Swing on This

Swing on This opened their 10^th Adelaide Cabaret season 70-minute show to a packed, adoring audience at the Dunstan Playhouse. The self-described ‘kings of swing’ features Luke Kennedy (The Voice Australia, The Ten Tenors), Matt Lee (Frozen, Mary Poppins), and Ben Mingay (Shrek, Sweeney Todd) and new member Bert LaBonté (Moulin Rouge, The Book of Mormon). All perform musical hits with charisma and practiced ease and as one audience member commented, ‘When you see them having such a good time on stage, you can’t help but enjoy the show.’

Performing to a largely older audience, they moved at pace through 15 numbers, all well-known favourites and classics. Banter is witty and is used to segue songs and create camaraderie and the comment from Lee, ‘I’m a meal, not a snack’, had the audience chortling from the outset. The lush 1930’s style pleated back curtain is a perfect backdrop and this, and the show is cleverly lit. Sound is beautifully mixed and balanced, ensuring that lyrics and on-stage chat can be enjoyed.

The accompanying nine person ‘swing band’ is stunning. Under the direction of their musical director (MD), they are slick, highly skilled musicians who know the genre and perform ‘swing’ with style, precision and passion. The band solo, ‘One for my Baby’, showcased the individual talents of the band and the drum solo and the lightning-fast keyboard skills of their MD had people only just staying in their seats.

The choreography by the four is simple and appropriate, but a standout is the tap routine, complete with tap spats, ‘Mr Bojangles’ by Lee. He sings and dances in and out of the spotlight, almost teasing it, always taking it for key parts of the routine. The audience enthusiastically clapped, toe tapped and swayed along with this differently arranged classic proving that some songs never seem to age.

Each performer has their own songs. Kennedy relished, ‘I Got you under my Skin’, and LaBonte crooned, ‘Let’s get it on’, highlighting that this show is about four individual performers selling a song, singing together and occasionally embracing three-and four-part harmony. The audience was excited by The Proclaimers, ‘Walk 500 Miles’ and this is a standout piece, complete with some of the most detailed choreography of the show. Bringing the show to a close, ‘That’s Life’ featured all four, with Mingay, channelling an Elvis style, and this and the encore, ‘New York, New York’, had the audience on their feet, wanting more.

There are only two shows and the first was a very full audience, so the pressure is on for fans of swing to see this very well put together, talented Australian group who swing and croon, banishing winter chills and warming, indeed heating up the Cabaret Festival.

Jude Hines

Photographer: Claudio Raschella