Tango 21 Dance Theater Presents Original Musical SOMBRAS TANGO CABARET

Tango 21 Dance Theater (T21DT) announces the original musical "Sombras Tango Cabaret", Nov. 8 through 17 at The Edge Theater, 5451 N. Broadway. "Sombras Tango Cabaret", created by co-founders Jorge Niedas and Liz Sung, gives a unique interpretation of the artform combining Argentine tango with original music and songs and contemporary dance. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. Purchase tickets at www.Tango21DanceTheater.com or call the box office (847)701-5682.

The audience is invited backstage at the Sombras Tango Cabaret with Fantastik Frank and the Tango Brigade as performers prepare for the evening performance. When an unexpected guest appears, Frank must decide if he can confront his own shadows or turn away from his past. Joyful, funny and full of surprises, the story is told through Argentine-style tango, contemporary dance, acting and original music and songs. "Sombras Tango Cabaret" is an entertaining lesson on the rich history of tango.

"We want to make the art of tango accessible," said Sung, T21DT Managing Director and Co-Founder. "Most people think of tango as a melodramatic and sexualized dance. Our productions use tango to communicate a wide range of emotions and convey stories that emphasize narrative and character development. Tango is transformative, and we want to share that with our audience."

"Sombras Tango Cabaret" was choreographed by Niedas and written by Sung. Cast includes Trent Oldham (Fantastik Frank), KT McCammond (Margaret Shepherd), Hillary Leben (The Stage Manager), Jorge Niedas (Don Juan), Liz Sung (Madame Yvonne), Jonathan Ropiequet (The Faun), Valentina Muñoz (Thne Nymph), Winita Lau (Miss Minnie) and Lloyd Natof (The Mannequin), Corinne Puchalla (Vera the Boxer), Dawn Krajcik (Coco La Chat), Arturo Diaz (The Artist), Pablo Acosta (The Bandit) with vocals by Sonia Oyola (The Chanteuse).

Featuring original tango music, this production is a collaboration with Chicago piano legend and composer Bob Solone. Additional musicians include vocals by Oldham and Oyola, Puchalla on bassoon, Rion Klawinski on bandoneon, Acosta on flute, and Sung on violin.

Established in 2014, the T21DT is made up of Chicago-area dancers, actors and musicians performing original works written and choreographed by co-founders Niedas and Sung. All four works in T21DT's repertoire are original with a fifth original production debuting in 2020.

Jorge Niedas is co-founder, artistic director and choreographer of Tango 21 Dance Theater & founder of Tango 21, T21DT's mother company. For nearly three decades, Niedas has been teaching, promoting and performing Argentine tango in Chicago. Niedas was professionally trained in classical ballet and Argentine folk dances at the Instituto Superior del Arte del Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He has performed and worked all over the Americas, including Teatro Colón and San Martín Official Ballet Company of Argentina, Teatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Teatro Teresa Carreño of Caracas, (Venezuela), and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. He is also co-founder of DanceArt, a not-for-profit dance education outreach program for Chicago Public Schools.

Liz Sung is co-founder and managing director of Tango 21 Dance Theater. Sung has been dancing tango since 2007, and performing and teaching Argentine tango with Tango 21 since 2010. She is the writer and co-creator at T21DT, bringing to life four original productions since the company's founding in 2014. Sung has a diverse professional background as a photographer, video producer and graphic designer. Her work ranges from shooting, editing and animating video to designing video projections for Northlight Theatre, Victory Gardens Theater and The Public Theater. She is currently owner and principal of Liz Sung Productions, LLC.

Tango 21 Dance Theater (T21DT) presents the original musical "Sombras Tango Cabaret", Nov. 8 through 17 at The Edge Theater, 5451 N. Broadway. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. Purchase tickets at www.Tango21DanceTheater.com or call the box office (847)701-5682.

Photo credit: Joe Kwon

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