'Swing' Has No Plot, Meaning Or Content, And That's Not A Problem
âSwingâ Has No Plot, Meaning Or Content, And Thatâs Not A Problem
By Julie Stern
BRIDGEPORT â âIt donât mean a thing if it ainât got that swingâ and happily Downtown Cabaret Theater has more than enough to make an eye popping, foot stomping, hand clapping eveningâs entertainment in its production of Swing, the song and dance concert originally conceived by Paul Kelly currently in performance. Totally lacking in plot, meaning, or intellectual content of any kind, Swing is meant only to produce enjoyment at the frenetic sound and non-stop movement by a joyous company of twelve dancers, four singers, and eight bespectacled, Benny Goodman look-alike musicians in a retro-swing band.
From its roots in the Savoy Ballroom back in the golden days of the Harlem Renaissance, to the modern day dance competitions across the country, the show mixes old and new in a mixture of jive, hip hop, West Coast swing, country and western, Grand Ole Opry, disco, rock and roll, the Lindy Hop and the Jitterbug.
Thirty fast-paced scenes, enhanced by Hugh Hallinanâs mood setting lighting and Gail Baldoniâs brilliant costumes, move back and forth through the decades. Most of the songs are familiar but they are presented in arrangements that are clever and original, often making use of the musicians and their instruments in unexpected ways. In particular, the performance of âCry Me A Riverâ involved the most sexually provocative use of a trombone Iâve seen in a long time.
The first act ended with a six-part salute to the memory of World War II and the USO, beginning with âBoogie Woogie Bugle Boyâ and featuring a powerfully moving rendition of âIâll Be Seeing You.â
There were some terrific instrumental pieces including âHarlem Nocturneâ featuring a bass solo, and a jazzed up version of âCaravan.â There was comedy too, in a clowning around performance of âAll of Me/I Canât Danceâ and a straight version of âBlues in the Night.â
This company is brimful of talent and vitality, and the audience couldnât help getting caught up in it. The lights of Broadway may have been temporarily shut down, and war may be just around the corner, but for a real good time right now, go and let Swing take your mind of reality for at least a little while.
(Performances continue weekends through May 18. Downtown Cabaret, at 263 Golden Hill Street, can be contacted for show details and reservations at 203-576-1636.)