Feet don’t fail the cast of ‘Riverdance’ at Aladdin

Friday, Feb. 13, 2004 | 8:29 a.m.

This granddaddy of all Irish dance productions premiered Feb. 9, 1995, and it has been exciting fans ever since.

Composer Bill Whelan, producer Moya Doherty and director John McColgan have created a timeless piece that should be entertaining fans for generations.

The show at the Aladdin will run through Sunday. Even though Vegas has Michael Flatley's "Lord of the Dance" (at The Venetian) and "Spirit of the Dance" (on hiatus from the Golden Nugget), "Riverdance" more than stands on its own.

Flatley was the original lead dancer in "Riverdance," but he left a few months after the show debuted to start his own production.

Both "Riverdance" and "Lord of the Dance" tell Irish stories as catalysts to the dancing. "Spirit of the Dance" doesn't even pretend to justify its existence -- its cast just dances.

Apparently the story-telling approach doesn't bother too many people. Both "Riverdance and "Lord of the Dance" have huge fan bases. But I prefer the no-story approach. It leaves more time for dancing.

Flatley's tale is dark, one that pits good against evil.

"Riverdance" is a story, told in two acts, about the history of Ireland -- from its prehistoric past to the mass migration by thousands of people during the 19th century potato famine.

The story is moved along by an offstage narrator, and along the way the audience is treated to a delightful evening of music, dancing and singing.

Soloist Lisa Kelly shines with a voice as clear as crystal and so penetrating that it makes your spine tingle.

There is more singing in "Riverdance" than in "Lord of the Dance." For me, there is too much singing, except for Kelly's numbers. The show is "Riverdance," not "Riversong."

There are several instrumental numbers in the production that are showstoppers. The five-piece band (which occupies a corner of the stage) plays a variety of exotic instruments, including a bodhran (an ancient drum), uilleann pipes (a kind of bagpipe) and a concertina (an Irish accordion). In addition, there are assorted flutes, fiddles, whistles, drums, keyboards and saxophones.

But it's the dancing that is the heart of the show.

Not only Irish dancing, but Flamenco (featuring soloist Carmen Armengou) and Russian (featuring the Moscow Folk Ballet Company).

One of the highlights of the evening is in the second act, when Irish immigrants have a dance-off on the streets of a city in the United States, competing with tap dancers Aaron Tolson and Kelly Isaac in a number called "Trading Taps."

The set, by Robert Ballagh, couldn't be more simple -- a screen at the back of the stage to project a series of mood-enhancing images, including a blazing sun, a ship, a moon, a peasant village and an ocean and sky.

The band dominates stage left, almost becoming an integral part of the show.

Dancers dominate the rest of the stage.

The troupe is thrilling to watch.

From the waist up, they are rigid. Their expressions don't change. Their upper bodies hardly move. Arms hang stiffly at their sides, unless their hands are placed on their hips at a precise angle.

The excitement is in the legs and feet. The audience's attention is riveted to the lower extremities, where all of the action takes place.

"Riverdance" is inspiring, touching a primordial urge to express yourself through dance -- unless you have two left feet, and then you just sit back and enjoy the show.