Before the spotlight shines and the band begins to play, a steam train whistle breaks the silent dark of the Portland Stage theater.
Then the piano rolls and the four singers in “The All Night Strut,” a joint Maine State Music Theatre and Theater of Maine production, jump into their opening song, “Chattanooga Choo Choo,” to drive the audience through the 1920s, ’30s, and ’40s to that idyllic place: nostalgia.
“The All Night Strut,” conceived by Fran Charnas and first performed off Broadway in 1979, contains many American standards found on a Spotify swing station: “In the Mood,” “Shoo Shoo Baby” and “Ain’t Misbehavin’” with torch songs such as “I’ll Be Seeing You” and “As Time Goes By” mixed in to vary the pace.
More musical revue than musical theater, there is no story arc, per se, but each song or medley has its own narrative, with choreography by Buddy Reeder, props designed by Ivy Thomas, lighting by Gregg Carville, and period costumes by Kathleen P. Brown to create the screwball humor of Prohibition-era song “Crazy Rhythm” or drive home the effect war had on women in “Rosie the Riveter.”
The strength of this show rests on its performers. While nearly all the songs will be familiar to the target audience, some of the arrangements and musical choices, notably alto Esther Stilwell leading “Minnie the Moocher” with gusto, bring a thoroughly modern spin on the classics.
Rounding out the quartet are baritone Bryant Martin, tenor Curt Dale Clark and soprano Missy Dowse bringing the swing to stage. They play couples who flirt and fight to comic effect and they each get a notable solo. Martin could have had the audience empty their pockets of all but tissues with his haunting rendition of “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”
Equally impressive is pianist Edward Reichert who also served as conductor to the onstage band consisting of Kinnon Church on upright bass and Jake Smith on drums.
With minimal set design and only one costume change, the music is the heart of the show. The only thing missing from the production is an authentic Savoy Ballroom experience for the theater goers. This type of show deserves a vintage cocktail or two while experiencing and the chance to dance cheek to cheek with a hot date after.
“The All Night Strut,” produced by Maine State Music Theatre in partnership with The Portland Stage Company, continues in Portland through Sept. 10. For tickets, go to portlandstage.org or call the Portland Stage box office at 774-0465.