A Spirited Strut!
Nostalgic holiday musical premieres
at Gem Theatre in Detroit.
Thanksgiving
Feast with a French touch
Tuesday, November 22
through Saturday,
November 26
Suzanne Chessler
Contributing Writer
C
elebration envy led to the
development of The All Night
Strut Holiday Show!, being
staged Nov. 23-Dec. 31 at the Gem
Theatre in Detroit.
The two-act production, featuring
two couples in song and dance, show-
cases sounds of the swing era moved
through the imagination of Fran
Charnas.
"As a young Jewish kid, I had a little
Christmas envy," confesses Charnas,
building on the success of her earlier
production, The All Night Strut! (also
staged at the Gem Theatre). "My best
friend in high school was the oldest of
eight kids in a Catholic family, and I
spent one Christmas with them.
"I loved that Christmas gave people
time off to spend with their relatives
and sing together. People just seemed
their best selves at that time of year:'
Charnas, past 40 and single, remem-
bered those experiences and feelings
when she joined them with the tradi-
tions of musical theater and the big
band sounds for the holiday show,
which includes one Chanukah song,
"Light One Candle."
The production, focusing on the
time period between the Depression
and just beyond World War II, calls
up jazz, blues, bebop and standards,
representing legendary songwriters
including Hoagy Carmichael, Frank
Loesser and Duke Ellington.
While the choreography spotlights
the lindy hop, shag and tango, a med-
ley incorporates songs like "I'll Be
Home for Christmas" to bring the war
and holidays together.
"I cast the Detroit production in New
York',' Charnas says. "I was instrumen-
tal in the costumes, set designs and
lighting. My associate, Gary Thompson,
who'll be re-creating the show, is in
communication with me every day."
The Strut shows were begun at
the prompting of a club owner in
Cleveland, where Charnas was living.
While he suggested a broader time
span for a production, she proposed
focusing on one era
• chestnut soup
• baguette with maple butter
• turkey with Madeira sauce
• bourbon sweet potato & apple casserole with pecan crust
• brussel sprouts with toasted-hazelnut butter
• ratatouille
• French green beans, carrots, crispy pancetta,
mushrooms & shallots in pistou sauce
• mulberry Linzer torte with homemade mulberry mead
& amaretto ice cream
"As a young Jewish
kid, I had a little
Christmas envy."
$45 plus drinks, tax & tip
we have custom-roasted coffee, spirits, & a very select
all-French wine list with the lowest prices in Michigan
firm reservations only to (248) 541 1200
-
— Fran Charnas
"There were songs that came in and
out [of the shows] over the years:' says
Charnas, who enjoys antiquing. "The
shows evolved. We even had a PBS
special."
The club owner connected with
Charnas through a newspaper critic.
An Ohio University theater gradu-
ate with a master's degree in direct-
ing from Boston's Emerson College,
Charnas taught theater in Cleveland
and had her own company sponsored
by the school system and the city. She
went on to work with other theaters
and caught the attention of critics.
"We played and traveled all over the
country, and I began teaching at the
Boston Conservatory, where I offer
musical theater classes:' says Charnas,
developing a production based on the
life of Ethel Waters. "I've directed and
created shows with my students.
"The music in The All Night Strut
Holiday Show! celebrates the richness
of spirit during the times covered —
when my parents were among the
people who never felt sorry for them-
selves. There's great sentiment in the
music but no sentimentality."
The All Night Strut Holiday Show! runs Nov. 23-Dec. 31 at the
Gem Theatre, 333 Madison Ave., Detroit. Performances are 8 p.m.
Wednesdays-Saturdays, 2 p.m. Thursdays and 3 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays.
There are no shows on Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve and Day. $19.75-
$44.50. (313) 963-9800; gemtheatre.com .
23421 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale
between 9 8c-10 Mile Roads, nine blocks south of 1-696 on the west side,
corner of Woodland. Parking in our adjacent lighted lot and on Woodland
for all our menus & wine lists, follow us on
Facebook at The French Gourmet - Ferndale
Restaurant
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248.476.0044
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November 17 • 2011
55