By Paddy McCarthy
This is a follow up on the feature I did on Róisín’O two weeks ago. I was able to sit down and talk with her on the telephone about how she is doing and let me tell you she is very well. She spoke to me about her new musical endeavors for the future and she has hit all in the right chords with her writing and her singing.
Róisín’O is from one of the most talented families in Ireland, the Black family with mother Mary and aunt Francis with brother Danny with the Coronas and cousin Aoife Scott, wow what talent. I had a feature on Róisín’O a couple of weeks ago so I wanted to find out more about her fabulous album “Courageous” and she did open up on what she’s done so far writing the songs that are on it while she was on lockdown in Dingle at her family’s vacation home for almost two years with no gigs to perform in that period. She said “All of a sudden, all plans were cancelled, and all I could really do was sit at home and write music.”
“I was able to lock myself away, and the songs just started pouring out of me when there were no other distractions. I wasn’t writing with a purpose in mind.”
Róisín was at a crossroads when the Covid lockdowns hit Ireland and they shattered all her career plans for 2020. She used the unexpected free time well to write a wealth of new songs and rethink her musical path. The result is a return to the solo work she had abandoned several years ago and a brave new album of original material, appropriately called “Courageous”.
Through ten new songs, Róisín explores the themes of loss, heartache, breakups, lockdowns, growth and, ultimately, hope, bringing her journey full circle. “Courageous” will arrive from Blix Street Records on April 29th.
The new album mines her emotional depths with soaring vocals that elevates it to something at once intimate and epic. She has termed “Courageous” her autobiography.
Róisín who has toured internationally in the past and is now returning to live performances with her new band. You can get her album that will be launched as I said on this April 29th by Blix Street Records. I know I am repeating myself as this album is just fabulous and as a result is “Courageous”, what a great name for this ten-song collection of original material that charts a course through love, heartbreak and redemption, all taking shape during isolation.
What you will hear is her sing are ten new beautiful songs that showcases her real talent that stands out among other singers. Also, with “Courageous” set for release, Roisin O finally has live shows in Ireland coming up as well. Her first show, was on April 14th, that was sold out.
“Getting to sing these songs live is a prospect that has been keeping me going this last year through Covid,” she says. “I feel so lucky to have some amazing Irish musicians in my band—Rob Kennedy (James Vincent McMorrow/ Gavin James) on drums, Cormac Curran on keys (Hozier/ The Villagers) and Caoimhe Hopkinson on guitar (April/ Soulé)—who give me space to sing with and without a guitar in my hand during gigs. I cannot wait to get on stage with them.”
Thank you Rosini for been so kind to talk to me in a frank way that made my interview with you all so sweet and comfortable. I know she also wants me to mention what she did in 2020: Róisín was part of an Irish collective of female singers and musicians called “Irish Women in Harmony”, that recorded a version of the song “Dreams” in aid of the charity Safe Ireland, which deals with domestic abuse which had risen significantly during the Covid-19 lockdown For more information, visit www.roisino.com.
Here is a few of the shows that she that she will be performing in Ireland in the coming weeks with more to be added shortly. April 29—Dolan’s, Limerick, April 30—Opium Live, Dublin May 6—Monroe’s, Galway, May 20—Kavanaghs Bar, Portlaoise May 21—Seán Óg’s, Donegal, May 27—INEC Acoustic Room, Killarney all in Ireland.
I will keep you updated on shows in the USA when they are confirmed.
Now here is another World wide international Irish dance phenomenon. Yes, of course, it’s Riverdance who are celebrating their 25th Anniversary together with a 25th Anniversary Show, which will tour over 40 cities across North America in four months, and will include a run in Boston from May 10th to 15th at the Boch Center Wang Theatre. Tickets for Riverdance’s 25th Anniversary Show are now on sale. For the complete Riverdance 25th Anniversary Show North American Tour schedule please visit www.riverdance.com.
Tickets for the show at The Boch Center Wang Theatre can be purchased at and will be available at the Boch Center Box Office at http://www.bochcenter.org or by calling (800) 982-ARTS (2787) and via Ticketmaster. Groups of 10 or more may reserve tickets by contacting Boch Center Group Sales at (617) 532-1116 or groups@bochcenter.org.
