Swingin' The Dream
Swingin' The Dream
Shakespeare a la New Orleans
Wed, Jul 28, 8:00 - 10:00 pm
Jaqua Concert Hall, The Shedd Institute
QSL Print Communications
Concert Sponsor
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!
Event Personnel
Ken Peplowski, director, clarinet
Shirley Andress, vocals
Clairdee, vocals
Michael Stone, vocals
Ian Whitcomb, vocals
Howard Alden, guitar
Jesse Cloninger, reeds
Derek Smith, piano
Jason Palmer, drums
Randy Sandke, trumpet
Chuck Redd, vibes, drums
PROGRAM
SET I
 Flying Home(1939)S. Robin (w), L. Hampton/B. Goodman (m)
 Dinah(1925)J. Young/S. Lewis (w), H. Akst (m)
 Spring Song(1939)
    - introduced in Swingin' The Dream

after Mendelssohn (Op. 62.6)
E. DeLange (w), J. Van Heusen (m)
 Peace, Brother(1939)
    - introduced in Swingin' The Dream
E. DeLange (w), J. Van Heusen (m)
 Ain't Misbehavin'(1930)
    - introduced in 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)
    - introduced in Swingin' The Dream
E. DeLange (w), J. Van Heusen (m)
 Christopher Columbus(1936)A. Razaf (w), C. Berry (m)
 Sing Sing Sing(1936)L. Prima (w/m)
 My Melancholy Baby(1912)G. Norton (w), E. Burnett (m)
 Jumpin' At The Woodside(1938)C. Basie (w/m)
SET II
 Swingin' A Dream(1939)
    - introduced in Swingin' The Dream
E. DeLange (w), J. Van Heusen (m)
 Rachel's Dream(1939)B. Goodman (m)
 Way Down Yonder In New Orleans (1922)H. Creamer (w), T. Layton (m)
 Moonland(1939)
    - introduced in Swingin' The Dream
E. DeLange (w), J. Van Heusen (m)
 Love's A Riddle(1939)
    - introduced in Swingin' The Dream
E. DeLange (w), A. Wilder (m)
 I Can't Give You Anything But Love(1928)
    - introduced in Blackbirds of 1928
D. Fields (w), J. McHugh (m)
 Jeepers Creepers(1938)
    - introduced in Going Places
J. Mercer (w), H. Warren (m)
 Oh You Crazy Moon(1939)
    - introduced in Swingin' The Dream
J. Burke (w), J. Van Heusen (m)
 Darn That Dream(1939)
    - introduced in Swingin' The Dream
E. DeLange (w), J. Van Heusen (m)
 Jumpin' At The Woodside (reprise)(1938)C. Basie (w/m)
Featured composers, lyricists, creators
Harry Akst
Count Basie
Chu Berry
Johnny Burke
Ernie Burnett
Henry Creamer
Eddie DeLange
Dorothy Fields
Benny Goodman
Lionel Hampton
Will Hudson
Turner Layton
Sam Lewis
Jimmy McHugh
Johnny Mercer
Irving Mills
George Norton
Louis Prima
Andy Razaf
Sid Robin
Jimmy Van Heusen
Fats Waller
Harry Warren
Alec Wilder
Joe Young
Ticket/Venue Info
Swingin' The Dream Ticket Prices
Seat LvlFull PriceDiscount Prices
15%  20%  25%  Youth 
AA36.00  30.75  29.00  27.00  18.00 
A30.00  25.50  24.00  22.50  15.00 
B24.00  20.50  19.25  18.00  12.00 
O18.00  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
Purchase tickets at:
1. The Shedd Ticket Office
541.434.7000
2. The Hult Ticket Office
541.682.5000
OFAM 2010 Schedule
Friday Jul 23
7:30 pmThe Boys From Syracuse
Saturday Jul 24
7:30 pmThe Boys From Syracuse
Wednesday Jul 28
8:00 pmSwingin' The Dream
Thursday Jul 29
2:00 pmWhy Can't You Behave?
8:00 pmMan Bites Dog
Friday Jul 30
2:00 pmThe Rain In Spain
7:30 pmThe Boys From Syracuse
7:30 pmKiss Me, Kate
Saturday Jul 31
2:00 pmKiss Me, Kate
8:00 pmSuch Sweet Thunder
Sunday Aug 1
2:00 pmThe Boys From Syracuse
Wednesday Aug 4
7:30 pmKiss Me, Kate
Thursday Aug 5
2:00 pmWhere Did Robinson Crusoe Go
8:00 pmWhen You Wish Upon A Star
Friday Aug 6
2:00 pmSomewhere
7:30 pmThe Boys From Syracuse
7:30 pmKiss Me, Kate
Saturday Aug 7
2:00 pmThe Boys From Syracuse
8:00 pmI Could Write A Book
The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts
E. Broadway & High Street, Eugene | PO Box 1497, Eugene OR 97440-1497 | Phone 541.687.6526 | Tickets: 541.434.7000 | Email: info@theshedd.net
Copyright © 1991-2012 The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts. All rights reserved.
Shedd Institute Reviews