Richard Harris

Denis King

Mary Stewart-David

Following the success of his play Stepping Out, Richard Harris has combined the talents of lyricist Mary Stewart-David and composer Denis King to create a heart-warming, toe-tapping musical chronicling several months in the life of a beginners tap dancing class set in the gym of an old YMCA community center in Suburbia, USA. Led by Tina, the ex-professional dancer who runs the class, accompanied by the acerbic pianist Mrs. Fraser, we follow the lives, loves, and laughs of a group of women (and one man), all of whom come from a variety of backgrounds and have their own reasons for joining. The students, who range from hopeless to competent, strive to master the basics of tap, but the steps and routines are just the background for the real focus of the play: the relationships and interactions of these ten very different people. By their final performance not only have the class members developed some degree of skill, but they have also overcome the inhibitions, awkwardness, and personality conflicts that have kept them out of sync.

Denis King

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