The Tap Pack

I am an unashamed tap fanatic. From the time I was born my Mum never sang me to sleep….she danced for me. And what dancing! A great hoofer, she was taught by the fabulous Nicholas Brothers. So I confess to mixed feelings on going to see The Tap Pack. I wanted to love it, but was afraid that it wouldn’t match the dancing of my youth and I would be disappointed.

I needn’t have worried. The three creators, joined by Rohan Browne and Ben Brown, have created a joyous seventy minute show which will delight all tappers, fans, and even just aficianados of great talent. And these five young blokes don’t just tap, they have other dance skills, some terrific jazz moves and stunning pirouettes, along with singing and acting chops to complete an all round act. But it’s the tap that enthralls….stunningly fast beats and great hoofing from Jesse Rasmussen in particular. He plays Bluey…an Aussie who makes it to New York by busking and is then discovered and invited to join the failing tap act Fourplay. It’s a slight storyline but it serves its purpose and cohesively ties the numbers together, allowing us to identify with the individual characters; and there’s enough comedy business to keep us chuckling in between the breath-taking tap routines. The characters are more archetypes than stereotypes, and each has been nicely constructed to move the narrative along. Ben Brown is endearing as Junior, and Jordan Pollard and Thomas J Egan, despite having created lesser roles for themselves, fit perfectly into the meld. The extra bonus is that each of the five dancers has a distinctive style (Rohan Browne, for example, appears to have had ballet training) which they show to advantage in solo numbers, yet they come together with astonishing precision in the ensemble numbers. As befits the storyline – a tap act which is past its prime and whose routines are tired – the ensemble choreography is flashy but not especially difficult…wings, cuts, a little shim sham and even cramp rolls and trenches….not to mention precision timesteps. Every routine is a crowd pleaser. But it’s the individual Style with a capital S that makes this such an exciting dance show. Every hand movement, every pose, every finish … spells class. It’s great entertainment.

Musical Director Stephen Gray, a lovely pianist, has put together a live band which would take some beating. With a great rhythm section (John Clark on drums and Nathan Post on both upright and electric bass) he’s added three front line (Shane Gillard – trumpet; Ian Bell – trombone and Greg Clarkson – tenor sax) which gives a terrific fat sound to the old standards and newer numbers.

This is a new show; it has only played Sydney and I understand it is still a work in progress and will get even better in time. But even now, this is a show that could (and SHOULD) find a niche in Las Vegas, where it would wow audiences. Staging and lighting are excellent throughout. Meantime we have a chance to see it in its infancy, and fate has conspired to bring it to Melbourne just two weeks before David Atkins Hot Shoe Shuffle returns to the Main Stage. See the latter of course, it’s a terrific show, but don’t overlook this little gem. You’ll love it, and it’s much cheaper than a ticket to Vegas, which might be your only other chance.

Coral Drouyn