The kids flip their lids when their ids hear that crazy sound...
Last night I went to see Tap Dogs at the Capitol Theatre. I didn't realise I had expectations until they were twenty minutes in the show and it dawned on me that there was no plot.
I didn't really expect that they would be acting out a live version of the film, I guess I was just incredulous that the entire film was based around industrial style tap dancing.
There were characters and they interacted with each other but it was essentially a bunch of guys showcasing their skills via a dance-off.
Which makes it sound very dull but it was amazing. For a show to rely purely on dancing and drums - no music, no dialogue, no catchy lyrics or melodies - and captivate an audience of just under 2000 for ninety minutes is just incredible.
Of course, there was their intro where Garcia performed a solo before the accompanying group of five made their entrance down a staircase (feet first in an incredibly cute and clever routine).
There was a beautiful dance between Garcia and one of the younger dancers, where the latter was mimicking the former's steps until they synchronised and danced together.
Another stand out was the basketball solo, followed by the basketball sextet: awe-inspiring coordination.
Later in the show all the lights went down and each member of the troupe had a flashlight which they shone at various parts of the auditorium in unison. Then they switched them on and off in time to the beat of their tap shoes moving across the dark stage. Really simple but beautifully done.
Sparks literally flew when they brought out the bench grinders and tapped between setting them off, then Adam took centre stage for a solo in the midst of it all. And one of the dancers had a tap-off with Adam while hanging upside down!!
There were some heavy industrial moments with ropes and uneven sheets of metal but my absolute favourite was the group performance on the tiered scaffolding structure - complete with gumboots and water at one stage!
Considering the show hasn't come back to Sydney for 15 years and they managed to score Adam Garcia for the first three weeks (when it's been so long since he's reprised his role), I feel incredibly lucky to have seen it.
I didn't really expect that they would be acting out a live version of the film, I guess I was just incredulous that the entire film was based around industrial style tap dancing.
There were characters and they interacted with each other but it was essentially a bunch of guys showcasing their skills via a dance-off.
Which makes it sound very dull but it was amazing. For a show to rely purely on dancing and drums - no music, no dialogue, no catchy lyrics or melodies - and captivate an audience of just under 2000 for ninety minutes is just incredible.
Of course, there was their intro where Garcia performed a solo before the accompanying group of five made their entrance down a staircase (feet first in an incredibly cute and clever routine).
There was a beautiful dance between Garcia and one of the younger dancers, where the latter was mimicking the former's steps until they synchronised and danced together.
Another stand out was the basketball solo, followed by the basketball sextet: awe-inspiring coordination.
Later in the show all the lights went down and each member of the troupe had a flashlight which they shone at various parts of the auditorium in unison. Then they switched them on and off in time to the beat of their tap shoes moving across the dark stage. Really simple but beautifully done.
Sparks literally flew when they brought out the bench grinders and tapped between setting them off, then Adam took centre stage for a solo in the midst of it all. And one of the dancers had a tap-off with Adam while hanging upside down!!
There were some heavy industrial moments with ropes and uneven sheets of metal but my absolute favourite was the group performance on the tiered scaffolding structure - complete with gumboots and water at one stage!
Considering the show hasn't come back to Sydney for 15 years and they managed to score Adam Garcia for the first three weeks (when it's been so long since he's reprised his role), I feel incredibly lucky to have seen it.