Sunday, March 26, 2000
'Lord of the Dance' mostly flat without Flatley
BY CAROL NORRIS
The Cincinnati Enquirer
When Michael Flatley retired a couple of years ago, I was one of those who wondered if his Lord of the Dance Irish tap hit would survive. It has, but just barely.
In its present form, which is at the Taft Theatre through today, the only thing worth seeing is the fantastic dancing of the show's young Irish tap experts. But as good as they are, it's not enough to sustain an entire evening; they could show what they're about in three good numbers. That leaves a lot of show time to fill, some of which is dreadful.
What kept things flying along gloriously when Lord of the Dance played the Crown (now the Firstar Center) in 1997 was Mr. Flatley's almost maniacal command of the stage. Pacing the stage like a lion-tamer, he kept the audience and cast worked into a wild and happy Irish frenzy. The current star, Michael Edwards, is a fabulous tap dancer — probably better that Mr. Flatley — but he doesn't have the unbridled ego to pull it off.
This version is a sad impersonation of the original. Gone are the giant video screens that gave the show its rock 'n' roll feel. The Taft's smaller stage looks barely large enough to hold the bulky set and dancers simultaneously. But the biggest insult is no live band.
The wildly talented musicians who kept the whole thing together are gone, replaced by a too-loud recording. All that's left are a couple of fiddlers gamely trying to look cheerful. Someone needs to tell them there's more to great fiddle playing than tossing one's hair around.
There's a go at a story that makes no sense, peopled with good guys, who sometimes wear black and look menacing (you know they're good, because the bad guys wear masks).
There are good girls in lightly colored short dresses — except when they strip down to their black undies. (Don't ask; I don't know why they do this.) The bad girl is in red; she struts and flirts, while a gentle sprite runs around spreading pixie dust. Occasionally a beautiful woman in a long green gown comes out to sing Irish ballads.
After a couple of dance-offs between the good and bad guys, good wins out and everyone dances happily. The company encore brought the audience of 1,400 at Thursday's opening to their feet. I was on my feet too — heading for the door.
Lord of the Dance continues at Taft Theatre today; 562-4949.
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