 | |
List Price: $34.98 | | Label: BBC Warner
Salesrank: 8691
Released: February 19, 2008 |
| Our Price: $25.47 |
| Used Price: $25.45 |
|
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
|
Editorial Review:
Riverdance in China- A beind the scenes look at the historic performance in the Great Hall of the People in China.Riverdance on BBC's Pebble Mill featuring interviews and performances.System Requirements:Running Time: 102 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: MUSICALS/MUSICALS Rating: NR UPC: 794051413222 Manufacturer No: E4132
Description of Riverdance - Live from Radio City Music Hall (Two-Disc Collector's Edition):
Riverdance, the Irish hard-shoe sensation that took PBS viewers by storm, underwent its second incarnation with Live from New York City, a 1996 performance filmed at Radio City Music Hall. While most of the attributes from 1995's Riverdance: The Show remain--the dazzling ensemble choreography, Bill Whelan's energetic score, and the New Age-y view of Celtic mythology--the most significant difference is at the top, where Colin Dunne replaced bombastic lead dancer Michael Flatley. Though lacking Flatley's bravura, Dunne is a superb technician who works well with Flatley's former co-lead, Jean Butler. Flamenco dancer Maria Pagis returns, as do the Riverdance Singers (formerly known as Anuna) with soloist Katie McMahon and the orchestra with fiery fiddler Eileen Ivers.
About a half-hour longer than the 1995 original, Live from New York City expands upon the second act's theme of the Irish leaving their homeland for other parts of the world. "Lift the Wings" becomes a set piece for the people who are saying goodbye (it's hard not to miss the original's solo voice of Aine Um Cheallaigh), and a new song, "Heal Their Hearts," is a showcase anthem for bass Morgan Crowley. In the most engaging new number, "Trading Taps," a trio of Irish dancers faces off against two urban American tappers. While much of this follow-up show will be familiar to those who know the original, it's different enough to be enjoyed on its own terms. It's also more stylishly shot, but that's also its biggest drawback--frenetic editing that allows only brief glimpses of the dancers and leaves the viewer dizzy. --David Horiuchi
Riverdance - Live from Radio City Music Hall (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) Reviews:
An editing nightmare 
2009-12-09 - Sure, the dancing is phenomenal. But the rapid-fire editing destroys the continuity of the dancing and leaves you disoriented and unsettled. The editor thought he was the star of the show. WRONG! It is the dancers. Shame on the editor who decided to make his work front row center and in the process destroyed a wonderful performance.
Incredible!!! 
2009-10-20 - Totally an amazing dvd. Unbelievable performance. Totally worth it. Buy it, buy it, buy it!!
An awe-inspiring show, but... 
2009-08-24 - An awe-inspiring show, but... the production of the DVD is flawed to the point that I'd rather watch my old VHS copy of the Dublin performance (and that's really saying something since Michael Flatley frankly leaves me cold). The picture quality is mediocre at best. Whether it's the lighting, the equipment they used or a combination of both, it tends to be dark and somewhat grainy. There is very little sharpness to the picture. It actually reminds me of a poor quality VHS tape, not modern digital video.
Now to address the real culprit: the Editor, Jim Duggan. Here's the scene - 30 Irish dancers in a straight line onstage, hard-shoeing their hearts out in outstanding synchronization, preparing for their signature move where they all stop dancing and then jig one-at-a-time in a kind of wave, down the line from one end to the other IN UNDER 3 SECONDS. Does the editor draw our focus to this awesome dance sequence? No! He chooses, instead, to capture forever all 30 of these incredibly talented dancers TURNING THEIR HEADS!!! Even worse, the camera angle he chose is from the side so we see all the action jammed together in half of the screen's width because of this awful perspective, when we could have seen this human "wave" travel 60+ feet across the stage faster than most of us can run. Thank goodness the dancers repeat this wave movement in the opposite direction a moment later. Unfortunately, Mr. Duggan once again features the head turns and not the dancers' feet!
There are just too many editing gaffs like the one noted above for this DVD to receive more than 3 stars. It's a brilliant performance marred by an inept editor's poor choices. Yep, give me the old VHS program any day. I wish they'd release THAT performance on DVD!
Real foot-stompin' enjoyment!
2009-06-11 - Even if you don't have any Irish in you, I dare you to keep your feet still during this exciting rendition of traditional Irish fare.
Gift for my son with Autism.
2009-01-06 - My son loves to watch music videos, and I thought he might enjoy the music and dance on this video. At this point it is too early to tell if it will become one of his favorites.
I will note that the service with Amazon.com is always superb and I have never had a complaint.
Thanks.
