Sound
Bill Whelan
Born May 22, 1950 · Limerick, Ireland (age 76)
William Michael Joseph Whelan (born 22 May 1950) is an Irish composer and musician. He is best known for composing a piece for the interval of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest. The result, "Riverdance", was a seven-minute piece of original music accompanying a new take on traditional Irish stepdance that became a full-length stage production and spawned a worldwide craze for Irish traditional musi…
Known For
Riverdance: The Animated Adventure · 2021Riverdance: The Animated Adventure
★ 6.02021
MovieAnimationFantasy
A young Irish boy named Keegan and Spanish girl named Moya journey into a magical world of the Megaloceros Giganteus who teach them to appreciate Riverdance as a celebration of life. Based on the stage show phenomenon of the same name and featuring Bill Whelan’s multi-platinum Grammy Award-winning music.
Dancing at Lughnasa · 1998Dancing at Lughnasa
★ 6.01998
MovieDrama
Five unmarried sisters make the most of their simple existence in rural Ireland in the 1930s.
Riverdance - Best Of Riverdance · 2005Riverdance - Best Of Riverdance
★ 10.02005
MovieMusic
Introduced by Jean Butler, The Best of Riverdance, brings together the stunning highlights and classic performances from the show filmed at various international venues over the previous 10 years. This special compilation, The Best of Riverdance, features performances from the various Riverdance Troupes who have taken the show to the four corners of the world. Highlights include: Reel Around the Sun performed by Michael Flatley and the Riverdance Troupe at the Poin Theatre in Dublin, Countess Cathleen performed by Joanne Doyle and the Riverdance Troup in Geneva, Thunderstorm performed by Pat Roddy and the Riverdance Troup in Radio City Music Hall, New York, Heartland, performed by Jean Butler and Michael Flatley at the Point Theatre and a very special compilation performance of Riverdance featuring the talents of the shows lead dancers over the past ten years.
In the Name of Peace: John Hume in America · 2017In the Name of Peace: John Hume in America
2017
MovieDocumentary
John Hume saw that by harnessing the political influence of the Irish American diaspora in Washington, it was possible to overcome the legacy of conflict and achieve peace. Exploring the decades-long campaign by the Nobel Prize winner, filmmaker Maurice Fitzpatrick reveals how Hume - inspired by Martin Luther King - became the moral architect for peace in Northern Ireland. In the Name of Peace: John Hume in America is a compelling feature documentary, narrated by Liam Neeson, with dramatic footage and stirring interviews with Presidents Clinton and Carter, US senators and congressmen, and Irish and British leaders. Reminding us of the redemptive powers of politics to overcome division. It is a timely story that profiles creative leadership, international cooperation and the U.S. contribution to peace and stability on the island of Ireland.
Riverdance: Live From New York City · 1997Riverdance: Live From New York City
★ 9.31997
MovieMusic
Riverdance, the Irish hard-shoe sensation that took PBS viewers by storm, underwent its second incarnation with Live from New York City, a 1996 performance filmed at Radio City Music Hall. While most of the attributes from 1995's Riverdance: The Show remain--the dazzling ensemble choreography, Bill Whelan's energetic score, and the New Age-y view of Celtic mythology--the most significant difference is at the top, where Colin Dunne replaced bombastic lead dancer Michael Flatley. Though lacking Flatley's bravura, Dunne is a superb technician who works well with Flatley's former co-lead, Jean Butler. Flamenco dancer Maria Pagis returns, as do the Riverdance Singers (formerly known as Anuna) with soloist Katie McMahon and the orchestra with fiery fiddler Eileen Ivers. About a half-hour longer than the 1995 original, Live from New York City expands upon the second act's theme of the Irish leaving their homeland
Riverdance: The New Show · 1996Riverdance: The New Show
★ 7.11996
MovieDocumentaryMusic
Riverdance Show is a cultural phenomenon that defies criticism for the enthusiastic and leaves everyone else scratching their heads. The wonderfully talented cast, headed by the Riverdance Irish Dance Company, bewitchingly spins (and stomps) its Celtic folk choreography featuring numerous breathless solos by Michael Flatley (since departed) and Jean Butler. The mellifluous Riverdance Orchestra boasts Davy Spillane, who coaxes plaintive lamentations out of a peculiar instrument that resembles a bagpipe in a metal leg brace. For Enya fans, there is the sound-alike choral group Anuna, who casts a similarly New Age-style vocal spell. Also thrown into the mix are such disparate folk traditions as American gospel and Spanish flamenco. Though it's only 70 minutes long, Riverdance is repetitive by half. But judging from the ecstatic audience ovations and the continued foot-stomping during and after the curtain calls, too much is still not enough.
Riverdance: Live from Radio City Music Hall · 2008Riverdance: Live from Radio City Music Hall
★ 10.02008
Movie
Riverdance, the Irish hard-shoe sensation that took PBS viewers by storm, underwent its second incarnation with Live from New York City, a 1996 performance filmed at Radio City Music Hall. While most of the attributes from 1995's Riverdance: The Show remain--the dazzling ensemble choreography, Bill Whelan's energetic score, and the New Age-y view of Celtic mythology--the most significant difference is at the top, where Colin Dunne replaced bombastic lead dancer Michael Flatley. Though lacking Flatley's bravura, Dunne is a superb technician who works well with Flatley's former co-lead, Jean Butler. Flamenco dancer Maria Pagis returns, as do the Riverdance Singers (formerly known as Anuna) with soloist Katie McMahon and the orchestra with fiery fiddler Eileen Ivers.
Dick Francis: Twice Shy · 1989Dick Francis: Twice Shy
★ 4.71989
MovieCrimeDrama
A fool-proof formula for picking winning horses on a computer disc is the Maguffin sought by Cleveland and others.





