|
“I never saw the legendary Michael Flately perform
his own choreography in the original stage production,
and after Michael Patrick Gallagher’s interpretation
of the leading role, I don’t have any regrets about
missing Flately. What is most impressive is Gallagher’s
understated, ego-free offering of so much technically
daunting material. He’s confident enough not to show
off, and if I hadn’t read in the program notes that
he is also a musician, I could have guessed it from
his classy sense of phrasing and articulation.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LA Times
“Begorrah, what flying feet! His most impressive
moments come in ‘Trading Taps’…Here he’s loose, playful
and still unbelievably fast and intricate.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arizona Tribune
“In the six years since ‘Riverdance’ became an international
show business phenomena, the show’s format has changed
little. Dancers, however, come and go. So the show’s
foot soldiers do make a difference. Such as Michael
Patrick Gallagher. Although far from a ‘star’ name,
this multi-talented and focused entertainer is certainly
one of the major reasons to rush and see ‘Riverdance’
before it leaves town Sunday night.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Las Vegas Sun
“Michael Patrick Gallagher is splendid in the male
principal role created by Flately.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
San Diego Union-Tribune
“He has a disarming self-confidence, impressive grace
and amazing speed in his footwork.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Edmonton Journal
“His rapid-fire footwork that consistently denied
description, not to mention gravity. Gallagher’s calm
yet charismatic stage presence made him the undeniable
centerpiece of the show, as did his ability to dance
as quickly as drummers could pound out the beats.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Orleans Times-Picayune
“Premier dancer Gallagher is a protean performer
of seemingly inexhaustible energy, skill and striking
star presence.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hamilton Spectator
“Well, the overblown Flately has gone, and the handsome
young Gallagher has been parachuted into those outsized
shoes. And everything about this fresh-scrubbed kid
with the wraithlike frame is wonderfully appealing.
For one thing, he can really dance. He knocks the
socks off all those highflying Riverdance routines.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Baltimore Sun
“And Gallagher well, this young man displays such
amazingly fast footwork, you’d swear his ankles were
motorized-or at least on fast forward.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Duluth News Tribune
“Mr. Gallagher mesmerizes the viewer with amazing
skill. With straight body and calves and feet that
move equally as fast as the musical notes to which
he dances, he takes command of the stage. With triple-time
moves in a segment entitled ‘thunderstorm,’ he leads
the male troupe with power, precision and poise.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scranton Tribune
“Michael Patrick Gallagher proved why he is the principal
male dancer of the troupe. He was an example of controlled
and disciplined movements in showcasing his upper-body
strength and his lower body agility. Nobody else’s
feet moved as fast as his did Tuesday night, yet his
torso was steely rigid. However, he didn’t just look
like an efficient dancing machine on stage. His performance
seemed more organic-though superhuman-and was filled
with passion and sincerity.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Leader, Elmira
“Gallagher strutted the stage with a macho, muscular
arrogance that left the audience riveted to his unquestioned
abilities. Irish-born Gallagher is an element of nature,
like lightening-faster than a wink, weightless and
directed to a target. That target is the dance, a
craft Gallagher wears like thistledown.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Evansville Courier & Press
“Gallagher, a two-time world champion step dancer,
made it look easy, bounding, floating and hovering
over the stage, feet and ankles kicking, slapping
and hammering out a staccato tattoo beneath him.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Patriot-News, Harrisburg
“Cool and self-possessed as a young prince, he’s
capable of convincing audiences that he’s inventing
these carefully choreographed moves on the spot. And
executing them with astonishing precision.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sioux City Journal
“Key to the show’s success-and one of the reasons
you won’t want to miss the performance-is Michael
Patrick Gallagher, the musical’s lead dancer who’s
able to take Michael Flately’s original choreography
and make it his own valedictory. In those bullet-like
Irish dance lines, he’s the one with the best aim
and the ability to fire without reloading. In the
‘Trading Taps’ scene, he’s the one who’s able to bridge
cultural gaps with moves that would impress Gregory
Hines. In the duets with leading lady Tara Barry,
he’s the one who pulls the audience into their dizzying
world. If there’s only one heart to this show, he’s
it.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
“A world titleholder at the age of 11, Gallagher
is now a confident 26-year-old professional, who commanded
the stage with authentic pleasure. His erect upper
body and piercing gaze seemed to keep him aloft as
his loose hips and legs allowed his feet to create
a frenzy of percussive sound.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Daily Gazette, Schenectady
“Gallagher is slender, tall and loose. He doesn’t
have the stiffness that so often plagues other Irish
dancers. So his appearance is natural, his movement
fluid.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Muncie Star-Press
“Gallagher danced the role that choreographer Michael
Flately made famous with his own subtle flair. He
seemed to be having a great time on the stage and
it showed in his enthusiastic shouts and mischievous
smile.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Province, Vancouver
“Male lead Michael Patrick Gallagher had tremendous
presence and poise for such a young dancer, and his
hard shoe tap dancing was stunning in its speed and
dexterity.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Edmonton Sun
“Michael Patrick Gallagher’s skill’s are amazing.
