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| from: Columbia/Tristar Studios |
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Sales Rank: 231; Release Date: 12 March, 1996; Media: VHS Tape; Theatrical Date: 01 January, 1995; MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
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| Customer Reviews |
Average Rating: 
Rating: - Sometimes the original is truly the best
A far cry from the static monstrosity the show has become on Broadway, the original Riverdance with Michael Flatley and Jean Butler is unbeatable. Colin Dunn may be a skilled performer, but no amount of championship titles can make up for the fact he lacks Flatley's presence and command of the audience. This production of Riverdance is the only one you need - forget Riverdance: The journey and the Radio City Music hall nightmare. This is Riverdance the way it was meant to be, before the producers drove Flatley away and stole his creation. The can claim credit all they wish, but Michael Flatley proved where the true passion for the dance went when he bravely formed his own production of Lord of the Dance and later, Feet of Flames. The current Broadway Riverdance show is fine for making the producers money and appeasing the tourists, but they cannot deny the passion and fire of the original is gone. The only thing worth watching the Broadway cast for is the added solos of Maria Pages and the newer modern tap routines. But there is no beating the original production, with it's passion and fire that truly embody the spirit of the Celts. Between Bill Whelan's gorgeous score and Flatley and Butler's unequaled talents leading a fabulously talented cast, this is truly an example of a great idea that should never have been tampered with.
Rating: - Riverdance, moving Celtic music of the past and our time.
The editor's criticism of Riverdance is meaningless. Riverdance is truly a phenomenom. I was so impressed by how moving the dances and music are. The dancers never waste any time. They just move from one beautiful move to another. They have a very good dance cast and on the stage they bring life and motion. You can't resist the tapping sounds. The music brings just as much liveliness. The music cast includes piper Davy Spillane, accordianist Mairtin O'Conner, and fiddler Maire Breatnach(before Eileen Ivers joined the show). The music is at times slow and moody, but then it goes on to be energetic and jig like. One of the best parts of the music is the songs. The choral group Anuna, made up of five men and five women, sings so beautifully in "The Heart's Cry", "The Heartland", and the song "Riverdance". The American gospel influence of "Freedom", performed by the James Bignon group portrays the dreams of freedom shared by America and Ireland. The finally at the end with Anuna and the African-American group together is so cute! One cannot ignore the beauty of the song, "Lift the Wings", which I believe helped inspire the Titanic theme(you can't resist that lovely low whistle). All of the music is a great picture of Celtic music, bringing the spirit of the past to our time. At the same time, it has influence from cultural music of Spain, Russia, and African-American gospel. It is folly for one to resist this masterpiece. It is a classic that will last a long time. Even teenagers like myself adore the soundtrack, but one should also get a hold of the video to see the dances. The songs and dances often relate to Celtic legends and mythology, such as "The Countess Kathleen" and "Lament For Cu Chuchaillin". You can not say no to Davy Spillane's powerful uillean pipes! Therefore, be sure to get the original show of RIverdance, which I am pleased to see that as many Americans and Europeans alike have delighted in.
Rating: - Buy this version!
I've seen both versions of "Riverdance," with and without Michael Flatley, and I think this one is far and away the better. His successor is a terrific dancer, in a rather self-contained style, but he lacks Flatley's gusto and his rapport with the other dancers and the audience (compare the duos with Jean Butler in both versions and you'll see what I mean). Flatley always looks as if he's enjoying himself, and he throws himself into every performance with passion and enthusiasm -- even after many hundreds of shows, it's not "just a job" to him! Ms. Butler is superb: she can be light as thistledown, or stomp out an intricate rhythm in tap shoes with the best of them.
As for the rest of the film, I could have done with fewer choral selections, although both Anuna and the Gospel group perform well. I would have liked to see more of the band: as an Irish music aficionado, I was stunned to read the credits and see the caliber of musicians who'd been performing, but the tape didn't give more than the odd 10 seconds to anyone besides Davy Spillane. And I can't imagine why the filmmakers didn't include the tap dance segment, which was, to me, the best part of the New York tape.
But this version has it all over the other in one very important respect: whoever filmed it understood something about Irish dancing. They focused on the footwork, which, to a fan of this dance style, is THE most interesting part. The show was a gigantic hit in Ireland -- and in the heavily Irish communities in the U.S. -- in large part because it took a traditional (sometimes hackneyed) ethnic dance form and turned it on its ear. If it's filmed as just another razzle-dazzle dance show, with no attention to its roots, much of the enjoyment goes out of it -- and I think that happened in the New York version.
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