Swing (Broadway)

Swing! (Broadway)

The dance review SWING! opened at the St. James Theatre on Broadway on December 9, 1999 and closed on January 14, 2001 after 43 previews and 461 performances.

Produced by Marc Routh, Richard Frankel, Steven Baruch, Thomas ViertelLorie Cowen Levy, Stanley Shopkorn and Jujamcyn Theaters (James H. Binger: Chairman; Rocco Landesman: President; Paul Libin: Producing Director; Jack Viertel: Creative Director); Produced in association with BB Promotion, Dede Harris, Jeslo Productions, Libby Adler Mages, Mari Glick, Douglas L. Meyer, James D. Stern, PACE Theatrical Group, Inc.and SFX Entertainment, Inc.; Associate Producer: TV Asahi, Hankyu Group, Mars Theatrical Productions and Judith Marinoff

Conceived by Paul Kelly; Directed & Choreographed by Lynne Taylor-Corbett; Production Supervised by Jerry Zaks; Scenic Design by Thomas Lynch; Costume Design by William Ivey Long; Lighting Design by Kenneth Posner; Sound Design by Peter Fitzgerald; Music orchestrated by Harold Wheeler; Musical Director: Jonathan Smith; Music arranged by Everett Bradley, Ann Hampton Callaway, Jon C. Cowherd, Yaron Gershovsky, Ian Herman, Casey MacGill, Michael Rafter, Jonathan Smith and Jeanine Tesori.

Starring Laureen Baldovi, Laura Benanti, Kristine Bendul, Carol Bentley, Everett Bradley, Ann Hampton Callaway, Caitlin Carter, Geralyn Del Corso, Desirée Duarte, Beverly Durand, Erin East, Scott Fowler, Ryan Francois, Kevin Michael Gaudin, Edgar Godineaux, Aldrin Gonzalez, Michael Gruber, Janine LaManna, Keith LaMelle Thomas, Casey MacGill, Rod McCune, C. Montgomery, Arte Phillips, Robert Royston, Carlos Sierra-López, Jenny Thomas and Maria Torres.

Swings: Kristine Bendul, Desirée Duarte, Erin East, Kevin Michael Gaudin and Rod McCune.

Standby: Janine LaManna, J. C. Montgomery and Arte Phillips.

Replacement Cast: Quinn M. Bass, Jeb Bounds, Sarah Jane Nelson, Erik Robison, Jennifer Shrader, Sylvia Skylar, Dana Solimando.

Replacement Swings: Mark Arvin, Stacia Fernandez, Rachel Lafer, Lorin Latarro, Holly Raye, Jermaine R. Rembert, Jonathan Stahl and Derrick Williams.

Associate Choreographer: Ryan Francois, Scott Fowler and Rod McCune; Assistant Lighting Design: Jeff Nellis and Michael Jones; Associate Costume Design: Jennifer Arnold and Christine Field; Assistant Costume Design: Robert J. Martin and Melissa Schlachtmeyer; Associate Sound Design: Janet Smith; Associate Lighting Design: Martin Vreeland.

General Manager: Richard Frankel Productions and Joe Watson; Company Manager: Kim Sellon

Production Manager: Peter Fulbright; Production Stage Manager: Karen Armstrong; Stage Manager: Tripp Phillips; Assistant Stage Manager: Donna A. Drake later replaced by John Hunter; Technical Supervisor: Tech Production Services, Inc., Elliot Bertoni & Eric Hansen and Aerial Flying by Antigravity, Inc.

Casting: Carol Hanzel & Associates; West Coast Casting Director: Pamela Cooper; Casting Consultant: Johnson-Liff Associates; Press Representative: Helene Davis Publicity; Dance Captain: Rod McCune; Advertising: Serino Coyne, Inc.; Marketing: TMG Marketing & Publicity and The Walton Group; Online Marketing by Toby Simkin / BuyBroadway Online Inc.; Rehearsal Assistant to Mr. Zaks: Marc Bruni; Promotions: Keith Hurd.

