Broadway Philadelphia presents the triumphant return of Riverdance – The 20th Anniversary World Tour to the Academy of Music, June 14–19, 2016. This tour of Riverdance celebrates the rich history of the legendary production featuring new costumes, lighting, projections, and a brand new number – Anna Livia, featuring the female members of the Irish dance troupe in an a capella hard-shoe number.
“For the past twenty years, Riverdance has been treasured by audiences around the world and we are proud to celebrate this milestone in Philadelphia,” said Ed Cambron, Executive Vice President of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. “Whether this is an audience member’s first time seeing Riverdance or their 20th, this is sure to be an unforgettable experience.”
Riverdance – The 20th Anniversary World Tour is an innovative and exciting blend of dance, music, and song. Drawing on Irish traditions, the combined talents of the performers propel Irish dancing and music into the present day, capturing the imagination of audiences across all ages and cultures. The production features set design by Robert Ballagh, lighting design by John Comiskey, costume design by Joan Bergin, and sound design by Michael O’Gorman.
For more than 20 years, nothing has carried the energy, the sensuality and the spectacle of Riverdance. 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 Premiere run in Dublin in early 1995. When the show transferred to London in June of that year, the reaction was unprecedented, with the original 10 performances being increased to 151 in subsequent months. There followed a hugely successful tour starting in New York in March 1996, where eight sold-out shows at Radio City Music Hall heralded the start of 16 years of non-stop touring by Riverdance companies throughout North America. Since its inception, Riverdance has packed theatres throughout North America, Oceania, Asia, Europe, South Africa and most recently South America.
Facts about 20 years of Riverdance:
• Played 11,000 performances
• Seen live by over 25 million people in over 465 venues worldwide
• Played in 46 countries across 6 continents
• Travelled 700,000 miles (or to the moon and back and back again!)
• Played to a global television audience of 3 billion people
• Sold over 3 million copies of the Grammy Award-winning CD
• Sold 10 million Riverdance videos & DVDs
RIVERDANCE: THE 20th ANNIVERSARY WORLD TOUR
Academy of Music at the Kimmel Center
June 14, 2016, 7:30 p.m.
June 15, 2016, 7:30 p.m.
June 16, 2016, 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
June 17, 2016, 8:00 p.m.
June 18, 2016, 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
June 19, 2016, 1:00 p.m.
Tickets
Tickets are on sale to the public now and start at $20.00. Tickets can be purchased by calling (215) 893- 1999, visiting www.kimmelcenter.org, at the Kimmel Center Box Office. Group sales are available for groups of 10 or more and can be purchased by calling (215) 790-5883.
