REVIEWS:
Latest review of IMAGINE TAP!
Tap dance can easily exist as just pure percussive abstraction -- an
exercise in movement in which the dancers set the self-generated beat by
using their feet as drumsticks.
But even the masterful riffs of a tapper like Savion Glover can grow
tiresome over the course of a full-length program. And that is where the
creators of "Imagine Tap!" -- dancer-choreographers Derick K. Grant and
Aaron Tolson -- have stepped in, devising a program of short stories in tap.
Their idea is simply to put percussion in the service of character and plot,
enhancing a dozen or so deftly sketched scenarios with some scenery,
projections and just the right music (from standards to special material by
Zane Mark and Crystal Joy), and to conjure the delights of tap theater as it
existed in old movie musicals.
DANCE REVIEW
'IMAGINE TAP!'
RECOMMENDED
When: Through Aug. 6
Where: Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph
Tickets: $29-$69
Call: (312) 334-7777
This new, quite lavishly produced show -- which brings together 16
top-flight tappers from across the country (including several from Chicago),
a stylish group of vocalists and a brassy, forceful band that plays the
stuffings out of Mark's punchy, imaginative arrangements -- is the first
major undertaking of Indiana-based Great Lakes Dance Productions. In the
tradition of such popular dance-based shows as "Riverdance" and "Bring in
'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk," it clearly has ambitions of going national in
some way, shape or form. But for now, the show is strengthening its already
considerable legs in a multiweek engagement at the Harris Theater for Music
and Dance in Millennium Park.
Virtuosic yet not overly slick, traditional but fresh, "Imagine Tap!" turns
out to be great summer fun. And it adds to the work of already existing,
Chicago-based percussive dance outfits -- from the Human Rhythm Project to
Chicago Tap Theatre (at the Athenaeum Theatre through July 30 in "Changes: A
Science Fiction Tap Opera," set to David Bowie).
The sheer variety of scenes conjured here is impressive. In "3 Chefs" -- a
work that recalls the glory days of the Nicholas Brothers -- Jared Grimes,
Jumaane Taylor and Joseph Wiggan nearly set their tall white toques spinning
as they demonstrate their speed, agility and acrobatic prowess. In "Mr.
Happy (A Day in the Life)", opposite types -- the goofy, Tommy Tune-like,
business-suited Ray Hesselink and Tolson, a streetwise "Superman" --
winkingly play the dozens in dance. And in "Doll," the snappy Ayodele Casel
proves her mettle against an army of boys with water guns --a routine just
right for Radio City Music Hall.
David "Cyclone" Alan Fogler and Ephrat "Bounce" Asherie are the well-matched
hip-hop duo who whimsically blend the soft-shoe style of "Tea for Two" with
elaborate breakdance moves choreographed by Emilio E. "Buddha Stretch"
Austin Jr. And a classroom scene, in which restless students act out while
the teacher is out of sight, brings the first act to a rollicking close.
The second act raises the stakes even higher. A whole lot of
testifying-in-tap takes place in "Dance Like David," a soul-stirring church
scene starring Martin Tre Dumas III and Bril Barrett, plus vocalist Michael
Hawkins. In "Tu Eres Loco," set in a salsa nightclub, reed-thin Michelle
Dorrance heats things up to a sizzle with help from the luminous Chloe
Arnold and vocalist Hawkins.
"Subway Heat" finds a slew of riders stranded on a platform, with the
balletic Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards leading the ensemble. And before the whole
cast joins in for a big finale there is the program's dramatic piece de
resistance -- "Samurai Shuffle," a wonderfully realized, beautifully
designed mix of tap, martial arts magic and live-action "anime" that stars
the remarkable, high-flying Jason Samuels Smith, backed by "Bounce,"
"Cyclone" and others.
Grant, the most inventive principal choreographer and director, expertly
showcases his dancers' strengths. And the design team adds specificity to
their taps.
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EVENTS:
IMAGINE TAP TICKETS!!!
BUY ONE GET ONE FREE!!! NEED THE COUPON!!!
ONLY THIS WEEK TUESDAY, JULY 18 TO THE SUNDAY 23RD.
ASK FOR KAREN, MICHELLE OR NICO
PICK THEM UP ON MY PORCH STARTING TUESDAY
901 MARENGO AVE
FOREST PARK, ILL 60130
(SIDE OF HOUSE LEXINGTON STREET-ON MY BACK PORCH TABLE)
OR CALL ME 630-670-1432 FEEL FREE TO PASS THIS ON
READ THE REVIEWS:
CHICAGO TRIBUNE,
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/arts/chi-0607130348jul14,1,4755386.story?coll=chi-ent_arts-hed
CRITICS CHOICE DANCE,
http://www.chicagoreader.com/listings/static/dance.html
DAILY SOUTHTOWN
http://www.dailysouthtown.com/southtown/dsliving/111ldsho.htm
JUST TO NAME A FEW.
INFORMATION
BROADWAY SHOW OPENING IN CHICAGO!!!
An Extraordinary cast of the world’s foremost tap dancers
together for four weeks this summer for the world premiere
of Imagine Tap, a lavish, energetic and exhilarating celebration of tap dance, directed and choreographed by Derick K Grant.
July 11, 2006 - August 6, 2006
Harris Theater, Millennium Park, Chicago
Opening July 11, 2006! Exclusive 3-week Chicago run!
Purchase tickets before they run out... Group sales and discounts available
Evening performances are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and Friday at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday at 8:30 p.m. Matinee performances are Wednesday at 2:00 p.m., Saturday at 4:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3:00 p.m.
www.imaginetap.com
www.myspace.com/imaginetap
What is IMAGINE TAP!?
Imagine a huge tap dream cast, sixteen of the world's best tappers, performing the fabulous choreography of Derick K. Grant. Imagine original jazz, gospel, latin and hiphop performed by the best of Chicago's musicians and gospel singers. Imagine Tap!, the spectacularly fun new dance musical. This summer experience the joyous rhythm... Imagine Tap!
About Imagine Tap! Director Derick Grant
. A native of Boston, Derick K. Grant has been tapping for 28 years. He was an original company member and Dance Captain for Bring in ’Da Noise, Bring in ’Da Funk at both The Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival and on Broadway. Derick recreated Savion Glover's choreography and starred in the role of 'da beat for the first National Tour.
THEATERMANIA.COM offers a discount on Imagine Tap! Tickets... www.theatermania.com for more details.
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