Musical Supervisor: Michael Rafter; Musical Coordinator: John Miller; Band: The Gotham City Gates; Conducted by Jonathan Smith; Associate Conductor: Douglas Oberhamer; Piano/Keyboard: Jonathan Smith; Guitars: Dan Hovey; Bass: Conrad Korsch; Drums/Percussion: Scott Neumann; Woodwinds: Matt Hong; Trumpet: Douglas Oberhamer; Trombone: Steve Armour; Music Preparation: Emily Grishman Music Preparation

Featuring songs by Duke Ellington (“It Don’t Mean A Thing…,” “Jersey Bounce,” “Hit Me With a Hot Note…,” “Bli-Blip,” “Caravan” and “Dancers in Love” ), Irving Mills (“It Don’t Mean A Thing…” ), Benny Goodman (“Air Mail Special” and “Stompin’ at the Savoy”), James R. Mundy (“Air Mail Special”), Charles Christian (“Air Mail Special”), B. Plater (“Jersey Bounce”), T. Bradshaw (“Jersey Bounce”), B. Feyhe (“Jersey Bounce”), Don George (“Opus One” and “Hit Me With a Hot Note…”), Johnny Hodges (“Opus One”), Harry James (“Opus One”), Count Basie (“Jumpin’ at the Woodside” and “Shout and Feel It” ), Don Raye (“Bounce Me Brother…” and “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” ), Hughie Prince (“Bounce Me Brother…” and “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” ), Ann Hampton Callaway (“Two and Four”), Casey MacGill (“Rhythm,” “Kitchen Mechanics’ Night Out” and “I’m Gonna Love You Tonight”), Everett Bradley(“Throw That Girl Around” and “Show Me What You Got”), Ilene Reid (“Throw That Girl Around” ), Jonathan Smith(“Show Me What You Got,” “Kitchen Mechanics’ Night Out” and “Boogie Woogie Country”), Sid Kuller (“Bli-Blip”),Hoagy Carmichael (“Billy-A-Dick”), Paul Francis Webster (“Billy-A-Dick”), Earl Hagen (“Harlem Nocturne”), Lynne Taylor-Corbett (“Kitchen Mechanics’ Night Out”), Paul Kelly (“Kitchen Mechanics’ Night Out”), Johnny Mercer (“GI Jive” and “Blues in the Night”), Edgar DeLange (“A String of Pearls”), Jerry Gray (“A String of Pearls”), Mack Gordon (“I’ve Got a Girl in Kalamazoo”), Harry Warren (“I’ve Got a Girl in Kalamazoo”), Mack David(“Candy”), Joan Whitney (“Candy”), Alex J. Kramer (“Candy”), Jack Murphy (“I’m Gonna Love You Tonight” and “Boogie Woogie Country”), Sammy Fain (“I’ll Be Seeing You”), Irving Kahal (“I’ll Be Seeing You”), Joe Garland (“In the Mood”), Lew Brown (“Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree”), Sam H. Stept (“Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree”), Charlie Tobias (“Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree”), Walter Bishop (“Swing, Brother, Swing”), Lewis Raymond (“Swing, Brother, Swing”), Clarence Williams (“Swing, Brother, Swing”), Juan Tizol (“Caravan”), Arthur Hamilton (“Cry Me A River”), Harold Arlen (“Blues in the Night”), Bob Wills (“Take Me Back to Tulsa” and “Stay a Little Longer”), Tommy Duncan (“Take Me Back to Tulsa” and “Stay a Little Longer”), Seymour Simons (“All of Me”), Gerald Marks(“All of Me”), Dorothy Fields (“I Won’t Dance”), Otto A. Harbach (“I Won’t Dance”), Jimmy McHugh (“I Won’t Dance”), Jerome Kern (“I Won’t Dance”), Oscar Hammerstein II (“I Won’t Dance”), Bill Elliott (“Bill’s Bounce”), Edgar Sampson (“Stompin’ at the Savoy”), Chick Webb (“Stompin’ at the Savoy”), Andy Razaf (“Stompin’ at the Savoy”), Michael Heitzman, E. Johnson, Louis Prima and Leon Berry; Additional lyrics by Ann Hampton Callaway (“Bli-Blip,” “All of Me,” “I Won’t Dance” and “Stompin’ at the Savoy” ), Seán Martin Hingston (“Billy-A-Dick”) and Lynne Taylor-Corbett (“I’m Gonna Love You Tonight”)

