Rhythm Rascals Like to Make You Laugh

Jim Taylor likes to compare his Rhythm Rascals Band to Spike Jones and His City Slickers. In their heyday, the City Slickers featured an assortment of unusual instruments and sounds--cowbells, whistles, washboards and even the peculiar auditory effect created when a person gargles. Spike Jones wanted to make people laugh--and so do the Rhythm Rascals.

But when Taylor’s crew performs tonight in North Hollywood Park, those in the audience will not only hear the sound of unusual percussive instruments, they’ll witness a flurry of tapping feet. The Rascals dance while they play.

“Our goal is to maintain the joy of tapping and also to take tap dancing to a different place by using comedy and rhythm,” said Taylor, who formed the eight-member troupe about a year and a half ago.

The Rhythm Rascals Band is part of an eclectic dance program which is in turn part of a three-day package of entertainment titled Star Scene ’88. Tonight’s dance activities start at 8:30. Among the other performers scheduled to appear are members of Ballet Folklorico Ollin, a group that specializes in dances from the Mexican state of Jalisco; Vesna, a Ukrainian folk dance company; Tappola, a dance troupe that features contemporary tap dancers; and actor Gerardo Mejia (of “Colors” and “Supercarrier”) who will demonstrate the hip-hop movements of break-dancing.

Proceeds from the three days of entertainment, sponsored by the Universal City/North Hollywood Charitable Foundation, go to a variety of charities, the Los Angeles County Children’s Services-Adoption Division, D.A.R.E.’s (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) educational programs and the Wild Life Way Station, among them.

Taylor, a dancer and choreographer who has been tapping for more than 30 years, said the Rhythm Rascals are similar to performers in vaudeville or international circus acts. “We sort of look like clowns in a burlesque fashion,” he said. “We make lots of noises and have a wry sense of humor.”

Each company member portrays a specific character, including a belly dancer (Michelle Bauer), an Egyptian Shriner (Steve Sprague) and a Carmen Miranda-type actress (Bobbi Stamm).

But Spike Jones isn’t the only performer who influenced Taylor. As a child growing up on a ranch in New Mexico, Taylor was also intrigued by the classic MGM musicals. “One of my biggest influences was Eleanor Powell, the queen of tap,” he said.

His company is dedicated to preserving the traditional tap numbers seen in such films. As part of tonight’s presentation, Taylor and Carolyn Poppert--dressed in ‘30s-era costumes--will follow in the footsteps of Powell and Fred Astaire and recreate their routine danced to “Begin the Beguine.” In addition, the Rhythm Rascals will pay tribute to dancers of the ‘40s with “That’s Dancing,” a number from the movie by the same name.

“In recent years, there’s been a definite resurgence in the art of tap,” said Taylor, a Universal City resident who also teaches tap dance at Paradise Dance Studio in Encino. “For a while, everything in dance became aerobic-oriented. But now, people want something more. They want to think and be challenged. So tap is the natural choice.”

The Rhythm Rascals will perform in the Star Scene ’88 dance program tonight at 8:30 p.m. at North Hollywood Park, which is at the intersection of Magnolia Boulevard and Tujunga Avenue. General admission is $4, but children under 11 are admitted free. Hours are Friday, noon to midnight, Saturday, 10 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. For additional information call (818) 509-STAR.