IN THE MOOD Comes To Aronoff Center for the Arts April 2

In The Mood is coming to the Aronoff Center's Procter and Gamble Hall on Saturday, April 2 at 3:00 PM and 7:30 PM. In The Mood features a thirteen-piece big band orchestra and six singer/swing dancers - including a high-energy Swing Dance couple - performing the songs of the 1940s. The show is presented by not-for-profit arts presenter, Artbeat.

Tickets are on sale now at CincinnatiArts.ORG; (513) 621-2787, or at the Aronoff Center Ticket Office. Prices range from $27.50 to $57.50. Groups of eight or more save $5 per ticket, while larger groups of sixteen or more save $10 per ticket.

In The Mood is keeping the swing music of the 1940s ALIVE!
In The Mood celebrates America's Greatest Generation through the music of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Harry James, Erskine Hawkins, The Andrews Sisters, Frank Sinatra and other greats of the 1940s. The show's music arrangements, costumes and choreography are as authentic as it gets!

To get a quick idea about what In The Mood is about, please take a moment to view our YouTube preview at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gIRlWBza4A .

In The Mood takes a look at the life and time of America's Greatest Generation. This was a generation where everyone listened and danced to the same style of music which ranged from up-tempo big band rhythms to mellow intimate ballads, and inspired America with a vision for the future filled with hope, promise and prosperity. This was a time like no other in our nation's history, a time when music moved the nation's spirit. Come experience the swing, rhythm, jazzy, brassy, sentimental and romantic music of this important time.

In The Mood began as a celebration of an unusual era in American music, the 1940s...the Swing Era. On radio, in theaters and ballrooms, the Big Bands were drawing record crowds. Vocal groups and soloists sang a repertory of great songs, and for the last time in the 20th century, the entire country shared a common popular music. This body of song did much to sustain national morale during World War II, the pivotal event of the '40s.

Creator and producer Bud Forrest is a Juilliard trained pianist and conductor who served as accompanist for the Air Force chorus: The Singing Sergeants. He compiled the greatest music from the swing era into a review that also tells the story of the WWII years in a moving tribute to those who fought the war.

Maestro Forrest remarked: "Arrangements for the String of Pearls Big Band Orchestra and the In The Mood Singers and Dancers choreography are true to the originals. The sounds of the big band, the vocal groups, solos and swing dance numbers ring out with the same kind of 1940s' feel that In The Mood has strived for during the seventeen years we have been touring."

Another reason In The Mood captures the feel of the 1940s so well was the involvement of the late Vic Schoen as the show's primary arranger. Mr. Schoen created the musical arrangements for the entire career of the legendary Andrews Sisters. He was one of the seminal creators of the swing-era sound, which he imbued into In The Mood.

The National Archives in Washington, DC brought In The Mood to their audiences as part of their commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of WWII, and the response was extraordinary, with crowds lining up for hours before curtain time. The engagement was twice extended to extra performances.

In 1993, the Archives presented a repeat performance, out-of-doors on Constitution Avenue. Thousands attended, and many stayed to dance the night away. As a result, In The Mood, in affiliation with the USO, began a series of tours which played to audiences across the United States during the 50th Commemoration of WWII. The show's association with the National Archives and the USO was altogether appropriate, for much of the underpinning research was drawn from resources of these national organizations.

Since then, In The Mood has visited Europe and in 1997, the band and singers were selected to be part of the entertainment for the 53rd Presidential Inauguration Ball. Touring since 1994, the show's upcoming 17th year of national and international performances will continue to portray the spirit of the music that moved the nation.

In The Mood is constantly being revamped and updated. While there are a number of permanent Swing-Era songs in the show, many are rotated out and replaced with selections from the huge body of music from the Swing Era. Bud Forrest greets the audience after every performance and is constantly taking suggestions from patrons of songs they'd like to hear in the show. Likewise, Mr. Forrest engaged stage director and noted Broadway choreographer Alex Sanchez to revise the show's jitterbug dances and re-choreograph the production numbers offered by the In The Mood Singers and Dancers. Thus, In The Mood maintains a fresh, dynamic, ever-changing perspective on the culture of the Swing Era. Patrons who have seen the show two, three or four times are not disappointed as the production is constantly evolving.

In The Mood was named the official national touring event for THE SPIRIT OF '45, a year-long national project that recognizes the people who fought WWII and their legacy: a rebuilt Europe and Japan and The United Nations. THE SPIRIT OF '45 hopes to reinvigorate America's world leadership and salute those who laid the foundation for America's peace and prosperity. For more information about THE SPIRIT OF '45, go to www.spiritof45.org .

Need more Cincinnati Theatre News in your life? Sign up for all the news on the Winter season, discounts & more...