February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Last Monday night, the Rainbow Room played host to the official launch of “The Pirate Queen,” a music and dance extravaganza by Irish production duo Moya Doherty and John McColgan.
The 65th-floor venue was the perfect place to announce the latest production by the husband-and-wife team, given the astronomical success of their last offering, “Riverdance,” which has earned more than $1 billion since it opened 11 years ago.
“The Pirate Queen” is an epic musical about Grace O’Malley, the legendary Irish Chieftain and captain who led a fleet of 1,000 sailors in 16th century Ireland.
Based on the novel, “Grania — She-King of the Irish Seas,” by Morgan Llywelyn, the story immortalizes O’Malley’s life as chieftain, mother and lover, and tells of her legendary meeting with Queen Elizabeth I.
“The Pirate Queen,” promises a feast of Irish and modern American dance with spectacular fight scenes — all against the backdrop of a score written by Tony Award winning duo Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Sch