After a long summer break the Boyne Company packed up our suitcases and prepared to head back on the road. The tour started early for some of the company when we were flown to Dublin to learn a new number being put into the show this fall, 'Oscail an Doras'. A different version of Oscail was part of the show years ago. Following the success of the Foyle company performing the re-choreographed version at the Gaiety Theater in Dublin this summer, it was decided to add it to the touring shows. While in Dublin we had to attend both dance and singing rehearsals (as Oscail combines the two) to get every detail from intricate steps to the Irish word pronunciation exactly right. By the end of the week everyone was excited for the debut of Oscail in Anchorage, Alaska.

L-R: back - Justin Ryan, Sinead McLaughlin, Laura Minogue, Kyle O'Connor, Cara Casey, Sam Nichols. Middle - George Bernard Gallagher, Deirdre McDonnell, Sean Beglan. Front - Aileen Cronin, Jennifer O'Connell

The entire cast was then flown to Anchorage in early September to prepare for the opening of this leg of the tour. I think everyone was in agreement that we couldn't have picked a more amazing state to start in. The natural, rugged beauty of Alaska is breathtaking and it seemed like every time you turned a corner it got more amazing.

There were lots of activities to occupy our days in Alaska. We went on cruises to see wildlife and glaciers, took scenic drives along the shore and into the mountains to spot whales, moose, and bears, visited animal reserves and local museums, and even hung out at an old gold mining town. Because we were in Alaska for a full two weeks we also had a day off in the middle of our stay. Many people rented cars in order to venture out into the mountains, a large group took a seven hour cruise along the coast among glaciers and others opted for a relaxing day of fishing for salmon in a nearby river (although with the cool temperature I'm not sure how relaxing it was to stand outside all day).

Starting the show up again was remarkably easy. Almost all of the cast were returning members who stepped back into their roles as dancer/singer/musician as if they never took a break. The only change to the actual show was the addition of Oscail. It was a bit of a challenge getting all of the staging work for it done in one day (lighting, spacing onstage, coordinating dancers and singers together) but on opening night everything came together and it looked great. Riverdance was the first in the 'Broadway' series of shows at the Alaska Performing Arts center and the audience appeared to be very excited for us to be there. Not only did we receive a standing ovation after every performance but everyone in town seemed to take every opportunity to make us feel welcome, thank us for being there and inform us that they'd be more than willing to help out if there was anything we needed during our stay.

On opening night the Irish Dance Academy of Alaska hosted a dinner for us after the show. It was a great opportunity for the cast to get to know the young dancers and their families. Their generosity and kindness was remarkable both that night and over the length of our stay in Alaska. Some of the families even offered to take small groups of the cast out on private sightseeing adventures which we gladly took them up on.

It was hard to leave at the end of the two weeks but hopefully we will get the chance to visit Anchorage again soon.