Have you ever, while watching an old movie, longed to spend an evening in a 1940s nightclub? To personally experience its glamorous fashions, live band, dance floor, choreographed production numbers, and torch singers?

I go through this at least once a year, while watching Rosemary Clooney sing “Love You Didn’t Do Right by Me” in the 1954 movie musical “White Christmas.” Each time, I wonder, “What was it like to have these stylish clubs as an entertainment option?”

Well I, and nostalgia fiends like me, just might find out when Dexter’s Encore Theatre presents the Michigan premiere of “Club Morocco.”

Co-written by Jon Huffman and Barbara Cullen (who’s previously directed Encore’s “Guys and Dolls,” “Annie,” and “Oklahoma,” among other shows, and now directs “Morocco”), the show features a cast that performs some of the biggest hits of the swing era (plus a couple of contemporary takes on the genre) with a five-piece, on-stage band; a noir-ish story about a private investigator who, after being presumed dead for six months, returns to the club with revenge on his mind; and an opportunity for audience members to get up and dance a bit themselves, if the mood strikes them.

“A lot of the times, the (Encore) producers were like, ‘Are you sure? What if they don’t dance?’” said Cullen, who noted that the show has played before in Kentucky and Kansas. “When we did the show the first time, we hoped the audience would want to participate. And when we looked out into the audience, out at the dance floor, it was packed. Everyone really wanted to be a part of the show.”

Cullen is quick to emphasize, however, that audience members needn’t participate to have a good time at “Morocco.” Patrons will be seated at small nightclub tables at the sides and front of the Encore stage, and they may simply choose to sit back and enjoy the live swing music, chorus numbers and story. (Broadway veteran Jessica Grove and local actress Barbara Coven both star in "Club.")

Others, however, may take their involvement to the next level, dressing in 1940s fashion. “People have told me that they felt like they were extras in a movie, with all this stuff going on around them,” said Cullen.

“Morocco” was originally commissioned by a theater that was celebrating its 25th anniversary in 1999. While searching for show ideas, Cullen and Huffman considered the rise of reality television, as well as interactive theater shows like “Tony and Tina’s Wedding,” which were gaining currency in New York. But they also went to a Manhattan supper club, which ultimately determined their direction.

“We looked around the room, and we were amazed that whole families were sitting together,” said Cullen. “Grandparents, teenagers, moms, dads, kids — all these families were having a great time. Daughters were dancing with their dads, kids were dancing with their grandparents — we thought, ‘Wow, this is really unusual.’ And then we realized that the big draw was the music. People love that music, no matter what age you are.”

For those who feel shy because they don’t know how to dance, cast members, in character, will offer a quick dance lesson before the show starts. “Once you figure out that west coast swing, which is just six counts, you think, ‘ok, this is not so bad,’” said Cullen. “So we try to get (audience members) up a bit before show even starts.”

But whether you dance or not, Cullen thinks you’ll enjoy just being in the atmosphere of “Club Morocco.” “For the audience, it’s more than a fun time with production numbers and a fun script,” she said. “When you walk into the Encore Theatre, you’ll be walking back in time to 1940s.”

Jenn McKee is the entertainment digital journalist for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at jennmckee@annarbor.com or 734-623-2546, and follow her on Twitter @jennmckee.