The All Night Strut
Performing at Broward Stage Door Theatre (Mar 23 - May 13)
Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Synopsis
‘Strut!’ stirs nostalgia at Stage Door
True, those Strut! theatergoers are getting up there. But plenty of them attend the Stage Door Theatre in Coral Springs, which has just opened its new production of the show. Judging from their applause and cheers, director-choreographer Dave Campbell and his singing-dancing quartet are delivering just their cup of nostalgia.
Conceived by Fran Charnas, the show is pure song-and-dance. There is no loose story, just songs about romance, deprivation, partying, courage, longing and more. Each set of lyrics creates its own world, suggesting the ache of sweethearts separated by war, Depression-era desperation, the enduring power of love.
Selling Strut! requires performers whose voices blend beautifully. They also need to shine on solos and handle dance styles ranging from swing to tap to Latin. The Stage Door cast fills all those bills, strutting and singing confidently alongside a three-piece onstage band led by musical director David Nagy.
Rose Kathryn Ouellette is the fun-loving soprano, a beaming blond who radiates joy. Danielle Famble is the alto, a sometimes-sultry gal who also has spirit, particularly as she leads the “choir” on the song Operator. Tenor Matthew Varelia delivers a lovely As Time Goes By. And first among equals is baritone Christopher George Patterson, who contributed to the choreography, dances like a dream and alters his persona to suit the song, finding all the need and irony in Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? and the bad-boy come-on in Ain’t Misbehavin’.
Tim Webb’s tiny set seems barely big enough to walk on, let alone dance on, but Campbell has the quartet hoofing all over it, even doing impressive swing-dance flips that would send a coordination-challenge actor flying into the wings.
Certainly, The All-Night Strut! isn’t for everyone. It’s tuneful and nostalgic, and if you’re in the mood for some musical time-traveling, by all means check out the Stage Door’s sassy Strut!.
Swing's the Thing! And nowhere more than in this classy, sassy musical celebration of the 1930's and 1940's. From the funky jive of Harlem to the sophisticated elegance of El Morocco and the romance of Stage Door Canteen, this is an evening filled with jazz, blues, be-bop and classic song standards that thrill the heart, tickle the funny bone, and raise the rafters. With legendary songwriters as H Frank Loesser, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Cab Calloway & the Gershwins.