A New Experience At The Hanover Theatre
Student blogger Owen Fitzpatrick gives us his take on the latest show in our 10th Anniversary Broadway Series, Dein Perry’s Tap Dogs, here April 11-14.
I love Aussie slang.
“Good on ya – sweating through all that hard yakka, with your drongo antics and larrikin foolishness. This show is going to be a ripper!”
What do you think? Nailed it! Actually it could be way off, but because I can “pahhk my caaah in Hahvid yaahd,” and went a little further than “shrimp on the barby,” I figure I’ve got to be close.
To be honest I don’t have much exposure to Australian culture. It’s one of the reasons I’m looking forward to seeing Dein Perry’s Tap Dogs. I’m actually wondering if, with the lack of dialogue and accent, it will be easier for me to connect to it. I wonder if it is really a look into Australian culture at all. Though there’s technically no plot either, I’m thinking this will be more like a concert with athletes who have really good timing and rhythm.
The ‘90s loved percussion, from Blue Man Group to Stomp, and Tap Dogs is Australia’s answer. Since 1995, Tap Dogs has appeared in over 330 cities on six continents and has been seen live by over 12 million people. A worldwide television audience of over 3.4 billion people saw 1,000 tap dogs performing in the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympics.
When I think of tap dance, I think of Gregory Hines effortlessly performing classical tap, smiling and dressed as if he could head to a nice dinner right after a few more heel clicks. The guys in Tap Dogs would definitely need to change before heading to the same restaurant as Mr. Hines. Tap Dogs shows its audiences a new-age tap dance in a modern way. Experimenting with established experiences is what heralds change in the world of art.
The worst thing I’ve found with new experiences is to sit there and think to yourself, “Well, this is going to _______.” Fill in the blank with any negative word you want, but get it out of your head. Getting out of your comfort zone is what experiencing life is all about. I’m looking forward to seeing Tap Dogs on Friday night with my family at The Hanover Theatre.