June 7-24, 2017
at Gateway Playhouse
Newsday
Steve Parks
Swing in American jazz is remembered fondly, although not the times in which it flourished. Swing was king during the Great Depression and World War II. By the start of the Baby Boom generation in 1946, it was supplanted by solo crooners, such as Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, and later by rock and roll.
The explosively energetic revue “Swing!,” now kicking up heels way over heads at Gateway Playhouse, may leave you breathless in your seat. Yes, they danced the night away in the Big Band Era. But health insurance should be mandated for some steps in this show.
Fans of “Dancing With the Stars” may recognize two of the dance pros from the hit TV competition. Ekaterina Fedosova and Damian Whitewood bring a “DWTS” vibe to “Show Me What You Got,” challenged by Akina Kitazawa and Jesse Jones. It’s Latin vs. West Coast swing in a dazzling display of footwork and daring tosses of spinning female partners and catches by sure-handed males. Singer Maceo Oliver supplies lyrical commentary. In two late-for-his-date numbers, Oliver shares vocals with Kate McCann, first on the scat classic “Bli-Blip,” in which one decipherable word, “dance,” is mistaken for “pants.” Their Act II duet, “All of Me”/“I Won’t Dance,” ends in a romantic twirl. Stephanie Gandolfo’s “Cry Me a River” supplies the water works.
The married pairing of Samantha and Brian Lawton delivers dance variety with the Lindy Hop to Count Basie’s “Jumpin’ at the Woodside” and the “Boogie Woogie Country” hoedown.
Although there’s no plot to “Swing!” — JP Qualters opens appropriately with a rousing “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If You Ain’t Got That Swing)” — the song-and-dance Act I closer enacts a girl-meets-boy-off-to-war medley, from “Bugle Boy (of Company B)” to the wistful “I’ll Be Seeing You,” with McCann serenading Stephanie Brooks and Thomas Sutter’s pas de deux.
Robert Felstein’s eight-piece orchestra is exquisitely front and center on Duke Ellington’s “Caravan.” Ingenious trombone and trumpet solos by Will Marrin and John Brierly, and bassist Ross Kratter, assisted by dancer Shanna Heverly, remind us that without a band the dancers may as well tie their shoes together.
Direction and choreography by Lynne Taylor-Corbett, restaged for Gateway by Desiree Duarte and Charlie Marcus, brings this 1999-2001 Broadway winner back to vibrant life. But don’t try these dance steps without a medic on hand.
DC Metro Theater Arts
Lori Speiser
Currently playing at the Gateway Performing Arts Centre of Suffolk County is Swing! a song and dance showcase celebrating the classic sounds and dance steps of the swing era. It is a swirling, twirling, upbeat show that is sure to please. Originally conceived by Paul Kelly and choreographed by Lynne Taylor-Corbett, Gateway’s version has been excellently restaged by Desiree Duarte.
The audience is greeted by a glittering big band set by Scenic Designer Brittany Loesch that is complete with lit podiums for each musician. That’s right, there’s no hiding in the pit for this band. Conducted by Robert Felstein on piano, the entire show’s live music is provided from right there on stage. Several members of the band even get involved in the routines to excellent effect, such as John Brierly’s trumpeting for “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” Ross Kratter on bass in “Harlem Nocturne,” and the charming incorporation of Will Marrin’s trombone playing in “Cry Me A River.”
The show is comprised of various song selections from the big band era that are either sung, danced to, or both. While there is no overarching plotline to follow, each number tells a little story in itself, and many of the characters make return appearances. Impressively, there is no loss of momentum in this show as they transition from number to number. Many of the routines flow so seamlessly from one to the next that it’s hard to know where one stops and the other begins. In addition, a striking array of period costuming has been provided for this show by Costume World Theatrical, frequently corresponding beautifully with Kim Hanson’s lighting choices and creating changing color palettes for each number.
Vocal stylings are provided by four singers, Stephanie Gandolfo, Kate McCann, Maceo Oliver, and JP Qualters. They each bring their unique talents to individual numbers throughout the show, but also harmonize together in classic quartet style during songs like “Don’t Sit under the Apple Tree” and “Swing, Brother, Swing.”
The dancers are cast into characters by couple, and each is excellently paired, providing the gamut of styles. Where Sexy Blues Couple (Shanna Heverly and Tislarm Bouie) is fluid and sultry, Lindy Hop Couple (Co-Dance Captains Samantha Lawton and Brian Lawton) is sharp, fast, and flawlessly synchronized. In “Show Me What You Got” the West Coast Swing Couple (Akina Kitazawa and Jesse Jones) seems to fairly float through the air like feathers, while featured dancers Damian Whitewood and Ekaterina Fedosova as the Latin Couple spin and explode around the floor like the firecrackers the costuming suggests. Not least of all, Comic Couple Hannah Jean Simmons and J. Morgan White pull off truly humorous physical comedy within the fluidity of their dancing to the adorable “Dancers in Love.”
