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SHOW 30 The Orange County Register STAGE Friday, Jan. 22, 1999STRUTTINT: Joe Giuffre, Ron Christopher Jones, Alysa S. Lobo and Melanie Wingert, clockwise from top left, form a true ensemble cast.In the mood for 'The All Night Strut!'REVIEW: A quartet of performers brings the swing era to life in this lively musical revue.By ERIC MARCHESESpecial to the RegisterThere’s a tendency to romanticize past musical eras, but in the case of the swing era, that tendency may be more than justified.What is termed the swing era” (the late 1930s and early 1940s) offered the American public a fortuitous mixture of swing and big-band music with patriotic songs and numerous styles (jive and stride among them) that come under the description of jazz.That surprisingly eclectic mixture is nicely captured by Fran Charnas in her swing-era musical revue, The All Night Strut,” which is enjoying a fine staging at International City Theatre’s intimate, 99-seat Equity Waiver house on the campus of Long Beach City College.Director Lance Roberts.’ cast Joe Giuffre, Ron C Jones, Mysa S.^Lob© and Melanie Win-'The All Night Strut!'► What: International City Theatre's staging of the Fran Charnas swing-era musical revue► Where: Campus of Long Beach City College, Clark Street and Harvey Way, Long Beach► Continues: Through Feb. 21. 8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday► How much: $17-S25► Ticket availability: Good► Length: 2 hours, 50 minutes► Suitability: All ages► Call: (562) 938-4128gert — adds pep, bounce and personality to what is essentially a nearly three-hour nostalgia trip featuring Minnie the Moocher,” ‘‘Fascinatin’ Rhythm,” “Chattanooga Choo Choo” and about a dozen-and-a-half songs popular during, and in the years leading up to, World War II.What is perhaps most impressive about Charnas’ show, aside from the quality and durability of the material itself, is its pure musicality. Many a similar revue seems as if it almost feels obligated to offer a running stream of patter from the performers, giving us background on the songs, their composers,and the era from which they sprang.Freed up from that format, The All Night Strut” comes across as the ultimate cabaret show, putting the audience in the comfortable position of being transported back to the time and place of the songs’ original era, rather than looking back at the numbers from the safe distance of several decades.That’s an enviable position for any show, dictating the terms upon which the audience will accept the entertainment. In the case of Roberts’ cast, they seem to belong to the swing era, a feeling they generate without the least hint of self-consciousness.Part of it is the setting — Bradley Kaye’s sleek, simplified set design; Sherry Linnell’s stunning period costumes; and the three-piece combo (Darryl Archibald on piano, Richard Martinez on percussion, Leslie Baker on bass) that graces the stage.The rest is the irresistible nature of the songs themselves. The revue moves gracefully from the Depression era (Minnie the Moocher” is a hot, jazzy, sad tale of a panhandler; “Brother Can You Spare a Dime?” positions Jones as the flat-broke, .embittered protagonist) tb numerous 'songs contemporary to the war era.Joe Garland’s 1938 hit In the Mood,” one of the most famous songs from the swing era, nicely bridges the gap. It’s a lively, sexy, romantic number, with athletic choreography by director Roberts.The Wilson-Grant song “Gimme a Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer” features good vocal direction and four-part harmony, led by a playful Lobo. “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” is slow and mellow, as Giuffre’s soft voice relates the love ballad’s tale. Gershwin’s “Fascinatin’ Rhythm” is peppy and intensely syncopated. The “Java Jive” has a sinuously seductive melody line, made even more so by Roberts’ direction of the number’s staging.A “W.W. II medley” does a good job of evoking the war era, especially with songs like Burton Kent’s “White Cliffs of Dover,” the lively “Rosie the Riveter,” the smooth-harmonied “Coming in on a Wing and a Prayer” and the quietly melancholy “I’ll Be Seeing You.”Giuffre does a fine job leading “As Time Goes By,” a performance of HeTman HupflelcTs fo-mantic 1931 classic that treats usto the seldom-heard verse, as well as the universally famous chorus.No one of Roberts’ cast members is the leader. All four are equally talented vocally, though each is distinctive. The show’s second half brings a striking costume change, with the men in tuxes and the women in formal dresses. Giuffre and Wingert are paired in matching black; ditto for Lobo and Jones, in creamy white.Humorous choreography highlights “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” launched slowly by Jones, then sped up as the other three join in. “Operator” is a spirited gospel number given plenty of pizazz by Lobo. Johnny Mercer’s “Dream” is soothing and sweet. “Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar” is a hard-hitting, upbeat boogie number.The show’s finale spans both the ’30s and ’40s, encapsulating the diversity of the swing era: It’s a medley of Tolbert Alson’s “Hit That Jive, Jack”; Charlie Parker’s 1945 number “Billie’s Bounce”; the Ellington/Miils classic “It Don’t Mean a Thing” (from 1932); and Warren Du-bin’s 1936 hit, “Lullabye of Broadway.”
Newspaper Details
Santa Ana Orange County Register
Santa Ana, California, US
Fri, Jan 22, 1999
Page 104
Full Page
Clipped by
Tatiana G.
NA, 01 May 2025
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