The Fox Theatre, Detroit

From Saginaw to Syracuse, between easter eggs and new fiddle players, It is only now I’ve had a minute to come up for air and share with you some more stories from our life on the road. We have come past the half way point of our final farewell tour and things are still as exciting as ever! Indulge in my tales from our home away from home.

La Crosse, WI: Thank you DeWitt Flemming for a wonderful 2 weeks performance and we welcome back Jason E. Bernard. Our massage therapist, Susan Luger takes some time from the tour to return to Fort Lauderdale, FL. One of our tour buses’ transmission acts up so the troupe all pile onto one bus. Squashed sardines anyone?! The glorious weather in La Crosse took the edge off our Chicago blues.

MARITA + FIONA INDULGE IN LOCAL HANDMADE ICE-CREAM

South Bend, IN: An onsite visit from a local chiropracter who volunteers his services backstage. Dancers and crew alike line up for a bit of back and neck ‘cracking’!
It’s officially summer; as I pay a visit to shoe carnival across from our hotel and invest in my first pair of summer sandals for 2012. (The first of many!)

Wabash, IN: We are faced with one of our most grueling days of tour today. With a journey of just under 100 miles we are faced with the prospect of a matinee and an evening performance at 3pm and 7pm. This was certainly a twilight zone-of-a-day! I was never happier to crawl inside my bed at the Holiday Inn Express that night.

East Lansing, MI: Our muggy, humid days come to an end as we are greeted by rain, rain and more rain. Thankfully the Wharton Centre where we perform is cosy, has high speed internet and thus offers minimal distraction from the misty weather conditions outside. Our loyal masseuse returns to us!

Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario: ON the morning of Wednesday, 28 March we made our first crossing of the border into the Maple Leaf State. It’s good to be back Canada! I’m not a fan of the cold, biting east wind you bring but the sight of our very won Cadbury Chocolate candy bars and familiar certain foodstuffs to us Irish soften the blow a little. The individual fireplaces acting as the focal point in our hotel rooms also offered a warming welcome as we settled nicely into our rooms at the City Centre Travelodge.

Sudbury, Ontario: Happy faces and full tummies for us all as we board the bus to Sudbury the following morning. The friendly cafe at the Travelodge offered us warm, homemade bread, eggs and hot pots of tea for breakfast. It tasted so good I felt like I was sitting at my kitchen table at home. That toast certainly called for another cup of tea, Now we were ready to brave the sleet and cold temperatures of Ontario! Nicola Dempsey, Steven Brennan and I all enjoyed a leisurely swim at the Radisson Hotel on our arrival. It’s not often we get to duck and dive in an 8 foot deep swimming pool.

Barrie, Ontario: A lovely afternoon was spent in a local coffee shop as five old friends caught up on life. Niamh O Connor, Padraic Moyles and I were whisked away for the afternoon by former principal dancer, Deirdre Hamilton and her fiance, Lazlo Pekar. We spoke about life on tour since they both finished touring after the UK tour in May 2010. How quickly time goes by. Deirdre and Lazlo are happily teaching dance and pilates in local studios in Barrie. We put our best foot forward for both of them as they watched the performance from the audience for the first time in years!

North Bay, Ontario: Although the stage in the Capital Centre had smaller dimensions than usual, the cast and crew of Riverdance worked hard to make the show happen. The hard work paid off as the house cheered us not once but twice when the curtains went up at 4 and 8 o’ clock.

Kingston, Ontario: We said good bye to our very talented fiddle player, Miss Rose Duffy after a fantastic 6 weeks of performing with our company. We thank her for her hard work. Having big shoes to fill, especially those of Patrick Mangan’s is not easy but Rose slipped right in. She will return to work as an occupational therapist in Chicago. We have since welcomed veteran, Niamh Ni Charra back into the Shannon company. This is the final change to the band list as Niamh will remain with us until the end of tour in the Wolf Trap Filene’s Centre.

