13 Weeks, 55 Hotel rooms and approximately 13,600 Miles under our belt and I think it’s about time I splashed out on some good eye cream!  This past week has been the toughest so far. We accumulated 31 hours of travel over three days at the beginning of the week and on one occasion, the quiet coach broke down once more meaning we were tightly packed for an 11hr bus journey. But the show must go on and minus the tired bodies and some nasty flus creeping in, we had some great times!

Callum and Chloey before Callums first lead performance

Over the course of our few days in Cornwall, Oshawa and Peterborough, the dance troupe changed significantly with five members of the cast leaving to join the Australian/New Zealand tour. It’s always hard to say goodbye to our friends and cast changes also mean a few more rehearsals.  But it was nice to be back in a dance studio and a fine studio it was at the “Grand Theatre”, Quebec.  This was even more important for one of our new troupe members, Callum Spencer who in just a few short days after his arrival would perform male lead for the very first time.

We arrived into the all-French speaking city of Quebec on Friday and spending the weekend in this beautiful old city was a joy. Quebec is a must-see with its enchanting old buildings, most of which have been transformed into hotels, shops, restaurants etc including the impressive “Le Chateau Frontenac”. Dating back to wartimes, its hilly geography allowed the French a great viewing post for oncoming enemies. After lots of walking up these steep hills and through the Parisian-like streets, we took a load off at a local creperie and headed to bed early. On Saturday, we made a short trek to the harbour for brunch at Cafe du Monde.  Two-hour lunch breaks are not uncommon in Canada, so the restaurant was overflowing with businessmen and women enjoying the beautiful food and some even indulging in wine. Taking some inspiration, we accepted an invitation to join John Grimes’ family at their holiday home (Also the set of an Alfred Hitchcock film – I Confess some years ago) after the show that night . They put on a huge spread for everyone and we all had a wonderful evening, finished off in style at Mick Jagger’s favourite hotspot, Maurice.

Regretfully we had to say “Au Revoir” and arrived quite late the following day to the small town of Saguenay. The Théâtre du Palais Municipal was definitely unique with our backstage area host to the set of a local folk show. We were blown away by not one but four standing ovations throughout the show here, quelling any signs of pain or tiredness from some of our tougher days on tour. We paid a quick visit to the wonderful city of Ottawa and once again crossed the border, returning to USA and Bangor, Maine. We were all looking forward to our much anticipated day off on Wednesday, a travel day much different to what we’re used to as we were flying to Richmond, Kentucky. When we arrived, the warm weather (22C) was a nice change and we were spoiled that evening by our assistant company manager, Oran and production manager, Mark who offered pizza and beer for everyone at our outdoor pool. They also kindly provided a bus to take us to the mall the following day for some shopping and relaxation.

It was back to the grind on Friday and we were called in early for Callum’s review before our show. Callum did an amazing job and was even better the following day for his first lead performance at our matinee in Knoxville, Tenessee. Interestingly, he was dancing alongside Chloey Turner, who used to teach Callum when he was younger. The audience response was fantastic and Callum described it as “The best experience of my life”. Knoxville was also in celebratory form, as it was “Cinco de Miau” – a celebration held every 5th May to celebrate Mexican heritage and pride. A champagne reception was arranged by the staff at “Tenessee Theatre” after our show and it was also cast member Shane Cummin’s 22nd birthday. So with many reasons to celebrate, we moved on to the “Preservation Bar” and enjoyed the delightful sounds of a local bluegrass band – “Christabel and the Jons” to end a rather eventful week of tour.

Read this on the Riverdance website: Grand Theatre, Quebec to Cinco de Miau, Knoxville

The past number of weeks have been so hectic I don’t even know where to begin but our time in Boston is surely a good start. Having enjoyed a nice evening with cast member John Grime’s family in Concord, New Hampshire we arose early the following Friday morning to catch the public bus to Boston. Since the Boston marathon was on, the hotels were jam packed so our company hotel was quite a distance from the city. Instead, a few of us decided to stay at the “Marriot Quincy” giving us more freedom to come in and out of the city as we pleased, which was great.

The weather was beautiful when we arrived into Boston and once we dropped our bags at the venue, we were free for the day. We set off to “Harvard University” and general Cambridge area which, as you would imagine was buzzing with bright young scholars. As we explored the beautiful and intriguing university grounds, it dawned on us that we were also standing in the very place where “Facebook” once crashed the university server!

