The weekly Friday upload of Universal Pictures' theatrical entertainment under the banner 'The Shows Must Go On' continued this last Friday wit Michael Flatley's Irish dance extravagnanza, 'Celtic Tiger'. If you'd have given me a million guesses as to what they were planning on showing, then I still wouldn't have thought of this show. However, since it is one that I have not yet seen live, it was a fanstastic choice and feel priveleged to have had the opportunity to watch a live filmed version.
However, enough of the introduction and let's take a look at the show itself.
Michale Flatley, an American born of Irish stock, shot to fame with his first show, 'Riverdance' on the back of his success creating the interval performance for the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest. Through 'Riverdance' and then 'Lord Of The Dance' Flatley has done perhaps more for Irish Dance and its popularisation than any other individual ever. He is also credited with creating new steps and upper body movements for the genre which prior to this would have been deemed unacceptable. Flatley is undoubtedly a phenomenon - and as with all superstars, with this comes a certain arrogance and egotism - it's part of the package sadly, and that is a shame. Watching the show on this videoed recording, the smugness and the egocentricity were all there, and it just took the edge off his charisma and expertise for me.
'Celtic Tiger' explores in pure Flatley terms, the history of Irish-America and what it means to be Irish-American in today's society. His trademark long single lines of unison and precision dancers are there, as are other forms of dance such as ballet, jazz dance and even B-boying. Also included are sections of solo singing or instrumental interludes between the dancing. Here Flatley shows another talent, his Irish flute playing prowess.
The Birmingham Arena stage is vast, and either side of the stage are large platforms on top of which the band play, making the archways underneath ideal for entrances and exits; whilst a huge screen to the rear shows images of Ireland, and other images pertinent to the music or dance being performed.
Everything is big, bold, and fantastic. Michale Flatley is to Irish Dance what Cirque Du Soleil is to contemporary circus. The parallels are quite surprising if you look at it. Both aim to be the biggest, best and utilise the most proficient performers at the top of their respective disciplines; both think on a very large scale; both use singers, musicians and original music in between their main events, and both have a thin thread of a storyline in order to make their spectacle from, always with lavish and many costumes and a lighting plot that would make the average techie dizzy!
Needless to say really, but this, 'Celtic Tiger', his last creation before retirement, was incredible and fantastic; mostly mythical nonsense with a tiny thread of historical truth, but brilliantly put togther and hugely thrilling and despite the falseness of the media, one still had a sense of the thrill of the live spectacle.
There was one thing which really annoyed me and spoiled my enjoyment of this video, and that was the videography itself. Whoever was responsible for filming and editing (David Mallet?) this as a video needs shooting in my honest opinion. (figuratively of course, not actually!) There was a change of scene around every 2 seconds or even shorter sometimes, we rarely if ever were shown the full stage as we would have done as an audience member, the cameras never stayed still, and post production gave us montages, overlays, slow-motions and goodness knows what else, for a show that is already visually spectacular and busy. Overload and completely unnecessary sadly utterly ruining the film.
Full credit however to The Irish Film Orchestra and Nick Ingram for the orchestrations and conducting; to Ronan Hardiman for composing the original music for the show; and to both Michael Flately and Marie Duffy Pask for the brilliant choreography.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 4/7/20
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