Review: ALL NIGHT STRUT! A JUMPIN' JIVIN' JAM Will Have You Singing and Tapping Along

All Night Strut! A Jumpin' Jivin' Jam opened at the Omaha Community Playhouse this past weekend and is running through March 30^th, 2013 and is ready to take you back in time for a music and dance extravaganza. The cast of All Night Strut! A Jumpin' Jivin' Jam is made up of four phenomenal vocalists, a fantastic band and an ensemble of incredible dancers who also sing. This cast is by far one of the greatest that I have seen at The Playhouse, they harmonize well, they stay together and they have a great chemistry.

The show will take you back to an era filled with true musicians and vocalists, an era before auto tune and lip synching, an era where talent was something to be proud of. Director Susan Baer Collins did a wonderful job at captivating the audience and drawing them into this era, you truly felt like you were watching a show from the 30's or 40's. It was sassy and fun, infused with jazz and hip hop. There truly was an enormous amount of energy filling this auditorium and that energy was contagious.

Erika Hall (Singer) was fantastic! Her voice had the audience roaring with applause when she sang "Operator". By far, my favorite of the evening, if you aren't blown away by this number, you have no business in musical theatre. This is the second time that I have seen Hall at The Playhouse and the second time I have been impressed by her performance. The first time I saw her was alongside Susan Baer Collins in "August: Osage County", talk about a multi-dimensional artist. I look forward to seeing what she gets involved with next.

Camille Metoyer Moten (Singer) was breath-taking! With a voice as wonderful as hers, you won't want her to stop singing. Moten will leave you wanting more after many numbers as her voice is so refreshinG. Hall and Moten are completely different when it comes to their voices, but they are both so talented and will have you applauding after every number. I am excited to see what Moten does in the future and will definitely be keeping an eye out for her name.

Joe Dignoti and Joseph T. O'Connor (Singers) were charming and both have wonderful voices that they brought to every number! O'Connor really impressed me when he sang "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square", reminding me very much of the original by Frank Sinatra. Dignoti really shined alongside Moten in "Dream/As Time Goes By", when those two were on stage together, you didn't want their number to end. They have a great chemistry and you can really feel their passion behind each song that they sing, they really connect with the vocal making for an outstanding performance, each and every time.

You can't go see this show and not mention the choreography and the ensemble that has to perform it. First and foremost, I'd like to give props to the Choreographer, Roxanne Nielsen; your choreography for this show was mind blowing! The ensemble, who danced the night away and many of them had singing bits by far work harder than anyone else on stage, they are all over the stage with at least a dozen costume changes. My favorite dance number was by far the tap routine to "Lullaby of Broadway" which closed out Act I. I commend them on their hard work; it really does make this show! Lastly, I'd like to mention the band, they are truly amazing, though at times somewhat overpowering making it hard to hear the vocalists, they were wonderful.

Overall, this show was something very different than the normal night at the theatre. There are definitely sections of the show that are slower, but those are made up for by the sections that are so upbeat and fun! I recommend this show to anyone who loves the 1930's and 1940's style of music and anyone who is looking to enjoy some fun dance numbers and some great vocalists. For more information, or for tickets, please contact the Omaha Community Playhouse Box Office by calling (402) 553-0800 or online at www.OmahaPlayhouse.org or www.ticketomaha.com. Single tickets are $40 for adults, $24 for students. Group tickets are $29 for adults, $18 for students.

Photo Credit - Omaha Community Playhouse.

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