Riverdance Comes to PPAC “Come and meet those dancing feet. On the avenue we’re taking you to.” – old Weybosset St. No, not THOSE feet. These feet are the thunderous, stage-vibrating, Irish step-dancing feet that belong to the large cast of Riverdance, The Show, the sensation taking over the stage at Providence Performing Arts Center June 2 through 4. Years back, they said it was over, but apparently not. Here they are on their 20th Anniversary tour. A whole new generation of fans is just now beginning to enjoy, appreciate and emulate this phenomenon. The Riverdance humble beginnings started in 1994 in Dublin, Ireland, as an interval filler in between judging during the Eurovision Song Contest. It was broadcast by, heard and seen on Irish public radio and TV. Produced originally by Moya Doherty, the segment was artistically based on the life of an Irish river, starting as a stream and finally submitting itself to the sea. The cast featured two American-born traditional Irish dancers, Michael Flatley and Jean Butler, a choir and a slew of step dancers. With haunting music specially composed by Bill Whelan, this number, aptly called, “Riverdance,” became wildly popular. So much so that it was expanded to become a full stage show that opened in Dublin in 1995 before heading to London. That show was taped and broadcast here in North America by PBS stations and used during their donation pledge performances. Its popularity garnered generous donations for public television. Another broadcast version of the show was performed and filmed at New York at Radio City Music Hall in 1996. This one was headlined by Jean Butler with Colin Dunne, a more traditional Irish dancer taking the role created by the bombastic Michael Flatley. Flatley was an exciting performer, extremely fleet afoot, but rather egotistical leaning toward the more “Vegas-like” performance rather than true traditional Irish dance and music. Flatley was fired for artistic differences, but soon created his own successful productions, the dramatic Lord of the Dance and Feet of Flames, both of which were performed in his flashier style. These PBS showings created throngs of young, dance-class students (predominately little girls) pleading – and succeeding – with their parents to spend a great deal of money on beautifully embroidered dresses and hard black shoes. And then there are those banana-curly hairpieces, often painfully attached to their own tresses, which bob up and down in unison as they dance. At touring performances, you can almost be assured there will be a number of dance-class members in attendance. The dance form itself is similar to clogging, with the exception of the stiffly erect stature and (mostly) lack of movement of the upper body and arms. The performers are often shoulder to shoulder in a straight line or circle. It’s amusing that the Irish embraced the show so lovingly. Pre-PBS, in the “old country,” many children (boys and girls) were forced to dance and hated to dance. Then all of the sudden it became cool. The show’s dancing was lovingly ridiculed and comedians imitated the form, thus only adding to its appeal. The true intention of Riverdance, the Show, is to showcase the Irish history and culture, and journey to other worlds by dance. Excellence in performance is key — bios in the program show that many of the dancers are champions. The music accompanying the large cast of beautiful people is contagious. The instruments, which include a fiery fiddle, the strange Uillean Pipe and the feet stomping, tapping percussive rhythms, are contagious. It’s hard to sit still watching these amazing dances. In addition to the Irish spectacles, there are dazzling flamenco, urban and Russian numbers depicting the mingling of cultures. The finale of the show is thunderous with most of the entire troupe participating. Irish music and dance is alive, well and living comfortably in RI. Whether with live instrumental accompaniment or taped music, dancers are still jigging and the curls are still bouncing. Interview: John O’Hurley of Chicago at PPAC John O’Hurley plays “Billy Flynn” in Chicago at PPAC (Photo: Lori Mars) I had the good fortune to interview John O’Hurley (Seinfeld‘s J. Peterman). He is an extremely tall, extremely handsome actor who has, in his own words, “cornered the market on arrogance and pomposity.” My personal observations about his appearance are noted only because – yeah, right – his physical presence is a great part of his public persona. There is a heading on an article describing an O’Hurley stage appearance: “A hunk is born.” Indeed. John O’Hurley will be