With The Blonde Bombshell returning to The Helix on May 21st 2023. Below is the quick chat about the show with Dancing With The Stars & Fair City star Ryan Andrews who brought this amazing show to The Helix in November 2022! Tickets available here
Q. What exactly is The Blonde Bombshell and what is it about?
Ryan: The Blonde Bombshell is a dance theatre show and it is going to showcase the life of the iconic Marilyn Monroe all through dance! It is the first time ever being done (an all-dance show showcasing the life of an iconic superstar like Marilyn! Everybody know Marilyn Monroe from the white dress or JFK but there is so much more to her life and the skill of this show is showcasing it and bringing it to life only through dance. So, no spoken word, no singers, but we have iconic songs in the show from Candle in the Wind, Somewhere over the Rainbow, Sing Sing Sing all from the era but we’re going to bring you on a journey through dance.
We’re going to showcase Ballroom, Latin, Contemporary, Tap, the entire showcase of all different dance styles is going to be mixed together for this show and all of the dancers are all professionals featuring world champion ballroom and Latin dancers from Dancing With The Stars so the quality and the standard is at the highest level it can be.
Q. Where did the idea come from for The Blonde Bombshell?
Ryan: So the idea came from Ian Banham who is co-choreographer on Dancing With The Stars and he worked with Laura Nolan (who is our leading lady for The Blonde Bombshell playing Marilyn Monroe) two years ago on a 3 minute dance routine about Marilyn Monroe and JFK. When he saw it come to life and thought “Wow, this could be a show!”. So, then Ian came to me and said “can we make this 3 minute number into a one and a half/2hour show?” and I said ABSOLUTLEY!
So that was the idea, to take a 3-minute routine and turn it into a theatre production!
Q. So how has this process differed to projects that you have worked on in the past?
Ryan: This project has been one of the most exciting and probably most fulfilling projects that I have ever worked on because you are taking something from complete scratch, from page to stage. This type of show has never been done before so there are no templates or nothing that we can really copy. Completely original from start to finish. So, you must create an entire show! A story! A beginning, middle and end. Emotions of highs and lows all from scratch. You are trying to do this in the best way possible to bring Marilyn’s story, that a lot of people don’t know about, to life.
So there has been may challenges, as I have said. Showing Marilyn Monroe’s vulnerabilities, you add a rumba in to slow everything down or when she’s at the height of her fame it’s salsa, it’s Latin it’s broadway. It’s really great and I think it’s going to be a great success!
Q. What can people expect from the show?
Ryan: People will be sitting on the edge of their seats! The energy is through the roof! It’s highest quality of professional dance that there is in Ireland! There will be emotion too! In an exciting way, people are going to learn something new about Marilyn Monroe’s life also!
It’s a front row seat to Dancing With The Stars! This is like the pro numbers on Dancing With The Stars so you will be a getting a front row seat to that! Cannot wait!