Columnist Joe Delaney: Pondering history of ‘Riverdance’

Joe Delaney

Thursday, Feb. 15, 2001 | 9:23 a.m.

Joe Delaney's column appears on Thursdays and Fridays. Reach him at 259-4066 or joe@lasvegassun.com.

"Riverdance," in the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts through Sunday, never would have happened in the way that it did without Michael Flatley. And there never would have been a "Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance," in its third year at New York-New York, if Flatley had not been fired the night before "Riverdance" was about to start its second London run.

The original version of "Riverdance" was a seven-minute interval, produced by Moya Doherty, directed by her husband John McColgan, with choreography by Flatley and original music by Bill Whelan, that was performed during the 1994 telecast of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Response was immediate. It was the hit of the broadcast, and the original team began working on a full-length concert version ... "Riverdance -- The Show" made its debut in Dublin's 6,000-seat Pointe Theatre, a critical and financial success from opening night.

Flatley and the McColgans had negotiated a new contract that was to be signed the day before that second London engagement with a reported $9 million in advance ticket sales ... Rather than signing a new contract, Flatley learned that night that he had been replaced ... Undaunted, Flatley began work on his own production, "Lord of the Dance" ... There was reported litigation but no word as yet of its resolution.

"Riverdance" has played to more than 11 million people worldwide, and sold nearly 7 million copies of the video version of the show, featured for several years on the PBS fund-raising sessions ... "Riverdance -- The Album" has sold more than two million units and has been certified platinum in the United States. Whelan received a Grammy Award in 1997 for "Riverdance" as Best Musical Show Album.

There are three companies of "Riverdance" including the present incumbents at the Aladdin ... Flatley also has several "Lord of the Dance" companies and has racked up competitive personal appearance and video performance sales ... Would "Riverdance" have happened as it has without Flatley's input and performance? ... Would there have been a "Lord of the Dance" if Flatley had not been fired that pre-opening night in London?

From an artistic standpoint, both shows have contributed to a renaissance in authentic Irish dance and music ... Financially, each has been a resounding success ... This is really a true win-win situation.

Star-policy rundown

It's Bill Acosta (Flamingo Las Vegas); Clint Holmes, evenings, and Mac King, afternoons (Harrah's); Scintas (LV Hilton); Blue Man Group (Luxor); Tom Jones, plus Rick Springfield starring in "EFX Alive" (MGM Grand); Siegfried & Roy and Danny Gans, in separate theaters (Mirage); Lance Burton (Monte Carlo); Kenny Kerr (New Frontier); and Neil Sedaka (Orleans).

Plus Jay Mohr (Paris Las Vegas); Pete Barbutti (Plaza); Neville Brothers (Sam's Town); Wayne Newton (Stardust); Juice Newton, tonight only (Stratosphere); and Melinda, First Lady of Magic, and Andre-Philippe Gagnon (Venetian) ... Elton John and Billy Joel perform at 8 p.m. Saturday in the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

In Friday's column dealing with Jim Halsey's new book, "How to Make It in the Music Business," we should have added that Halsey and longtime associate, Roy Clark, were both inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2000.

Vincent Falcone, respected musical director, called to say that Rosemary Clooney will record "The Singer" on Feb. 24 in Los Angeles, with Falcone on piano ... "The Singer" was co-written by Falcone and Joe Cocuzzo, well-known drummer-lyricist, who has appeared here with Tony Bennett.

Nice surprise: World-class trombonist Carl Fontana was a surprise guest at the recent wedding of Alicia Foyt and Alex Strogen ... Foyt is the daughter of Sun columnist Elizabeth Foyt and was an honor-winning trombonist in high school ... Fontana is her "absolute musical hero" ... Dr. Richard McGee and saxophonist Bob Pierson arranged for Fontana to sit in with the LV Philharmonic Jazz Ensemble at the reception.

What cultural desert? ... Not Las Vegas, when you can have the Nevada Ballet Theatre's performance of "Giselle" in UNLV's Judy Bayley Theatre through Sunday, "Riverdance" and "Lord of the Dance," all in town at the same time, plus Andrea Marcovicci, 2 p.m. Sunday in UNLV's Artemus Ham Hall ... See you Friday.