The Music That Makes Me Dance — The Songs of Jule Styne (All Roads Theatre Company)

All Roads Theatre Company’s world premiere of The Music That Makes Me Dance

The Songs of Jule Styne opened May 2nd on the EL Portal stage in North Hollywood, and it arrives with the kind of old-school Broadway sparkle that feels increasingly rare. Directed and choreographed by Scott Thompson, with music arranged and conducted by Fred Barton, the show is a two-act celebration of Styne’s astonishing catalog—delivered with glamour, gusto, and a clear affection for the Great American Songbook.

The evening frames Styne’s work through shifting New York-inspired tableaux behind the onstage orchestra—skyline silhouettes, club atmospheres, and romantic city landmarks—matching the changing moods of the score. The production also introduces Michael Zampino, who plays the young Jule Styne with charm and drive, tapping his way into the story and giving the revue an anchoring presence amid the parade of standards.

Act I: Big colors, bigger voices

Anneliese van der Pol/Let Me Entertain You

From the start, the production leans into the glitter-and-glamour promise: rhinestones, bold bright colors, and a classic Broadway palette of gowns and tuxedos. Nick Adams, Lana Gordon, Angel Reda, Anneliese van der Pol, Neil Starkenburg, and Rhett George rounding out the company, handle the first act’s emotional range with savvy showmanship—moving from bright, brassy celebration to torch-song ache without losing momentum.

A buoyant “Comes Once in a Lifetime” sets the tone with confident stage picture and punchy style. “I Love What I’m Doing” follows with tight ensemble energy and harmony work that lands cleanly. Reda’s singing brings a thoughtful sensitivity to “Guess I’ll Hang Out My Tears to Dry,” while Starkenburg’s bartender adds charm and well-timed comedy to “Saturday Night Is the Loneliest Night of the Week,” complete with a playful dance that keeps the number light on its feet. Gordon makes a strong impression throughout the act, pairing elegance with a raw, full-bodied belt that gives songs like “Just in Time” their ache-and-triumph duality. Annalise van der Pol provides comic bite and a fearless vocal attack with “I’m Ready as I’ll Ever Be.” The show’s lighter material is where Thompson’s choreography and pacing are especially effective. Nick Adams and Rhett George score laughs in the “Penniless Bums” / “You Mustn’t Be Discouraged” stretch, leaning into vaudeville spirit and physical comedy. Later, the women turn up the heat and polish for “Let Me Entertain You,” where the staging embraces classic showbiz confidence and lets the vocals do the heavy lifting. An unexpected detour into modern-day dating briefly reframes the revue’s world, pairing George and Gordon for “I Fall in Love Too Easily.” Even when the concept shift feels abrupt, the performers sell the moment with sincerity. Van der Pol then brings the house up with “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” delivering the big, brassy Broadway adrenaline the song demands and the act builds to a crowd-pleasing finale of Act I: the full cast, dressed in a rainbow of colors, joining for “People”—a genuinely warming close that earns its applause.

Act II: Jazz-club swagger and torch- song shadows

Act II shifts into a snazzier, jazz-club mode, with New York imagery returning in the background as the music deepens. An ensemble “Hallelujah,” punctuated with tambourines, highlights Styne’s genre-hopping versatility and gives the company a chance to sound unified and celebratory.

Gordon again commands attention—her voice is at its most resonant when the material turns bittersweet, drawing the audience into the glamour and sadness that Styne’s best songs hold in tension. Angel shines in a Marilyn Monroe-inspired “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” capturing the number’s sleek wit and sparkle without losing musical control. As the evening moves toward its final run of hits, the visuals turn more romantic: as Adams and Starkenburg sing “Time After Time,” and Gordon’s sultry “The Party’s Over” lands with a smoky weight that slows the room down in the best way. No single revue can contain all the jewels in Styne’s songbook, so the production smartly closes with a greatest-hits sprint—“Bye Bye Baby,” “It’s Been a Long, Long Time,” “Everything’s Coming Up Roses”—before landing on “Never Neverland,” a fitting final bow for a composer who specialized in melody you can’t shake. At its best, The Music That Makes Me Dance feels like a love letter written in sequins: a stylish, high-spirited showcase for a cast that understands how to sell a lyric, shape a phrase, and let a classic tune do its job. It was a night of Broadway nostalgia with strong vocals and a clear point of view-- this world premiere was worth the trip to North Hollywood. The performances took place from May 1st through May 3rd.