| Michael
Flatley's latest show Celtic Tiger is touring the UK at present and Irish
Dancer Here's what we thought! |
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| Anyone who
has a DVD player knows that the menus can be quite boring
sometimes. Not with this DVD, so its well worth watching
the trailers before selecting the play option! We were amongst those who were lucky enough to
be at the show that was recorded for this DVD so you can
imagine my surprise to find at the start of the DVD that
the It soon became clear that they had spliced in some additional footage from the first "proper" shows in Europe, to add some extra oomph, and no doubt cover any mistakes on the first night! In fact this does cause a minor continuity error during the first number. On the opening night Flatley's shin guard had worked loose and he ended up throwing it to side stage. If you watch closely you'll see him do this, but 2 seconds later it's back on his shin! However, that's only a minor thing and the majority of the DVD is actual footage from that first night, as can be seen by all of the well known faces in the frequent crowd shots. You'll have a great time spotting your friends and TC's! I'd suggest that you turn the sound up as that's the best way to recreate the atmosphere of the actual show, and really appreciate the fantastic music that has been specially created for the show by Ronan Hardiman. This for me is the best part of having the DVD, as you can't remember the music as easily as the images after leaving the live show, and it's definitely worth remembering! The music is vibrant & exciting, and the musicians, including Mr F himself of course, play it superbly. |
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| I won't detail too much of the show itself, as
the original report (see here) already does that, but it's
worth noting that the use of the onstage video screens
and the 3D effect they created, generally transfers well
to the flat regime of your TV! Sadly the "Idyllic Garden Flowers & Butterflies" routine drags a little and seems much longer on the DVD than it did on the night, possibly because it can only really grab your attention on the grand scale of a big stage, with its bright images. Any disappointment is more than made up for by the very next scene as it's followed by the fantastic "Rule Brittania" routine, which loses none of its vigour or excitement on the small screen. I'd even go so far as to say it may be a better way to watch as you will undoubtedly press rewind more than once when you get to this! The rest of the show
works well, and for anyone who has heard dread tales of
the sordid |
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| Also
included on the DVD is a documentary showing behind the
scenes of the show in Budapest, with footage of dancers
practicing, taking in the atmosphere before going onto
the stage etc., and including scenes from the show
itself. You'll also see many of the dancers you know talking about their own experiences with the show, and realise it isn't all glamourous being in a show. One routine involving about 20 dancers is practiced in a room not much bigger than my living room, yet they run through it several times without complaining. The whole thing is interspersed with an interesting interview with Michael. He is quite frank & open about his life and what drives him, and when he talks about his own father you get a real insight in to where he gets his motivation. There was one particular glimpse of the man that surprised me. Michael can sometimes come across as an arrogant man, who is full of himself and not interested in the rest, but at one point the look of excitement on his face as he stood sidestage watching the others perform showed just what the show means to him. |
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| Having now
seen both the show and the DVD
I can only say............BUY IT! The show is thought
provoking, yet remains thoroughly entertaining. There's a
fine balance between the exciting, and the tranquil, as
it weaves its historical tale, with a few shocks and some
rousing numbers along the way! |
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It
should be available at all good stockists after 3rd April 2006 with a recommended retail price of £21.99 but if you shop around....... you'll find it cheaper! Amazon have it for
£16.49 |