Kalliope Stage artistic director Paul F. Gurgol places Nite Club Confidential in several different genres. On one hand, the play — which opens tonight — is a musical (Kalliope does them better than anyone else in town). On the other, it’s like film noir — a corpse narrates the tale. It’s also funny as hell. “It’s a pastiche of the Eisenhower era,” says Gurgol, who directs his Barrymore Award-winning play, first staged in Philadelphia 12 years ago. “It’s a cross between Sunset Boulevard, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and All About Eve.”

The story centers on a ’50s nightclub diva who has an affair with one of her backup singers (“a slimy, Frank Sinatra type,” says Gurgol), who in turn hooks up with a rival singer. But the real action comes courtesy of the onstage band, which plays standards like “That Old Black Magic” and “Something’s Gotta Give.” In essence, Nite Club Confidential charts the music of the 1950s — from torchy post-war jazz to raucous rock and roll. “It’s a nostalgic ride back to a time that wasn’t so sophisticated,” says Gurgol.
Wednesdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Starts: Nov. 2. Continues through Dec. 9

This article appears in Nov 1-7, 2006.