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You
have to believe in miracles, you know, they do exist. After meeting some very
nice people on the ever-growing Celtic Café community, I had the wonderful
chance (thanks to those same people !!!) of being backstage at one of the most
impressive shows ever put together, Riverdance.Expect to read the usual amount of fan-related superlatives in this article! Yes, not only am I a fan (amongst the millions), but this show is what I consider to be the forerunner of a Celtic Renaissance, if I may say. A few years ago, when I saw the original Dublin show on TV, I was hooked and simply in awe, and I wasn‘t the only one.... There is a growing popular craze about anything that is Celtic these days. And I often wonder if Riverdance hasn‘t been in fact the (or one of the) starting point of this phenomena.
But
I‘m no philosopher ! This is not a study !!! This is a first-hand report of a
show that has made (is making, will make) millions of people happy, dance, celebrate
the joy of life. It has become even better with the addition of new numbers, and
with now 3 troupes dancing around the world, that celebration is not going
to end soon.
Shall we !!???
* * * * * *
Friday evening, in Berlin. A city that I´m visiting from Canada. Tension is growing, not for the dancers but for Dani (who lives here) and I. Let me remind you quickly she´s the one making those wonderful pictures (montages). I had the chance of seeing the show in Montreal, now I we shall have the opportunity of entering through the rear door in Berlin.......
Our
tour guide is the company manager Brendan Galvin. Now that we have our
flashy orange press passes, we may proceed. Oh! BTW, Dani (lucky her!) had the
chance of seeing up close Breandán de Gallai, and I, the big boss himself,
the show conceptor, John McColgan. A few million people thank you Mr. McColgan
(and you too, Ms. Moya Doherty) for this wonderful spectacle.
The first thing we saw is not necessarily the most prestigious, but it is nonetheless capital: several offices installed on the fist level of the Velodrome, such as logistics, production, and so forth. Hum, a very interesting fact that Brendan is pointing to us, is that tomorrow, April the 29th, is actually quite an historical date for the European troupe; indeed, they shall perform for the... 1500th time !!!!!
While walking, we notice the presence all over of a specially designed floor carpet, its purpose being to protect the dancers from falling down when walking with their tap shoes on. The next stop is the wardrobe department, with four people being fully occupied with the troupe‘s costumes. The company is self sufficient, if I may say, they even have their own washing and drying machines. Yes, they were working while we were visiting! All the company needs from the outside, says Brendan, is the electrical power and the water, the rest, they have. Talk about efficiency !!!
The
tour in Berlin is soon ending (the end of April), then it‘s on to other cities
in Germany, then back to its roots in Dublin, Ireland around June and July, and
then to the far East, including Japan, which they have previously toured. Hum,
lots of traveling for these people !!!
And then a flash crossed my mind: "Brendan, do you any have problems caused by groupies?" "Absolutely not," he replies. Well, that’s one less worry for the troupe! As he also said, it is a daily routine, yes, but always with new challenges every day as well.
Still backstage, the troupe can count on the help of 2 masseurs and one physiotherapist. For us, seeing those dancers is a thrill, but for those same dancers, that is hard work and constant stress on their bodies and muscles. And yes, injuries are part of the business. While continuing our tour (the best is yet to come) we see the "notice board" -- a simple, ordinary board that has vital information for the troupe, such as travel information, daily routines, especially rehearsals and warm-up sessions. Yes, EVEN dancers have to follow strict rules and regulations.
And
here‘s another interesting fact: the company uses 13 trailer trucks to
carry all its equipment throughout its journeys. So that means that a maximum
of 70 (usually around 24) people can be working installing the huge sets and the
powerful equipment needed. It takes about 33 hours to build up that stage
and the equipment. Another fact, the show in Berlin is performed in front of a
crowd of 5200.
The next phase of our tour is very exciting: we are now going to the famous stage and behind it.
First, the musicians‘ corner, on the left side of the stage, is ready for tonight’s concert. Each and every possible piece of equipment are at their respective places, even up to the electric wires, the musician‘s chair! Everything will be at the SAME spot each and every show. Another example of Riverdance‘s efficiency.
We go now to the left corner, but behind the stage (so that would be next to the musicians). This section is concentrated on the sound for the show. While seeing that sophisticated equipment, consoles with so many buttons, I wonder, and ask Brendan how much all this equipment the company uses is worth. "I don‘t know, he says, but it‘s a hell of a lot!" (I told you Brendan that I‘d quote you on that! ;-) Brendan shows us the singers‘ microphones and battery packs. And NEVER has any microphone failed during an actual show (yes, more efficiency !!).
