'Come Fly Away' a coupling of sensual dance and song

When singer Frank Sinatra passed away in 1998, author Gore Vidal made a wry quip during an interview with the BBC about “Ol' Blue Eyes” and his lasting impact on America.

“I would say that half the population of the United States over the age of 40 were conceived while their parents were listening to his records,” Vidal said.

It seems that choreographer Twyla Tharp has picked up on Vidal's quote (and then some) in her frequently flirty and downright steamy 2010 Broadway dance musical “Come Fly Away,” now in a streamlined and shortened touring version at Chicago's Bank of America Theatre. Parents who accidentally bring small children to this Sinatra-inspired show will probably need to shield their eyes at key moments.

Tharp has set “Come Fly Away” in a swanky nightclub complete with an onstage jazz band that, thanks to the wonders of sound technology, provides live accompaniment to recorded tracks of Sinatra's legendary vocals crooning great American song standards ranging from “The Way You Look Tonight” to “My Way.” (Lush string sections from some recordings also seep in now and then.)

Against this glitzy backdrop by set designer James Youmans, a group of attractive dancers deals with the ups and downs of love and relationships through a stunning display of muscular and high-flying movement (frequently featuring the men flinging and passing the women through the air). Four distinct relationships eventually come to the fore, ranging from first-time lovers to more jaded and even abusive couples.

In terms of pure comedy, Mallauri Esquibel and Ron Todorowski are both wonderful respectively as the overly earnest (and often clumsy) young lovebirds Betsy and bartender Marty. Tony Award-nominee John Selya is also amazing as Sid, the ever-earnest guy going to great lengths (even performing break dance moves) to woo a head-turning blonde in a red dress called Babe (an icy, yet also passionate Meredith Miles).

On the dramatic side, there's the strongly hinted at codependency that affects the troubled duo of good-time-girl Kate (Ashley Blair Fitzgerald) and cool-cat Hank, powerfully danced by Anthony Burrell. If you blink, you might miss the implication that Hank is a drug dealer, who gives chemical solace to Chanos (Matthew Stockwell Dibble) after he's been dumped by Babe. Dibble dances his often-drunk character extremely well, forcing his rebound girlfriend Slim (a sly Marielys Molina) to pick up the pieces of his tipsy stupor.

Rounding out the dance ensemble on opening night was a trio of lovely women (Marceea Moreno, Candy Olsen and Tanairi Sade Vazquez) and a trio of machismo-filled men (Julius Anthony Rubio, Chehon Wespi-Tschopp and Michael Williams) who all twirl, leap and writhe with plenty of passion.

As “Come Fly Away” progresses, men's chests get bared, women's costumes get increasingly slinkier and an all-out simulated swingers party breaks out onstage. Moments like this make you want to ask, “Where exactly is this club?” — either out of pure plot confusion or hot-and-bothered curiosity.

The overt sensuality that Tharp injects into “Come Fly Away” may divide an audience's enjoyment of the show depending upon everyone's tastes regarding highly sexualized choreography. Also, those expecting a more plotted-out storyline (like Tharp's 2003 hit “Movin' Out”) might not take to the free-flow character coupling of “Come Fly Away” that is more akin to a modern dance concert than a typical Broadway book musical.

But no matter your own opinion of the show's merits, there's no denying the often jaw-dropping dance skills of the attractive ensemble, or how stylishly everything has been designed to surround the performers. Designer Donald Holder's sparkly lighting design frequently shines into the audience to draw them in to the action, while costume designer Katherine Roth stylishly attires everyone to flatter their eye-catching toned attributes.

And of course there's the attraction of Sinatra's recorded vocals, which are ghostly paired with the great playing of the live band led by conductor/pianist Rob Cookman. The music is bound to push nostalgia buttons for many an audience member, while Tharp's suggestive staging of “Come Fly Away” is sure to stimulate other senses.

“Come Fly Away”

★ ★ ★

<b>Location: </b>Bank of America Theatre, 18 W. Monroe St, Chicago. (800) 775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com

<b>Showtimes: </b>7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday (also Sunday, Jan. 15), 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday (also Wednesday, Jan. 18); through Sunday, Jan. 22

<b>Running time: </b>80 minutes with no intermission

<b>Tickets: </b>$32-$95

<b>Parking: </b>Nearby pay garages

<b>Rating: </b>Strong sexuality makes this one for adults