Syracuse, NY: What else can I say only March Madness?! We here in the Shannon Company like to indulge in a little petty gambling frmo time to time (as previosuly discussed in my former blogs!) This time we had bets put on teams for the College Basketball Playoffs. Each member picks a team out of a hat at the cost of $5 per team. Whoever’s team won the final won the grand total of $150, that lucky winner being crew member Danny Erskine! We all sat around in a cosy sports bar in downtown Syracuse to cheer on Kansas and Kentucky. Personally, I have never watched so much basketball in my life. Maybe I’m a converted fan now!

New Philadelphia, OH: I treat myself to a bunch of beautiful purple and yellow cut tulips on our lunch stop. Anything to brighten up a hotel room!

Easter in Detroit:
Beautiful weather, a local baseball game, Easter Sunday plus a day off makes the Shannon Company a very happy Shannon Company. It’s always a pleasure to a return to the wonderful Fox Theatre on Woodward Avenue. Now there’s a reason why Saturday night in Detroit has ring to it! Tapper, Jason Bernard’s old friend who is also a trumpet player happened to be playing at the jazz club near the Fox Theatre so we snapped up the chance to hear some live music.

Jazz Bar Cliff Bells, Detroit

This was followed by a fun evening of continued music and dance at a very authentic Greek restaurant en route back to our hotel. A spectacular night was had by all. Saturday night’s festivities paved the way for plenty of Easter treats and not just in the form of chocolate. We were spoilt for sports choice whereby many of the crew and some dancers went to see the Detroit Tigers in action in the nearby Tigers Stadium ( formerly known as Navan Field and Briggs Stadium). Sunburned faces puts it mildly; an unexpected extra long baseball game in the direct sunlight made even the sallowest look Irish! Others chose to relax in the snazzy hotel bar and opted for watching the golfing Masters via TV! For those looking to make the very most of two consecutive days off (which is rare with such a tour) some took a trip to The Big Apple on a brave 6am flight and spent the time off visiting various Broadway musicals and such. Needless to say, everyone made the most of the Easter break!

The Amish farmhouse:

I don’t know about you but I have always had a deep curiosity about the Amish people and their way of life. Amish settlements simply do not exist in Ireland where I come from so I made sure I satisfied my curiosity and paid a visit to one of the local Amish farmhouses. Lancaster, PA has a highly concentrated Amish population and I was so excited to get the privilege to walk through one of their own-built houses. My partner in crime, Miss Nicole McKeever decided to accompany me on my touristy trip and off we set early one morning. To get to walk through an almost 300 year old farmhouse was more than I bargained for. We were given a guided tour around the 14 roomed house including wandering the upstairs bedrooms. We were educated on the various typed of dress codes and color significance in the women’s attire.

Apparently we’re not the only curious typed around. The house has even attracted the very glamorous ‘Vogue’ magazine who did a spread on the clothing of the Amish society! It was moving to say the least to walk about the farm grounds. What once stood a spectacular 1,000 acre farm site has now been reduced to a mere 15 acres with the Lancaster-Philadelphi turnpike cutting past the goats pens and blacksmith sheds.

Although we have bid farewell to Michigan and Pennsylvania, we leave with heavy hearts but sweet, sweet memories. We look forward to making many more. Now raise you glasses to a successful fourteen completed weeks of tour and join me on my adventure with a continuance of tales from the lovely Boston and Canada.

Fiona’s style file.

Fiona wears …

Vintage, mustard, pleated dress; Kensington Avenue  boutique, Toronto
- Brown framed sun glasses; Betsey Johnson, Hawaii
- Black capezio tights; Capezio.com
- Black ballet pumps; American Eagle, Vancouver
- Black ‘bowling’ handbag; Lululemon Athletica, Chicago

This bag is part of my new Spring Collection. I treated myself to this on St. Patrick’s Day as a reminder of my trip to Chicago. It is ideal
for all the traveling I do. It has a built in padded compartment to store my laptop. the back small pouch is perfect for quick access to my cell phone!

Fiona

Read this on the Riverdance website: A busy time in Detroit

It goes without saying Chicago lived up to it’s name. I was determined to fit in as much as possible for the week and went in all guns blazing. I was that annoying tourist that we all see walking down the street in our home towns! The very fact we were in a heatwave, overlapped with visits from friends and loved ones and with St. Patrick’s Day flung into the mix, the week was certainly going to prove eventful!

