By: Christine Dehne
I just returned from a matinee show of “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now” at the New Victory Theater in Manhattan. There is very little that can get me to venture off the subway at the Times Square stop, but the New Vic is generally well worth it. I couldn’t wait to tuck in to the quiet of the theater after the chaos of walking half a block from the subway (I can’t ever manage to come out of that stop at the exit directly next to the theater), and once inside my 4-year-old daughter and I made use of the bathrooms and concessions. The New Vic does these things just right for parents, providing ultra clean restrooms with stalls big enough for a parent and child to fit, stools so shorties can reach the sinks, and concessions that are off to the side rather than a centralized beacon calling potential whiners.
We sat down in our seats and my daughter had two minutes in which she declared herself bored before the lights went down and we were thrust into another chaos, this one quite different from that on the sidewalk outside, which swept her boredom quickly aside.
“Feet Don’t Fail Me Now” is a raucous show. I don’t think I’ve ever used that word before, but it really is fitting. Suggested for audiences 6+, most likely due to the noise, you should skip this one if your kiddo is sensitive to loud sound. If that isn’t an issue for your child, I highly recommend the show. Performed by the Rhythmic Circus, an ensemble le cast of 11 musicians and dancers, the show is non-stop energy for an hour.
Funk, reggae, hip hop, and rock intermingle as the show alternates between numbers featuring the entire ensemble and those which feature just a few performers. Tap dancing, beat boxing, loop pedals, lights, smoke, and brass instruments are all brought together to push tap well beyond where you might think it belongs. This isn’t classical Musical Theater; it’s a dance off. The dancers and musicians egg one another on, bringing a dance battle to the stage and backing it with live music.
Notable was Aaron “Heatbox” Heaton who performed with the entire group as well as a few pieces in which his beat-boxing and use of a loop pedal filled the auditorium alone, keeping the audience enthralled with classic robot and turntable beat building. My daughter and I agreed that the show stopper of the day was “Battle” in which Heaton and three of the dancers do battle as if they are video game characters, with Heaton calling up electronic sounds and the dancers tapping back in aggressive response.
The energy of the show kept us upbeat through the crowds on our way home. The Rhythmic Circus offers a fresh look at tap, making it relevant and accessible to a young audience.
Feet Don’t Fail Me Now is featured at The New Victory Theater through December 1st.
Christine Dehne is an artist and professor. Follow her @KeepingKidsAppy.