LAST CHANCE TO SEE

 

 

 

 

 

THE U.S. TOUR OF

THE ORIGINAL INTERNATIONAL PHENOMENON

WILL PLAY FINAL PERFORMANCES IN ST. LOUIS

MAY 18-20 - 5 SHOWS ONLY!

                                                                                   

U.S. TOUR TO CLOSE IN JUNE 2012

 

“A PHENOMENON OF HISTORIC PROPORTIONS!”     -  Washington Post

 

 

St. Louis, MO / April 10, 2012 - Recently, the producer of RIVERDANCE, Moya Doherty, announced that the United States touring production of the internationally-acclaimed worldwide phenomenon will close in June, 2012.  RIVERDANCE will play the Fabulous Fox Theatre May 18-20 FOR THE VERY LAST TIME, for 5 performances only! Tickets for RIVERDANCE are on sale now and range from $70 to $26 and are available through MetroTix.

 

“When we opened RIVERDANCE in New York in March 1996, we never thought for one minute that our show would still be running 15 years later,” said Moya Doherty. “Three years ago we embarked on our farewell tour, saying good-bye to every city in North America we have ever played in over the years, and next June 17^th in our 16^th year this current production of RIVERDANCE will end and  we will say our final good-bye.  It has been a source of immense pride for me as Producer that America took RIVERDANCE to its heart to such an amazing extent and I would like to pay tribute to every dancer, musician, singer and all the crew and staff who served RIVERDANCE so well over the years. “

 

The show that started it all, RIVERDANCE, has been performing in the United States since March, 1996 when it had its U.S. premiere at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Since then, the show has tapped its way onto the world stage thrilling millions of people around the globe. 

While the touring production in the U.S. will close on June 17, 2012, productions of RIVERDANCE will continue to tour the world.

 

From Los Angeles to Louisville, Seattle to Boston, Chicago to Chattanooga or Memphis to Miami, the power of RIVERDANCE - its music and more than 50 stomping feet - has captured the hearts of millions.

 

Composed by Bill Whelan, produced by Moya Doherty and directed by John McColgan, to date, RIVERDANCE  has played over 10,000 performances, been seen live by more than 22 million people in over 350 venues throughout 40 countries across 4 continents. They have traveled well over 600,000 miles (or to the moon and back!), played to a worldwide television audience of 2 billion; sold over 3 million copies of the Grammy Award-winning CD (certified Platinum in the US) and over 10 million videos making it one of the best-selling entertainment videos in the world!  RIVERDANCE had its world premiere at the Point Theatre, Dublin, in February 1995, where it opened to unanimous critical acclaim.

 

What began as a seven-minute dance segment on the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest (televised to over 300 million people throughout Europe) and then quickly turned into a full-scale production has become much more than an international theatrical success. "I believe RIVERDANCE has been basically a pathfinder,” said Niall O’Dowd, founder of Irish America Magazine and the Irish Voice newspaper. Along with the peace process in Northern Ireland and the economic miracle in Ireland proper, the show “has been a hugely important part of a transformation of the image of Ireland in the last 20 years." 

 

In a flash, RIVERDANCE became Ireland’s greatest ambassador and the thirst began. RIVERDANCE changed the face of Irish dance and despite its imitators, has remained on top and was voted the #1 Variety/Family Entertainment Show in the US (1998). 

 

There have been many milestones along the way including the distinction of being the largest Western musical to play China; a record-breaking line of 100 Irish dancers mesmerizing 85,000 people at the 2004 Special Olympics in Dublin; a 15^th Anniversary celebration at Radio City Music Hall; dancing in Red Square and on the Great Wall of China, two SRO engagements in South Africa and much more.

 

Of all the performances to emerge from Ireland in the past decade, nothing can compare to the energy, the sensuality and the spectacle of RIVERDANCE. An innovative and exciting blend of dance, music and song, RIVERDANCE draws on Irish traditions and the combined talents of the performers propel Irish dancing and music to the present day capturing the imagination of audiences across all ages and cultures.  This extraordinarily unique show features an international company all performing to the magic of Bill Whelan’s music.

 

Performances of RIVERDANCE run from May 18-20.  Performance times are Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. & 5:30 p.m. Ticket prices start at $26 and are subject to change. Please refer to fabulousfox.com for current pricing.  Tickets are available at the Fox Theatre box office, online at metrotix.com or by phone at 314-534-1111.  Group discounts are available for groups of 15 or more by calling 314-535-2900.  The Fabulous Fox Theatre is located in Grand Center at 527 N. Grand Blvd. RIVERDANCE is a special offering of the U.S. Bank Broadway Series and part of Dance St. Louis 2011-2012 subscription season. Sponsored locally by American Airlines.