Swing! musical comes to TPAC
SWING! was nominated for six Tony Awards including: “Best Musical,” “Best Director,” “Best Choreography,” “Best Orchestrations,” and two nominations for “Best Featured Actress.” SWING! was also honored with nominations for “Outstanding Broadway Musical” and “Outstanding Choreography,” by the Outer Critics Circle and “Best Cast Album” by the Grammy Awards committee.
SWING! is a celebration of the music and dance phenomenon that swept the nation in the ’30s and ’40s and has returned to become one of today’s fastest growing trends.
“SWING! is a showcase for the incredible music that came out of America during the Depression and World War II and continues to influence sounds, rhythms and styles in contemporary music worldwide,” said Steven Greil, TPAC’s president and chief executive officer. “From the patriotic numbers, to the sounds of artists like Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Benny Goodman, the music and dance in this upbeat show is entertaining for audiences of all ages.”
Greil also noted that Nashville native Erin Davie, daughter of Kathie and Edgar Davie of Belle Meade, is one of the leading singers in the national tour of SWING!
In conjunction with the tour in Nashville, Fisk University’s WFSK Radio, 88.1, will broadcast a four-part series on Swing artists beginning on April 8 featuring commentary and the music of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and Glen Miller. For more information, see the web site www.WFSK.org.
SWING! opened on Broadway at the St. James Theatre in December 2000 to powerful praise for its music, its dance and its style. More than a dance revue, SWING! crosses ethnic and cultural barriers, highlighting an eclectic mix of Jive, Latin Swing, West Coast Swing, Hip-Hop Swing and Country Western Swing.
Anna Kisselgoff of The New York Times wrote “SWING! is terrific! Flashy artistry and virtuosity in distilled emotional vignettes that also speak of human relationships, time and place.”
This all-singing, all-dancing evening features a mix of new and classic songs and over 30 tour de force dance numbers — some comic, some romantic, some nostalgic, some sexy. SWING! also features spectacular vocal performances, while the entire show is driven by the dynamic sound of a hot neo-Swing band. In addition to several original songs, SWING! features classic Swing tunes such as “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” “Harlem Nocturne,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” “Jumpin’ at the Woodside,” “Sing, Sing, Sing!,” “Stompin’ at the Savoy” and “Blues in the Night”.
Performance times for SWING! in TPAC’s Andrew Jackson Hall April 16-21 are 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; and 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $17.50-57.50. For tickets, visit the TPAC Box Office Downtown or Davis-Kidd Booksellers, the web site www.tpac.org, or any Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets may also be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 615/255-2787.
The Tennessee Performing Arts Center is a private, non-profit corporation dedicated to providing and supporting the presentation of the performing arts to the citizens of Tennessee. Its four stages are home to The Nashville Symphony, Tennessee Repertory Theatre, Nashville Opera Association, Nashville Ballet, and Circle Players.
For further information, visit the official website: www-.SwingOnBroadway.com.