We couldn’t have been happier to disembark our tour buses and to trade it with the busy sidewalk of Michigan Avenue which led us to the trendy Hard Rock Hotel – a perfect focal point for the week ahead.

Besotted by the sky scrapers, traffic and other infrastructure I felt like an alien from planet Mars. Bear in mind this was our first biggest city on the tour in quite some time. As you can only imagine we were delighted to finally arrive at the Windy City.

My room at the hotel was still in the hands of housekeeping so I took the bull by the horns and sped up Michigan. Minutes later I was taking the steps by two up to the Art Institute. Suddenly, I was transported back to 1879 when the building was first founded. I was further fascinated to realize it was built using rubble from the Great Fire. The power of art never struggles to overwhelm me. The European Collection held over 3,500 pieces of paintings and sculptures from the 12th to mid 21st century including precious works from geniuses such as Pablo Picasso and Gustave Caillebotte. Edward Hoper’s ‘Nighthawks’ was eerily moving. Van Gogh’s self-portrait however topped my list.

The Art Institute

Supper bells chime and I treat myself to some delicious sushi in the contemporary ‘Aria’ attached to the luxurious Fairmont Hotel across the river. Sushi rolls, gyoza, quail eggs and kimchi clutter our table. This all washed down by some cold asahi, our happy party make a move down town to the famous ‘Buddy Guy’s Legends’, a mecca for any devoted blues fan. Chicago wouldn’t be complete without a taster for some of the world’s talented blues musicians. This wrapped up another perfect Monday night for me and my gang. Whoever invented days off – God Bless You!

Tuesday brought a trip to the hair salon with fiddle player, Rose Duffy, a native of Chicago. I felt in safe hands as we boarded the 151 public bus north to Lincoln Park. After some TLC we were all prepped for opening night at the Oriental Theatre. To celebrate our successful performance, Chief O’ Neill’s Irish Bar (Roscoe Village, south of Albany Park) welcomed our party and we partook in a feast of Irish music, song and dance late into the night. Cheers to Sean Gaviskey for arranging this and making it possible. After the long day, we voted on ordering in some pizzas. Nothing like a deep dish Chicago-style slice to make the tunes come to life!

Chief O'Neill's Trad session

We had an early call Wednesday afternoon due to our Dance Director, Breandan de Gallai coming to town. Under the watchful eye of Breandan and our directors everyone was on their best behavior. From 1 o’clock until 5 o’clock, we were talked through notes and corrections of the previous nights performance and without further ado all necessary amendments were put into practice. Despite such rehearsal call, the female troupe were pardoned early. I managed to steal some time to myself and squeeze in a trip to the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower) which is the third highest building in the world. One ticket to the sky deck thank you very much! I felt somewhat like George Bucket in the great glass elevator as I soared to a height of 1,353 feet to the 103rd floor. I even had the pleasure of stepping out onto the 4 foot extended glass ledge overstepping the beautiful city of Chicago below.

View from the top of The Willis Tower

There is something tranquil about aquariums is there not? I always get a sense of calmness when surrounded by water and marine life. Recent research shows heightened brain activity and increased alertness when underwater. Perhaps there’s a link with watching fish swim but whatever it is I most certainly experienced it all over again at the Shedd Aquarium. With umpteen recommendations to visit this special attraction, I wasted no time and hopped into a taxi. Built in the later 1920′s under the influence of John G. Shedd, the building stands as beautiful still to this day. Spoilt for choice and constrained to time, I hurried through the Caribbean Reef past the Wild Indo-Pacific Oceanarium and into the Jellies exhibit (which runs until May).

The Jellies Exhibit at the Shedd Aquarium

On the subject of marine life, I couldn’t get enough of nature and to continue my fix I made a trip Friday morning to the Lincoln Park Zoo. With free admission and a fine selection of primates, I was a little disheartened to learn of the size restrictions for several animal groups nevertheless the blistering sunshine made the outdoor trail even more enjoyable.

Megan trades merchandise for the stage!

