05/28/2026
In today's , longtime cast member Judy Lewis shares a memory that turned into a legacy.
"Iāve been involved with TAP since performing in West Side Story back in 1988. I met some of my best friends in that showāmany of whom Iām still in touch with and a few Iām very close to.
Since then Iāve spent 37-plus years performing in shows, choreographing shows, being on the Board, and running opening parties. I have countless storiesāfavorite shows, outrageous cast parties, lifelong friendshipsābut my favorite is how my daughter Katie Lewis fell in love with theatre through TAP.
In spring 2009, I was cast as Solange in Follies, my first show after a 10-year break to raise Katie. Close to opening, she asked if she could help backstage. My friends (including Lou Timmons) welcomed her, taught her crew work, and had her on headset by closing night. She was hooked.
Katie went on to crew nearly every TAP show for years. When she entered high school, her experience made her the stage manager all four years, so she took a break from TAP. Then, in spring 2024, she returned to ASM TAPās The Promābecause I was in it. Word spread that she was back, and sheās barely had a break since, stage managing shows at TAP and other groups, and she now leads TAPās director selection committee. And sheās also landed paid theatre gigs in D.C. and at Signature Theatre!
TAP has been more than a creative outletāitās been a community that has lifted me up and shaped my life, and helped shape my daughterās future. Weāre now a two-generation TAP family, and I couldnāt be prouder."
