the Irish people including the
Potato famine and the mass exodus to America as well as numerous famous people
linked with Ireland from past and present. Images of American presidents
(Kennedy several times) alternated with great Irish men like De Valera (and
possibly Michael Collins) but also with famous Irish actors – a huge portrait of
Pierce Brosnan - and sporting heroes. Every image drew cheers from the crowd,
the loudest one arising when a screen size picture of the recently deceased Pope
appeared. Surely in our thoughts Michael was to be up there too! The Queen Mary
sailed across the screen as images of New York appeared. The Irish colors,
seamlessly coupled with the stars and stripes, were flying in unison. Then the
shuttle was launched and the first man on the moon planted the Irish Tricolor
(very funny!).
23 These colours don't run
24 Yankee Doodle dandy*
Against projected images of America
the bikini girl appeared again and paraded across the stage. In the middle of a
projected ticker-tape parade troupes were welcomed by the cheering crowds and 12
navy soldiers marched across the stage while the backdrop changed to the Irish
flag. Their jackets similar to the aircrew outfit, only this time the hat and
trousers were white in stead of blue. Then Michael marched his troupe back on
stage, all in crisp outfits wearing snow-white trousers and stars a
nd stripes
tops (the tops were horizontally striped red/white on the left, the right was
bright blue with silver stars, the boys wearing white shirts underneath). Their
hats were reflecting the stars and stripes as well. Michael’s outfit was
slightly different, white shirt, white trousers, bright blue waistcoat with
silver stars, white short jacket with red/white sleeve ends/front and bright
blue collar. His hat was as the others. All were wearing stars and stripes bow
ties, Michael’s mainly striped red/white, the others mainly blue. The troupe was
led into a Victory kind of dance, and Michael did a smashing solo, all with
Yankee Doodle music. In front of screen filling stars and stripes the dancers
all lined up, similar to the Lord of the Dance line up, 26 of them, performing a
big finale. In stead of the raised arms this line up one after another saluted
their leader, perfectly disciplined up left to right then down right to left.
Michael, so happy to be up there, was magic. Then he got everybody on stage, the
Latin dancers, the Vikings, the musicians, all of the dancers. There and then we
possibly witnessed the happiest man on the planet as he stepped back to let his
cast take the applause. You could hear him think – do things get any better than
this? No, they surely don’t!
25 Celtic fire II
"More!"
The audience went absolutely mad at this scene, up off their seats, screaming, shouting, stamping, applauding, making enough noise to blow off the NIA roof! Nobody could accept that this had been the last main dance of the evening, we just needed more. Minutes passed by, an intolerable wait. More!
"St Patrick’s
Day"
No dancers but guitarist John
Colohan appeared on stage and kicked off what seemed to be a rock version of St
Patrick’s Day. First playing with the fiddlers but then brilliantly going solo,
followed by a fantastic drum solo by Jay Duffy. They were stirring us up even
further and miles away they must have heard that we were not going to leave
without having seen Michael and the troupe one more time.
26 The Celtic Tiger
"Reprise"
<<
Click here to download a Music sample of this Celtic
Tiger number >>
< Click here to download a Music sample of
this Celtic Tiger number >>
While the musicians were playing
their last tones and the audience was shouting and screaming an endless line of
dancers (30 at least) marched up from the back of the stage. Again they were
wearing completely new outfits, this time gorgeous tuxedo’s (only Michael’s
including the tails, and white shoes) white socks and bow ties. This was the
encore we had been waiting for, a reprise of the Yankee Doodle routine,
including the salute, with some slight changes here and there. Memorable was the
frozen moment when they all had one leg stretched forward, slightly bending over
and
holding their index finger to their lips as if to say – hey guys, I am so
glad you’re here but this one’s still a secret, don’t tell anyone (oh, my
conscience, should I be writing this report at all?). Somehow that was so
intimate. We’ll have to wait and see if that move is still in at the official
premiere… The audience was wild, one more time!!!! And only the way Michael can
do it he was running around, his troupe in position, laughing, provoking the audience – one more time? Yes, YES! We got our second encore, our third, our
fourth, fifth…. I lost count. We could not let go. Finally he signaled the
inevitable last encore,
unforgettably impressive and spectacular, as behind the
dancers pyros and fireworks were blazing diagonally across the stage. A big
thank you for the audience and the dancers and the stage blacked out. In the
midst of the cheers, shouts and screams the place then suddenly felt very
silent. What an incredible evening, what a rollercoaster of emotions. This
certainly had been the greatest show on earth!
