Celtic Tiger

The lord of the dance himself, Michael Flatley, choreographed, produced, and directed this spectacular stage show, captured before an enthusiastic audience of 100,000 in Budapest. Divided into discrete mini-productions based on varying themes, Celtic Tiger amounts to a kind of history of Ireland, from the prehistoric era to contemporary times, with segments devoted to St. Patrick, the 1916 Easter uprising, and the emigration of the Irish to America (tenuously tied to a Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders sequence!), among others. Occasionally, an idea goes wrong (the sight of Vikings step-dancing looks, unintentionally, like a Monty Python sketch), but most of the chapters in the show are lyrical, dramatic, sexy, and often witty. Flatley, the former Riverdance star, does less dancing here than in previous productions, but he's still a consummate showman, and his finest moment finds him playing a pretty mean flute. DVD extras include the behind-the-scenes program “Tiger Feet.” Recommended. Aud: P. (T. Keogh)