UNITED KINGDOM: MICHAEL FLATLEY ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR AN OPEN-YEAR SPECTACULAR

Record ID: 336788

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: MICHAEL FLATLEY ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR AN OPEN-YEAR SPECTACULAR
  • Date: 12th May 1998
  • Summary: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM (RTV) (MAY 12, 1998) MICHAEL FLATLEY POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS IN HYDE PARK UNDER GIANT STATUE JOURNALISTS FLATLEY WALKING IN HYDE PARK FLATLEY IN INTERVIEW TALKING ABOUT PLANS TO MAKE FILM SAYING, "THE MOVIE IS A VERY GOOD PROJECT. THE WORKING TITLE IS "DREAM DANCER". IT'LL BE A HEART WARMING STORY, A LOT OF LAUGHING, CRYING AND IT WILL BE ENCOUR
  • Embargoed: 27th May 1998 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA1DY3CPT5EQ6JYGFVGYGTY3X76
  • Story Text: Michael Flatley, whose flying feet transformed Irish dancing and made him a multimillionaire, on Tuesday (May 13) announced plans for an open-air London spectacular that is likely to be his farewell live performance.

    Flatley, parading in London's Hyde Park to publicise the July 25 show, said: "This may be my last live show." The Irish-American dancer from Chicago became an overnight star in 1994 when launching the Riverdance routine in Dublin as the interval show during the Eurovision song contest.

    He split with the Riverdance team and mounted his own "Lord of the Dance" extravaganza which performed in 100 cities around the world, grossing almost 100 million pounds (163.4 million U.S.dollars).Forbes Magazine lists him as one of the world's highest paid entertainers.

    Flatley, who at 39 is now planning a film career and even contemplating a move into professional boxing, will be joined by almost 100 dancers for the London show in Hyde Park.

    Flatley has been hailed as a brilliant and dramatic performer who single-handedly popularised the staid art of Irish dancing.But critics say he is a driven perfectionist with a super ego to match his superstardom.

    Asked if he was the best dancer in the world, he unhesitatingly replied: "Yes.Show me someone who can fill stadiums with 20,000 people, take five standing ovations a night, do 35 taps in a second and make a million quid (pounds) a night and I'll take my hat off to him.I'm still king of the ring." There is no doubting his pulling power as a dancer and he knows it.

    "Some people have seen the show 50, 60, 70 times and travel all round the world to see it," he told reporters.

    Flatley is working on a script and choreography for a film.He has also trained at a British boxing gym, quipping: "I've got to get into something that is safer than this business".

    "Boxing is one way to go.But films offer more exposure.

    I will come up with an answer shortly," he said.

    But in planning an outdoors performance, Flatley is taking a risk.Luciano Pavarotti found out to his cost how inclement it can be when his celebrity guests, including Princess Diana, were soaked in a downpour at his London Hyde Park concert.
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