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Swingin' The Dream Shakespeare a la New Orleans Wednesday, July 28, 8:00 pm Jaqua Concert Hall - The Shedd Institute |
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In late November, 1939 an intriguing musical opened at the Center Theatre in New York. Billed as a swing version of Shakespeare's A Midsummer's Night's Dream (1594-6), Swingin" The Dream was set in New Orleans in 1890 and featured a cast of 150, mostly African American actors, singers, and musicians, including Louis Armstrong as Bottom, Maxine Sullivan as Titania, Butterfly McQueen as Puck, and Moms Mabley as Quince. Agnes de Mille staged the dances, Walt Disney designed the sets, and there were two jazz bands in side boxes of the house - Benny Goodman's sextet and Bud Freeman's Summa Cum Laude Orchestra, with a full pit orchestra in the middle conducted by Don Voorhees.
Jimmy Van Heusen and Eddie DeLange created 7 songs for the show (including the one that became a big hit, "Darn That Dream"), brought in elements of Felix Mendelssohn's 1842 Midsummer Night's Dream (most notably his famous "Wedding March"), and threw in a bunch of hot swing numbers of the day, including Count Basie's "Jumpin' At The Woodside", Goodman's "Flying Home" and 14-odd other numbers ranging from "Saint Louis Blues", "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" and “Dinah” to "Ain't Misbehavin'" “Moonglow”, and "Jeepers Creepers". What a line-up! !
Ken Peplowski opens his 4th festival as jazz director with an evening that pulls together all of the original Van Heusen / DeLange songs from the Swingin' The Dream as well as selection from the rest for one hot evening of swing at its best!
| | Flying Home (1939) | S. Robin (w), L. Hampton/B. Goodman (m) |
| | Dinah (1925) | J. Young/S. Lewis (w), H. Akst (m) |
| | Spring Song (1939, Swingin' The Dream) after Mendelssohn (Op. 62.6) | E. DeLange (w), J. Van Heusen (m) |
| | Peace, Brother (1939, Swingin' The Dream) | E. DeLange (w), J. Van Heusen (m) |
| | Ain't Misbehavin' (1930, Hot Chocolates) | A. Razaf (w), F. Waller (m) |
| | Moonglow (1934) | E. DeLange (w), I. Mills/W. Hudson (m) |
| | There's Gotta Be A Wedding (1939, Swingin' The Dream) | E. DeLange (w), J. Van Heusen (m) |
| | Sing Sing Sing (1936) | L. Prima (w/m) |
| | Jumpin' At The Woodside (1938) | C. Basie (w/m) |
| | Swingin' A Dream (1939, Swingin' The Dream) | E. DeLange (w), J. Van Heusen (m) |
| | Rachel's Dream (1939) | B. Goodman (m) |
| | Moonland (1939, Swingin' The Dream) | E. DeLange (w), J. Van Heusen (m) |
| | Love's A Riddle (1939, Swingin' The Dream) | E. DeLange (w), A. Wilder (m) |
| | Jeepers Creepers (1938, Going Places) | J. Mercer (w), H. Warren (m) |
| | Oh You Crazy Moon (1939) | J. Burke (w), J. Van Heusen (m) |
| | Darn That Dream (1939, Swingin' The Dream) | E. DeLange (w), J. Van Heusen (m) |
| | Jumpin' At The Woodside (reprise) (1938) | C. Basie (w/m) |
| | | Featured composers, lyricists, creators | | | | | |
| | | Show Personnel | | | | | Ken Peplowski, director, clarinetShirley Andress, vocalsIan Whitcomb, vocalsMichael Stone, vocalsClairdee, vocalsRandy Sandke, trumpetDerek Smith, pianoHoward Alden, guitarChuck Redd, vibes, drumsJason Palmer, drums |
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Swingin' The Dream Ticket Prices |
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| AA | 36.00 | 30.75 | 29.00 | 27.00 | 18.00 | | A | 30.00 | 25.50 | 24.00 | 22.50 | 15.00 | | B | 24.00 | 20.50 | 19.25 | 18.00 | 12.00 | | O | 18.00 | 15.50 | 14.50 | 13.50 | 9.00 |
 | Jaqua Concert Hall The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts 285 E Broadway Eugene, Oregon 541-434-7000 |
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Purchase tickets at: 1. The Shedd Ticket Office 541.434.7000 2. The Hult Ticket Office 541.682.5000
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