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New York, NY

Swing!

By Jeffrey Lyons

New York, Dec. 10 – This is shaping up as a sensational Broadway season. There’s Kat and the Kings, Kiss Me Kate and the soon-to-open Amadeus revival and Lauren Bacall in a Noel Coward play. Swing, which arrived at the St. James theater, figures to be another hit. The evening works so well because while it doesn’t presuppose a knowledge of swing music, if you do know songs like "Caravan," "I’ll Be Seeing You" and "In The Mood," so much the better.

Ann Hampton Callaway is one of the few non-dancers in the show, who explains to the audience that it all started at the Savoy up in Harlem. Laura Benanti is another warbler (though she dances a bit more) who croons "Cry Me A River" to her favorite musical instrument. Everett Bradley sings the old Andrews Sisters’ standard, which Bette Midler introduced to today’s kids. But the evening really belongs to the dancers, some of the best swing and jitterbug dancers Broadway has ever seen.

Parents and especially grandparents should take kids to see this show, since they might otherwise never get the chance to hear some of the best music of the century. Carol Bentley heads a tireless group of dancers, and she’s the most athletic and graceful dancer to hit Broadway since Anne Reinking. So swing on over to the St. James for 2 hours of joy.

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