Back by popular demand, the international Irish dance phenomenon Riverdance returns to the Kent State University at Tuscarawas Performing Arts Center March 14-16 at 7:30 p.m. Riverdance first performed at the PAC to two sold-out crowds in April 2012.
Riverdance - The 20th Anniversary World Tour is composed by Bill Whelan, produced by Moya Doherty and directed by John McColgan. Riverdance - The 20th Anniversary World Tour features new costumes, new lighting, new projections and the addition of a brand new number, “Anna Livia,” featuring the female members of the Irish dance troupe in an a cappella hard-shoe number.
Tickets for Riverdance - The 20th Anniversary World Tour start at $44 and are on sale now at the Performing Arts Center box office, 330-308-6400 or online at www.kent.edu/tusc/pac. The box office is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Celebrating an extraordinary milestone for an incredible show, The Edinburgh Evening News raves about Riverdance - The 20th Anniversary World Tour, “As for the flaws? Well, there simply aren’t any. Here’s to another 20 years!”
“The success of Riverdance across the whole world has gone beyond our wildest dreams,” said Doherty. “The fact that the show continues to draw and excite audiences is a tribute to every dancer, singer, musician, staff and crew member who have dedicated themselves to the show. This 20th anniversary tour is a thank you to our audiences and a celebration of what has been an incredible journey across two decades.”
Riverdance - The 20th Anniversary World Tour is an innovative and exciting blend of dance, music and song. Drawing on Irish traditions, the combined talents of the performers propel Irish dancing and music into the present day, capturing the imagination of audiences across all ages and cultures. Riverdance - The 20th Anniversary World Tour has set design by Robert Ballagh, lighting design by John Comiskey, costume design by Joan Bergin and sound design by Michael O’Gorman.
For more than 20 years, nothing has carried the energy, the sensuality and the spectacle of Riverdance, which began its journey as the interval act in the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, produced for television by Doherty. This electrifying and innovative seven minute dance piece was then developed into a full-length stage show by Doherty, Whelan and McColgan. With its fusion of Irish and international music and dance, the show broke all box office records during its world première run in Dublin in early 1995. When the show transferred to London the reaction was unprecedented. There followed a hugely successful tour starting in New York in March 1996, where eight sold-out shows at Radio City Music Hall heralded the start of 16 years of non-stop touring by Riverdance companies throughout North America. Since its inception, Riverdance has packed theatres throughout North America, Oceania, Asia, Europe, South Africa and South America.
The Performing Arts Center’s 2016-2017 Season is sponsored by Michael Taylor Insurance and Financial Incorporated, an Allstate Agency.
Free parking is available for all shows. Kent State Tuscarawas is located at 330 University Dr. N.E. in New Philadelphia.