“A Taste of Ireland” is coming to Yakima, and with it comes a promise of dance, history and Irish culture. The show is performed by former world-class Irish dance champions, and features a variety of performance elements, from tap to audience improvisation.

The music and dance show is set for performance Wednesday night, April 29, at the Capitol Theatre, and according to Callum O’Neill, a demi-soloist and dance captain with the show, it’s a show anybody can enjoy.

“The show is 100% live. So anything that you see on stage, whether it’s the sound, the dancers making positions, all of that is 100% live,” O’Neill said. “That’s not really something that you would see in many other Irish dancing shows … Every crowd brings a different reaction. There’s a few moments where we will break the fourth wall, and … you can get a good back and forth going, it really takes the show off from one level to another.”

Tyler Watkins, a former dancer with the show who now serves as an assistant producer for the company, described the work that goes into each show as both demanding and rewarding. “For me, the most rewarding thing is being able to take the show to Yakima and places that wouldn’t necessarily see larger Irish dancing shows. And in my experience as a performer and also as a producer, they’re always so grateful that we come and it’s really rewarding,” Watkins said.

According to the production’s description, the show will feature a variety of song and dance numbers, including various classics such as “Danny Boy,” “Tell Me Ma” and “Wild Rover.”

“Everywhere you go, everyone always claims to have a little bit of Irish,” O’Neill said. “The show is, in essence, the history of Ireland. So it’s set right from the beginning, with the folklore of [Ireland], and then it takes you through all the history, such as the Vikings, the famine and then it takes one to present-day items.”

Outside of traditional Irish dance, the show also features an entirely live production of all of its music, something that O’Neill said makes the show really special to perform. The show additionally features acapella tap battles, which combined with the rest of the performance, means all of the cast has to be in good physical form.

“There’s definitely a lot that goes into it, even the things you don’t see before the tour even begins,” O’Neill said. “Even when the dancers are at home, we still have to be continuously training, eating … and then on the road, you travel in long hours, so you need to stretch as much as possible. We have ice baths after every single show. There’s a lot of recovery that really does go into staying fit on the road and preventing injury as much as possible.”

As special as the show might be for audiences, according to Watkins, its just as special for the cast as well. “I think from a performance perspective, I grew as a dancer exponentially because I was constantly meeting different people,” Watkins said. “I was meeting the best dancers in the world and sharing the stage with them. And it’s the most rewarding thing in the world to be able to take that advice and see that firsthand. And I think for the audience as well, it’s exciting to be able to be surrounded by so many different people, and to be able to see the talent right up close, because we have world champions and some of the best professional dancers in the world in our cast.”

Tickets for tomorrow’s show can be purchased online at this link.