Displaying items by tag: chicago theater

If you love Rent, you’ll really like tick, tick…BOOM! If you don’t like Rent, you’ll probably still really like tick, tick…BOOM!, because what’s not to like about a great story and a talented cast? If you’ve ever struggled, strived, or attempted to create anything — or even just faced existential crises about getting older — tick, tick...BOOM! is relatable, funny, and heart-wrenching.

It's a musical about artists, for artists (and artist appreciators). It's a love letter to the process, the devasting lows and the ecstatic highs. It's sometimes even a love letter to Stephen Sondheim, who actually mentored the musical's late composer Jonathan Larson and saw great promise in him. (It's also an Oscar-nominated film directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda and starring Andrew Garfield on Netflix. Highly recommend.)

Most importantly, the music is fantastic.

And BoHo’s Theatre’s all trans and gender nonconforming production directed by BoHo Artistic Associate Bo Frazier would’ve made Jonathan Larson proud — it lets a diverse, talented-packed cast shine and captures both the humor and horror of the creative process in equal measure.

Larson’s most well-known and influential musical is 1996’s Rent, but he had another musical in the works when he tragically passed. Tick, tick…BOOM! is a semi-autobiographical, rock/pop musical about a young composer named Jon, who’s living the starving artist life in New York City in the early '90s and trying to get his show off the ground. (Can you smell the Rent? Thematic similarities abound: putting all your eggs in your own creative basket over everything else, roughing it in NYC, struggling with the idea of working to get by vs. working for creative fulfillment, staying true to your passions vs. the perceived soul-sucking of "selling out"... like Rent, there are even voicemails from concerned parents.)

I like to think of tick, tick...BOOM! as baby Rent, and an even more acute story, zeroed in on one man, one artist, his journey to make a difference and be heard, and the few people close to him that accompany him on the way.

BoHo Theatre's Alec Phan plays protagonist Jon as engaging and sweet — he's someone you'd want to be friends with, someone you'd root for. In fact, his friends in the show do. His girlfriend Susan, played with charm by Luke Halpern, and good friend Michael, played with nuance by Crystal Claros, encourage him to see his creative endeavors through, even as they take on boring, corporate jobs and move to the suburbs. It's like they've pinned their hopes on Jon too, like maybe they weren't able to make it, but they believe Jon can.

And, with the retrospect knowledge of Jonathan Larson's musical theatre success, we too wholeheartedly root for Jon and respect his integrity as an artist.

Each of the three cast members has extraordinary singing and acting talent, but the highlights for me were the songs that feature all three performers. The opening number "30/90" where Jon laments turning 30 in the year 1990 (and all that he'd hoped to have already accomplished by this point) and the closing song "Louder Than Words" build to choruses with three-part harmonies and uptempo rock piano — Billy Joel could never —that showcase this powerful blend of voices.

Some other fun ones to look up on Spotify: "Therapy", "Sugar", and "Green Green Dress".

Besides the catchy music, the main thing that drew me to Rent as a teenager was its representative cast. It's not just about one type of person, but a bouquet of different types of people, of different races, different sexualities — the first Broadway musical where the LGBT characters outnumbered the heteronormative characters. While the original iteration of tick, tick...BOOM! featured cisgendered characters and actors, this genderfluid production combines the spirit of both of Larson's creations, giving equal voice to a spectrum of humans and normalizing the marginalized.

One thing’s for certain: Jonathan Larson would’ve loved this production.

Tick, tick…BOOM! is playing at The Edge Theatre at 5451 North Broadway from January 19 through February 5, 2023. Tickets and information here.

For the past two-plus years, I’d dreamed of doing all the things in Chicago that were shut down due to the pandemic. When restrictions were lifted and entertainment started to come back to the city, I was determined to say yes to every unique city experience. By far the most Chicago heavy hitting art came with the Joffrey ballet performing Don Quixote with the Lyric Opera.

Don Quixote is a ballet following the adventures of an aging knight-errant who reads epic tales of chivalry and romance, and seeks out on an adventure to revive chivalry and serve his nation, under the name Don Quixote de la Mancha. He recruits a simple farmer, Sancho Panza, as his squire, and together they travelin search of love and adventure. While Don Quixote is the focus on the ballet, the central theme is a love story; Kitri is the ballet’s feisty and wilful heroine of the ballet. When her father Lorenzo tries to marry her off for money, she doesn't play the victim, but hatches a plan to marry Basilio, the charming barber who has won her heart, and pursue her own version of happiness. It is Don Quixote who stumbles into town, sees what is transpiring and intervenes in the name of chivalry and true love.

