by
Tony Annicone
Little Rhody Entertainment Writer
Acting Up Theatre Company's first
show of their fifth season is "Swing" an all-singing,
all-dancing extravaganza. The show features over thirty
dance numbers containing all types of dances including
salsa, jazz, country, ballet and tango. Driving the
entire show is the dynamic sound of the eight piece
band. In addition to several original numbers the show
features classic swing tunes such as "Boogie Woogie
Bugle Boy", "Harlem Nocturne", "In The Mood", "All of
Me" and "It Don't Mean a Thing". 23 year old
director/producer Michael Gremo tackles this enormous
undertaking with ease, paying attention to every detail
in this show and choosing 14 multitalented performers to
fill these roles. He keeps the show high energy from
start to finish, keeping the audience entertained all
night long. He is aided by musical director Melanie
Guerin who taught the cast their musical numbers and
leads the wonderful sounding band while playing the
piano, too and by his two choreographers, Sarah Jane
Yurek and Jake Fisher who create the most magnificent
dances that keep you enthralled with their excellent
execution. Congratulations on a fantastic opening show
for their fifth year at the gorgeous Warner Theater at
Worcester Academy. ( The theatre built in 1947 is named
for the Warner Brothers who were alumni of the school
and looks like the theatre used in "Singing in the Rain"
film.).
The musical revue type of show is one
of the most difficult to put together but Michael and
his staff do it splendidly, mixing comic
and serious moments together perfectly. The dances are
too numerous to mention but a couple of them include a
comic nerd dance performed by Mike Katz and Lauren
Gemelli (he is dressed with horn-rimmed glasses,
high-water pants and an ill fitting jacket while she is
dressed in a Little Bo Peep outfit) and a lovely and
moving ballet performed to "I'll Be Seeing You" sung
gorgeously by Paula Markowicz and danced by Buddy Harold
and Lauren Gemelli. Paula gets to show off her
tremendous range with this ballad as well as several
scat songs and a powerful blues number called "Blues in
the Night" danced to by Buddy and Maggie Marino. The
other singers get their moments to shine, too. Don
Ringuette in "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy and Throw that
Girl Around, Douglas Lyons in "It Don't Mean a Thing"
and "I Got a girl in Kalamazoo" and Trina Vargas in "Hit
Me with a Hot Note" and "Cry Me a River". The fabulous
couples not previously mentioned are the Lindy Hop
Couple, Diana Lauring and Jake Fisher, the sexy Latin
couple, Maggie Marino and Ira Leighton, West Coast swing
couple, Kerri Rose Jenkins and Buddy Harold and the
western Swing couple, Katherine Horlitz and Matthew
Kossack. ( This show is dedicated to the memory of
Michael's sister, Erika who passed away in 2002.)
So for an energetic evening of
nonstop singing and dancing, be sure to catch "Swing" at
the beautiful Warner Theater in Worcester, MA before
time runs out. Acting Up Theatre Company's next show
will be "A Chorus Line'' next month and will certainly
have topnotch quality production values as witnessed in
"Swing". Be sure to get your tickets for both shows
before they sell out. Just tell them Tony sent you.
(Just wanted to add that this review is my 400th online
review. Time really flies when you are having fun.) .
SWING ( 7 - 24 July, 2005)
Acting Up Theatre Company
Warner Theater at Worcester Academy
81 Providence Street, Worcester, MA
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