The Broadway theatre supersite Buy Broadway OnlineAs Founder and CEO of Theatre.com and BuyBroadway.com.  The pioneer in moving the Broadway industry onto the internet. The theatre press branded me as “Toby is the man pushing theatre, kicking and screaming, into cyberspace.” What started in 1989 as a Broadway industry service called ShowCall via dialup BBS for members of the League of American Theatre Producers evolved onto the world wide web in the early 90’s, and shortly after this, the vast majority of Broadway shows (starting with my production of Victor/Victoria) and theatrical organizations followed. The “Super site of Broadway” became a publicly traded company, prior to my re-branding it as Theatre.com at the Minskoff Theatre.

The global theater supersite theatre.comDescribed by Variety Magazine as a “marketing powerhouse“, it was the single largest theatre community in the world with over 180,000 active members (in the 1990’s this was massive). From buying official Broadway tickets and souvenirs, providing detailed global show listings, interactive show study & educational guides, live streaming shows and events (including many Opening Nights live broadcasts), industry news from major theatre journalists, pictures and videos, games, messaging directly to Broadway cast’s backstage or even licensing a musical, theatre.com offered it all in a single, easy-to-use interface to theatregoers globally.

SWING! Broadway

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Musical Numbers

Act One:

“It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” (lyric by Irving Mills, music by Duke Ellington) (Casey MacGill and The Gotham City Gates); “Air Mail Special” (lyric and music by Benny Goodman, James R. Mundy, and Charlies Christian)/“Jersey Bounce” (lyric by Buddy Feyhe, music by Bobby Plater, Tiny Bradshaw, Eddie Johnson, and Duke Ellington)/“Opus One” (lyric and music by Don George, J. Hodges, and Harry James) (Company); “Jumpin’ at the Woodside” (music by William “Count” Basie) (choreography by Ryan Francois and Jenny Thomas) (Ryan Francois, Jenny Thomas, Company); “Bounce Me Brother (with a Solid Four)” (1941 film Buck Privates; lyric and music by Don Raye and Hughie Prince) (Ann Hampton Callaway, Company; Trumpet: Douglas Oberhamer); “Two and Four” (lyric and music by Ann Hampton Callaway) (Laura Benanti, Casey MacGill and The Gotham City Gates); “Hit Me with a Hot Note (and Watch Me Bounce)” (lyric by Don George, music by Duke Ellington) (Laura Benanti, Casey MacGill and The Gotham City Gates); “Rhythm” (music by Casey MacGill) (Casey MacGill, Michael Gruber, Company); “Throw That Girl Around” (lyric and music by Everett Bradley, Ilene Reid, and Michael Heitzman)/”Show Me What You’ve Got” (lyric and music by Everett Bradley and Jonathan Smith) (Everett Bradley; West Coast Swing Couple: Beverly Durand and Aldrin Gonzalez; Latin Swing Couple: Carlos Sierra-Lopez and Maria Torres; Company); “Bli-Blip” (1941 revue Jump for Joy [closed during pre-Broadway tryout]; lyric by Sid Kuller, music by Duke Ellington) (Ann Hampton Callaway, Everett Bradley); “Billy-A-Dick” (lyric by Paul Francis Webster, music by Hoagy Carmichael; additional lyric by Sean Martin Hingston) (Michael Gruber, Company); “Harlem Nocturne” (music by Earle H. Hagen and Dick Rogers) (Caitlin Carter, Conrad Korsch); “Kitchen Mechanics’ Night Out” (lyric and music by Casey MacGill, Jonathan Smith, Lynne Taylor-Corbett, and Paul Kelly) (Casey MacGill, Ryan Francois, Jenny Thomas, Company); “Shout It and Feel It” (lyric and music by William “Count” Basie) (choreography by Ryan Francois and Jenny Thomas) (Ryan Francois, Jenny Thomas); “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy (of Company ‘B’”) (1941 film Buck Privates; lyric and music by Don Raye and Hughie Prince) (Everett Bradley, Keith Lamelle Thomas, Edgar Godineaux; Trumpet: Douglas Oberhamer; Woodwinds: Lance Bryant and Matt Hong); The USO—“G.I. Jive” (lyric and music by Johnny Mercer) (Laura Benanti, Geralyn Del Corso, and Caitlin Carter); “A String of Pearls” (lyric by Eddie DeLange, music by Jerry Gray)/“I Got a Gal in Kalamazoo” (1942 film Orchestra Wives; lyric by Mack Gordon, music by Harry Warren)/“Candy” (lyric by Mack David, Joan Whitney, music by Alex C. Kramer) (Laura Benanti with Aldrin Gonzalez, Keith Lamelle Thomas, Michael Gruber, Company); “I’m Gonna Love You Tonight” (lyric and music by Casey MacGill and Jack Murphy; additional lyric by Lynn Taylor-Corbett) (Laura Benanti, Michael Gruber, Company; “I’ll Be Seeing You” (Right This Way, 1938; lyric by Irving Kahal, music by Sammy Fain) (Ann Hampton Callaway, Scott Fowler, Carol Bentley, Company); “In the Mood” (lyric and music by Joe Garland) and “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree” (lyric by Lew Brown and Charles Tobias, music by Sam H. Stept) (Company)