Obviously the Baffa household is just bursting with talent. Not only does she sell oodles of Riverdance merchandise, she is blessesd with the ability to, wait for it… DANCE! Yes ladies and gentlemen they come in twos. Jesse’s younger sister performed with the rest of the troupe for our week in the Oriental Theatre. I spoke with Megan during the show last night to get the lowdown on how she was felt about it. Despite being the youngest female in our troupe and with very little time to learn the choreography this didn’t stop our very own Megan nailing every beat and step. I have no hesitation she slipped just right in! This is our third pair of siblings who will have graced us with their presence on the Riverdance stage.

St. Patrick’s Day

It’s not every day you get to wake up overlooking Michigan Avenue to fins the Chicago River has turned green. No we are not on the set of Wicked, is is March 17th and “May the luck of the Irish always be with ya!” I have never felt prouder to be a thoroughbred Irish woman! How I have read about the people of Chicago throwing one of the biggest parades in the world and dyeing the river a rich green. I have for years as a child watched RTE (Irish TV) new reports showing clips of the dyeing of the river, I never thought I’d witness it in the flesh. Immersing myself in the pride of the culture and the early morning celebrations, out I stepped clad in my green finest. All I was missing was my bunch of fresh green shamrocks pinned to my outfit but what the hell I’m in Chicago and it’s Paddy’s Day!

St. Patrick's Day Celebrations. Even the River has fun!

Fiona

Fiona’s Style File

Fiona wears:
- Navy palazzo linen-mix pants ( Paul Costello Collection by Paul Costello)
- Navy and red bow tie blouse ( Penney’s by Primark)
- Twin pearl necklace (Vintage)
- Cork-wedge sandals (Shoe Carnival by Solanz)

Pants are a great neutral piece to have while travelling. They are light to pack and go with almost anything. I even dare to break the barriers and match with black from time to time. Paul Costello’s pieces are made with such precision and fit like a glove. Only downside – they crease!

Read this on the Riverdance website: From Chicago with love!

To further our list of cities, please sit back and enjoy my updated version. Although it hasn’t been as eventful, recreationally as past cities, do bear in mind that although life on the road is full of glitz and glam, it also at times quite ordinary – A good balance I like to think.

In Fort Smith, AR we were blessed with continuous sunshine and warm breezes as we take a lunch break en route to Fort Smith from Tupelo. It’s essential to stretch the legs and get some lunch on the hour break, especially when we endure an early 392 mile bus journey prior to showtime.

In Kansas City we settled into the Hotel Philips next to the downtown Power and Light district. With three days and three nights here, we celebrated a whole day off Sunday to ourselves. Spoiled with sushi restaurant, organic supermarkets and a smart sassy hotel bar, we were one content company. Dance captain, Maeve Croke was the host of a wine and cheese night to ring in the glamorous 86th Oscar Academy Awards.

In Watertown, SD we have our first sighting of snow.

In Grand Forks, ND late night diners and restaurants were few and far between. We settled for supper in ‘Space Aliens’. Thumbs up to the staff for five star service and friendliness.

In Duluth, MN there was snow, snow and more snow – what an audience to brave the blizzard this evening.

In Mankato, MN I opt for the quesadilla at Buffalo Wild Wings.

In Brookings, SD the cold front continues, making it difficult to walk less than 30 feet from Applebees to our hotel entrance. Happy to tuck myself into bed and watch back to back episodes of ‘The Nanny’ and ‘Roseanne’.

In Omaha, NE a visit from an old veteran of the show, former dance captain and male principal, Marty Dowds. The cast of the Shannon Company agree to a meet and greet of the students of the Dowds Academy.

In Sioux City, IA we celebrated our former colleagues who won 2012  ‘Got to Dance’ finals in London. Way to go Prodijig! A very happy birthday to Miss Jesse Baffa also as she celebrates another birthday on tour.

In Davenport, IA another birthday! Breithla shona duit Miss Nicole McKeever. Celebrations got underway in the fancy bowling alley in the Black Hawk Hotel, one of the few original buildings of Davenport built in the early 1920′s. Strike…..! We return to the Adler Theatre within the space of a year where we are joined by tapper DeWitt Flemming Jnr. who replaces Jason Bernard for two weeks. Welcome back DeWitt. Last but not least, we applaud our fellow female troupe dancer, Nicola Dempsey who rejoined us after a short ankle ligament injury.

