A class act – The Tap Pack
Image: THE TAP PACK. Image: The Tap Pack, supplied
The Sydney Opera House will be getting a lesson in old school cool when The Tap Pack hit the stage.
Formed 10 years ago by a group of mates united in their talents and with a hankering for the charms of an era gone by, The Tap Pack promises an evening inspired by legends like Sammy Davis Jr, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra that moves into the contemporary world of Bruno Mars, Beyonce and Ed Sheeran.
“We do want to pay homage to the legends of Sammy, Dean and Frankie, and while we love their style we can never be them,” Jordan Pollack, The Tap Pack Creative Director and cast member said.
“We touch on the classics like ‘Lady is a Tramp’ and ‘One For My Baby’ and we thought that we would swing in some Bruno Mars and some Beyonce as well.
“With the Rat Pack, you think of jazz standards, but in their shows they would sing the latest song that was coming out, so they were pushing new stuff as well as the classics.”
Pollack adds that the evening is more than tap routines set against the louche backdrop of boozy evening in Vegas with the kings of cool.
“We have this late night kind of variety-in-Vegas feel to the show,” Pollack said.
“Rather than just tap for the full 80 minutes, break it up with songs, percussion, jokes and tapping in a variety of forms and we mix it up and keep it fresh. It has this spontaneous, unrehearsed feel to it and it feels like anything can happen — and it usually does.”
The show has come a long way since its inception 10 years ago and has since gone a long way around the world and Australia.
“At first there was myself and Jesse Ramussen, Thomas Egan and Nigel Turner-Carroll, and Nigel had done Hot Shoe Shuffle and the other guys had skills to back themselves up having come from West Side Story, A Chorus Line and Singing in the Rain and are all the amazing performers,” Pollack said.
“Our prerequisites for being in The Tap Pack is that you need to be a good guy, easy to work with and be able to improvise, and because we do a lot of touring, being a good person on the road helps.”
Even if you have seen the show before, the chances are that it has changed a lot.
“It will be different this time as this show is jam packed with the best stuff we have been doing over the past 10 years,” Pollack said.
July 19 – 30
Sydney Opera House
