In 1994 Michael Flatley showed the world just what you can do with no arms. Now, 18 years on Riverdance is saying goodbye with one last New Zealand tour.
The show began as a seven minute performance at the Eurovision Song Contest featuring Irish Dancing Champions Jean Butler and Michael Flatley, and less than a year later, the full-length Irish spectacular opened in Dublin.
While Flatley is no longer involved with the show, more than 22 million people have seen Riverdance live in more than 350 cities around the world.
The show opened at Auckland's ASB Theatre last night as part of the worldwide Riverdance Farewell Tour.
A celebration of Irish music, song and dance, Riverdance tells the story of the similarities and influences on other cultures Irish dance has had.
The show features 31 performers including the Irish Troupe, the cream of Irish musicians, and an impressive array of talents from around the globe, all performing to composer Bill Whelan's Grammy Award-winning music and lyrics.
Over the show's nearly 20-year run, there have been:
- 1,500 Irish dancers in the cast
- 14,000 dance shoes used
- 12,000 costumes worn
- 228,000 litres of Gatorade consumed
- 1,650,000 show programmes sold
- 1,500 flight cases used
- 12,000 stage lighting bulbs used
- 40,000 boxes of tissues used
- 16,250 guitar, bass and fiddle strings replaced
- 284,000 t-shirts sold
- 39 marriages between company members
- 45,000 rolls of self-grip tape used by company physiotherapists
- 15,000 hours of rehearsals on tour
- 27,272 kg of chocolate consumed (for energy) by the cast
RIVERDANCE - FAREWELL TOUR
May 22 - 27, ASB Theatre, Auckland
Tickets from $65 from The Edge
- © Fairfax NZ News
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