Michael Flatley's Father Has Died

Michael Flatley's father, Michael James Flatley, passed away in Chicago yesterday, Friday 13 March, the opening night of Flatley's farewell performances of Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games at the Dominion Theatre in London.

Not wanting to let down the cast and audience, Michael Flatley performed as scheduled last night and will continue to do so for the next few evening performances. However, he will need to go to Chicago at some point next week for the Wake. He does not want to disappoint anyone, but hopes people will understand his need to be there.

Flatley posted a photo montage (pictured to the left) to Twitter, saying,

"My dear father Michael James Flatley passed away yesterday on the opening night of my show. He was my hero, my heart is broken. Please keep him in your prayers. I love you dad, your son Michael."

Michael Flatley is making a special appearance in Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games at the Dominion Theatre from 13 to 24 March, paving the way for new young superstar James Keegan, who will be performing the lead role of Lord of the Dance.

The global phenomenon that is Lord of the Dance will be bigger than ever in 2015, with Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games on a 200-plus date tour across 15 countries over the next 18 months. In the UK, the show will be performing concurrently in London at the Dominion Theatre from 13 March to 5 September and on a UK Tour from 2 April to 4 July.

Flatley's new show Dangerous Games has exciting and ground-breaking new technology, including holographs, dancing robots, world champion acrobats and the greatest team of Irish Dancers in the world. A new score composed by Gerard Fahy, new costumes and special effects lighting add a breath-taking new dimension to the original masterpiece.

For further details on the performances at the Dominion Theatre, London and the UK Tour, visit www.lordofthedance.com.