The Joffrey principle dancers and ensemble company brought the Spanish classic to life, dancing with all the grace, talent, and poise ballet dancers can possess. Their energy was unparalleled as they leapt and twirled around the stage. The casting was perfection in Victoria Jaiani at Kitri and Dylan Guitierrez as Basilio; notably the Joffrey has a rotation of principle dancers to play the ballet’s leads, offering patrons a unique flare each performance. Set against elaborate and immersive set designs, and accompanied by a live orchestra, Don Quixote was a visual and unexpected wonder. 

The visual and auditory spendlor of the ballet was only surpassed by being in such a historic venue as the Lyric Opera. Here I was, watching some of the nation’s best dancers, perform with a world renowned orchestra, sitting comfortably in a historic Chicago landmark; post pandemic I am grateful for the chance to see such a performance and that others have the opportunity to experience this as well. Thanks to the artistic group’s mask precautions and vaccination card screenings at the door, these performances can continue to bring beauty and light into an increasingly darker world. No matter how bleak the days might seem, The Joffrey helps to remind us that there is still grace and beauty in the world to be experienced, and we must leap at the artistic opportunities when they come our way the way Don Quixote leapt at adventure.

Don Quixote runs through June 12th at the Lyric Opera House at 20 N Upper Wacker Dr, Chicago. Tickets are available at Joffrey.org.

Life comes at you fast. We go about our lives, navigating the ups and the downs, never really thinking of  more than the day to day, the little irritations of work, or being consumed by a new love. Then, as it always seems to go, something upends our life, like a life threatening illness. Suddenly everything that once consumed our thoughts becomes trivial, eclipsed by the momumentalness of the new reality. While most could succumb to the pressure of such news, others persevere, determined to live their life on their terms, regardless of knowing what lies ahead of them. This very real life scenario played out in Melissa Ross’ 'The Luckiest'.

Lissette and Peter are best friends living their best lives. But when an out-of-nowhere diagnosis shatters Lissette's world, Peter is left trying to pick up the pieces. Suddenly finding herself at odds with her best friend and her mom – who each come bearing strong opinions wrapped in good intentions – Lissette is forced to navigate between the two while unflinchingly forging her own path for her future. This tender, funny, and keenly-observed play explores the uncertain and sometimes heartbreaking territory of how we choose to take ownership of our lives. Melissa Ross’ moving play, full of heartbreak and hilarity makes its Chicago Premiere.

As one who nows cries at every sad or beautiful movie, play, or song, I fully expected to be clutching a tissue all evening while watching The Luckiest. As I watched Lissette, played by Cassidy Slaughter-Mason, and Peter, played by Christopher Wayland, throughout their friendship we see a beautiful complex narrative that forces the question, “who really is the luckiest?” Is the luckiest Lissette, who, despite this life ending illness, chooses her own fate and lives her life unabashedly? Is she the luckiest to have had such a friend as Peter, who helped her navigate her life with the illness? Perhaps the luckiest is Peter, who is lucky to have met and befriended Lissette, lucky to have had him in her life. One could say Lissette’s mother, played by Tara Mallen, is the luckiest to hae been there for her daughter in her time of need. Consider for a moment that the luckiest people are the survivors, Peter and Lissette’s mother, who live on no longer under the weight of caretaking nor bearers of the weight of such a onerous decision. Maybe the luckiest person is the one who chooses to leave this world, no longer in pain or heartache. 

The beauty of Melissa Ross’ 'The Luckiest' is that the lucky one is in the eye of the beholder. She holds a mirror to our lives with honesty, grounding, and even a little dark humor. I happen to think that we, the audience, are the lucky ones. We’re lucky to be spectators to such a story, to have our health and ability to see Lisette and hear her words, and walk away from the play knowing we too could have our lives changed at any moment; a reminder to live our lives. 'The Luckiest' is a substantioanlly light play that is sure to stay with you long after you leave the theatre, and we are all the more lucky for it.

'The Luckiest' is playing at Raven Theatre located at 6157 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60660 through June 9th. Tickets are available at https://www.raventheatre.com/stage/the-luckiest/.

