So I went to see Cirque du Soleil Crystal, the latest creation from the Canadian company known for reinventing the circus in ways the Ringling Brothers could never imagine, in ways that led the way for a new age of arena spectacles and which has become an empire onto its own. Cirque’s 42nd original production… Continue Reading
Turns out I have something in common with James Greenan, the lead dancer in Riverdance – The 20th Anniversary World Tour, which plays the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago April 5 – 10. To have enough energy to perform, Greenan said he and other cast members carbo-load, piling plates with pasta, potatoes and other starches.… Continue Reading
Sunday of my St. Patrick’s Day weekend, I headed downtown for “Celtic Woman: Emerald” at the Chicago Theatre for another take on how the PBS Irish mark the holiday. Of all the sets I have seen for shows of this sort, this was one of my favorites. Sure, there was the requisite purple lighting for… Continue Reading
So, I went to a whiskey tasting Friday night at the Raue Center in Crystal Lake – one of those grand old movie houses elagantly converted to a performing arts palace across the suburban landscape in the hopes to drawing patrons and reviving old downtowns while bringing genuine culture beyond O’Hare. This was a small… Continue Reading
I’ve got an idea for the next Irish dance show sensation: Bolly Doyle. The production would meld Riverdance with the Ganges River. There would be Indian pop tunes and moves with fleet of feet Irish. Uillean pipes , bodhrans and sitars. And they could sell curry and chips in the lobby. We live in a… Continue Reading
After a six-year layoff, it’s time away from the computer screen and back to the boards with Heartbeat of Home for dancer Ryan McCaffrey. Heartbeat of Home, of course, is the new extravaganza from the producers of Riverdance. After a world premiere in October in Dublin, a visit to Beijing, then a North American debut… Continue Reading