Kilkenny dancing star John Nolan premieres new show in his home town
By COLIN BARTLEY
KILKENNY’s Dancing With The Stars champion John Edward Nolan is bringing a little bit of Hollywood home today as he launches his spectacular new live show
“Putting on the Ritz”- a show featuring iconic songs and dance performances inspired by the golden age of Hollywood cinema, is ready to dazzle audiences in the Lyrath Estate Hotel, later today.
John, the star of the show is promising a “spectacular” that will bring people back to the halcyon days of the big screen through dance routines and big band swing music.
Luke Thomas, along with his band the Swing Cats, along with a host of professional dancers and singers, join John Edward in Kilkenny for the premiere of “Putting on the Ritz”
Speaking with KilkennyNow.ie, an excited John Edward said: “It’s all becoming very real now. It’s full-on!
“We have a cast of 21, a full seven-piece band, 12 dancers and two singers all raring to go.
“The show is a bit of Hollywood, with all the glamour and grace of Fred Astaire, the songs of Frank Sinatra and the likes, all combining to bring the golden era of cinema to life.
“It’s the first of it’s kind in Ireland and it’s premiering here in the Lyrath in Kilkenny, so we are really excited about that. I’m privileged to be a part of putting this together.”
The seed was planted for the ‘Ritz’ not long after John Edward, along with his dance partner – Today FM’s Mairead Ronan, won this year’s series of RTÉ’s Dancing with the Stars.
“I met Luke (Thomas) after winning Dancing with the Stars, he messaged me to come along and see the band. After that, we sat down and had a conversation to see if something like this would work in Ireland. We felt it would, and what we put together we feel is spectacular.
“We are looking towards the future with this already and are hoping to sign off on a few dates around the county. We know from this run here in Kilkenny there is a demand for it in other parts of the country just from people trying to book. We know this is a good show.”
Not only is John Edward ‘Putting on the Ritz,’ he is gearing up for another live show, “Dancing with the Stars- The Live Show” in the NEC in Killarney in two weekends, where he will be reunited with Mairead Ronan. The ‘Ritz’ is just the start of a busy period for Kilkenny’s finest dancer.
“It’s all go. We have the show here this weekend, I have next weekend off and then it’s down to Killarney for Dancing with the Stars the live show. Then after that, straight into Dancing with the Stars on RTÉ.
“I’ll relax at Christmas. Sure it will be grand.”
“Putting on the Ritz” is on today in the Lyrath Estate Hotel. Evening show at 7.30pm and the matinee show at 3pm.