Grab a glass of wine with me and journey with me to Paris, France 1904. We stumble in as guests to a local artist haunt in the Montmartre District and remain on the exterior of the room. It's a cozy, intimate, and simple bar, with witty, smart, and regular patrons who are tres amusant. We do not know what the evening will bring, but we’re welcomed by the barkeep and entranced by the colorful characters that enter the bar. This is The Lapin Agile.

The Lapin Agile is a comedy play written by the incomparable Steve Martin. The comedy imagines a meeting between a 23-year-old Pablo Picasso and a 25-year-old Albert Einstein at a real life artists’ hangout in Paris at the dawn of the 20th century. It’s 1904 and the two geniuses are about to complete their most significant accomplishments; Einstein’s theory of relativity and Picasso’s painting “The Young Ladies of Avignon.” They have a lengthy debate about the value of genius and talent which is often interrupted by colorful patrons of the bar.

While such a meeting between the two artists never took place, the play brings the imaginary encounter to life, giving it plausibility. Einstein, played by Mark Yacullo and Picasso, played by Travis Ascion, embodied the intelligent and charming men, exchanging witty remarks about the others’ occupation and trade. With smart jokes, witty comebacks, and hilarious moments, the play delves into meaningful conversations where two seemingly opposite geniuses in their own rights find commonality in the power of their imaginations and how their pens allow them to transcend modernity.

The Lapin Agile is a real bar in the heart of Paris. Located in the Montmartre arts district, this bar was famous as a local artist's haunt drawing in many famous names in art, music, literature, and more. The Citadel Theater brought the charming 20th century haunt from Paris to its modest stage, nestled in the charming town of Lake Forest just North of Chicago. The ensemble cast provided the perfect enchanting bartenders, servers, and patrons, much like one would encounter in a real Paris artist’s bar. The play was surprisingly and consistently funny, lose focus for a moment and you might miss a subtle joke about Euclidean geometry or a playful jest about the French. The ensemble cast skillfully breaks the 4th wall, never stepping out of character or the Paris district they were playing in, in fact you were tempted to ask the barkeep for a drink to share with the cast.

At its heart, The Lapin Agile imagines the possibility of sitting in a quiet bar at the turn of a century and allows you to imagine what could be. What could be beautiful, revolutionary, colorful, loud, and what could break through the realm of possibility, even transcending time and space. It’s a beautiful play, performed by a talented cast, in a surprisingly charming theater.  

The Lapin Agile is playing at the Citadel Theater, located at 300 S Waukegan Road, Lake Forest, IL through May 22, 2022. Santé!

I remember the first time I saw The Birdcage starting Robin Williams and Nathan Lane. My mother was judged for "exposing" me to such a "mature story." But today it is still one of my favorite films, as is the original play it's based off of "La Cage aux Folles." Knowing the storyline I jumped at the opportunity to see this and wish I brought more people with me to experience this timeless classic.

La Cage aux Folles tells the story of Georges, the manager of a Saint-Tropez nightclub featuring drag entertainment, and Albin, his romantic partner and star attraction. Things are going swimmingly for the pair until Georges' son, Jean-Michel, brings home his fiancée's ultra-conservative parents to meet them.

From the moment you walk into the theater and are greeted by the actors in drag, flanking a giant pink cage, you are immersed in La Cage. The marquee sign, cafe tables, and tranquil french music transports you to St. Tropez as George welcomes you to La Cage aux Folles. The play opens with impressive drag numbers as though you are an audience member of La Cage. It's part play, part drag show, all entertaining. Zaza (aka Albin), played by Ginger Minj, star of RuPaul's Drag Race, captivates every time she is on stage. She engages the love audience into her comedy bits, and leaves them speechless when she sings 'I am what I am." The relationship between her and Georges, played by Jason Richards, was captivating, and you were truly rooting for this couple as they had to navigate a tricky situation.

There is something timeless about La Cage. It retains the same devastating undertones of having to change yourself in order to appease some people. But it also challenges these notions in a farcical, yet realistic way depicted in the film of the same name. Opening on Broadway in 1983 La Cage broke barriers for gay representation by becoming the first hit Broadway musical centered on a homosexual relationship. The original production ran for more than four years and won six Tony Awards and after seeing this play for myself the awards are completely justified. Unlike the film the play immerses you into La Cage from start to finish, making the near 3 hour run time seem too short. 

