Nostalgia cuts the rug

COURTESY PHOTO Swing! is all about dance in an era before Rock and Roll. Dance lessons were offered after the showing of "Swing!" I attended recently but I was so overwhelmed by the talent of those onstage that I just sat back and watched - not wanting to deliver any toe-crunching to the able pros. Luckily, there was a bit of a dance lesson in the play where the idea of a backbeat was emphasized to the audience. Apparently, moving to the "2" and the "4" is where it all begins. After that I couldn't tell you.

Whether you can dance or not, you can appreciate the beauty of the art form on the stage of the Broadway Palm Dinner Theater. And, although there is not a running plot to this play, the mini-dramas offer added entertainment as the powers of dance and music are attested to. Yes, so potent is the healing spell of these forces that even a nasty shot to a prancing janitor's crotch by a broom handle could not stop that performer from being swept away to the throbbing vibrations of the swing era of jazz which at one time was a major threat to the WASP establishment's notion of safety in stilted syncopation.

"Swing!" pays tribute to the American sounds of the Depression and World War II. It was an era where people actually dressed well in the nightclub scenes where the jazzy octet "The Stingers" repeatedly hammered out one great number after the next. That added flair to the romance and excitement of the scenes which often portray variations on the theme dance most associated with: courtship. A series of military dances, cabaret occasions and first dates sung in the universal language of wordless intonation followed. Serious terpsichorean titillation that should not be passed up by the nostalgic or aficionados of the big brassy jazz sound.

These are a limber and wiry bunch and the spread eagles grin from ear to ear while the men work women like Bruce Lee with nunchucks. Appropriately, this partner-manipulating legerdemain occurred to such songs as "Throw That Girl Around." And it was in such phantasmagorical displays of acrobatic physicality that the edge of this play really cuts deeply. The past not only comes alive but is more alive than I'd ever be without throwing my back out in a major way.

Though I was not available to see this play when it was first staged, I was satisfied that my viewing was faithful to the original conception that won this play several Tony award nominations and other kudos. Kenny Shephard and Carol Worcel's choreography delivers. Furthermore, moments of humor delved from the twists and turns in the courtship ritual and some pathos in the form of romantic disappointments give this play added dimension.

It's not difficult to say this play could take a role in boosting a courtship you are pursuing, tune up your musical appreciation or wax your nostalgic fancy. Get into the "Swing!" of things or face the possibility of being perpetually in denial about your two left feet. If you go >>What: "Swing!" >>Where: Broadway Palm Dinner Theater, 1380 Colonial Blvd. >>When: Wednesday to Sunday evenings 8 p.m. (dinner starts at 6 p.m.) >>Admission: $25 for theater only, $50 for café/theater >>Information: Phone (239)-278-4422, www.BroadwayPalm.com