The Brown County Playhouse opens their 2009 season with "The All Night Strut!" Eight young singer dancers from the IU's Musical Theatre program act, sing and dance their way through songs and dances from the 30s and 40s.
George Walker talked with Mandy Striph and William Angulo from the production. Striph talked briefly about the place of the music in our world. "You know, some of the things, the tough times that the music reflects from the 30s are with us now. History does kind of repeat itself. It's good to have these songs that talk about the challenges, also the hope and the courage of people."
Striph is particularly happy about a hopeful song from WW II that she'll sing. "When I told my grandmother that I'd be singing "There'll be bluebirds over the white cliffs of Dover," she told me that it was the song that was playing the first time she was ever kissed."
William Angulo is a choreographer as well and an actor. "We've got just about every kind of dance that you can think of in "All Night Strut!" from the time. There are simple touch patterns, swing dance, jitterbug and even a bit of a cha-cha." Angulo also wanted to talk about the themes. "All of what Mandy said is true, but you have to remember that this is music that people listened to, danced to and sang when they just wanted to have a good time."