From seeing The Birdcage to now seeing La Cage aux Folles on stage, I cannot imagine a better love story. Now we know this is not a play for everyone, but I would challenge those who might be averse to seeing this play to see it. Georges and Albin are deeply in love, as evident in songs such as “Song on the Sand,” and even their witty married quips back and forth. The challenge they face in the play,while farcical, are representative of the challenges same sex couples face every day, hiding the real you to make others more comfortable. It’s still a challenge faced today despite progress. Like life itself, La Cage will make you laugh, it will make you cry, possibly bring you into the stand up act if wearing the wrong outfit, and it will also continue to stand strong as an unabashedly honest portrayal of love celebrating who we are.

La Cage is the exact remedy we need for these crazy times and a welcome reprieve from post-pa democ art blocks. So grab your boa and a Zazatini in the lobby, and escape to St. Tropez. La Cage aux Folles runs through April 3rd at the North Shore Center for Performing Arts in Skokie, get your tickets tout suite!

We all love a good comeback, a big bang, a triumphant return. After nearly two years of having to avoid the theater, and any overly crowded place, the Marriott Theater has returned to hosting shows with a genuine Broadway caliber production. Kiss Me, Kate, Broadway classic that earned the very first Tony Award for Best Musical finally hit the Marriott Theatre stage and it was the welcome back kiss we all desperately need.

Kiss Me, Kate is a clever portrayal of Taming of The Shrew, with the familiar 'show-within-a-show' troupe. Passions run high as leading lady Lilli Vanessi and her ex-husband, actor and director Fred Graham, battle onstage and off in a production of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. KISS ME, KATE combines the irreverent humor of two brilliant writers - Cole Porter and William Shakespeare - with a battle of the sexes and a bickering liaison, mixed with a number of cases of mistaken identity, the mob, and comedic routines. Musical numbers include “Another Op’nin, Another Show,” “So in Love,” “Wunderbar,” “Too Darn Hot,” and “Brush Up Your Shakespeare.”

Director Johanna McKenzie Miller took approached this Broadway classic with a modern take, making this play relatable even by today's standards. “Rather than changing what was originally on the page," says Miller, "I hope to make sense of it in the present day and give women the voice they need to tell their stories." This vision plays out across the stage thanks to the powerhouse female performances of Alexandra Palkovic as Lois Lane/Bianca, Allison Blackwell as Hattie, and of course Susan Moniz as Lilli Vanessi/Katharine. Moniz's vocals and star caliber were unparalleled in her performance ranging from soft and feminine, to channeling Shakespeare's Katharine as a male-hating, fiercely independent and strong, just listen to Moniz's rendition of 'I Hate Men' and not be fully rooting for her the rest of the play.

Having never seen or heard of this production before, much to the chagrin of my musical theater friends, Kiss Me, Kate was everything one needed in a play. It was witty and smart with plenty of flashy musical dancing numbers. What made this production a standout was every actor in the ensemble performed with their whole bodies. Every feature, kick, twirl, fall, and look conveyed precisely what it needed to, leading the audience to swoon, to laugh or gasp, it was truly an immersive experience. The Marriott Theater's 360 stage lent itself to the immersion as well and the mask-clad audience members all laughed together as Petruchio/Fred, played by Larry Adams, attempts to kiss the fair Kate. 

In the current age where kissing could be frowned upon as a non-covid friendly activity, Kiss Me, Kate was the perfect welcome back to the stage. The Marriott Theater is also committed to everyone's health and safety requiring proof of vaccination or negative covid tests. Audience and cast members alike can rest assured that their experience will be a memorable one filled with worry one liners and clever Cole Porter songs as opposed to catching a virus; a much better proposition in my humble opinion. So dawn your gay apparel and most festive masks and head to The Marriott Theater for a classic-classic-modern tale that was worth the wait. Kiss Me, Kate is playing at The Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Dr. in Lincolnshire, and runs through January 16, 2022.

Dancing normally isn't my thing, but literature is. And "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is, surprisingly, a better candidate than most short stories for a dance interpretation. It starts as something quaint, recognizable, and spirals its way into madness: something dance and music can convey potently.

Gilman's feminist classic "The Yellow Wallpaper" brought much-needed light to the issue of women's mental health when it was published in 1892, and it still sheds light on this often misunderstood experience today.

