It’s called “Imagine Tap!” and the wonder in the title turns out to be quite justified.
Uneven, ragged here and there, a bit too long and never any deeper than a summertime splash pool, the show is nevertheless a fun-filled spectacle, an onslaught mostly made up of tap numbers performed by a remarkably versatile cast. Most of the ensemble of 20 or so dancers get to show off in solo moments, and they wear down any resistance pretty fast–you leave loving every one of them.
It’s a brave venture (scheduled to play through Aug. 6 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance) and an ambitious run for a new dance enterprise. Formed in New York with a mostly New York cast (there are a few Chicagoans), the show is co-created by two of the performers, Derick K. Grant and Aaron Tolson, and is choreographed by Grant.
In a kind of post-Savion Glover fashion, this is not tap as social message or innovation. The format is old-fashioned, that of a straightforward revue, and so are many of the styles, though on that score the array just about covers the vast tap rainbow, gracing hip-hop, soft-shoe and even hints here and there of the Nicholas Brothers.
Each of the 16 numbers are built around little more than a single image, reminiscent of the routines that once flooded TV variety shows in the ’50s and ’60s. Subway passengers erupt on the platform; a church gathering leads to a kind of gospel tap meltdown; school kids left alone in a classroom misbehave by tapping their hearts out.
The dramatics never amount to much. But who cares? It’s entertaining, sometimes exciting, flush with fresh talent and a fascinating melange, mixing vaudeville cartoonery and streetwise edge, exemplified in a fetching duet marrying “Tea for Two” and hip-hop.
Martin Tre Dumas sets the floor afire as the reverend in “Dance Like David.” Jared Grimes, Jumaane Taylor and Joseph Wiggan are a knockout trio in the very sexy “3 Chefs.” Jason Samuels-Smith is a ballistic missile in the martial arts “Samurai Shuffle.” And the Glover-reminiscent Grant is a charismatic soloist.
Best of all, while tap can be a male-dominated affair, the women get equal opportunity and make the most of it. Ayodele Casel is a tireless wonder in “The Doll,” taking on and beating an army of toy soldiers. Seductive Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards is sleek and ferocious. And whether playing class nerd or hot babe, Michelle Dorrance is dynamite.
Ephrat “Bounce” Asherie and a performer known as Cyclone turn out to be well-named. She spins on her back with break-dance abandon, while he twirls like a top on his head, an upside-down human gyro. Their part in the karate number is among the most athletic in the show.
There’s a playful, park-set selection, a kind of urban meeting ground uniting toughs, a homemaker and a jogger, brought together with satiric glee thanks to Ray Hesselink playing a kind of bubbly Mr. Rogers of dance.
An able cast of singers and live musicians provide the fine accompaniment. You’ll be clapping with them and not just for them by the end.
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