An entertainment concept from days gone by is currently flourishing in Hampton.
The Grey Goose Restaurant is spicing-up its menu by serving delicacies called “Dinnertainment:” dinner and a show specifically chosen to play well to - and with - an audience. Earlier this year, diners were treated to Nunsense, a fine comedy designed to involve and entertain the audience. This past weekend, we experienced Swingtime Canteen, a popular stage show that recalls live radio broadcasts from the 1940’s.
The year is 1944. Marian Ames (Dana Clark Epstein), a vibrant but fading movie legend has been providing the entertainment at The Hollywood Canteen with her all-girl band: long-time movie stand-in Jo Sterling (Kathleen Walden) on the clarinet, a plumber turned piano player Topeka Abolelli (Tyneka Dunkin Flythe), skittish niece Katie Gammersflugle (Roxanne Whitmore Kohlman) on the bass, and the glamorous chorine Lilly McBain (Kristi Burroughs) on the drums. When the chance comes to entertain the troops in London, they jump at the chance and the audience joins their story on an evening when they are participating in a live radio broadcast.
During the show, the cast treated us to some of the great hits from the 40’s, including “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square”, “Sentimental Journey”, “Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive”, “How High the Moon”, and many others. Between songs, we followed the individual and collective stories of the ladies, culminating in a scare for all that served to pull them together. Throughout the show, the cast was moving about in the audience to enhance the feeling of “the canteen”. The dialogue was peppered with plenty of laughs and so were some of the songs. “His Rocking Horse Ran Away”, “Daddy”, the finale to “Don’t Fence Me In” had the audience laughing out loud.
The singing is the heart of the show, and it was very well-done. Every cast member is a legitimate soloist and their ensemble numbers were lovely. Their skill was amply demonstrated during the a capella numbers at the end of the show - songs that struck me as some of the best of the evening. The pre-recorded accompaniment for the show was enhanced by live performances from Randy Burt on the saxophone and actress Kathleen Walden on the clarinet. These instruments added a vibrance to the music that was a real plus.
Since this is a review of “Dinnertainment”, it would be incomplete without a few words about the food. Let’s start with those words: “Very Good!” The dinner menu consisted of an apetizer (two choices), entrée (three choices), dessert (three choices), and “soft” beverage. (Beer and wine are also available.) We sampled the Seafood Encrusted Flounder and Baked Meatloaf and enjoyed them both. The Brunswick Stew (a specialty) was our appetizer and was delicious. The service was friendly and efficient, keeping the program on schedule and never detracting from the performance. I was almost expecting a credit in the program for the well-choreographed wait staff.
Swingtime Canteen is not only well-suited to a restaurant setting, its story is a reminder of the days when this arrangement was the norm. In our age of high-tech home entertainment centers and sophisticated music players, it may be hard to remember the days when the only way to hear a band or vocalist in high-fidelity was to hear them “live”; when live musical entertainment was a necessity rather than a nice touch. We have a chance to return to that era with this show and it’s worth the journey.
Swingtime Canteen runs through September 26. To find out more, call 757-723-7978 or email The Grey Goose at thegreygoose@cox.net .
(This review was originally published on September 18, 2009 for Iron Street Productions.)
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