Hot Shoe Shuffle @ The Bryan Brown Theatre Bankstown

Birdie Productions - Hot Shoe Shuffle - Grant Leslie

HOT SHOE SHUFFLE at the Bryan Brown Theatre – an illustrious show by David Atkins and Max Lambert- at a venue with an illustrious name. Both were enhanced last night by a pearl of a performance, a reinvention of this wonderful show with an enthusiastic young cast led by an equally enthusiastic old hand in the person of Mr Daryl Somers OAM!

Somers takes the opportunity to thank Rod Bertram of  Birdie Productions for the invitation to appear in this show. And if you’ve ever wondered how this worthy recipient of 30 Logies, 3 of them Gold, and an Order of Australia Medal for service to the Television and entertainment industries, with over 40 years experience in TV and Theatre spends his time currently, then worry no more. Celebrate a charming, sparkling performance amid this vital and talented group of performers!

Charming is the word I’d use to describe the first act of HOT SHOE SHUFFLE as the “Tap Brothers” made their entrance through the audience in their Zoot suits and Fedoras. They wasted no time in beginning to impress us with tap virtuosity right there in the aisles before taking to the stage and staccato introductions all round.. “Spring’ (Luke Alleva) led the way with all the traditional time steps and tricks, more than ably backed up by “Wing”, “Slide”, “Slap”, “Tip” and “Tap”, (Sezgin Aygun, Louis Vinciguerra, Jay Johns, Jonathan Nash Daly and Paul Maybury, respectively).

Even the names sound like a tap routine rhythm, and  each performer had a turn to challenge the one before. But the character Buck, (Sam Boesen) lived up to his name with even greater feats of athleticism and timing; and proved to be a ‘fav’ with the younger female section of the audience as well! Mr Somers first character,  “A. Shyster”, lawyer, seemed a little lack lustre until we discovered that he was a character playing a ‘character’ and it made sense. Likewise (to use the period vernacular), the character “April”, (Erin Bruce), didn’t seem destined to make the grade. Then came Act 2.

Replace charming with slick and inspired as the entire production starts to hit the heights!

The touching street scene between “April” and “Spring” with the beautiful rendition of “I Get Along Without You Very Well”  and a routine worthy of Astaire and Rogers set the scene.  Then the magnificent sets from designer Ash Bell, the resounding musical direction of Joshua Ransom, all under the deft direction of Elle Zattera and stunning vocal renditions  from  Ms Bruce including a fresh version of “The Birth of the Blues” raised the bar.

Duke Ellington (“It Don’t Mean a Thing”),Irving Berlin,(“Puttin On the Ritz”), De Sylva and Henderson, (“Birth of the Blues”), Arlen and Mercer, (“Accentuate the Positive”) are names from early last century that are seldom heard these days. But luckily there are wonderful performers like those we saw last night who bring their melodies to life again.

Finally exhilarating tapping from the “Brothers”, an impressive vocal and dance performance from Daryl Somers, (his final notes in one song brought the house down!) and an enervating finale of “It Don’t Mean a Thing” brought a richly deserved standing ovation!

Well done Mr Somers, well done Birdie Productions! Don’t miss this one!

HOT SHOE SHUFFLE is playing at the Bryan Brown Theatre, 80 Rickard Road Bankstown until the 2nd May.