July 22, 2006
Swing It, Brother!
A theatre review by Stan Dyer
Playing now through September 10 at the Country Dinner Playhouse, (6875 S. Clinton St. in Greenwood Village, Phone 303-799-1410), is the dancing, singing and music of "Swing". It's a good show, and a nice addition to the Playhouse season.
Last fall, the Playhouse produced "Ain't Misbehavin" which covered the song and dance of the 20's, 30's, and into the 40's. This new show, "Swing", is a bigger, brighter, and expanded continuation of the musical tour "Ain't Misbehavin" began. It shows how music and dance blossomed in the period between the late 30's up to the 60's. As you might expect, the show has a lot of swing music and a lot of dance, but it goes further showing how the earlier music influenced the latter. Not only are there the popular Big Band sounds and the energetic dance of the period, but also the flavor of Film Noir, the style of period night clubs, and the sense for how music and dance touched the entire country. My only complaint with this show is that it doesn't "click" from start to finish.
To begin with, the Barnstormers who perform before every show to introduce future shows have some weak material to sell, and their efforts fall short. It's not their fault. The idea for their pre-show isn't very good. Then, when the real show starts, the first Act just doesn't flow well. It is a good act with a lot of potential, but it could work a little better. Don't worry, though, Act II is worth the wait. A metamorphosis takes place at intermission and the whole cast comes out inspired.
The show's rally starts with four Zoot Suits who come out with the Act II version of "Swing It, Brother; Swing" and wake the show up. Then, Shannan Steele's vocals in "Blues in the Night" knocked me right out of my chair! The music, acoustics, and, of course, Ms. Steele's voice combine in perfection. It was dazzling. Shannan Steele does it again in "Stompin' at the Savoy", and I was wondering why I didn't really notice her in Act I? To top it off, the show's medley finale leaves the whole house in the mood to sing and dance. Bravo!
Overall, I give the show an A-. I liked that the show avoided cliche, but still touched on old standards with updated arrangements and variety. I also liked the different styles of dance exhibited. There was East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, The Lindy Hop, The Jitterbug, some Tap, some Salsa, and even a hint of Classic Ballroom. A few of the numbers gave the audience the feel of an old Broadway musical, others invoked World War II harmonies, and still others hinted of Film Noir. My favorite numbers from the show, in order of their appearance, were: 1) Harlem Nocturne, 2) In The Mood/Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree, 3) Swing It, Brother; Swing, 4) Blues In The Night, and 5) Stompin' At The Savoy. With a little fine-tuning, this could be one great show. As it is, it's still a great night out, and a lot of fun.