TAP&TOM to Bring Bossa Nova Beat to The Players Theatre

TAP&TOM is tap dance and song to the bossa nova beat and will take place Friday, April 21st, 8 pm at The Players Theatre, 115 Macdougal Street (One block from the W 4th St. subway), featuring tap dancer and choreographer Felipe Galganni, with music director Carlos Bauzys from Brazil, a special appearance by Max Pollak, and the music of Tom Jobim, one of the creators of bossa nova.

Felipe Galganni says, "I hope the audience feels the pure joy that Brazilian music gives. This performance is about bringing together so many talented people to celebrate Tom Jobim and the Brazilian culture within the American art form of tap dance. "

Galganni teams up four expert and precise tap dancers with five singers under the direction of maestro Carlos Bauzys.

Bauzys says, "Blending tap dance with Jobim's sound is such a simple idea that mixes so naturally and fits so nicely that it makes you think, 'Wow, they were born for each other!' We all know and love Brazilian bossa nova music. This concert has been percolating in the mind of Felipe Galganni for 10 years and celebrates both the upcoming 60th anniversary of the creation of bossa nova and what would be Tom Jobim's 90th birthday."

The show will feature:

Dancers: Christina Carminucci, Felipe Galganni, Alex MacDonald, Samara Seligsohn

Musicians: Xavier Del Castillo, Josh Davis, Vitor Gonçalves, Tony Romano, Wallace Stelzer

Vocals: Pedro Coppeti, Chikako Iwahori, Alice Reys, Jackie Ribas, Juliana Suaide

Special guest: Max Pollak

Costume Design: Eilat Rimon

Antônio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim was the driving force behind the formation of the bossa nova style. His best-known melody, "The Girl from Ipanema," is one of the most popular songs of all time and has been recorded by many artists including Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, George Michael and Sergio Mendes. In 1965 he collaborated on an album with Stan Getz and won a Grammy Award for "The Girl from Ipanema." In 2012 Jobim posthumously won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 54th Grammy Awards.

Photo Credit: Debi Field