Act Two:

Entr’acte/“Swing, Brother, Swing” (lyric and music by Walter Bishop, Lewis Raymond, and Clarence Williams) (choreography by Scott Fowler) (Scott Fowler, Ann Hampton Callaway, Laura Benanti, Everett Bradley, Michael Gruber, Casey MacGill, Company); “Caravan” (lyric by Irving Mills, music by Duke Ellington and Juan Tizol) (The Gotham City Gates); “Dancers in Love” (music by Duke Ellington) (Geralyn Del Corso, Keith Lamelle Thomas); “Cry Me a River” (lyric and music by Arthur Hamilton) (Laura Benanti, Steve Armour); “Blues in the Night” (1941 film Blues in the Night; lyric by Johnny Mercer, music by Harold Arlen) (Ann Hampton Callaway, Caitlin Carter, Edgar Godineaux); “Take Me Back to Tulsa”/“Stay a Little Longer” (lyric and music by James Robert Wills and Tommy Duncan) (Everett Bradley, Michael Gruber, Casey MacGill, Company); “Boogie Woogie Country” (lyric and music by Jack Murphy and Jonathan Smith) (choreography by Robert Royston and Laureen Baldova) (Robert Royston, Laureen Baldova, Company); “All of Me” (lyric by Seymour Simons, music by Gerald Marks)/“I Won’t Dance” (1935 film Roberta; lyric by Oscar Hammerstein II, music by Jerome Kern; additional lyric by Ann Hampton Callaway) (Everett Bradley, Ann Hampton Callaway); “Bill’s Bounce” (music by Bill Elliott) (Adrin Gonzalez, Scott Fowler, Beverly Durand, and Carol Bentley); “Stompin’ at the Savoy” (lyric by Andy Razaf, music by Benny Goodman, Edgar M. Sampson, and Chick Webb; additional lyric by Ann Hampton Callaway) (Ann Hampton Callaway); Finale: “Swing, Brother, Swing” (reprise)/“Sing, Sing, Sing” (lyric and music by Louis Prima)/“It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” (reprise) (lindy choreography by Ryan Francois) (Company); Note: The program also mentioned that the revue included “additional musical quotations” from “It Had to Be You” (lyric by Gus Kahn, music by Isham Jones) and “The Jumpin’ Jive” (aka “Hep! Hep!”) (lyric and music by Cab Calloway, Frank Froeba, and Jack Palmer).

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