Chic-a-go-go!

A lucky few of our parents' generation had their five minutes of fame on WGN's Bozo's Circus. They dialed the phone to get on the ticket list when the baby was born, cheered as their kids played the Grand Prize Game, and told all their friends to tune in.

For Chicago parents in the new millennium, you and your kids can grab your moment in the spotlight while getting your groove on at Chic-a-go-go!

The next taping of local cable's coolest all-ages dance show is Saturday, August 30 at 6pm.  The CAN-TV studio can be found close to Greektown, at 322 S. Green Street. Hosted by sweet Miss Mia and her wise-cracking puppet friend L'il Ratso, Chic-a-go-go is a bizarre and fun show that combines the cool cachet of Soul Train and the silly fun of American Bandstand with endearingly amateur production values.

You and your kids can dance to the lip-syncing of the coolest bands – most too bleeding edge for this rube to have heard of - and watch yourself on reruns on cable channel 19 Tuesdays at 8:30 and Wednesdays at 3:30.

When my Mia was a toddler, I took her down to the studios for the taping of the Halloween show.  Mia wore her beloved monkey costume. I pulled an orange turtleneck over my pregnant belly, slapped a green hat on my head and called myself a pumpkin. We boogied with male impersonators sporting some awfully realistic 'staches, Star Wars storm-troopers in full regalia and a crowd of tiny little princesses.  Ratso told some groan-inducing knock-knock jokes to his wry straight-man Miss Mia. A spontaneous conga line formed to the beat of "Ghostbusters!" And who showed up but Paul Frank, the monkey face artist! Who knew he played the guitar, too? The whole experience was free-wheeling, slightly chaotic and very funny.

The best part? We all lined up in two parallel lines to strut our stuff in the El Train Line Dance. Mia and I shimmied next to a little man in a white tuxedo with giant sideburns - or was he a she? - and giggled again, watching the show later at home.

Check out the scene on Youtube.

Chic-A-Go-Go taping, 6:00 to 8:00 pm, Saturday, August 30. CAN-TV studios, 322 S. Green Street. Van Buren exit off I-94, one block west of Halsted.