IN THE MOOD is coming to the Cox Performing Arts Center as part of Dixie State College’s Centennial Celebration and as a fund raising event for Celebrity Concert Series.
 
This revue will be presented on Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m. and presented by Dixie College. Tickets are available by calling the box office at 435.652.7800 or online at [email protected].
 
IN THE MOOD is a phenomenon among touring shows – now in its 17th year. Swing aficionados, especially seniors who heard the music first hand, adore this show. But this family show is for all ages – even the young kids who love to swing dance flock to see IN THE MOOD. If you have never heard a big band before, this is the one to see
 
More than a concert, IN THE MOOD is a Big Band Theatrical Swing Revue. It’s 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 1940’s. Featuring a company of 19 on stage including the In the Mood Singers and Dancers with the sensational String of Pearls Big Band Orchestra, the show’s music arrangements, costumes and choreography are as authentic as it gets.
 
IN THE MOOD takes a retro 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 set a mood that inspired a 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 and helped win a war. 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 1940's – 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 nation’s history, 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 20th Century.
 
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 for President and Mrs. Bill Clinton. Touring since 1994, the show's upcoming national and international performances will continue to portray the spirit of the music that moved the nation.
 
Mark your calendar and support the college and the series by attending this special Centennial Concert event on Monday, October 18, 7:30 p.m. at the Cox Theater.