In Champaign, IL the highlight of most peoples day seemed to be laundry, laundry and more laundry. With a lack of amenities (within walking distance) we are usually forced to attend to slightly more mundane chores!

In Springfield, OH the rain that fell this morning reminded me of a perfect lazy Saturday morning. I happily finished my Agatha Christy novel ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ for a candid biography on the life of Amy Winehouse.

Weekend Premiership League Fixtures:

Once upon a time, the cast and crew of Riverdance used to bet their leftover dollars every Friday in what was known as Dollar Friday. We used to congregate backstage where head carpenter Jaimie Gormley picked out winning raffle numbers from a hat. Each ticket costs a dollar, the more you spend, the greater the chance you’d win. However this Friday tradition seemed to have slipped away when the Boyne Companywas replaced by the Shannon Company. We cannot  complain however as a new idea was born. We can still stake our well-earned dollars on the Premiership League Fixtures every weekend. One predicts the score in the match between two clubs. If your prediction is correct (both score and club) one scores 2 points. If the score is incorrect but the correct team win, one gets a point. I am happy to report out winner this week was James Keating. James is now rolling in a hefty sum of $90! Well done James. Last weeks winner was crew member Danny Erskine.

So what happens behind the curtain?

Many is the time I have been asked: “So what really happens backstage?”  “What do we do to prepare ourselves for the show?”  “What do we do to pass extra time?” Well do not let me hold you in any more suspense. Here’s a sneak peek:

With Chloey Turner’s background training and knowledge in fitness instruction and personal training, she doesn’t waste a moment and dives in to assist Billy Kanaly with his weights training. Chloey has many years of experience in helping people with weight lifting training and with a marathon under her belt, I wouldn’t want to get on her wrong side! She often delves in in helping the dancers backstage with strength and endurance training. We are certainly lucky to have her on board.

Patrick Barnett takes some time out to sign the Riverdance Commemorative Edition books. That autographed book has definitely just appreciated in value!

Before most performances we have a window of opportunity to use some ‘stagetime’ for a twenty minute period before the theatre opens to the public. This usually happens one hour before call time. With new dancers constantly joining the show, it is important they learn all numbers to share the load and rotate with other dancers. Having the stage free prior to the show allows us to easily work amongst ourselves and use the space to block numbers. It gives us a realistic perspective on how it would feel to dance each piece live. Here Stephen Brennan is lending a hand to Patrick Barnett for the males piece in Countess Cathleen where the interact with the six troupe girls and the female principal dancer. It looks like Brian Shinners and Shane Cummins are under close observation too.

This is but a small insight into what happens backstage. Of course everyone has their different means of warming-up, stretching and keeping active. While some have praying rituals, others listen to personal ipods and others simply beautify themselves. We have each learned to respect what our fellow colleagues do before each performance and this is what allows us to maintain our focus on stage and deliver 100% to our performance night after night.

I finish this blog from the comfort of my hotel room in Peoria, Illinois. I have had a grueling week of travel but with the support of friends out here I make it through. I am all packed for our 10 o’ clock departure in the morning. The thoughts of a day off tomorrow, lodging at the Hard Rock Hotel on Michigan Ave. and having zero plans seems like a very good idea to me right now. How nice it will be to settle into the one hotel room for more than one night. How nice it will be to unpack and perhaps even hang up some clothes. How nice it will be to settle in the one theatre for more than one performance and familiarise ourselves with a city. With our producer and dance director coming to visit we will undoubtedly be on our best behavior but above we will make sure to have plenty of fun! I feel a smile run across my face. Here’s to Chicago and what should be a promising week.

Fiona

Fiona’s Style File

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This photo was taken back in China on our December 2009 tour. It was bitterly cold in all cities bar the first in Shenzen. Unfortunately I could not take the darling dog!

- Double breasted, three quarter-length grey coat. 100% pure wool. (Irish designer, Patrick Howard)

- Pink french beret, 100% wool, bought in Appleton, Wisconsin.

- Red,vintage paisley-print neck scarf (belonging to my grandmother).

- Purple wool mitts from Urban Outfitters bought in Baltimore, Maryland.

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Read this on the Riverdance website: 11 cities and more from behind the curtain