"One more time"
What more can be said about this show. It is very different to what Michael has done before. There is no good versus bad throughout, no lead dancers except Michael, no romance nor sexually charged acts, no fairy tale thread. He promised us something different and he delivered. The routines were spectacular, the choreography taken further than all he did before. The costumes were incredible with superb colors and quality of the finish, and the music top class. Michael Flatley has every reason to be so proud at his creation. The troupe must be the best on the planet, as Michael says. So in-sync, so sharp and slick, and so light and energetic, exploding with joy on the stage from the first moment to the last. More versatile than ever as this is not purely Irish dance but has lots of other dance elements in it. As for Michael, what an incredible show man. After the show we were told that Michael was ten times fitter than any of them – practicing in a big fleece when they were taking a break puffing and sweating. His performances were amazing, very complex and if at all possible faster and sharper than ever. He appeared in almost every number and how he does all this dancing in very heavy clothes is beyond me. Playing two flute numbers, playing the bodhran, even singing with the troupe. And besides his performing skills he created, choreographed, directed, produced and financed the show. He definitely is the best dancer in the world but besides that he definitely is the greatest showman and entertainer on the planet.
It is quite courageous to have such
a politically charged first half but it must be said that he does it with skill
and taste and unbiased. No one should be disturbed by viewing these facts of
history that are presented to reflect the strong spirit of the Irish that “may
be bruised but never broken” (Phil Coulter). You can easily just enjoy the
dancing and choreography, looking past the symbolism and political message, but
the message is an important one aimed at the survivor spirit of the Irish, the
true Celtic Tiger. As Michael said in an interview just after the Birmingham
show: "The Celtic Tiger
is often referred to in the financial pages as Ireland's incredible economic
success over the last decade. But I see it as something much more than that, I
see it as the heart and soul and spirit of the Irish people. When they got to
America, in the beginning they were treated like slaves... and they rose again
to become the John F. Kennedys of the New World. It's the show that means the
most to be because it's a celebration of the Irish spirit. Somebody had to
finally tell that story. I'm Irish-American but my heart is in Ireland."
Audiences from all over the world
should be able to see this show. There is so much to take in that we would need
to see the show again and again to get through to the deeper meaning of it’s
elements. Even then we would probably still miss out on some, but we’ll have to
cherish that as it’s charm, to never be done experiencing the show as there will
always be something new to see, hear and feel every time we see it.
What an incredible and generous
gesture from Michael to invite all of us to share this very special event with
him. I have never heard of any celebrity to make such a gesture and probably
never will again. What a gent to come out after the show to greet and hug his
fans. Birmingham, 17th June 2005, will never be forgotten by any of
us!
* (The Romans never did actually invade Ireland but by 81
A.D., the Romans had sent a relatively small force to help an exiled Irish king
regain his throne in the hope of ensuring good relations. In respect of the
Celts in general, Romans feared them as warriors and only overcame them with
great difficulty and a lot of dirty politics. The Celts were then absorbed into
the Roman legions and became highly prized fighters and mercenaries ).