Director John McColgan said, “We have assembled an extraordinary company of performers and we are thrilled for this brand new 25th anniversary production of Riverdance to be on the road again welcoming audiences back to the theatre.”
The cast will include lead dancers Amy-Mae Dolan, Will Bryant, Maggie Darlington, Anna Mai Fitzpatrick, Fergus Fitzpatrick, James Greenan and Meadhbh Kennedy, troupe members Brandon Asazawa, Belle Brenton, Kieran Bryant, Morgan Bullock, Gerard Byrne, Keeva Correy, Matthew Gardiner, Michael Gardiner, Emma Mannion, Jordan McCormick, Faith Moore, Olivia Nactigal, Cian Porter, Dylan Scholls Zoe Talbot, Mairead Trainor and Elle-Mae Wheeler, Russian dancers Ana Turcan, Eugeniu Turcan, Christine Lesnikova and Alexander Safonov, tappers Tyler Knowlin and Dharmesh Patel, and Flamenco dancer Rocio Dumset.
The company includes TikTok sensations Matthew and Michael Gardiner (@gardinerbrothers) and Morgan Bullock (@yourangleyuordevil), whose performance of Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage Remix” went viral on the platform in 2020 and will make her professional US stage debut in this production.
The cast will also feature, for the first time, children of original Riverdance cast members, Cian Porter and Faith Moore.
Riverdance 25th Anniversary Show is Riverdance, as you’ve never seen it before! A powerful and stirring reinvention of this beloved favorite, celebrated the world over for its Grammy Award-winning score and the thrilling energy and passion of its Irish and international dance.
Twenty-five years on, composer Bill Whelan has rerecorded his mesmerizing soundtrack while producer Moya Doherty and director John McColgan have completely reimagined the ground-breaking show with innovative and spectacular lighting, projection, stage and costume designs. Immerse yourself in the extraordinary power and grace of its music and dance–beloved by fans of all ages.
Fall in love with the magic of Riverdance all over again. The critically acclaimed 25th Anniversary North American Tour was shut down in March 2020 during a sold-out return engagement to New York City’s Radio City Music Hall due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Riverdance celebrated a return to the stage in the United Kingdom, where the iconic show played to sold out audiences in 27 cities across the country. Then followed its debut at Expo 2020 Dubai with a special production of Riverdance presenting a multi-cultural experience including artists from the Middle East region. A highlight of the four-week run was the Riverdance performance at the USA Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai for their Thanksgiving Day celebrations.
Riverdance The Animated Adventure was released on Netflix in the United States on January 14th, where it swiftly landed a spot on the streamer’s Global Top 10 list. With an original score by Grammy Award-winning composer Bill Whelan, the animated musical comedy features the incredible craft and skill of the Riverdance troupe by utilizing motion capture of their performances to create the animated dancing in the film.
Tour lead dancers Maggie Darlington and Anna Mai Fitzpatrick and Executive Producer/Director Padraic Moyles were involved with the dance production for the film, while tour musicians Mark Alfred and Tara Howley play on the film score.
Riverdance began its journey as the interval act in the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, produced for television by Moya Doherty. This electrifying and innovative seven-minute dance piece was then developed into a full-length stage show by Producer Moya Doherty, Composer Bill Whelan and Director John McColgan.
With its fusion of Irish and International music and dance, the show broke all box office records during its world première run in Dublin in early 1995. When the show transferred to London the reaction was unprecedented. There followed a hugely successful tour starting in New York in March 1996, where 8 sold-out shows at Radio City Music Hall heralded the start of more than two decades of touring by Riverdance companies throughout North America.
Since its inception
, Riverdance has packed theatres throughout North America, Oceania, Asia, Europe, South Africa and South America. Riverdance 25th Anniversary Show has been designed by lead designer Peter Canning, featuring Set by Alan Farquharson, Lighting by Andrew Voller and Video by Cosmo AV along with Costumes by Joan Bergin and Sound by Michael O’Gorman.The closest appearance to New York will be The Palace Theatre Riverdance 25th Anniversary Show on Thursday May 5th. For bookings for The Palace Theatre email BoxOffice@PalaceStamford.org or call (203)325-4466.
For more information on the USA tour, please visit www.riverdance.com.