A Lot of Tango

You can probably figure out if Forever Tango is for you based on the title. If you like tango, then you will enjoy yourself. If you don't, you probably wouldn't want to sit through almost two-and-a-half hours of it. If you are a Dancing With The Stars fan, you might be like the many at the performance I attended who would like to see Karina Smirnoff and Maksim Chmerkovskiy live (they are appearing in the show through August 11). And if you're a fan of singer Gilberto Santa Rosa, who is appearing in the show through July 28 (Luis Enrique will take over on July 30 for three weeks), that could also be a draw.

This is the third Broadway engagement for Forever Tango, first seen at the Walter Kerr Theatre, where it is currently playing, in 1997. It returned in 2004. That's enough time in between to find a new audience each time. I for one had never seen the show before. It's the type of tourist bait that is perfect for summer engagements when lots of theaters are open.

The 16 dancers and 11 musicians are all extremely talented and take turns in the spotlight. Tango is used sometimes in unexpected ways, such as comedic dances performed by Natalia Turelli and Ariel Manzanares. But most of the dances were of the sultry variety, especially those performed by Mirnoff and Chmerkovskiy, though it must be said that the other dancers were just as engaging to watch. After a while, it does start to feel repetitive. The show could be about 20 minutes shorter and not lose anything. But then maybe they'd have to change the name from Forever Tango to Temporary Tango.