Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – City Center’s indispensable Encores! series returns with a welcome if tepid revival of THE TAP DANCE KID

• By drediman
• February 4, 2022
• No Comments

This week – after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic – New York City Center’s Encores! series resumed performances with its welcome revival of The Tap Dance Kid. Since the mid 90s, the series has become an indispensable part of the fabric of the city’s theater scene. Over the years, it has spawned acclaimed revivals of Chicago (which continues its astonishing run on the Great White Way at the Ambassador Theatre), Wonderful Town, and Finian’s Rainbow – all of which transferred to Broadway. The Tap Dance Kid, which hasn’t seen a major revival in New York since its maiden run on Broadway in 1983, fits squarely in Encores! mandate of dusting off “lost” musicals of yesteryear.

The musical, which features a score by Henry Krieger (music) and Robert Lorick (lyrics) and a book by Charles Blackwell – the revised “concert friendly” book is by playwright Lydia Diamond – (mainly) tells the Billy Elliot-esque story of a gifted young dancer from an upper middle class Black family and his struggles to pursue his dreams of performing on the stage. Although efficiently directed by Kenny Leon and dynamically choreographed by Jared Grimes, the revival in its current state registers tepidly, which is understandable given that the production allegedly only had 11 days of rehearsal. Additionally, Ms. Diamond’s updated book (which resets the story to 1956) does little to improve upon the unfocused plotting of Mr. Blackwell’s book. These reservations aside, the real pleasure of Encores! lies in its insistence on resuscitating the original orchestrations of Broadway musicals in all their splendor. In this important regard, The Tap Dance Kid succeeds brilliantly, showcasing Mr. Krieger’s tuneful if slightly generic work wonderfully (kudos to guest music director and conductor Joseph Joubert). The musical will probably never sound better than what you’ll hear this week on 55th Street.

On to the cast. The first thing I noticed was that they performed sans script in hand (a first for the series?), which is particularly impressive given the compressed preparation time. Although some performances are more tentative than others, the show jumps to exhilarating life whenever the tap-driven choreography kicks into high gear, thanks largely to the production’s energetic ensemble. Of the principal cast, the standout is Joshua Henry, whose finely-etched performance as William (the musical’s conservative, tightly-knotted patriarch) gives the revival much-needed dramatic punch. Without a doubt, Mr. Henry’s exhilarating and cathartic delivery of “William’s Song” is the highlight of the evening.

SOMEWHAT RECOMMENDED

THE TAP DANCE KID
Off-Broadway, Musical
New York City Center
2 hours, 30 minutes (with one intermission)
Through February 6