appearing at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) May 2-7 in the six- time Tony Award-winning musical Chicago. It is the longest-running American musical in Broadway history with 8,483 performances as of April 16, second only to the British Phantom of the Opera. A 1920s-era satire, it’s described as “a sensational tale of sin, corruption and all that jazz.” It’s just a noisy hall, where there’s a nightly brawl – and All that Jazz – with murders, murderesses and alibis. O’Hurley plays Billy Flynn, the suave, slick, razzle-dazzle criminal defense lawyer – a role he has performed upwards of 1,500 times. I asked how he keeps each performance fresh. “I start every night with a prayer: God, let me be surprised,” he said. “Most times, I am.” He often appears with a sort of hand-picked cast, thereby insuring chemistry. Written by composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb with original choreography by Bob Fosse, Chicago is described by O’Hurley as their best musical – and, in his opinion, one of the five best musicals ever, choreographically, musically, and story-wise. He did mention something about being surrounded by beautiful women in their underwear every night. The show’s music is familiar, of course, including “All that Jazz,” “Razzle Dazzle,” the very funny “Class,” “When You’re Good to Mama,” and my husband’s personal favorite, “Mr. Cellophane.” The dancing is classic Fosse. Hurley said, “The story is more or less presented as a series of skits – a different one for each murderess” – Flynn’s clients. O’Hurley describes it as “connecting the dots. Black and white on canvas. Lighting and movement…. The skits move one to another in a jazz beat. There is a jazz beat nuance to the show.” In addition there’s dance, the Jazz Hands, finger pop, pelvic thrust, hat tip “Fosse-osity.” O’Hurley could be considered a local boy made good. New England–born, he attended school in Massachusetts and Connecticut, and was a 1976 Providence College graduate – as he put it, “time served.” At graduation, he was given a theater award and mentioned he was the only theater major at the time. The college awarded him an honorary doctorate. As a member of the Providence College Board of Trustees, he proudly noted that his alma mater is celebrating their centenary. Because inquiring minds want to know, I asked some personal questions. Q: When did his hair begin to turn gray? A: He was dark haired in 1984 when he played the Pirate King in Pirates of Penzance, and it was transitioning when he was in the soap opera Loving. Q: How much of his very distinctive almost-British-sounding speech is real? A: Although the beautiful, deep voice is his, the affected patterns are all acting. In person, he does speak quite normally, without affectation. Q: He was a late-bloomer as far as parenting is concerned. Does he believe it is easier for him because of his life experiences? A: When he was younger, he said the theater was his lady and his life, so he would not have been a good father. Now, he feels his family is most important, and the reason for his career – his job. He loves being a husband and a proud father to his 12 year–old son who, when he sees his father on screen, it is not Dad but John the actor. Multi-talented and renowned, he is a classically vocal-trained, self-taught pianist and composer. He is one of People Magazine‘s “Sexiest Men Alive.” He is an author as well as an actor on stage, television and film. He has been an actor in a myriad of prestigious commercials, a game show host, and the voice of 15-plus animation characters. Perhaps his most familiar role, and that which launched many others, was as J. Peterman in the Seinfeld series, for which he won a SAG award. Dog lovers most likely have seen him every Thanksgiving afternoon since 2002 as one of the hosts of the Purina National Dog Show. Yes, he has two dogs of his own. He wrote, for his son, a lovely poignant poem, The Perfect Dog, which was released as a children’s book. Adding to his interview remarks about being an actor: He enjoys TV but he loves live theater. “With film or TV, you do your acting job, your pages, your lines, often not in sequence. The finished product is in the hands of the editors. It is an editor’s medium. They cut and paste and put together to create the finished product. With stage, acting is immediate. You get an organic reaction from the audience. You perform the beginning, the middle and the end. You start innocent, end reflective.” He said, “For instance, if I have to get a laugh, I can get a laugh. Breathe in and breathe out. It’s all in the timing.