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It don't mean a thing, but boy does it swingBy JOHN FLEMING, Times Performing Arts Critic© St. Petersburg Times published February 17, 2002 CLEARWATER -- Swing! is basically an excuse for putting on a show. There's no story and only the flimsiest characterization: a briefcase-toting guy in a business suit who wants to have fun. The score is made up entirely of dance-band standards including In the Mood, Stompin' at the Savoy and Blues in the Night. But thanks to terrific high-energy dancers and a crack eight-piece band, the national tour had the audience standing and cheering after Friday night's performance at Ruth Eckerd Hall. The swing dance revival has been kicking around for a while, with bands such as the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Cherry Poppin' Daddies and the Brian Setzer Orchestra enjoying varying degrees of popularity. But whether virtually nonstop swing dance can sustain interest over the course of a two-hour musical is no sure thing. For the most part, Swing! succeeds in delivering a fun time, especially when the company blasts off in killer dances such as It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing). But some emotional dimension appears to be lost amid the flash and dazzle of Lori Steinberg's staging. One problem is lackluster singing. The principal singers range from pretty good (Clarolyn Maier and Erin Davie) to adequate (Chris Boyd) to pretty bad (Charles Statham). Without stylish, compelling vocalists, the show misses a chance to linger on deeply nostalgic songs such as Maier's rendition of I'll Be Seeing You, the wartime hit for Bing Crosby and Tommy Dorsey, in order to rush on to the next splashy dance number. More effective is a witty scat number, Bli-Blip, by Maier and Statham, lost for words on a date. The variety of dancing is amazing, from jitterbug to Texas two-step, but the heart and soul of the choreography (by Lynne Taylor-Corbett on Broadway and recreated for the tour by Kim Craven) is the Lindy Hop. That old standby from the ballrooms of the 1930s and '40s is given a spectacular ride by Julee Mertz and Mark Eckstein, both in fire-engine red outfits, in Kitchen Mechanics' Night Out. A lot of the dance is wildly acrobatic, such as a battle between West Coast and Latin Swing in which Adealani Malia is tossed and spun all over the stage by her partner, Robert Bottoms, in Throw That Girl Around. Later, Malia flies high again in a bungee number, Bill's Bounce. Michelle Marmolejo, poured into a body suit, is the sultry soloist in Harlem Nocturne, playing the genie within the double bass of Greg Fiellin, one of several band members who get into the act to share numbers with dancers or singers. Marshall Gilkes' "talking" muted trombone has a sexy duet with Davie in Cry Me a River. Led by Doug Oberhamer at the piano, the band really cooks on its own, with a string of jazzy solos in Caravan. ReviewSwing! has performances at 2 and 7 p.m. today at Ruth Eckerd Hall. Tickets: $30-$40. (727) 791-7400.
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