Chicago Tap Theatre Presents SWEET TAP CHICAGO

Artistic Director Mark Yonally and Chicago Tap Theatre (CTT) presents Sweet Tap Chicago Sunday, March 10 at 3 and 7 p.m. at The City Winery, 1200 W. Randolph St. Sweet Tap Chicago is a celebration of Chicago musicians and music, with all new arrangements by Kurt Schweitz, a live jazz quintet featuring rapper/singer/host Taylor Mallory and tap dancing. Musicians and bands to be covered include Chicago, Smashing Pumpkins, Chaka Khan, Curtis Mayfield and more. Doors open one hour prior to start time and the running time of the performance is one hour and twenty minutes including one short break. Tickets are $40 for reserved admission seating and may be purchased at ChicagoTapTheatre.com, by calling 800-440-8539 or at the door, pending availability. Group discounts are also available for groups of 10 or more.

New this year will be live video projection giving audiences the most intimate view of Chicago Tap Theatre than they've ever had in its 15-year history. "We will be live-projecting the dancers on both sides of the stage, allowing the audience to see every intricate movement and better connect the sound and visuals," said Yonally.

"Bringing tap dance to the jazz club is important to CTT, and we couldn't pass up an opportunity to return to City Winery, one of the premier live-music destinations in Chicago. I grew up tap dancing in the jazz clubs of Kansas City, and the connection between live music and tap dance has always been the root of my love affair with tap. This helps fulfill my young-artist dreams to make sure that even as CTT becomes associated with larger venues and grander shows, we keep one foot in the jazz club door," Yonally continued.

He added, "The best thing about bringing back Sweet Tap Chicago for another round is that we now have the opportunity to bring back all the favorites from last year's edition, plus my two favorite dances from Tapped for the Very First Time, and then add some all-new work to the mix. It is going to a "Greatest Hits Plus" experience, for the dancers and the audience!"

One of these pieces is going to be a brand-new all-male dancer piece, featuring the 5 men currently dancing in the Company, choreographed by Kirsten Uttich, who's been making a name for herself as a dancemaker.

Sweet Tap Chicago will feature choreography by Mark Yonally, Kirsten Uttich and Rich Ashworth. Dancers include Mark Yonally, Jennifer Yonally, Kirsten Uttich, Isaac Stauffer, Aimee Chase, Sterling Harris, Heather Latakas, Case Prime, Molly Smith, Bailey Caves, Anabel Watson and Chris Matthews.

ABOUT KURT SCHWEITZ

Kurt Schweitz has become one of Chicago's most sought after bassists, "whose handsome tone anchors a billowing technique," as stated in a recent review by Neil Tesser, author of "The Playboy Guide to Jazz." While best known as a jazz bassist, Schweitz is a multi-genre multi-instrumentalist and composer having been playing various musical instruments since age 4. After moving to Chicago to pursue a PhD in Mathematics at the University of Chicago, Schweitz quickly become an active member of Chicago's burgeoning music scene and has also performed internationally on stages in London, Paris, NY, at the Aberdeen Jazz Festival in Scotland, and Beijing, China. Back home, his schedule has included over 2,500 performances at venues such as the Chicago Jazz Festival, the Jay Pritzker Pavilion at Millenium Park, the South Shore Jazz and Heritage Festival, Meet the Composer, Chicago Humanities Festival, Asian-American Jazz Festival, and Milwaukee Jazz in the Park Festival. Locally, he can regularly be found at Chicago's many jazz clubs and on dozens of local jazz and rock recordings. Schweitz regularly performs with jazz, rock, and classical groups, and his music uses these influences to contemporaneously unfold the deep roots of these musical genres into a cohesive whole. He has received an Individual Artist grant from the Illinois Arts Council and a grant from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events to write, perform, and record original music.

ABOUT TAYLOR MALLORY

Level Next Music recording artist Taylor Mallory is creating an unprecedented R&B experience where he creates the music live on stage using a series of loops. This performance style is called looping. Comprised of smooth vocal loops, synths, and progressive drum programming, his style is a fresh approach on Alternative R&B. Mallory has received recognition in media outlets such as JET, Wall Street Journal, So Far Sounds and singersroom.com. He has also been featured as an actor in various commercials was an on-air VJ for Akoo. He has collaborated with or opened for artist like Mary Mary, David Banner, India Arie and performed at venues like Schuba's, Manifest, The Double Door, Subterranean, African Festival of the Arts, and Milwaukee Brewer's Tailgate.

ABOUT CHICAGO TAP THEATRE

Founded in 2002, Chicago Tap Theatre is a growing and vibrant dance company dedicated to preserving the quintessentially American dance form of tap while taking it to the next level of creativity, innovation and quality. CTT performs exclusively with live music provided by some of Chicago's finest musicians playing everything from Duke Ellington to David Bowie and many artists in between. Under the dynamic direction of master teacher and performer Mark Yonally, CTT has gained a loyal and sizable following in Chicago and continues to tour both nationally and internationally. Having pioneered the "tap opera" format, which tells stories with compelling characters and intriguing plots, CTT has used the language of tap dance, live music and narration to move Chicago audiences for over 10 years.

Artistic Director Mark Yonally and Chicago Tap Theatre (CTT) presents Sweet Tap Chicago Sunday, March 10 at 3 and 7 p.m. at The City Winery, 1200 W. Randolph St. Sweet Tap Chicago is a celebration of Chicago musicians and music, with all new arrangements by Kurt Schweitz, a live jazz quintet <<<<>>>> and tap dancing. Musicians and bands to be covered include Chicago, Smashing Pumpkins, Chaka Khan, Curtis Mayfield and more. Doors open one hour prior to start time and the running time of the performance is one hour and twenty minutes including one short break. Tickets are $40 for reserved admission seating and may be purchased at ChicagoTapTheatre.com, by calling 800-440-8539 or at the door, pending availability. Group discounts are also available for groups of 10 or more.

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