Riverdance Comes Back To Cleveland

On a late-November night at Parnell’s Irish Pub in Playhouse Square, I met a woman so eager for Riverdance’s 20th anniversary tour at the State Theatre Feb. 13-18 that she was carrying the ticket in her wallet until the show. Seeing the Irish troupe’s rhythmic step dancing left her in awe as a child. Years later, it still conjures memories of her late grandparents who took her to her first show. While this tour features new elements such as the all-female a cappella number “Annalivia,” Riverdance remains as vibrant as an Irish fiddle. “We all share this common passion for what we do,” says associate director Padraic Moyles. Since Riverdance’s 1995 debut, that passion has even resulted in 63 marriages and 96 babies among cast members. As the show celebrates its longevity, Playhouse Square remains a special stop. “The cast travels a lot,” Moyles says. “But Cleveland is always ticked off on their itineraries.” playhousesquare.org