In “Maurice Hines is Tappin’ Thru Life,” the great hoofer distills all of the best elements of old fashion “showbiz” into a delightfully entertaining ninety minute time capsule. Ostensibly set up as a tribute to his late brother and dancing partner since childhood, Gregory Hines, the show is one big set of segues, each featuring (seemingly) free-form memories from the dancing legend’s long career, each backstage story turned into an elegant name drop (Pearly Bailey, Judy Garland, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, and even Ol’ Blues Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra, all figure into the brief monologues. Most importantly, for Hines, anyway, is that each yarn sets up a reason to sing a song- Mostly standards and recognizable chestnuts from days gone by. “Come Fly With Me,” “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” and a rousing “Luck Be A Lady Tonight” are among them.
Read my full review and see a photo gallery at: http://www.examiner.com/review/theatre-review-maurice-hines-is-tappin-thru-life-at-arena-stage