Alumnae put swing in their step

For all the rug-cutters and hepcats out there, loosen up your
pipes, grab your kicks and glad rags, and then spark a fire-stick,
because the Golden Age is back and the jive is blip. But to all the
cats who may not speak the language, the Broadway musical
“Swing!” has jigged its way to the Wilshire Theatre for
eight performances starting tonight through March 2, with two UCLA
alumnae jumpin’ and jivin’ away. Since 1999,
“Swing!” has been touring the country with its display
of the music and dance of the ’30s and ’40s, and the
swing dance revival that has taken place since then. As the
assistant dance captain, UCLA alumna Allison Bibicoff has been
responsible for coordinating the difficult dance moves. But for
vocalist Clarolyn Maier, another alumna, it’s all about the
music. “The music of the era is where my heart is,”
Maier said. “The artistry in the song writing is creative,
melodic and harmonic. The songs tell a story from beginning until
end with a certain lyrical beauty.” At UCLA Maier studied
music and trained under professor John Hall in his musical theater
workshops and was a recipient of the Carol Burnett Award in her
first year. Maier’s role in “Swing!” is her first
lead role in her professional career, and according to her,
she’s happy to portray a genre that made such a cultural
impact. “The music and culture of swing dance crossed racial
and cultural boundaries,” Maier said. “The production
is incredible because it integrates the cast with the era. It just
goes to show that syncopation outsmarts segregation. Art has always
been a way of unification.” Maier was originally trained as a
classical musician on the harp. After studying voice and jazz at
UCLA, she performed at numerous cabaret clubs, and has recently
recorded an independent CD titled “Sessions,” which was
named the “pick of the week” in the L.A. Jazz Scene.
“It’s hard in this business to know where you’re
going to end up,” she said. “Even after 10 one-nighters
in a row you always need to keep the mind of the artist.”
Maier’s favorite number in the show is the Harold Arlen and
Johnny Mercer classic, “Blues in the Night.” “I
get to lead the band in this number. I let out all my heart and
emotion,” Maier said. Bibicoff initially studied ballet and
jazz, and has studied Broadway style dance for just over five
years, and swing and salsa for just over three years. For three and
a half years she has led two of her own dance groups, the
“Allicats,” a swing group, and the
“Alligatos,” a salsa group. She danced for the swing
band “Big Bad Voodoo Daddy” as well as for former
President Clinton at the Hollywood Bowl. In “Swing!,”
Bibicoff is a featured singer and dancer in a country swing number
“Boogie Woogie Country” as well as a Latin number
“Throw that Girl Around,” which Bibicoff calls
“sexy and fun.” “I love swing dancing because
it’s a partner dance,” Bibicoff said. “Often
you’ve never met your partner, and it’s his job to
interpret the dance and make it work with the music. That’s
what I love as a follower: You never know what he’s going to
do.” Bibicoff has recently directed and choreographed
“The Pajama Game” at the Theatre Palisades. The
production featured guest appearances by Broadway/Hollywood veteran
John Raitt. She also teaches private dance lessons at the Rhumba
Room at Universal City Walk. “I dance for the fun of
it,” she said. “If I didn’t do this, I would be a
lawyer.”

“Swing!” will be at the Wilshire Theatre at 8440
Wilshire Blvd. in Beverly Hills. Tickets are $30-$55 and can be
purchased through Ticketmaster. Maier’s CD can be purchased
from http://cdstreet.com, and more information on Bibicoff’s
dance troops can be found at www.allicatproductions.com.