Riverdance - The 20th Anniversary World Tour Reviews

Stage and Cinema - Highly Recommended

"...Once you get past John Kavanagh’s pretentious narration (which recalls the pompous voice-overs in That’s Dancin’), Riverdance quickly scores a choreographic integrity. Accompanied by a terrific four-person orchestra (down from the original 13, then 5 in the last tour) on exotic-to-inexplicable instruments and performed against a video screen of gorgeous projections (down from three screens), these inexhaustible young dancers recapture the tribal terrors and Dionysian abandon of ancient Gaelic dance. They also incarnate a spring harvest, firedance, thunderstorm, “Reel Around the Sun,” and “American Wake” (alluding to the great migration of the mid-19th century)."

ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended

"...This amazingly high energy show is a show case for young artists—dancers and musicals and singers. Featuring melody harmonies from the singers and terrific music solos from Uilleann pipes, saxophone and fiddle, Riverdance wins us with its unique sounds, stellar lighting and, of course, the mesmerizing Irish step dances. The disciplined movements and super-quick toe taps performed at high speed unison mark Riverdance."

Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...In Nutcracker style, we were treated to a Flamenco soloist, a Russian dance troupe, and Macedonian acrobats, all still recalling the stomping style, but with their own twists. The highlight of the show was the dance battle between the newly-immigrant Irish and black American tap dancers. The uniformly excellent” Riverdance” musicians—an energetic violinist, saxophonist, Uillean pipe player, and drummer, built energy and momentum ‘til the spectacular finish."

The Fourth Walsh - Highly Recommended

"...I had the opportunity to see the farewell tour of Riverdance in 2012. And last night, I watched the resurrected Irish crew back in our city for their 20th Anniversary World Tour. If you haven’t see RIVERDANCE before, Chicago has been given another chance to experience first-rate Irish dancing."