David Mallet (1) (1945–)

In every setting, Michael Flatley always comes across as a narcissistic and insufferable jerk. Nevertheless, I am a big fan of his. He is an incredible dancer, and Lord of the Dance is a phenomenal show. I had the good fortune of being able to see him perform Lord of the Dance live in Ireland, and it was an amazing experience.

The DVD doesn’t succeed in capturing the wonder & excitement of the live performance, but it is fun & entertaining.

The music is magical.
The ensemble dancing is out of this world.
And Michael Flatley is a truly charismatic performer.

As a show, Lord of the Dance always seems to be evolving and in a state of flux with different tweaks made to the production over the years. This iteration of the show is less impressive than others. The storyline isn’t as cohesive. There are also fewer dancers and less elaborate dance sequences than in versions past. And why won’t that stupid spirit character just go away?

I could have done without the endless talking at the beginning, too. Save the interviews and commentary for the extra features on the DVD, please.

I also don’t understand why the DVD versions are always so heavily edited. Why cut out some of the best parts and make me watch them in the extra features? I want to be able to sit down and experience the show in its entirety and relive the vibe of seeing the show in person. Instead the DVD viewer is left watching the show in roughly hacked up bits and pieces. To some extent, it really does sour the effect.

Aside from Michael Flatley, the other solo dancers in the show aren’t quite as impressive as they should be. They’re good and certainly a pleasure to watch, but they lack that elusive ‘Wow’ factor present in truly outstanding performers. I have a sneaking suspicion that is an intentional move on the part of Michael Flatley. Lord of the Dance would literally blow audiences out of the water if he had a female counterpart of his own caliber, such as Jean Butler; but, I doubt Flatley’s ego would allow for that. It’s a genuine pity.

There is one part of the show that never fails to gall me—the incredibly vulgar and sexist striptease act the poor female members of the cast are forced to perform. The men sure as hell don’t have to take off their clothes and dance bare-chested in jock straps, so why do the female dancers have to whip off their clothes and prance around in their bras and panties? It makes me cringe every time I see it.
The only thing more offensive is the fact that the audience erupts into thunderous applause the second the women rip their dresses off. WTF, people?

In spite of its obvious problems, Lord of the Dance is an overall great show that most people will absolutely love.

There are several DVD editions of the different shows available. This DVD version (Michael Flatley Returns as Lord of the Dance, Kaleidoscope Ent. 2011) is enjoyable, but other versions are much better.… (altro)

Contains:
Main titles/Orchestral prelude --
Whistle down the wind. Whistle down the wind / (Tina Arena) --
Joseph and the amazing technicolor dreamcoat. Fanfare/Any dream will do ; Close every door / (Donny Osmond) --
Variations. Intro ; Variations 1-4 / (Julian Lloyd Webber, violoncello) --
Evita. Funeral music from ; Oh what a circus ; High flying adored / (Antonio Banderas) ; Don't cry for me Argentina / (Elaine Paige) --
Starlight express. Light at the end of the tunnel / (Ray Shell) --
Jesus Christ superstar. Hosanna / (Michael Ball) --
Requiem. Hosanna / (Dennis O'Neill) ; Pie Jesu / (Sarah Brightman & Ben De'ath) --
Jesus Christ superstar. Superstar / (Marcus Lovett) ; Gethsemane / (Michael Ball) --
The phantom of the opera. Overture ; The phantom of the opera / (Antonio Banderas) ; All I ask of you / (Michael Ball) ; The music of the night / (Sarah Brightman) --
Whistle down the wind. Tyre tracks and broken hearts / (Bonnie Tyler) ; No matter what / (Boyzone) ; Vaults of heaven / (Michael Ball) --
Sunset Boulevard. Car chase on Sunset Boulevard ; Once upon a time / (Marcus Lovett) ; With one look ; As if we never said goodbye / (Glenn Close) --
Aspects of love. Love changes everything / (Michael Ball) --
Cats. Memory / (Elaine Paige) --
The heart is slow to learn / (Kiri Te Kanawa) --
Whistle down the wind. Whistle down the wind / (Lottie Mayor with Andrew Lloyd Webber) --
End titles.… (altro)