Spirit Of The Dance APA Lyric Theatre February 7 A voice intoned 'Danny Boy', coloured mist swirled across the stage, an evening of complete drivel had begun. Welcome to the critic-proof show: sold-out and with an audience that adored it.
'I like to try to understand these cultural events,' said the man sitting near me. What a sad introduction to Irish traditions he'd just had.
Perhaps no one minded the bellies, boobs and bottoms jiggling about in skimpy, tight costumes to more whoops than a Jane Fonda exercise video. Or sitting through the show wondering whether the tap sounds were pre-recorded - they so often didn't seem to match the rows of dancers. Uninspired, schoolroom dancing was propped up by the thinnest of cheesey storylines.
Spirit (Emma Hennigan) flitted irritatingly about the stage in a white tutu and toe shoes, an ethereal soul searching the world for her Danny Boy (Kirk Taylor), stumbling over different dance forms on her way, battling with her rival (Alisan Horth).
Lyrics don't come much more banal than these. Or influences more jumbled. What was Phantom Of The Opera doing in there? Ireland is a culture rich in sound that doesn't need jazzing up and watering down.
David King, creator, producer and composer, also gave us a Las Vegas twist to fast Irish routines, then threw in salsa and flamenco and choreography staler than a Cork pub the morning after.
Part of the show's problem was the abrupt shifts from melodramatic love songs to big ensemble dance sequences or to frenetic fiddle (Joanne Davis) or from one form of dance to another.