Photo Flash: Balboa Theatre Presents THE BIG BAND BROADCAST, 4/10

San Diego Theatres' presentations for this season at the historic and nationally acclaimed Balboa Theatre continues. For those that loved the 40's swing production of "In the Mood" these past two seasons, this season the Balboa will be hosting The Big Band Broadcast on April 10 at 2PM ~ a swinging sentimental re-enactment of the best of the 40's big band era, with glamour, panache, humor, and top quality musicianship.

The Big Band Broadcast, starring Holly Larocque and the Mark Ferguson Orchestra, is a joyful and high-powered return to the golden age of radio broadcasts from starlit ballrooms. The show follows the design of those long-ago evenings when glamour was king and big bands ruled the airwaves. The audience is invited in to a time-warp with the first strains of the 13-piece orchestra and their opening number "Singin' with the Big Bands", and guided on a sentimental journey by the forties-style patter of the engaging radio announcer. Showcased with solos, specialized introductions and entertaining choreography, the arrangements are true to the originals in form and atmosphere but are advanced into the new millenium with the added advantage of Mark Ferguson's singular arranging style.

Step back in time and experience a 1940's big band concert as it would have been broadcast "live to air," with classics of the Big Band era ~ "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree", "Stardust", "In the Mood", "And the Angels Sing" ~ with a few surprises along the way. True to the period, the show is interrupted for vital words from sponsors and station call letters; it's a visual treat from the musicians, vintage bandstands and microphones to Miss Larocque's specially created gowns, wigs, and jewels. Holly Larocque and the Mark Ferguson Orchestra do for big band what Andre Rieu does for Strauss presenting a musical niche with glamour, panache, humor, and top quality musicianship; a sentimental journey that leaves audiences feeling energized, refreshed and wanting more!

Tickets range from $29 - $49, on sale now; and can be purchased by calling (619/858/760) 570-1100; online at www.sdbalboa.org; or in person at either the Civic Theatre Ticket Office at Third & B Street (open Monday through Friday, 10AM to 6PM) or the Balboa Theatre Ticket Office at performance times at Fourth & E Street (Call (619/858/760) 570-1100 for hours). Discounts available for Seniors, Students, Active Military and Groups of 10 or more...call for details.

Holly's Passion for Big Band Music
"My passion for the music of the 1940's is longstanding and deep seated. As a small child, in lieu of bed time stories, I played a nightly musical game with my father, himself a World War II vet, wherein he would hum a tune that I would have to identify and complete. Hence: the beginnings of repertoire!

This was added to, researched, and polished over the years as I amassed a large body of material on the 1940's and on the music that unified nations and won a war. In 1995 I had the chance to create and star in a recreated WWII troop show backed by the Canadian Forces Band that toured Canada to enthusiastic response. It was on this project, my personal tribute to our amazing veterans, that I met Mark Ferguson, who was the chief musical arranger, and a partnership as well as a friendship was founded. In 1999 Mark and I were commissioned to create a concert in salute of the RCAF POW's of WWII, further cementing in our minds that the time was right for the return of a true big band. Calling on a team of hand-picked, top-flight musicians, the Mark Ferguson Orchestra was born.

In the glorious tradition of glamorous broadcasts from starlit ballrooms we aim to give audiences the experience of what it would have been like to attend a 1940's big band concert just as it might have been broadcast "live to air". However the music and sound of yesteryear are given new life with the singular Mark Ferguson sound and the unique vocal stylings of Holly Larocque. And, though our music is grounded in the 1940's, every now and then we bring our own interpretation of the 1940's sound to more recently minted tunes and even to some of our own Ferguson/Larocque compositions. It is a never ending joy to us to bring our music to audiences, and a particular pleasure to see it so enthusiastically embraced by a new, young generation. I'm awfully glad for those early musical games. They have proved to be quite a gift." - Holly Larocque

Holly Larocque ranks as one of Canada's most versatile performers. Presently starring in the international television series "Homes By Design", seen in Canada on the HGTV Network, she made a return to her musical theatre roots as author, co-creator, and star of "Past Forgetting", a sparkling recreation of a World War II troop show. Following its world premiere in commemoration of the fiftieth Anniversary of the end of the war "Past Forgetting", backed by the Canadian Forces Band, embarked on a hugely successful cross Canada tour. Her television credits include her well known starring role in "Under The Umbrella Tree" seen in world distribution on the Disney Channel, as well as the CBC specials "Holly Larocque : It's About Time" and "Christmas Holly". In addition to a range of television script writing, she has written and starred in her own one woman show "Holly : from Broadway to Brussels" at Canada's National Arts Centre, and co-authored and starred in "Umbrella Tree Live", the stage spin-off of the long running series. She is a featured personality in photographer Michelle Valberg's book "Dare To Dream", a compendium of exceptional Canadian women, and appeared along with Karen Kain, Veronica Tennant, and Mary Walsh in the premiere of the prestigious "Stage For AIDS". A Disney nominee to the Daytime Emmy Awards and a DuMaurier Search For Stars winner, Miss Larocque has costarred in concert with Broadway legend Carol Channing, and written and starred in the 1999 "RCAF POW Broadcast", a work commissioned by the RCAF POW's of "Great Escape" fame. Her unique musical project, "The Big Band Broadcast starring Holly Larocque and the Mark Ferguson Orchestra", has just completed its first television special on the CBC network, and is now touring North America.

Mark Ferguson has over twenty years of experience in the music industry, working as a pianist, trombonist, composer, arranger, producer, and educator. He has performed with many of the world's great artists including Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Gil Evans, Nelson Riddle, Dionne Warwick, Natalie Cole, Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdink, Rosemary Clooney, Carol Channing, Rob McConnell & the Boss Brass, Holly Cole, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra. Mark also tours regularly with the Funk Brothers of "Standing in the Shadow of Motown" fame. As a composer his credits include the CBC television series Life & Times, Cottage Country, and On the Road Again. Mark has written a film score entitled Transformation for the Canadian Museum of Civilization and created the music for Corel's video editing software Lumiere. His original compositions are featured in Treehouse Television's series Toy Castle, advertising jingles for radio and T.V. and in the recordings of various artists. Mark has written musical arrangements for a wide range of groups including the RCMP Band, the Central Band of the Canadian Armed Forces, the HMCS Stadacona Band, the Edmonton Armed Forces Band, and his own latin-jazz ensemble Los Gringos. Mark and Holly Larocque began their musical collaboration with "Past Forgetting" the recreated World War II troop show which toured Canada in 1995. On New Years Eve 2001 they launched their current Big Band project which has delighted audiences in such diverse venues as the glamorous Theatre du Casino du Lac Leamy, the Ottawa Jazz Festival, and in various locations on tour through the spring of 2004. As a music educator Mark has taught trombone at Toronto's York University and Humber College, piano at Ottawa's Carleton University, and piano, arranging, and jazz improvisation at the Chelsea Bridge Summer Jazz Camp. He has directed the University of Ottawa Jazz Ensemble, and has served as a jazz clinician at high schools and universities across Canada.

For more information visit www.hollylarocqueentertainmentinc.com

 

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