Then we see the musicians‘ ear sets (quite similar to the singers‘ microphones actually). Instead of hearing the music from speakers in front of them (as in most musical shows), they have a feedback through those sets. And, EACH and every set has an ear plug, molded to each of the musician‘s inner ring. No joke here, I saw it with my own eyes, and yes, it IS impressive. So, having that plug in one of their ears, they have a feedback of their own music, without being disturbed by outside stimuli.
Moving
along, we are now behind the stage, and we have two dry ice machines (one more
to the left, the other to the right), used to provide the fog effects in some
numbers. Those machines are temperamental, Brendan says, and their operation
can be tricky sometimes; and it happens that sometimes they don‘t work, period.
On the bright side, since the show is already visually stunning, if there‘s no
fog (machine failure), that won‘t alter the show‘s visual beauty.
Between those 2 machines rest the 4 drums used in some numbers. Hm, I like those drums very much. Behind us, we see a sort of a command center where a controller (for the light and visual effects) has in front of him 3 monitors to make sure everything goes as smoothly as planned. That means he sees in real time what is happening on the stage during the performance.
We are now on the right side on the stage, to the place called "dimmer city," the sector for the lighting. Yes, more machinery with endless buttons and wiring. Several "do not touch" signs are placed here and there, and yes, I respect that order! Brendan gives us an explanations of the different types of lamps used on the set. Some have mobile mirrors (the "intelligent" lights, long black tubes where we see a mobile mirror at one end), while others are called the "vary" lights. Both can be preprogrammed. So therefore, on a certain cue, the lamps execute their own choreography, according to the music, the dances and so forth. This text you‘re reading now may be dry, but believe me, it is very impressive technology. Those 2 types of lamps are backed by a 3rd set, more conventional, nonmoving lamps.
Next step, the stage itself !! After seeing what‘s behind the black curtains, we are now on the stage, in front of several thousand empty (for now) seats. In less than 2 hours, show number 1499 will begin. I notice on the floor several small tapes with numbers and letters; the cues for several key positions for the dancers and singers. The floor is"comfortable" if I may say. Not too hard, not too soft, perfect for tap dancing. The builder of the floor is Harlequin. Yes, indeed, the floor is specially designed for accommodating tap dancers. And also, it is an eerie feeling now to be on that floor... No, don‘t expect ME to dance now (but I‘d like that !), I just do the reporting!
All over, there are about 350 lamps used for the production. And just in front of the stage, we find above our heads another set of lamps, making a sort of a U shaped metal ring, containing lamps and, 30 minutes before the show, 2 operators will climb up a ladder up there, hum, I would say about 15 meters above ground, maybe more... Brendan shows us the lamps also hidden from the public on the stage itself, several rows, both horizontal and vertical and both conventional and intelligent lights. The performers have 4 entry points to the stage during performance, plus a fifth one, behind the stairs on the middle of the stage (remember act 5, Thunderstorm!!!).
Time
for the staff to have a quick lunch now. The dancers usually eat between 5.30pm
and 6pm, the show itself being at 8pm. Then I ask Brendan if he misses his
home. Sure he says; those who are bachelors in the staff adapt rather well with
that traveling and hectic lifestyle, but it‘s more difficult for those who left
their family behind. Some members of the staff are married, so they work and travel
together.
After a long wait, we finally have the last moment of the pre-show visit The dancers make a final warm-up before the show (they did another one today, since the presence of Mr. McColgan on the premises). It is rather weird to see them without their costumes actually! (Yes, they are normal people, just like you and I, except that when they are on that stage, they make us feel VERY happy.) They use jumping ropes, exercise bikes, aerobics (yes, with music, why not) and elevated wooden planks for stretching the legs muscles (very important indeed!).
And we have to be careful not to trip over the bikes and little gas bikes used by the staff, just like in a hospital. The reason they use those is because it is more practical to travel those long distances in the endless corridors of the Velodrome, and well, all the buildings the troupe performs in. OK, it is time for us to leave the dancers now, they‘ll need that last half-hour to mentally prepare themselves for the upcoming performance
* * * * *
That‘s our little tour behind the scenes that Friday evening in Berlin. Then on to the performance itself. I won‘t go over the entire show, but here are a few points about show # 1499:
Hm, oh yes, and those temperamental machines worked perfectly throughout the entire performance....
* * * * *
I
can only end this article by saying that Riverdance – the Show is a spectacle
I‘m not about to get tired of (and I can safely assume I‘m NOT the only one).
Its continuing success, on all continents, is proof enough of the Show‘s uniqueness.
Long life and keep up the good work, Riverdance, both to the persons on the stage
and all those behind who remain in the darkness, but are an essential part of
your success !!
Marc Chouinard, © 2000
Marc
and Dani
Click here for Dani's
Montages!