[Ads-l] swing, a musical theatre term

[Ben Zimmer]

Nice finds, Bill! As it happens, I had just clipped the 1942 NY Sunday News
cite on Newspapers.com.

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111631578/swing-girl/

It is indeed from a theater/show-biz context, as it's about a group called
the American Beauty Octet, who performed in George Jessel's musical "High
Kickers."


On Wed, Oct 19, 2022 at 7:01 PM Bill Mullins <amcombill at hotmail.com> wrote:

> All of these are from ProQuest.  Note:  the 1942 (both) and 1958 citations
> are  explicitly not from theater or show-biz contexts.
>
>
>
> 1942 NY Sunday News 5 April 16/1
>
> That's nine, really, but Sonny was the swing girl who filled in during
> hangovers and such.
>
>
>
> 1942 Ithaca Journal 12 Aug 4/5
>
> One out of every seven girls is a "swing-girl" who works on other girls'
> days off.
>
>
> 1948 Asbury Park Sunday Press 25 Jan   5/1
>
> Both girls appear in several routines and Bobby is what is known as a
> "swing" girl who substitutes in other acts when performers are unable to
> appear.
>
> 1948 Philadelphia Inquirer 16 Mar. 30 /2
>
> She knows everyone's routines as well as her own -- so they make her
> "swing girl" and she works an extra night  a week, filling in for kids on
> their nights off.
>
>
>
> 1958 Chicago Daily Tribune 8 Oct. E2/3
>
> Bruce Dollahan has been made into a swing performer who can relieve either
> at left or right tackle.
>
>
>
> 1968 Back Stage 6 Dec. 19/1
>
> Need a female swing singer.  Young character type.  Greek-looking. A chest
> voice necessary.
>
>
>
>
> 1976 Camden NJ Courier-Post 23 Jan. 47/5
>
> "Pippin" needed one female swing dancer -- to place girls on their days
> off -- and got 270 applicants!
>
>
>
> 1977 Boston Sunday Globe 9 Jan A8/1
>
> Any night during the Boston run you might see the youngest Ellington on
> stage, since the 25-year-old is the show's "swing girl". That means she
> stands by for every female dancer in the cast and often goes on for one of
> them.
>
>
>
> 1980 Back Stage 30 May 107/3
>
> If a member of the chorus is designated to Swing a Chorus number, and was
> hired solely as a full Swing performer, he or she shall be paid $13 in
> addition to contractual salary.
>
>
> 1987 Pittsburgh Press 19 July J1/2 [
>
> Dianne Della Piazza, the swing performer for dozens of female roles in the
> Broadway blockbuster "Les Miserables," performed a cabaret act that was
> written and choreographed by Norman Roth and for which Stephen Flaherty, a
> South Hills Catholic High School graduate from Dormont, was musical
> director.
>
>
>
> 2013 Philadelphia Daily News 13 Dec.  33
>
> And because stuff can happen we have two more waiting in the wings who can
> also fill Frankie's shoes during emergencies - one who normally plays the
> Joe Pesci part, and a fourth, the show's swing player who covers several
> roles.
>
>
> ----
>
> From a recent issue of The Guardian (London), profiling professional
> mermaids:
> [headline]  The real-life mermaids turning fantasy into reality on
> Britain’s shores
>
> [Previous to taking up mermaiding, one had been an actress and singer, but
> had developed vocal problems:]
> She was the show’s swing, a musical theatre term for a performer who can
> take on any role in the production at short notice.
> (Sun 16 Oct 2022 10.00 BST)
>
> I don't see this in the OED, swing,  noun, #2
>
> GAT
>
>
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>

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