AN IMMERSIVE JAZZ DANCE EXPERIENCE

CLUB ACT

THE NEW JACK COLE DANCERS'

CLUB ACT at The Mastercard Midnight Theater 2024

Directed and Choreographed by Cam Loeser, The NEW Jack Cole Dancers' CLUB ACT is the only performance venture of its kind—bringing Cole’s revolutionary style back to life for a new generation.

CLUB ACT is conceived specifically for immersive venues where audiences can enjoy exceptional Broadway level entertainment alongside food and beverage service. Combining electrifying jazz dance with live music and an intimate club atmosphere, the production offers guests more than a performance—it creates a memorable night out.

The show's format is designed to attract a wide range of audiences, from dedicated theatergoers to younger patrons to visitors looking for a stylish, exciting social experience. By encouraging guests to arrive early, stay for post-performance dancing, and return with friends, CLUB ACT supports both audience growth and increased venue revenue.

The NEW Jack Cole Dancers' CLUB ACT is an immersive theatrical experience celebrating the electrifying legacy of jazz dance pioneer Jack Cole. Inspired by Cole’s legendary supper club performances, the show unfolds as a vibrant nightclub act featuring high-energy jazz and theater dance in Cole’s signature style—bold, virtuosic, and cinematic.

The production premiered to sold-out audiences in June 2024 at The Midnight Theater at Hudson Yards, earning roaring audience response and calls for MORE. Following a recent residency with the CUNY Dance Initiative at Laguardia Performing Arts Center's Little Theater, the production is now being reimagined for a run this fall/winter in partnership with Broadway Producer Fran Kirmser.

Designed for scalability, CLUB ACT can be adapted to a variety of venue sizes and configurations, working within a venue's existing infrastructure and technical capabilities. This flexibility minimizes additional production costs while maintaining a high-caliber audience experience, making CLUB ACT a highly cost-efficient endeavor with both strong artistic impact and practical operational value.

THE ACT

CLUB ACT transports audiences into a stylish jazz-era supper club, where dancers and musicians share the stage in a dynamic, immersive environment. The intimate venue and introspective nature of the work ensure that the immersive experience is powerful from every seat.

Guests step into a world of live music, virtuosic theatrical jazz choreography, and vintage nightclub mystique, vividly experiencing the revolutionary style of legendary choreographer Jack Cole up close and personal.

FORMAT:

90 minute performance
2 principal dancers, 8-10 company dancers
5 person jazz band with a dynamic jazz vocalist
Designed for intimate theatre and concert venues, cabaret and nightclub venues, hospitality spaces

WHY NOW?

Jack Cole is one of the most influential figures in American dance—yet his name is largely unknown. Cole was the innovative choreographer who launched commercial jazz dance, shaped Hollywood legends like Marilyn Monroe and Rita Hayworth, helped ignite the career of Gwen Verdon, and changed dance storytelling across Broadway, Hollywood, and nightclub stages. However, his impact — and the multicultural origins of jazz dance — are rarely represented on stages today.

At a time when audiences are rediscovering immersive theatrical experiences and the roots of American pop culture, CLUB ACT revives the scintillating nightclub environment where Cole's iconic style of jazz dance first exploded into the mainstream. Cole's work dominated the nightclub circuit for nearly 3 decades, appearing at such legendary clubs as Slapsy Maxie's and Ciro's — and most famously, at the Rainbow Room on its opening night in 1934.

Jack Cole & His Dancers at The Rainbow Room

Before Bob Fosse and Jerome Robbins, there was Jack Cole.

Cole revolutionized American theatrical jazz after studying dance traditions harking from India, the Caribbean, and Harlem’s social dance community, transforming these influences into a bold new stage language while preserving their cultural integrity. Today, CLUB ACT continues that spirit of authenticity.

Our creative team includes African choreographer Angel Kaba and Bharatanatyam choreographer Ramita Ravi, ensuring that the cultural lineages embedded in jazz dance are represented with knowledge, respect, and visibility.

The production brings Cole’s work into the 21st century through:

Diverse casting that reflects the global roots of jazz
Collaboration across multiple dance traditions
Gender-expansive casting, assigning roles based on movement essence—not gender.

By honoring Cole’s groundbreaking process while evolving its values for today, CLUB ACT reconnects audiences with the true cultural lineage of American jazz dance.

"The tide is turning. Or, has it turned? With the arrival of The NEW Jack Cole Dancers, we see a return, for dance and choreography, to form, shapeliness, and stylishness. We see dancers taking measure of the space within; the space between each other; and the space their music lays down in hot syncopation. As part of a receptive audience at the 2025 Jazz Dance Conference West in Los Angeles, I watched the six-member troupe set the stage on fire in Cam Loeser’s “Club Act: Sing Sing Sing,” created in the style of the great Jack Cole. Try though I did to remain cool and removed, I clapped my hands raw, I shouted my head off. It’s that exhilarating."

- Debra Levine

Author, “Jazzed: Jack Cole and Twentieth Century American Dance" published by the University Press of Kentucky, early fall 2026

THE TEAM

DIRECTOR & CHOREOGRAPHER

CAM LOESER

AFRICAN CHOREOGRAPHER

ANGEL KABA

BHARATANATYAM CHOREOGRAPHER

RAMITA RAVI

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

ELIZA OHMAN

PRODUCER

FRAN KIRMSER

TECHNICAL/ MANAGING PRODUCER

We are currently in conversations with Sadler's Wells to present CLUB ACT at one of their venues, specifically either Sadler's Wells East or their Peacock Theater. Following the London premiere, the production is positioned to transfer to a West End venue (such as 'HERE at Outernet'), as well as a Broadway transfer to an immersive venue such as 'Circle In The Square.'

Launching in London offers a strategic advantage: lower production costs, openminded and adventurous audiences, and strong international visibility—creating momentum for a future Broadway engagement. Additionally, our long-term strategy leverages the show’s modular staging and scalable design, allowing it to travel easily between venues and cities.

The modular structure of CLUB ACT makes the show uniquely well-suited for high-frequency commercial engagements, including recurring week-long cruise ship and resort residencies, and other repeatable entertainment formats. Built from flexible, self-contained performance segments with a live band and immersive nightclub atmosphere, the show delivers highly digestible, engaging entertainment that resonates with diverse, transient audiences—making it especially effective in hospitality settings. It can be easily adapted to varying venue sizes, technical capacities, and audience demographics without compromising its artistic integrity. This scalability allows for streamlined load-ins, minimal reset requirements, and efficient cast rotations, positioning it as an ideal candidate for long-term contracts at sea and beyond. As the production continues to expand globally, these modular opportunities represent a reliable and lucrative revenue stream, offering consistent returns while broadening the show’s reach and brand visibility.