Do Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?

Based on the 1975 novel of the same name by John R. Powers, Do Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? tells the musical story of Eddie Ryan’s return to his old neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. The title is a reference to a belief that priests, nuns, and brothers shared with Catholic youth: they often told their students that the shine of a girl’s patent leather shoes would give boys a sinful look right up her dress. The delightful show takes both a humorous and bittersweet look at Eddie’s transition from childhood to adulthood.