Columbus Native Joe Moriarty to Perform Lead Dance Role in RIVERDANCE 2/18-2/20

CAPA and Broadway Across America present RIVERDANCE at the Palace Theatre (34 W. Broad St.) February 18-20. Show times are Friday, February 18, at 8pm; Saturday, February 19, at 2pm and 8pm; and Sunday, February 20, at 1pm and 6:30pm. Tickets start at $22.50 and can be purchased at the Ohio Theatre Ticket Office (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and www.ticketmaster.com. To purchase by phone, please call (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000. The Ohio Theatre Ticket Office is open Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm and Saturday from 10am -2pm.

Few shows have touched audiences like RIVERDANCE, the "Original International Phenomenon." This thunderous celebration of Irish music, song, and dance has tapped its way onto the world stage thrilling millions of people around the globe.

Composed by Bill Whelan, produced by Moya Doherty, and directed by John McColgan, RIVERDANCE had its world premiere at the Point Theatre, Dublin, in February 1995, where it opened to unanimous critical acclaim. Now in its 16th phenomenal year, RIVERDANCE has to date played over 10,000 performances and been seen live by more than 22 million people in 40 countries across four continents. It has traveled well over 600,000 miles; played to a worldwide television audience of two billion; and sold more than three million copies of the Grammy Award-winning CD (certified Platinum in the US) and more than 10 million copies of the video (making it one of the best-selling entertainment videos in the world).

An innovative and exciting blend of dance, music, and song, RIVERDANCE draws on Irish traditions and the tremendous talents of its performers to propel Irish dancing and music to the present day, capturing the imagination of audiences across all ages and cultures. This extraordinarily unique show features an international company all performing to the magic of Bill Whelan's music.

"An explosion of sight and sound that simply takes your breath away," cheers The Chicago Tribune. "A family evening unlike anything else!" raves The London Times. Whether it's your first time or your fifth, there is no better time to share the magic of RIVERDANCE with your family.

About Columbus native Joe Moriarty
Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Moriarty's Irish connection comes from his father's side of the family. His great grandfather Edward originally hailed from Listowel, Co. Kerry. However, it was his uncle Edward who fostered his interest in Irish dance, which Moriarty took up at the comparatively late age of eight with the Richens-Timms Academy. It was soon obvious that he had a natural flair for dance, and within a couple of years, was winning titles in the US Midwestern and US National championships.

Before joining Riverdance in August 1997, Moriarty had progressed to competing at a world championship level on three separate occasions, ranking in the top five. Highlights of Moriarty's Riverdance career include performing the lead in the Broadway production of Riverdance, at the Kremlin in Moscow, and most recently in the Dublin production. He has toured Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, Australia, Canada, the Far East, and North America with Riverdance.

Joe is the second North American dancer to dance the lead role in Riverdance.

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