Event Calendar
Upcoming Events
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Kronos Quartet - Awakening
A 90-minute program that not only memorializes the events of 9/11, but also offers audience members a chance to reflect on the tragedy in a way that offers both healing and hope.
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Laurie Anderson - Homeland
A series of songs and stories that creates a poetic and political portrait of contemporary American culture, and addresses the current climate of fear, obsession with information and security.
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Shakespeare & Company in Hamlet
Renowned company’s first national tour features a real-life mother and son in the roles of Queen Gertrude and Hamlet.
American Big Band kicks off UFPA’s Summer in the City
Performer: American Big Band
Filed under Press Releases on May 16, 2008.
University of Florida Performing Arts
315 Hull Road
PO Box 112750
Gainesville, FL 32611-2750
352-392-1900
352-392-3775 Fax
www.performingarts.ufl.edu
For press inquiries, please contact Amy Douglas at 352-392-1900, ext. 324.
May 16, 2008
American Big Band kicks off UFPA’s Summer in the City series with a tribute to the big band sounds of Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and more
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Reminisce with the music of Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and more in American Big Band. The revue kicks off UFPA’s Summer in the City series Tuesday, June 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
American Big Band is a musical journey that spans more than eight decades and looks at the many different facets of the big band era, from its beginnings in the 1920s right through to modern day interpretations of the original hits and style. The revue features 20 dancers, singers and musicians in a performance that brings the “big band story” to vivid life and takes you back to the days of Lindy-hopping, Zoot suits and swing.
The journey begins with a spectacular medley of tunes and dances made famous during the big band era. You’ll Sing, Sing, Sing while American Big Band’s dancers “cut the rug” with the Jitterbug, the Lindy Hop and the Shim Sham! The joint keeps jumpin’ with the music of the King of Swing, Benny Goodman, including such classics as String of Pearls, Jersey Bounce and Goody Goody. Next stop is the Cotton Club, where the music of Duke Ellington takes the stage with tunes including Take the A Train, Satin Doll and Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.
The good times keep rolling with a series of salutes. The first honors legendary big band leaders Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, Artie Shaw, Count Basie, Guy Lombardo and more. The second pays homage to legendary female singers including Doris Day, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. The final salute honors Ol’ Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra. Just when you think it’s over, American Big Band pays a visit to the most popular bandleader of all time, Glenn Miller, in a scene featuring hits such as Moonlight Serenade, Pennsylvania 6-5000 and the classic In the Mood.
The last stop on American Big Band’s Sentimental Journey showcases the vibrant music of today’s big bands, including the Brian Setzer Orchestra, the Stray Cats, the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies and a “modern twist” on the tune that started the journey, Sing, Sing, Sing!
American Big Band was created by Matt Davenport Productions which has a long track record of successful stage shows, including Always….Patsy Cline, Forever Plaid, and American Rhapsody, which was endorsed by the Gershwin Foundation. The company is also writer/producer of Country Tonite, two-time winner of “Show of the Year” by the North American Country Music Association.
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American Big Band
Tuesday, June 10, 7:30 p.m.
Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
Ticket Prices: $15-$30
To Purchase tickets, call the Phillips Center Box Office at 352-392-ARTS (2787) or 800-905-ARTS (toll-free within Florida) or call Ticketmaster: 800-277-1700 (toll-free). Tickets may also be purchased in person at the Phillips Center Box Office Hours, the University Box Office at the University of Florida Reitz Union or from any Ticketmaster outlet, or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Cash checks, MasterCard and Visa are accepted.
For interviews and other press inquiries, please contact Amy Douglas at 352-392-1900, ext. 324.
For high resolution photos, click here.
Performance dates, times and programs are subject to change.