Maurice Hines Is Tappin' Thru Life at Arena Stage

Maurice Hines Is Tappin' Thru Life

Arena Stage
1101 Sixth Street, SW Washington

Called a "class act by a class act" by the Boston Globe, Maurice Hines' song-and-dance tribute to his late brother Gregory reunites him with the talented Manzari Brothers, his co-stars in the smash Sophisticated Ladies, along with the nine-piece all-female big band, the Diva Orchestra. Hines, who started out with his brother and father in a '50s act called "Hines, Hines & Dad," soon went on to star on Broadway in shows like Eubie!, Bring Back Birdie, Uptown ... It's Hot and his own production, Hot Feet. This joyful tap-filled trip back through the Hines brothers' amazing lives and careers also recognizes inspirations like Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat "King" Cole and more.

Thru - Dec 29, 2013

Price: $110 - $122

Stage: Kreeger Theater

Show Type: Performance Art

Running Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes, no intermission

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Maurice Hines Is Tappin' Thru Life Reviews

Average Rating based on 7 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

Washington Post - Recommended

"...He's a spoonful of sugar and a shot of caffeine in "Maurice Hines Is Tappin' Thru Life," and the charm offensive could register as overkill, even by the ultra-sweet standards of musicals. But from the moment Hines starts recollecting his showbiz career and crooning well-known tunes in front of the nine-piece Diva Jazz Orchestra, it's clear that what's breaking out at Arena Stage is a Vegas act."

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- Nelson Pressley

DC Theater Arts - Highly Recommended

"...At the top of the show, Maurice Hines said, "DC is fierce!" After experiencing Maurice Hines is Tappin' Thru Life tonight at Arena Stage, I must say that it is Hines himself that is fierce! From his magnificent storytelling, to his smooth vocal stylings, to his crisp and rhythmic tap steps, Hines is pouring his heart and soul onto the stage with beauty and honesty."

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- Rick Westerkamp

Washington City Paper - Recommended

"...Maurice Hines is a showman, a smooth operator, and he's made a career out of moving stylishly through touchstone shows like Sophisticated Ladies and Guys and Dolls. He's not doing anything revolutionary in the fond family memoir Maurice Hines Is Tappin' Thru Life-and it's a pretty solid stretch to call it an exercise in theater-but as a music-fueled stroll down memory lane, the show's plenty agreeable."

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- Trey Graham

Washingtonian - Highly Recommended

"...The unseen star is Gregory, who Hines declares is always onstage with him, and who gets his own spotlight when his brother performs one of his earliest soft-shoe routines (Gregory died of liver cancer in 2003). That sense of real kinsmanship is heightened by the stellar performances by Leo and John Manzari, who act as young pretenders to Hines’s throne while he cheerfully bats them away. Both the Manzaris and the Heimowitzes have a brotherly rapport that again pays tribute to the much-missed Gregory, whose grinning face is replicated in a hundred different family photos, and whose presence is truly felt."

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- Sophie Gilbert

ShowBizRadio - Recommended

"...The music is immeasurably enhanced by the nine-member all-female Diva Jazz Orchestra. This brassy virtuoso ensemble is great. The leader is a drummer, Dr. Sherrie Maricle. Her solo riff as an astounding display of blurring sticks and flying hands. The show blasts off with a medley of big band standards. This exciting overture lets know that we’re in for a good time."

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- Joe Adcock

MD Theatre Guide - Recommended

"...Overall Maurice Hines is Tappin Through Life is a lively and sometimes touching look at a man who has been entertaining us for a long time. If Hines and his director Jeff Calhoun can just add a little more tap into the proceedings, it will balance the show while showing us for a little longer what Hines is known around the world for, being one of the words finest tap dancers."

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- Elliot Lanes

DCTheatreScene - Highly Recommended

When Maurice Hines walks out on the Kreeger stage, he is home. He glows happiness. He blows kisses and loves his audience up. He tells stories and sings standard after standard with a delicious syncopated style with plenty of scat, branding everything his own.

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- Susan Galbraith