His triple-time moves in a bit called Thunderstorm
had the crowd cheering.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Louisville Courier-Journal
“Michael Patrick Gallagher, a native of Galway, Ireland,
is a veritable Leonardo DiCaprio of step dancing.
Girls were shrieking with delight last night as Gallagher,
a two-time winner of the World Title for Irish dancing,
tap-danced nearly faster than the eye could see.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Westender, Vancouver
“His mind-numbing foot speed and breathless precision
are incredible.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Greenville News
“The dancing star of the show is Michael Patrick
Gallagher, who performs his numbers with muscular
flair.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Green Bay Press-Gazette
“Gallagher is fantastically fast, nimble, limber
and charismatic.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Toledo Blade
“Gallagher is a dancer who moves with graceful fluidity,
leaping high and kicking his legs to eye level as
he seemingly glides above the stage. And when he shifted
into a higher gear for a display of his tapping ability,
his hard soled boots moved faster than the eye could
see.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Green Bay News-Chronicle
“Gallagher’s performance awed the breathless audience
members. The ease and quickness of his dance is beyond
comparison. But it is a testament to his talent and,
no doubt, hard work, that his performances appeared
as natural as a walk in the park.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Spokesman-Review
“The lead dancer of this show, Michael Patrick Gallagher,
doesn’t have the ego-driven flamboyance of Michael
Flately. Gallagher has something better-tremendous
talent and control. His footwork is dazzling, but
so is everybody’s. What set him apart was his grace
of movement around the stage while those feet frantically
beneath him.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Idaho Statesman
“Gallagher tapped with lightning speed through his
numbers and exuded a cool Irish confidence as he traded
rifts with Irish drummers, flamenco and American dancers.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Arizona Daily Star
“Michael Patrick Gallagher is show-stopping as the
lead male dancer. His moves are sharp and quick, and
his feet move so fast they blur.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Fresno Bee
“Michael Patrick Gallagher’s leg pumps up and down
like a piston in some spectacular internal combustion
engine; the movements so quick, so precise, that it’s
like watching an old black and white movie speeded
up so the motion seems almost superhuman. A leg can’t
move that fast, can it? But it can in Riverdance.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The News and Observer, Raleigh
“Michael Patrick Gallagher is dazzling as the lord
of the dance in ‘Riverdance’.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
San Francisco Examiner
“Lead dancer Michael Patrick Gallagher is a slender
young man with wonderfully fast footwork.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
“Gallagher is an athlete. His feet and legs move
so fast that they seem to vibrate rather than tap.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Advocate, New Orleans
“...his footwork is furiously fast and intricate.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Plain Dealer, Cleveland
“Michael Patrick Gallagher….has incredible speed
and technique to burn. Moving his feet like lightning,
Gallagher tapped rapid rhythms and zoomed through
space.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Seattle Times
“Gallagher, his taps sharp as a knife, is a tall
imposing figure on stage.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TorontoStage.com
“And then there’s the riveting Michael Patrick Gallagher
whose hard shoes rival a drum ensemble.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Salt Lake Tribune
“…the lithe and nimble Michael Patrick Gallagher
can still dazzle in the former Flately role.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Indianapolis Star
“Michael Patrick Gallagher is the featured male dancer,
moving with speed and elegance.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune
“Michael Patrick Gallagher, the lead male dancer,
has a boyish charm that contrasts with his rapid-fire
footwork.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Kansas City Star
“Michael Patrick Gallagher, a lithe dancer whose
footwork is truly amazing.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Star Phoenix, Saskatoon
“Gallagher commanded the stage with his breathtaking
speed. In one amazing solo number, his feet seemed
to fly.”
|
