Chicago Tap All-Stars Step Out for “Winter Wonderland”
By Sydney Milligan with Wes Hessel
December 14th saw the return of the Chicago Tap All-Stars (a collective of elite tap artists from every corner of the area assembled by M.A.D.D. Rhythms and Chicago Tap Theatre) “Winter Wonderland” holiday showcase for the 2nd year in a row. There was an exhibition in the lobby of featured artist and dance educator Reggio McLaughlin’s archives for the crowd to peruse before entering the theatre, including items spanning from shoes worn by some of the most respected hoofing forerunners to an original “Singin’ In The Rain” poster signed by Debbie Reynolds, Gene Kelly, and Donald O’Connor.
The show’s score was a merry and bright mix of holiday favorites like “Jingle Bell Rock” and “Frosty the Snowman,” standards such as Louis Armstrong’s “A Wonderful World,” and contemporary pop hits like Beyonce’s “Texas Hold ’Em” and Fall Out Boy’s “Uma Thurman.” Although some performances opted for the use of pre-recorded tracks, most of the music was played by a live three-piece ensemble that featured Charlie Johnson on keys, Will Howard on bass, and the production’s music director Jayden Richards on drums. The lighting and set design, comprised of red and green gel lights and two large snowman inflatables (one of which was a jazzy snow musician playing a candy cane saxophone), was fairly simple but quite effective and full of holiday cheer.
The show’s costumes were very festive in keeping with the showcase’s yuletide theme – the “gay apparel” donned encompassed mainly holiday wear, or some sort of black, red, or green base adorned with holly jolly holiday accessories. Some standout fashion was the Carrie Cass’ costume that literally transformed before the audience’s eyes from a shimmering Mrs. Claus/North Pole-inspired number to a black leather ensemble adorned with a mean green boa in their ”Something to Grin(ch) About” routine, the crisp white button downs paired with red fedoras and ties as shiny as Rudolph’s nose sported by The Senior Hoofers, and the light-up Santa cowboy hats and black western wear worn by the Footprints Tap Ensemble teens in their “Texas Hold ’Em” act. Each performance had costumes that were uniform or in the same vein to provide a cohesive look for the artists.
All of the show’s choreography was centered around the art of tap. There was some movement inspired by hip-hop, and in tribute to great dancers who took inspiration from the vaudeville and tap tradition such as James Brown and Michael Jackson, but all of the prancing and pawing of each little hoofer was rooted in tap dance and the utmost respect for the craft. Everything, from the ensemble number set to a mash-up of reimagined versions of “Winter Wonderland” and “Last Christmas” to Roxy King and Davon Suttles’ “Santa Baby” duet, made it midnight clear that tap was the shining star of the show.
The show was split up into two acts composed of nine performances, each with an evenly apportioned amount of ensemble and solo numbers in each act. The presentation by Chicago Tap All-Stars (celebrating their 5th anniversary as an organization this year) progressed at a smooth clip, dashing away through the snow and seamlessly moving from one number to another without missing a jingling beat. The show concluded with well-rehearsed, beautiful bows that perfectly wrapped up the present that was this joyful and triumphant yuletide extravaganza, and an invitation to anyone willing to join the company onstage in a final celebratory “Shim Sham” (classic tap two-step).
The Midwest weather outside may have been frightful, but this production was truly the most delightful holiday treat and beautiful sight. Chicago Tap All-Stars’ holiday showcase proved a marvelous Christmas time fit for kids from 1 to 92, and more than delivered on the promise of a “Winter Wonderland.” Ensure you don’t miss all the dancing and prancing during the most wonderful time of next year with the 2025 CTA holiday showcase.
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