The full company numbers are a real treat. The dancers move in gorgeous harmony, filling the stage with mesmerizing fluidity. Don’t look down during this performance, something new and beautiful happens in each successive minute, and you’ll want to see it all.
Long Island Advance
Tara Smith
In total darkness, four voices allure an anticipating audience; the curtain rises and the big band begins. Suddenly, it doesn’t feel like you’re sitting in the audience of the Gateway Playhouse, but instead, a dimly lit cabaret.
It’s no surprise that this show feels authentically ‘Broadway.’ Director Charlie Marcus, who appeared in the first national tour of “Swing!” in 2000, paired up with choreographer Desireé Duarte (original Broadway cast of “Swing!”) and associate choreographer Beverly Durand, who originated the West Coast Swing feature in “Swing!” on Broadway.
Though the dances — the jive, Lindy, hip-hop and, of course, swing — take center stage, there are vocal standouts, too. Under a spotlight and layered atop a ukulele, singer JP Qualters croons, “What good is melody, what good is music?” before scatting his way into the big company opening, “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing).” The rousing number sets the mood for the entire show, two hours of seriously impressive moves and endearing little storylines.
Qualters is one of four voices that carry you through this celebration of swing and jazz. In his Gateway debut, he brings an effortlessly cool energy to the stage in numbers like “Throw That Girl Around” and “Kitchen Mechanics’ Night Out.” He even treats the audience to a tap dance.
Maceo Oliver shows storytelling expertise in “Bli-Blip,” partnered with Kate McCann. But he’s got swagger, too. In “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” he joins a hip-hop dance number and hysterically dons a cowboy hat for the western number, “Take Me Back To Tulsa”/“Stay a Little Longer.”
McCann is a powerhouse on stage, first in fast-paced numbers like “Bounce Me Brother (With a Solid Four)” before pausing for the more thoughtful “I’ll Be Seeing You,” as Thomas Sutter and Stephanie Brooks take the stage for a beautiful ballet during a WWII section.
In Act II, McCann honors Ella Fitzgerald, who would have been 100 this year, during “Blues in the Night,” as Shanna Heverly and Tislarm Bouie portray a lover’s quarrel in a seductive dance.
Stephanie Gandolfo does a lovely job at “Skylark,” but steals the show during “Cry Me a River,” which features trombonist Will Marrin.
The storylines are simple, but movements nuanced enough to effectively communicate them. Samantha and Brian Lawton take center stage for the Lindy-hop in “Kitchen Mechanics’ Night Out” and “Boogie Woogie Country,” with impressive steps and tricks requiring a level of trust only a husband-and-wife team could maintain. Hannah Jean Simmons and J. Morgan White are delightful together, portraying a slightly nerdy couple finding their way together in “Dancers In Love.” Akina Kitazawa and Jesse Jones move together impressively, combining their dances with acrobatics that leave the audience stunned and applauding each time they take the stage.
Dancing with the Stars pros Damian Whitewood and Ekaterina Fedosova sizzle on stage as the Latin couple in battle number “Show Me What You Got,” with the cha-cha, samba, salsa and freestyle moves pulled straight from the hit TV show. But this time you’re not screaming at your television set — you are jaw dropping and cheering for them live.
The band, led by Robert Felstein, entertains the audience from a bandstand on-stage, not confined to the pit. Bassist Ross Kratter and trumpeter John Brierly also become part of the show, lending an instrument or a riff.
Simple, soft lighting is aesthetic gold, complementing the high-energy company. The dancers use the space expertly; there’s always something to look at while you enjoy the band. The set is simple: a bandstand framed by black and ivory piano keys, enhanced by set pieces that drop down to set the time period.
The music may be from the 1930s, but young and old audience members alike could be seen tapping their foot and itching to jive in their seats. Though someone sitting behind me scoffed at a lack of a plot, this reviewer begs to differ. Swing dancing is about trust, about partnering and about relationships. It is also embedded in history, as it took over Harlem and brought people of all races together in one dance hall, the Savoy.
“Swing!” is evidence that you don’t need many words to tell a story, and J. Morgan White summed the feeling up well in his bio: “To see us dance is to hear our hearts sing.”
And man, do these dancers’ hearts sing for “Swing!”