The postpartum-suffering protagonist of this story wants to be heard, but her husband silences her at every turn — confining her to the house, isolating her from friends, even discouraging her from writing — leaving her anxiety and confusion nowhere to turn but inward. She starts seeing things in the yellow wallpaper of her bedroom. She sees a woman trapped behind bars, her own situation playing out in the wallpaper every night. By the end, she and her hallucination are one and the same. With no other outlet for her emotions, she's turned herself into something flat and silent, but weirdly free.

And to see this all acted out through dance is visceral and wonderful.

This joint production by Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble and RE Dance Group comprises of two shows: "The Attic Room" by RE Dance and "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Danztheatre. The choreography by Michael Estanich and Ellyzabeth Adler, respectively, is desperate and graceful, the characters losing control in one moment and suspiciously, blithely sedated the next. The dance incorporated into the story was emotive and seamless. As a dance dummy, these vague terms are the best I can use to describe it, but what I can say is it made me feel things.

What was an unreliable narrator on paper, too wrapped in her psychosis to describe herself objectively, is now right in front of us, slowly losing it and crying out for help. While "The Attic Room" is more abstract, both productions depict a slow undoing of a character's reality, and the helplessness and confinement of not understanding her own mind.

"The Attic Room" and "The Yellow Wallpaper" are playing November 19th & 20th at 8PM at 1650 W Foster Ave. Tickets at Danztheatre's website.

The royal family is all over media channels these days. From endless documentaries and exposes of the late Princess Diana, to Netflix’s The Crown, to the recent scandalous Meghan Markle interview. Like them or not, the royal family continues to inspire intrigue and satire. Playwright Vivian J.O. Barnes became inspired by the recent Duchess interview and invoking Invasion of the Body Snatchers vibes and created the satirical and slightly-sci fi story Duchess! Duchess! Duchess! Now playing at Steppenwolf NOW.

A Royal Wedding is looming. The Duchess and The Soon-to-be-Duchess are meeting face-to-face for the first time to go over everything you ever needed to know to become a duchess.There are rules.There’s a way of doing things.Remember, everybody is watching. And you don’t want to know what happens if you step out of line.Duchess! Duchess! Duchess! looks at the hidden costs of being the “luckiest girl in the world.”

Loosely inspired by Meghan Markle and the royal family, Duchess! Duchess! Duchess! uses the monarchy to investigate how society’s institutions of power affect Black women. “The play explores the bigger question of what it means to be a Black woman entering institutions that seem eager to have you but aren't necessarily built to support you, how you start to adapt in order to survive once you're inside of them, and the impact of bringing other people like you along,” shares playwright Vivian J.O. Barnes.

Duchess! x3 is the 4th production of Steppenwolf NOW, a virtual programming stream made for the pandemic era. The production not only features great talent in Sydney Charles (The Duchess) and Celeste M. Cooper (The Soon-to-be-Duchess) but it’s made all the more impressive on how this play was put on. Director Weyni Mengesha and the entire production crew worked hard to film within CDC guidelines. The end credits show behind the scene clips that highlight the sets and the actor’s performing without someone physically in front of them. This set up actually lends itself to the more awkward and darker themes of the play, the camera cutting from woman to woman as the meeting goes on. 

The intriguing part of this play was the subtle hints that something is amiss with The Duchess (Charles) but you can’t quite put your finger on it. Just like in Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but instead of asking “are you happy” the character is asking “what do you need" in a pleading, desperate attempt for help, for clarity, for understanding. The longer the royal tête-à-tête goes, the odder things get, the more the smiling and waving veneer is peeled away. Duchess! x3 provides a satirical and sci-fi-y look into what could be lingering behind the walls of the palace life, not only for women but more importantly women of color. 

With a run time of approximately 35 minutes, and closed captions and an audio described version are available, be sure to get your view of Duchess! Duchess! Duchess! today.

It’s no secret that Chicago is in for some dark months ahead. But in every darkness there are flickers of light to be found. Throughout history, the Arts are those flickers of light, providing entertainment, levity, and much needed escapism from everyday struggles and strife. In today’s virus-that-shall-not-be-named world, movies, books, paintings and music all provide the much needed escapism and lightness. Now, theater in Chicago is following suit. Adapting to the new virtual and socially-distanced world, Steppenwolf Theater has created a virtual stage, Steppenwolf NOW, showcasing pieces written, acted, and produced during the pandemic. They have kicked off this season with a bright light in What is Left, Burns. 

