Honolulu Mayor Carlisle, Council Chair Martin and Councilmember Gabbard Welcome 25th Infantry Home

Dec. 1, 2011 - PRLog -- HONOLULU - Mayor Peter Carlisle, Honolulu City Council Chair Ernest Y. Martin and City Councilmember Tulsi Gabbard will have the honor of welcoming returning soldiers of the U.S. Army's 25th Infantry Division home to Hawaii at a formation ceremony on Thursday, December 1 at Schofield Army Base. In celebration of their safe return, Carlisle, Martin and Gabbard have the pleasure of distributing tickets to the opening night of RIVERDANCE – the Irish dancing sensation – to the soldiers and their families.

Local presenter Broadway in Hawaii, which is behind the efforts to bring the Broadway production of RIVERDANCE to Honolulu, has officially proclaimed opening night – Wednesday, December 7, 2011 – as Military Night on Broadway. Broadway in Hawaii is also offering discounted opening night tickets for all military with I.D., including active military servicemembers and their spouses, as well as National Guard and Reserve, retiree and disabled service members and their spouses.

Broadway in Hawaii looks forward to welcoming military families to opening night, which marks one of the final performances of the North American touring production of RIVERDANCE. Following its eight Honolulu shows, RIVERDANCE will conclude its farewell tour on the mainland after 16 years of thrilling fans across North America. The Honolulu shows mark the first and last time the family-friendly show will come to Hawaii. RIVERDANCE will present eight performances at Blaisdell Concert Hall from December 7 to 11.

In addition to this outreach to the military community, the Broadway in Hawaii Education Fund was created in 2010 by the parent organization of Broadway in Hawaii, MagicSpace Entertainment, and gives much-needed financial support to arts programs in local schools and programs offered through non-profit organizations, including the Kaimuki High School Performing Arts Center, Honolulu Theatre for Youth and Castle Performing Arts Learning Center.

The RIVERDANCE company is travelling to Hawaii with a cast and crew of 60 people, including the remarkable RIVERDANCE Irish DanceTroupe, the cream of Irish musicians in the RIVERDANCE Band and a spectacular international company all performing to the magic of Bill Whelan’s music.

The Honolulu shows also feature an exciting fusion of cultural influences, including Spanish Flamenco and African American tap dancing. The exuberant RIVERDANCE band includes Declan Masterson (keyboard/musical director), Mark Alfred (drums/percussion/bodhrán), Matt Bashford (uiilleann pipes/low whistle/tin whistle), Pat Mangan (fiddle), and Dave McGauren (saxophone).

The show that started it all, RIVERDANCE, has been performing in the United States since March 1996 when it had its American premiere at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Since then, the show has tapped its way onto the world stage thrilling millions of people around the globe.While the touring production in the U.S. will close on June 17, 2012, productions of RIVERDANCE will continue to tour the world.

Composed by Bill Whelan, produced by Moya Doherty and directed by John McColgan, to date, RIVERDANCE has played over 10,000 performances, been seen live by more than 22 millionpeople in over 350 venues throughout 40 countries across 4 continents.

Special Honolulu pricing includes:

Military – Most seats for opening night are just $35. Available at Blaisdell Box Office only.
Seniors (62+) – Most seats for the Friday matinee are just $35.
Students – Select seating for the Friday matinee is available for just $17.50.

Honolulu Performance Dates at Blaisdell Concert Hall:

Wednesday, December 7 at 7:30 p.m. *MILITARY NIGHT Most seats only $35.*
Thursday, December 8 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, December 9 at 3 p.m. *MATINEE SPECIAL PRICING FOR SENIORS AND STUDENTS*
Friday, December 9 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, December 10 at 2 p.m. *MATINEE*
Saturday, December 10 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, December 11 at 1 p.m. MATINEE*
Sunday, December 11 at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are on sale now at all Ticketmaster outlets, Walmart outlets, Blaisdell Box Office, Ticketmaster.com or by calling call 800-745-3000. Special discounts are available for military, students and teachers, as well as large groups.

Visit http://www.riverdance.com for tour dates, tickets, competitions and much more.

About the Broadway in Hawaii Education Fund
MagicSpace Entertainment, the independent presenter of live theater and concerts behind Broadway in Hawaii, recently founded the Broadway in HawaiiEducation Fund. The fund currently supports arts programs in local schools and programs offered through non-profit organizations including:

Friends of Kennedy Theatre Endowment Scholarship Fund to fund scholarships to the University of Manoa Theatre and Dance program;
Kaimuki High School Performing Arts Center;
Performing Arts Center of Kapolei (PACK) via Kapolei High School;
Castle Performing Arts Learning Center;
Alliance for Drama Education; and
Honolulu Theatre for Youth.

About MagicSpace Entertainment
MagicSpace Entertainment (formerly NewSpace Entertainment) is an independent presenter of live theater and concerts with more than 25 years of experience presenting events throughout North America. Through its local production company, Broadway in Hawaii, MagicSpace has presented a number of major shows in Honolulu, including Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and Cats. Visit http://www.magicspace.net/honolulu/ to learn more.