“Rockin Road To Dublin” coming to Ames on April 4

The new generation of Irish rock and dance continues when “Rockin Road To Dublin” launches the Spring 2018 national tour,”Rockin Road To Dublin”creators and executive producers, Celtic rocker Chris Smith and Irish Dance World Champion Scott Doherty. On April 4, 2018, the show will be performed for one night only at Stephens Auditorium in Ames. Tickets will go on sale Friday, Dec. 22.

Tickets go on sale Dec. 22 at 10 a.m. Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.com or at the Iowa State Center Ticket Office Monday – Friday, noon – 6 p.m.; online at Ticketmaster.com; or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

“Rockin Road To Dublin” is the new sensation changing the Irish dance world. A fusion of rock and Irish,”Rockin Road To Dublin” combines the best of both worlds to thrust Irish Dance back into the spotlight. This stylish, can’t miss spectacle is the perfect balance between concert and stage show.

“This isn’t your typical Irish dance show,” explains Smith (The American Rogues), “it combines the magic of Broadway and the energy of a rock show with the excitement of Irish dance.   We’ve taken traditional Irish tunes and updated them to make the entire evening more dynamic and powerful. It has enough of the tradition people love, but it’s different enough that they will never look back!” Smith has gathered an elite class of musicians to perform in the”Rockin Road To Dublin” band: Marc Malsegna (award-winning guitartist), Kelly Mills (five-time winner of the Drum Corps and Percussion World Championships), Mike Moore (Busch Gardens and Kings Dominion), Joe Schermann (Guys and Dolls, White Christmas, Grease, Smokey Joe’s Café and Shout), and Corey Walden (The American Rogues, and founder of The Suzuki School of Milford).

“It’s truly the music that gets the audience on their feet,” insists Doherty (Riverdance and Lord of the Dance), who has worked his own magic choreographing the critically acclaimed show. “We’ve created this mashup of awesome Irish everything with rock and roll. It’s a high energy concert mixed in with an Irish dance show.” The 2009 Men’s World Champion of Irish Dance, Doherty made his professional debut in 2005 with the North American tour of Riverdance, and since has toured the world with that show, as well as Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance.

For “Rockin Road To Dublin,” Doherty chose three-time international Irish dance champion Ashley Smith, on stage since the age of 3, to be his lead female dancer. At 16, Ashley was crowned the World Irish Step Dancing Champion in Belfast in 2004 — making her the youngest American female ever to win the world title at that time. A top-30 female finalist on the hit TV show “So You Think You Can Dance,” Ashley was also a featured dancer on the Oscar-nominated film Silver Linings Playbook.

Rounding out the cast are other well-known Irish dancers, including, Mark Chichester (Lord of the Dance), Declan Crowley (West Side Story: Mashup), Bernadette Devereaux (Lord of the Dance), Patrick Holland (Cherish the Ladies), Billy Kanaly (Riverdance), Erika Nielsen (Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games), world champion Tyler Schwartz (Celtic Fyre) and Mairéad Stillson (Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games).

“The lyrics of the songs tell a love story that weaves together the music and dance,” explains the show’s director, Broadway choreographer Jeff Whiting (The Producers—tour; Bullets Over Broadway—tour). “Our goal is to have the audience walk away having had an experience that is entertaining, uplifting, and inspirational.”

Music supervision, arrangements, and orchestrations are by Brent Frederick; original costume design is by Sarah Coffey and Ashley Wilson; lighting is by Carolyn Wong; scenic designs are by Brian Barker and Jason Ardizzone-West; and sound consultation is by Trey Smith.

For information on this performance, visit www.center.iastate.edu.