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The CM Performing Arts Center in Oakdale kicks off its production of the popular Broadway musical “Swing!” this weekend inside the Noel S. Ruiz Theatre.
Combining dancing, singing and acrobatics, the high energy show premieres Saturday, Sept. 7, with performances running through Sept. 28. Click here to purchase tickets.
“It’s going to be a visually beautiful show,” the revue’s director and choreographer Ashley Nicastro said. “Between the music and the
dancing — and the big band playing in front of you — you feel like you’re in a dance club.
“I have a feeling the audience is just going to want to get up and dance,” she added.
Swing! is an original Broadway production nominated for the 2000 Tony Award for Best Musical. Celebrating the music of Swing era jazz in the 1930s and early 1940s, the production showcases the music of such famed artists as the Andrew Sisters (“Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”), Glenn Miller (“In the Mood”) and Duke Ellington (“It Don’t Mean a Thing”).
The story is told entirely through music and dance, with no dialogue.
“It’s really remarkable to see,” Nicastro said. “It feels like you are being transported back in time — to the World War II era. “
The hand-picked cast of eight dancers and five singers started rehearsing in June for a show that features 30 musical numbers.
Nicastro expects the performances will appeal to a wide range of ages.
“It will definitely appeal to an older audience because of the music in general. It’s the Andrew Sisters. It’s Duke Ellington. It’s Glenn Miller,” she said. “But it will also appeal to a younger crowd because of the dancing and because of the talent we have. There are so many tricks and lifts in almost every single dance.”
Tickets for Swing! run from $16 to $42. The show schedule includes four Saturday evening performances, three on Friday nights, three on Sunday afternoon and two on Wednesday nights.
The CM Performing Arts Center is located at 931 Montauk Highway in Oakdale, inside the Lighthouse Commons shopping plaza.
