Ahmanson Theatre Warren Adams and
Marielys Molina perform in the musical "Swing!,"
playing through Jan. 14 at the Ahmanson Theatre.
By Barbara McGuire
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Past decades come back to both haunt and spice up modern pop
culture, and though the latest fashion craze might be bringing back
the outrageous threads of the ’80s, the rebellious dance of
the ’30s and ’40s has returned to dominate the
stage.
“Swing!,” the latest musical production at the
Ahmanson Theatre, has swept, or rather swung, into town,
celebrating the dance as well as the popular big band music of the
swing era. Full of energy and non-stop action, the performance does
more than just present the ideas of the swing movement ““ it
actually transports the audience back in time.
Directed and choreographed by Lynne Taylor-Corben,
“Swing!” is true to its historic roots. From the
costumes to the music to the dancing, nothing seems out of place,
and even there is though no story line that stays throughout the
entire performance, the show progresses naturally from one scene to
the next.
The show’s plot, if it has one, can be considered a
progression of the swing movement. The performance opens with the
familiar number “Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t
Got That Swing)” that sets the mood for the energetic
evening. “Swing!” then moves on to numbers which
demonstrate the influence swing had on popular culture during World
War II.
Each piece, however, does not simply consist of a jazz band
pumping out tunes while couples dance on stage. Individual stories
are told within each scene.
For instance, in “Bli-Blip,” a number which consists
of more singing than dancing, a couple communicates beautifully,
not with words, but with various musical noises, much like
beat-boxing. Like much of the show, the mood of this scene soon
turns humorous when the woman begins to make the noises of a
wedding procession.
Throughout the evening, the audience is given a taste of more
than just the stereotypical idea of swing dancing. Though that
beloved traditional form is included in the performance, various
sub-genres of swing ““ such as Latin, West Coast, Hip Hop and
Country ““ are featured as well.
One of the most notable crowd pleasers is “Boogie Woogie
Country,” featuring a character who just doesn’t have a
clue how to dance, let alone how to swing. But the minute he puts
on another dancer’s cowboy hat, he is an instant
professional.
Grabbing a woman away from her partner, he proceeds to twist and
turn her in ways that seem like they could only be possible on ice
skates. The clueless dancer’s screaming fans in the audience
can be heard from the back of the theater throughout the
couple’s entire performance.
With such a young and infectious mood, well-known songs like
“Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” and “Sing, Sing,
Sing” are sure to be enormous hits with the crowd, both
because of the live band’s superb rendition and because of
the astonishing dancing.
Every dancer deserves praise for truly getting into the swing of
things and learning the traditional moves. There doesn’t seem
to be a moment of pause, even when the female dancers are thrown
high into the sky or through their partners’ legs.
Not every aspect of the performance remains true to
swing’s roots, but that doesn’t matter to the audience.
In the finale, two dancers connected to bungee cords swing down
from the ceiling to perform with a grounded male partner.
Playfully tweaking swing dancing with the addition of newer
technology proves successful, as the couples are able to take more
risks and pull off humorous as well as difficult moves. Especially
amazing is the way in which the two couples manage to remain
synchronized throughout the entire number, which is not an easy
task when two of the dancers are mostly controlled by their bungee
cords.
Such coordination is an integral part of “Swing!”
The dancers make it look easy as they all dish out the same moves
at the same time, although it is no doubt difficult. At times,
there are up to six couples on the stage at one time, performing in
perfect harmony.
The opening words of the performance proclaim that music
isn’t really music if it doesn’t have something
“sweet,” and “Swing!” manages to prove such
a claim. It might even inspire the audience to sign up for a dance
class or two.
THEATER: “Swing!” is playing at the
Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., in downtown Los Angeles,
through Jan. 14. Performances are Tues. through Sat. at 8 p.m.,
with additional 2 p.m. shows on Sat. and Sun. Ticket prices range
from $35 to $70 and can be purchased by calling (213) 628-2772 or
online at www.taperahmanson.com.