Swing Era rekindled: Bob Brown directs ‘All Night Strut’ at Redhouse

By Russ Tarby

Contributing Writer

Local radio personality and theatrical icon Bob Brown is married to actress Cathleen O’Brien, one of the most talented vocalists in Syracuse.

He and she will celebrate the Great American Songbook in a show called “The All Night Strut,” closing out the Redhouse’s 2018-19 season May 30 through June 9, at the Redhouse Arts Center’s new home at 400 S. Salina St.

The production, directed by Bob Brown, will be staged in partnership with CNY Jazz Central, which will provide the pit band

“The All Night Strut,” conceived and originally directed by Fran Charnas with musical arrangements by Tom Fitt, Gil Lieb and Dick Schermesser, promises a high-energy evening of music and choreography. The material ranges from from the funky jive of Harlem to the romance of the “Stage Door Canteen,” filled with jazz, blues, bebop and standards by legends like Hoagy Carmichael, Frank Loesser, Duke Ellington and the Gershwins.

The show takes audiences through the Great Depression, World War II and the post-war boom in a two-act musical celebrating the unforgettable classics of 1930s and ’40s.

Featured tunes include “In the Mood,” “Crazy Rhythm,” “Hit That Jive, Jack,” “I’ll Be Seeing You” and “It Don’t Mean a Thing if it Ain’t Got That Swing.”

Besides Brown and O’Brien, “The All Night Strut” showcases performers Ayana Major Bey, Richard Koons, LaRon Grant. Choreographer Stephan deGhelder will design the dance routines, and the production crew includes electrician Joshua Reid, lighting designer Maria Yokoyama, set designer Tim Brown, sound designer Anthony Vadala, costumer Donnie Williams and stage manager Emma Ettinger.

Over the years, Bob Brown has enjoyed acclaim for his work in productions of “The Fantasticks,” “Man of La Mancha,” “A Chorus Line” and “Jesus Christ Superstar” among many others. Cathleen O’Brien has appeared on stages from Malaysia to Honduras and has starred in shows such as “Phantom of the Opera,” “Titanic,” “The Sound of Music” and “42nd Street.”

“The All Night Strut” opens at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 30, and runs at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 31, June 1 and June 7 and 8, at 7 p.m. June 6, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 2 and 9. Tickets cost $32; theredhouse.org; 315-362-2785.