The Pirate Queen - More Magic from the Riverdream Team on Broadway

Riverdream, the company responsible for Riverdance, has done it again. Their new-to-Broadway production, The Pirate Queen, is a stirring tale of love and courage, of piracy and family. Performed in the Hilton Theatre in New York City, the show mixes the expected drama, stunning scenery and amazing singing of your usual Broadway play, and then throws in a little extra kick- Irish Step Dancing. The results? An impressive, very memorable experience.

The Pirate Queen stars Stephanie J. Block as Grace O'Malley, the fierce daughter of Clan O'Malley's chief, who overcomes the limitations of her gender in order to lead her people and captain her ship. Block's voice fully expresses the emotions that the character goes through, from the hardships and confrontations to the loves and celebrations. Opposite her, as Tiernan, is Hadley Fraser, whose strong voice serves as a wonderful compliment to Block's. Together, they sing the bulk of the vocal pieces, their voices enticing the audience to feel as they feel, to see what they see.

Block's character is not the only strong and powerful woman in the play, though. The character of Queen Elizabeth I, played by Linda Balgord, makes for a fascinating contrast and comparison to O'Malley. The interactions of each of the women, in societies predominantly run by males, serve to further elevate the story. In a cast where the supporting roles are mostly male, these interactions lend a certain womanly charm, distinctive to each of the two different female characters.