Porchlight Music Theatre’s workshop-style staging of Shake It Away: The Ann Miller Story starring Kayla Boye is a light and entertaining tribute to the star. Kayla Boye is a powerhouse as she channels the glamorous star. However, I do wish there had been a bit more substance to the story, it left me wanting more.
I felt as though Boye was flitting through Miller’s life. It was like listening to a name-dropper go on and on at a party, sharing lots of stories but not much else. Also, considering she was a famous dancer, there wasn’t enough dance either – just one tap dance and a lot of ta-da flourishes throughout.
Before the performance, there was a slide show of pictures of people looking at racks of clothes and other stuff – a covered wagon, an engine, ruby slippers, and more – but no explanation. Several minutes into the show, Miller reminisces about this particular sound stage at MGM – several of her films were shot there - but she never really explained that this was MGM’s ill-famed costume/prop sell-off, or why she was there.
Porchlight Music Theatre has been working with Boye to develop this piece into a finished production. In addition to a previous Chicago production, they’ve taken it to the Hollywood Fringe in LA, to Off-Broadway’s “East to Edinburgh” in New York, and to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. This 2026 Chicago performance included new material not included in any of the previous performances.