Storm clouds gathered as I approached Club Morocco on a recent Friday night. The handsome, slick-haired doorman looked me in the eye and greeted me as I entered. (He didn't scare me.) A sexy cocktail waitress offered to get me a drink. (I declined.) And moments later, a formerly dead private detective returned from the grave.
Not really. But Frank McCann's unexpected reappearance and the mystery surrounding it drive the plot of "Club Morocco," a 1940s-era swing-music musical that's making its toe-tapping Michigan debut at The Encore Musical Theatre in Dexter. And to be totally frank – pun intended, of course – it's the best effort yet from this young and still-developing Washtenaw County theater company.
As the rain poured outside, the pitter-patter on the roof only embellished the storm that brewed inside. At first unaware of the long-missing PI's visit, club emcee Bobby LaRue (Steve DeBruyne) welcomed the crowd, while Chick Valentine (Tony D. Owens Jr.) and his Swing Street All-Stars filled the dance hall with the glorious sounds of Cab Calloway, Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw and Tommy Dorsey.
But lurking in the shadows was McCann (Paul Kerr), who came back to the spot where "life would begin again or end again." Believed dead by his girlfriend and nightclub singer Nugget Rialto (Jessica Grove), his former lover and headliner Velvet St. Regis (Barbara Coven), and club owner Torch Tangier (Tim Henning) who may or may not have had something to do with his disappearance five years earlier, McCann's startling resurrection would soon disrupt the evening's otherwise pleasant atmosphere.
Co-created by director/choreographer Barbara F. Cullen and Jon Huffman, "Club Morocco" is a "film-noir spoof" that celebrates some of the most beautiful music of the 20th century. But while the concept might appear structurally similar to such popular hits as "Mamma Mia" and "Movin' Out," Cullen and Huffman's creation boasts one very significant difference: The music isn't lamely shoehorned into the plot.
Instead,
the story unfolds in a 1940's nightclub, where amidst gangsters and gumshoes approximately two-dozen tunes are given life by a superb ensemble of musicians and performers. It's a thoroughly entertaining concept made even more so by one ingenious addition: At certain times throughout the show, the audience is invited to the dance floor to join the fun.
And on opening night, that's exactly what they did. With very little coaxing, the dance floor quickly filled with a father and his lovely daughter, young couples in love and seasoned citizens who glowed in the recollections of earlier times. (There was also a rather inebriated fellow – seated in front of me, of course – who not only danced with strangers, but also wandered about the stage at inappropriate times.)
The performances of DeBruyne, Owens, Grove, Coven, Grove and Kerr are all first rate. But special kudos go to the energetic singers and dancers who almost steal the show. From the moment they first appear, the chorus explodes into a frenzy of movement and song, and all of them remember the cardinal rule so many chorus members often forget: Look up, not at each other, smile and have fun!
Also able to strut her stuff is choreographer Cullen, who for once doesn't have to marshal dozens of troops across the Encore's small stage. (Daniel C. Walker's set design – built up rather than out – helps as well.) And if costumer Colleen E. Meyer didn't bust the bank with the form-fitting, glittery, feathery and shiny costumes for Grove and Coven, she deserves a bonus.
So too does music director Tyler Driskill and his team for their fine contributions to the show. (They're fun to watch as well!)
REVIEW:
'Club Morocco'
The Encore Musical Theatre, 3126 Broad St., Dexter. Thursday-Sunday through June 20. $28. 734-268-6200. http://theencoretheatre.org
