The 1940s will swing and dance into Emporia this Friday. The Emporia Arts Council will host In the Mood, a group made up of six singers and dancers accompanied by a 13 piece orchestra playing swing music from artists such as Frank Sinatra, Artie Shaw, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman and the Andrews Sisters, according to David Shaw, president of Art Beat.
The show is not the type of performance that the council would normally host, but they decided to bring it to Emporia after being contacted by Art Beat, the nonprofit organization that helps schedule shows for In the Mood, said Melissa Windsor, executive director of EAC. The performance will take place at 7:30 p.m. in Albert Taylor Hall on campus.
“It is such a big production that there wasn’t room for it at the Granada,” Windsor said. “It is a show that attracts a broad range of people but really appeals to the older generation that lived through the 40s.”
Windsor said that about 200 tickets have already been sold, but EAC expects a rush in the days before the show.
“I heard about the show in one of my classes and saw fliers around town,” said Landon Noll, freshman theater education major. “I am probably going to go even though the tickets are kind of expensive.”
The show is a celebration of an unusual era in American music, according to In the Mood’s website. The show is on its 17th year and has even been performed overseas. It has recently been on tour in Australia and the group performed a show for the 53rd presidential inauguration of Bill Clinton.
Shaw said the goal of In the Mood is to bring a quality show to small towns. After receiving positive feedback from past performances in Emporia, Shaw was eager to get in contact with the EAC. He said the show will run throughout Kansas each year, and although no schedule has been made, he said they will probably make another appearance in Emporia in the future.
“We encourage feedback from the audience and often ask for suggestions for new music,” Shaw said. “We add new music every year so it is something that people like to see over and over again. The older generation really gets into the show because it is something they experienced in their lifetime.”
Tickets are available at the art council building downtown or at Brownpapertickets.com. Adult tickets cost $27 and youth tickets are $12.50.
Rocky Robinson