Leaving the books behind in search of lunch, it was hard not to notice the long queue outside Mr&Mrs Bartleys famous burger joint which wastightly run by the jolly couple themselves. Mr Bartley took our order outside and after a short wait, we were seated in the tiny establishment and enjoyed a feast which had us full for the day.

We continued to “Copley Square Mall” and finished the day before our first show having coffee at the charming “Boston Common” public park. The following night, my friend Gareth from home who is now living in Quincy, came to watch the show with his girlfriend and her parents. Coincidentally my Aunty Imelda was also flying into Boston airport the following day to spend time with my close relatives from Conneticut. Having spent the morning having breakfast and walking through the wonderful “Little Italy” area, I raced to the airport after our matinee show for a much needed catch up. As thoughtful as ever, Imelda surprised me with some treats from home including homemade wheaten bread. I had a lovely time with them all before returning to Boston Opera House for the last of our shows there.

Leaving the big city behind, we continued to the much smaller town of Buffalo, NY which was just a stopover enroute to Canada for our next show on Tuesday. After a rather long bus journey, we had a lovely evening off there enjoying some thai food, finished off with a beautiful desert next door at an interesting “Chocolate Martini Bar”. On our journey to London, Ontario the following day, I was just dosing off when I heard some commotion on the bus and was pleasantly surprised by the beautiful sight of none other than “Niagara Falls”! Stopping for lunch there was surreal and it was back to Canada with a bang for a further two week stint.

I was overly excited about our imminent stay in Toronto on Thursday and as expected I loved it from the moment we arrived. On first impressions, the city is representative of a much stronger Canadian economy. The streets are alive with business people and tourists alike and the many eateries and bars are packed daily. We spent our first day on Queen Street where we enjoyed a beautiful breakfast on “Cafe Niche”‘s terrace and delved into the many shops ranging from quirky boutiques to high-street stores. “Queen Street” had so much to offer that I returned on our second day spending the majority of my day relaxing in “Chococrepe” catching up with people at home on my computer over some delicious crepes and coffee.

Meanwhile, our male troupe had an early start as they performed live on Canada’s largest TV show, Canada AM. Their PR duties must have paid off as the audiences in Toronto were the most memorable of the tour with a whopping near 10,000 people attending our shows!

All in all, Toronto surpassed my expectations and to finish a great trip, once again I met with some familiar faces from home at “Sweaty Bettys” – a little dive bar which I later discovered to be Drew Barrymore’s favourite bar in Toronto.

Read this on the Riverdance website: Boston to Toronto

We’ve returned to tour now for several weeks and have already seen many wonderful sights and explored some illustrious places. However, this week was undoubtedly the most interesting to date. Upon arrival to Southaven on Monday we discovered that we were close to Memphis, Tennessee so without hesitation, we got up early on Tuesday morning for a full day of sightseeing.

Lorraine Hotel, Memphis. The wreath marks the spot where Martin Luther King was shot and the cars (not the original motors) represent the exact cars which sat waiting to take him to dinner before he was shot.

Our first stop is “Sun Studios”, a somewhat small building with a huge amount of history, known as the ‘birthplace of rock and roll’ . Our tour guide, aptly named El Dorado gave us a 45 minute tour of the famous studios where the likes of Johhny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins recorded some of the most successful sound tracks of the 1950s. It was a surreal experience, seeing highly precious relics, recording equipment and listening to the first ever live recordings from the star himself…Elvis!

Jason & Aisling at Graceland

We check out “Beale Street”, an area which is still clearly immersed in the ‘rock and roll’ era with a whole host of diners, novelty shops and live music bars. We also stop at the “Peabody Hotel”, a stunning hotel which boasts a long line of famous guests and the “Lorraine Hotel”, the famous spot where Martin Luther King was murdered. Catching the free “Sun Studios” shuttle bus we then move on to the most celebrated destination of all – “Graceland”. On route, we discover that our driver has a connection to Ireland having recorded a documentary about Memphis with none other than RTE’s Daithi O’Se! A while later, I see a private jet in the distance with the name “Priscilla” painted on the outside and I know we have arrived. As “Graceland” is closed to the public on Tuesdays, we are only able to walk around the outskirts of Elvis’s former mansion but this is enough for me.

Jason Bernard & Aisling Drennan outside Sun Studios

Jason Bernard with Elvis memorabilia at Sun Studios

Me, Jason and Aisling singing in the tiny studio room

Tupelo (the birthplace of Elvis) is our next stop and since it’s Ash Wednesday, we organise to get ashes from St James’s Parish which is conveniently located just a short walk from our hotel. The lovely Father Tom, originally from Westmeath is overly enthusiastic about our visit. As we are leaving, he announces “If I had known you were coming, I would have made tea and scones” and we sigh in disbelief that we’ve missed out on such a home comfort. On Thursday, we perform in Forth Smith and after a quiet few days, we are hugely excited about our weekend in Kansas, Missouri.

