STAGE REVIEW : A Talented Team Saves This ‘Strut’

The smoky allure of “The All Night Strut!,” a musical revue of more than 20 songs from the 1920s to the 1950s at the Theatre in Old Town, proves as much a credit to director Paula Kalustian and her new Theatre in Old Town company as to the material itself.

There’s nothing much to this revue as conceived and originally directed and choreographed by Fran Charnas.

The songs are not held together by theme or composer or chronology; they jump haphazardly back and forth over the decades.

But Kalustian, who took over as artistic director of the theater with last year’s successful “Beehive,” proves once again that she knows how to mine the most from the minimum. Working with familiar faces from her last outing, the show shimmers with polish and class.

In fact, the biggest showstopper is not any particular song, but Steve Anthony’s dancing as a member of the five-person ensemble. Anthony, who co-choreographed the piece with wife Jill K. Anthony, is equally at home hoofing up and down the stairs, on the piano and on the stage.

Which is not to say that the rest of the cast are slouches. They all move gracefully, and while there isn’t a scene-stealing voice in the group, each singer is distinctive and fine. Best of all, they can act and without a word bridging the songs, they sculpt mini-dramas, digging deep into each number for its emotional center. And that’s the show’s secret of success.

The sultry Tajma Soleil doesn’t just sing “Minnie the Moocher,” she makes you see Minnie’s rise and fall while Anthony dances around her as the no-good boyfriend. Joseph Stafford Harper suggests not just the Depression of the 1930s in “Brother Can You Spare a Dime?” but also the recession of today in his haunting rendition of a song about an out-of-work laborer.

And a World War II medley that came off as jingoistic in the last production of this show is conceived here as a tender exchange between two soon-to-be-parted lovers. As Brian Trent’s lilting tenor and Linda Lamun’s delicate soprano segue from the jaunty “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree” to the tender heartbreak of “I’ll Be Seeing You,” it becomes less a World War II segment than a lament of parting lovers relevant to the troops leaving for Somalia today.

Terry O’Donnell, who did the musical direction for this show (and for “Beehive”), performs onstage as part of a spirited, selectively interactive three-piece band not above chiming in on a song or playing their tunes with flowers in their teeth when the number calls for it.

Nick Reid, another “Beehive” veteran, did the elegant, versatile set, heavy on the black and white, with a bar in one corner and a curving staircase on the other. Kris Sabel’s warm lighting brings out the sparkle.

“The All Night Strut!” is a light holiday bauble, custom-made for those who love old songs. The show is at its best resurrecting forgotten classics such as “Gimme a Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer” and “Java Jive” and showcasing old favorites such as “A Fine Romance” and “As Time Goes By.”

But when this 85-minute show is over, the most impressive thing about it is the thought of what this company could do with really good material.

“ALL NIGHT STRUT!”

Conceived and originally directed and choreographed by Fran Charnas. Music arrangements by Tom Fitt, Gil Lieb and Dick Schermesser. Additional orchestrations by Corey Allen. Director, Paula Kalustian. Musical director, Terry O’Donnell. Choreography, Jill and Steve Anthony. Costumes, Jill K. Anthony. Set, Nick Reid. Lighting and sound, Kris Sabel. Stage manager, Jenny R. Friend. With Steve Anthony, Joseph Stafford Harper, Laura Lamun, Tajma Soleil and Brian Trent. At 8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, with matinees Dec. 20 and 27 at 2. Ends Jan. 24. Tickets are $15-$20 with discounts for students, seniors, children and military. At 4040 Twiggs St., San Diego, 688-2494.