* (The legend about how St Patrick – 5th century- drove the snakes from Ireland: The story goes that during the season
of Lent, St. Patrick climbed a 2510-foot high peak (now called Croagh Patrick)
in order to fast and pray. By the time the Lenten season had ended, all of the
snakes of Ireland had gathered to the peak. From there, St. Patrick drove the
snakes over the edge and into the sea below, forever ridding Ireland of snakes)
*( The first appearance of the Vikings on the Irish coast is recorded in 795. Thereafter the Norsemen made frequent plundering raids, sometimes far inland. In 838 the Vikings seized and fortified two ports; Annagasson and Dublin. In 840 they invaded the north of the country. These invaders were driven out, but meanwhile the Norse rulers of Dublin extended their power. In 914 Waterford was conquered and four years later the Vikings possessed Limerick too. The decline of Norse power in Ireland began when they lost Limerick in 968, and was finally effected when the Scandinavian allies of Dublin were defeated by "High King Brian Boru" – a giant in legend - at the battle of Clondarf in 1014)
*( On November 21, 1920 Croke Park in North Dublin was the scene of a massacre. While people were watching a Dublin vs. Tipperary football match British soldiers raided the ground, shooting indiscriminately into the crowd killing 13. The dead included 11 spectators and 2 players. This massacre, which became known as Bloody Sunday, was a reprisal for the assassination of 14 British intelligence officers by Michael Collins’ G Squad/IRA earlier that day)
*(The Easter Uprising of 1916 was a pivotal event in Ireland's recent history. Before the Easter Uprising, few in Ireland were overt supporters of the rebels. After the 1916 Uprising, those involved achieved the status of heroes. The General Post Office is now most associated with the rebels The rebels based their headquarters at the GPO in what is now O’Connell Street. Patrick Pearse announced the creation of the Republic of Ireland from the Post Office)
*(Tradition has it that Yankee Doodle had its origins in the French and Indian War when New England troops joined Braddock's forces at Niagara. In contrast to the spit and polish of the British army, the colonials were a motley crew, some wearing buckskins and furs. Dr. Richard Schuckburg, a British Army surgeon reportedly wrote the tune ridiculing the Americans in the early 1750s. Some scholars believe it is a variant of the nursery rhyme Lucy Locket. Despite the fact it began as ridicule, the colonials took the song for their own. Countless versions and parodies evolved, many of which made fun of their officers, including George Washington. These verses are included at the end of the tune. When Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown it is said while the British played “The world upside down”, the Americans played Yankee Doodle)
Program Book list of numbers:
Act 1:
The Heartbeat of the Tiger
Dancing in the Dark
St Patrick
The Sleeping Tiger
The Vikings
Celtic Fire
The Garden of Eden
The Red Coats
The Famine
Four Green Fields
Bloody Sunday
A Call to Arms
The 1916 Rising
The Banshee
A Nation Once Again
Act two:
Freedom
A New World
The Last Rose
Celtic Kittens
Capone
Forever Free
Cowboy Cheerleaders
These Colors Don't Run
Yankee Doodle Dandee
Celtic Fire II
The Celtic Tiger
The dancers:
Michael Flatley
Lisa Anderson
Cherie Butler
Ciaran Connolly
Martin Connolly
Siobhan Connolly
Arlene Cooke
Sarah Doherty
Alison Epson
David Folan
Odette Galea
Liam Gilligan
Jason Gorman
Damon Griffiths
Cassandra Halloran
Mark Hennessy
Niall Holly
Joanne Kavanagh
Alan Kenefick
Katie Kerrigan
Maeve Madden
Debbie Maquire
Rachel Martin
Perri McCall
Kathleen McCarthy
Brian McEnteggart
Leigh Ann McKenna
Kevin McVittie
Niamh O'Brien
Damien O'Dochartaigh
Roisin O'Donnell
Zoltan Papp
Gary Pender
Chris Piper
Katie Pomeret
Sarah Redmond
Claire Regan
Margaret Revis
Stefan Setiawan
Natalie Somerville
Keagan van Dooren
Adrian Walker
Stephen Walker
Justin Walsh
Musicians:
John Colohan
Brenda Curtin
Jason Duffy
Maire Egan
Niamh Gallagher
Paul Harrington
Aongus Ralson
Cora Smyth
Vocalists:
Paul Harrington
Eimear Quinn