The world premiere of What Is Left, Burns, the first of six works that are a part of Steppenwolf NOW virtual stage, was released for streaming this month. The play follows two poets separated by age and distance engaging in a video call rendezvous after fifteen years. Keith, a distinguished poet and professor of literature is moving towards retirement after a recent divorce from his wife. Ronnie, his younger former lover and mentee, has a New York Times bestselling book and a burgeoning career ahead of him. The two men wade through the connection they once had as they struggle with the desires that still bind them. Written by James Ijames and directed by Whitney White, the play was commissioned for the Steppenwolf virtual stage and features ensemble members K. Todd Freeman (Keith) and Jon Michael Hill (Ronnie).

The beauty of What is Left, Burns lies in its effortlessness. This seamless virtual stage plays out like any FaceTime chat, House Party, or any video conferencing app; two men, side by side on screen, their faces sometimes too close or angled oddly, moving casually about their homes, passing the phone from one hand to another while they chat. The play invited you into Keith and ROnnie’s chat, or like House Party, you simply virtually walked in. It could have been any of our friends’ or family’s conversation we were watching. It was simply two people connecting after a long time apart that initially draws you in. It’s then the subtleness of the social queues in their conversation that holds your attention; the compliments mistaken for criticism, the quickness to defense, the brush off with an odd joke or shrug. Beautifully acted, it was all so relatable yet fresh and inviting. What is it that burns between these two men?  Everything about the production demands and holds your attention until...it’s over. As quickly as it began. A short, relatable, and effortless escape from today. 

Associate Artistic Director Leelai Demoz summarizes this play best, sharing, “James Ijames has written this beautiful short play that feels like a complete experience... It feels so completely about the time we are living through now.” Coupled with stunning video and photography design by Lowell Thomas and Joel Moorman and set to an original soundtrack composed by Justin Ellington, this virtual production highlights the incredible talent, dedication and creativity of the ensemble cast and crews at Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf NOW Productions will be released throughout the year and members are able to stream all Steppenwolf NOW content through August 31, 2021.

When sitting in a darkened theater, the light shines brightest on the art of the production on stage. Virtual productions will prove to provide the same light in the darkness we might find ourselves in today. For viewing details, teasers, and more on What is Left, Burns, visit https://www.steppenwolf.org/whatisleftburns. Steppenwolf NOW is a new virtual programming stream featuring breakthrough stories written by America’s most talented voices. For upcoming productions, streaming, and membership details visit: https://www.steppenwolf.org/tickets--events/steppenwolf-now/.

The holidays bring many traditions for different people. Some rewatch home alone, some bake cookies, some see Christmas lights, and some watch The Nutcracker with family. To me, it isn’t Christmas until I've seen the ballet at least five times. I've always loved the ballet, especially around the holidays. But tap? When tapped to see Tidings of Tap! I was skeptical. But what could be bad about a holiday dance show?

I never gave much attention to tap. It was the other dance. Sort of like rhythmic gymnastics to Simone biles gymnastics. But I'm a sucker for kitschy holiday shows and one that is family friendly is even better. Tidings of Tap! opened much like The Nutcracker where a young girl, performed by nationally ranked rhythmic gymnast Dasha Merkulov, enters into a mysterious and magical winter wonderland where she meets friends who demonstrate the meaning of the holidays. The tap dancers intricately tapped to familiar holiday carols and tunes, accompanied by a five piece band and live vocals. From winter wonderlands and Christmas to Hanukkah and from Black Friday and New Year's Eve, each number was more charming than the last. The young clara-like girl performed rhythmic gymnastics with grace and beauty. I was surprised by the talent of all the performers. The production was simple yet magical, the choreography intricate yet not overdone. The dancers were expressive and graceful, again nothing what I expected from a tap performance.

Thinking of tap my mind fills with figures like Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. It's an older dance, one that hasn't kept up with the times. But Tidings of Tap!'s charm and spirit changed this tap-grinch's heart and made her a convert. The whimsical production of two hours and countless numbers offered plenty for the whole family. It was impossible not to smile and it'll be impossible to imagine next holiday season without this in the holiday line up.

Make Tidings of Tap! part of your holiday season next year. It's sure to become a mainstay on the North Shore and a tradition the whole family can enjoy. For more information on Chicago Tap Theater (CTT) visit www.ChicagoTapTheater.com.