ANDERSONVILLE — When tap dance choreographer Mark Yonally was performing with a touring circus a few years ago, he would watch the whip artist and the contortionist warm up before shows.
"Seeing all of this really fascinated me," said Yonally, who founded Chicago Tap Theatre in 2002.
That's when Yonally first came up with the idea to combine circus arts and tap dance. "Tightwire," his company's latest story show, does just that. It debuts Friday at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., and will run through March 29.
Mark Yonally in Andersonville. DNAinfo/Mina Bloom
The show revolves around a traveling Italian circus troupe in the 1930s. When a vagabond clown, played by Yonally, shows up, he creates ripples at the circus, culminating in a shocking revelation about his past, Yonally said. Other characters in the show include a whip artist, a lion tamer, a pair of acrobats, a pair of sisters who are involved in a sibling rivalry and a snake charmer.
Some of the characters and storylines will reappear in a show slated for June. That's because "Tightwire" is intended to be a "behind-the-scenes look" into a world that was created for their June show, Yonally said.
"If you see both shows, there will be Easter eggs hidden," he said. "You'll realize 'That's why so-and-so did that.' "
Chicago Tap Theatre has been putting on its annual story show for a little more than a decade.
"What's fun is, as far as we know, we're the only tap company in America that does an annual story show," said Yonally, who described the type of show as a cross between a traditional story ballet and an opera without the singing.
The story shows "the pleasure you take from watching a piece of musical theater where you have that emotional investment [combined] with virtuosity with the dancing, percussion and joy of live music," he said.
Chicago Tap Theatre's music director, Kurt Schweitz, wrote the show's original music, which will be performed by a trio of musicians.
Marc Kelly Smith, who is the creator and host of a weekly slam poetry contest at the Green Mill, wrote the show. He also plays the ringmaster.
While Yonally and his team of actors, dancers and musicians practice at the Joel Hall Dancers and Center, 5965 N. Clark St., they don't have a permanent space of their own.
Despite this, the longtime Andersonville resident remains focused on his mission.
"I thought, 'How could we make tap more relevant for younger audiences who haven't seen live tap before?" Yonally said. "If I didn't know tap dance at all, I would want to see a show that related to things that were relevant to me."
Yonally said he's hoping Lyman Trumbull Elementary School, which was one of 50 schools that was shuttered in 2013, will be converted into a performing arts center, which was one of the proposals presented by developers.
To buy tickets for "Tightwire," visit Stage 773's website. Tickets range from $35 for adults to $22 for students and dancers.
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