We arrive at the spectacular “Hotel Phillips”in Kansas on Friday and take a stroll around the city. Kansas is quite sparse with a number of interesting areas, including ‘Westport’ which we visit for food on Saturday. After a quick jaunt around “The Plaza” – a high end shopping district, it’s back to work for the second show of the day. Another rapturous applause signs us off from our shows here as we have a rare day off on Sunday!

Many people enjoy the day roaming the streets, shopping and enjoying quality free time but instead, I went to see a ballet for the first time ever. Watching the Kansas City Ballet performing Romeo & Juliet was an absolute joy and was enhanced by the wonderful live orchestra. That evening, we enjoyed a gorgeous meal at a local sushi restaurant and headed back to our rooms to settle for a night of entertainment, watching the Oscars.

Walking towards the Kauffman Centre, Kansas for the ballet

Me, Nicola Dempsey, Lauren Smyth, Nicole Hull (Wardrobe) and Marita (Flamenco) with our Romeo & Juliet tickets before the show.

Tip of the Week:
Facial primers are a great way to make application of make-up foundation easier and creates a smooth and fresh skin finish. My pick – Smashbox Photo Finish.

Read this on the Riverdance website: Visiting the birthplace of rock and roll and more

Tapper Jason Bernard at Butterfly Museum, Houston

Seventeen years ago final preparations were being made for the opening night of ‘Riverdance – The Show’ in Dublin. Now in Dallas, Texas the same meticulous approach is still being practised as we gather on-stage for a full run-through followed by detailed notes from our executive producer, Julian Erskine. A few hours later, we are warming up; stretching, skipping, core strengthening etc. The tapping of fibre glass rings loudly as we prepare to embrace the stage. As the first few notes of ‘Reel Around the Sun’ begin, I can only imagine how those dancers felt as they stepped out to an eager and unassuming crowd. Exactly two hours later, the exhilarated Dallas audience are on their feet, uplifted by what evidently remains a top class show.

After a quick cool down and the essential discomfort of icing, it’s straight to bed in preparation for the first matinee of the tour. We are brought in a little earlier for a review of the previous nights show and with a few minor tweaks, the second show of the tour gets underway. This is a particularly exciting show for one of our troupe members, James Greenan as he prepares for his first lead performance and what he describes as “the pinnacle of my dancing career”. Leaving his hugely successful performance and Dallas behind, we embark on the first of many “travel show days”.

Our first travel day arrival at hotel

A relatively short journey (2hrs 15minutes) takes us to Longview, Texas. Having offloaded our luggage and freshened up, we make our way to the venue. On travel show days, catering is provided and this provides the perfect setting for relaxing before the official 17th anniversary night. As we perform the final number of this sell out show ‘Heartland’, the audience response is superb! After dancing a show, it is often difficult to wind down so we normally gather to watch DVDs and chill out together. Unsurprisingly, the first pick of the tour is ‘JIG’ – a documentary film about irish dancing.

The following morning, we are on the road to Houston, Texas. Spending the weekend at the plush downtown Hyatt Hotel is a treat. After the show Julian hosts a gathering with food and drinks in the hotel lobby to mark the beginning of the tour. This is greatly welcomed as we are happy to trade our sweaty tracksuits for our finest threads.

Group shot beside sculptures in Houston

On first impressions, Houston is like any other city with a host of various skyscrapers. However, it is surprisingly quirky with much street art, an impressive theatre district including our beautifully structured venue – the ‘Hobby Centre’. In addition, there are an impressive number of museums, including the Butterfly Museum. Since this is a four show weekend, our time is limited and for a mere $8, this is a worthy alternative to the distant NASA space-station.

Hobby Centre, Houston

After nine shows in six days, we say goodbye to Houston and hello to Pensacola, Florida for our first day off. I must admit after a ten hour bus journey and a long few days, we are collectively overjoyed to have some quality free time as we look forward to the busy week ahead.

Maeve

Tip of the Week:
Skipping is an effective method of building fitness. Short, quick bursts are highly beneficial. Take 15mins, using 4 minute intervals with 1 minute break between each.

Read this on the Riverdance website: Dallas, Longview, Houston and Pensacola in one week!