Flatley's new show moves further form the crossroads

IT was leaner sexier Michael Flatley who leapt onto the Point's stage for the open in g night performance of Lord of The Dance, his new, very glossy show. Gone is the big blouse and the cummerbund to be replaced by a series of tight muscle hugging tops even his hair isn't big or blond anymore. But his dancing is as mesmerising as ever.

Flatley's first appearance on stage earned him a huge round of applause and he finished the first set by disappearing in a cloud of white smoke. That set the tone for the entire evening.

The show is designed by Jonathan Park, who has worked with the Rolling Stones and U2. Arlene Phillips, of Hot Gossip fame, is the director and one of the producers, Harvey Goldsmith, is a man more used to rock `n' roll than jigs and reels. Hence the dry ice, glittery costumes and the sort of dancing that would have been banned at the crossroads.

At one point the female dancers whipped off their candy coloured diaphanous dresses and finished their routine in black bras and matching tights. But no matter what the ensemble of very fine female and male dancers did, there was always the sense that every one was waiting for Flatley to come back on stage.

Apart from the Lord of the Dance himself, star spotters were disappointed. The rumoured appearance of Elton John turned out to be just that a rumour.

John Reid, Flatley's new manager has also managed John hence the speculation that he might be there. There was a very large, overwhelmingly Irish, VIP section. Colm Wilkinson, a veteran of big venue musicals was there. A big supporter of Flatley, he came over from Toronto.

Marianne Faithful looked to be enjoying herself as did singer Joe Dolan. Half of RTE were in the VIP section including the radio names in the news Joe Duffy, Gay Byrne, and Pat Kenny.

Flatley's dad, Michael Snr, and his mother, Elizabeth, flew in from the US while his wife, Beat a flew in from Poland.

All the talk at the interval was of Flatley's comeback and Ronan Hardiman's extraordinarily powerful score. If the `R' word was mentioned at all it was whispered. In fact, it seemed to be banned on an official level in Flatley's 73 line biography in the glossy programme, the `R' word isn't mentioned even once. There was, however, a brief mention of the Eurovision.

The touts outside the gates can't have had a good night opening night wasn't booked out but it does hold 3,500 people and the vast majority of the seats were full.