Riverdance, the Show.

Riverdance, the Show (Radio City Music Hall, March 13-17, 1996) emanates from Riverdance, a seven-minute dance segment on a 1994 Eurovision song contest telecast. Set with projection screens, the music-and-dance show proceeds like a theme-park presentation taking its audience on Riverdance, the Journey. Booming narration about Celtic culture mixes with lustily amplified music (by Bill Whelan). Riding the current of it all come the dancers. Though their percussive art form strikes my eye as more male than female, women outnumber men. The men are led by Colin Dunne, who radiates notable heat but no special fire. Jean Butler leads the women and excels in both soft- and hard-shoe dancing. A striking contrast galvanizes the show's second half. American tappers Tarik winston and Daniel B. Wooten instigate an ultimate tap "challenge" to the Irish steppers. Ex-Moiseyev Russian dancers and a sketchy flamenco dancer (Maria Pages) fail to enhance the show's cross-cultural mix as winningly as the tappers do. Riverdance, the Show returns to Radio City October 2 to 20 prior to a national tour.