Arete Productions to Stage SWING! at the New Vic Theatre, 3/5-15

Arete Productions -- the performance wing of the Santa Barbara School of Performing Arts -- will present the smash Broadway musical Swing!, a high-voltage celebration of the swing era of jazz, at the New Vic Theatre, March 5-7 and March 13-15.

Tony-nominated for best musical in 1999, Swing! features the beloved music of jazz greats such as Duke Ellington, William "Count" Basie, Benny Goodman, and Glenn Miller. A non-stop, high-energy extravaganza, the show includes toe-tapping hits "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)," "Sing, Sing, Sing," "Blues in the Night," "In the Mood," "GI Jive," and "Boogie- Woogie Bugle Boy (of Company B)" and many more. Swing! also showcases acrobatic dances like the Lindyhop, the Jitterbug, and the Whip.

Arete Productions is the company that brought the Tony Award-winning rock musical Rent to Santa Barbara last year, with four sold-out shows and a review by the national theater publication Broadway World. This year's production of Swing! promises to be just as exciting, with choreography by BASSH founder Derrick Curtis, along with Jessica Kurtzman and Robert Moore, and musical direction by Chuck "Dr. Jazz" Wood, who leads his all-star band.

Swing! is directed by Miriam Dance-Leavy, who is also performing, and features vocal direction by Arete founder Dauri M. Kennedy. The cast includes a score of talented Santa Barbara performers, including 2012 Teen Star finalist Megan Wilson, plus outstanding dancers and singers from Santa Barbara City College and UC Santa Barbara.

Arete Productions is the performance arm of Santa Barbara School of Performing Arts (SBSOPA), founded by Dauri M. Kennedy in 2012. SBSOPA's mission is to nurture, motivate and build confidence in our community's youth through the use of contemporary and classic theatrical works.

"We celebrate the theatre as a place that not only furthers on-stage talents, but also supports emotional, intellectual and physical growth," Kennedy says. "We produce one adult/professional show each year -- and this year we're thrilled to present Swing!"

In addition to directing the Santa Barbara School of Performing Arts and Arete Productions, Kennedy also heads DMK Studio and Performing and Visual Arts Camp (PVAC). She is on the music faculty of Marymount and Santa Barbara City College Adult Education and director of Inner Light Community Gospel Choir. She attended the renowned New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (NOCCA), earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Illinois and a Master of Music from UCSB. She is an alumna of the Music Academy of the West and was a featured soloist with the SB City College Jazz Band, Chamber Orchestra, and Grand Opera. Her extensive opera performances include lead roles with Seattle Opera, New Orleans Opera, and recently Des Moines Metro Opera.

Swing! will be presented at 8:00 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, March 5-7 and Friday through Sunday, March 13-15, 2015. There will also be a matinee performance on Sunday, March 15, at 2:00 p.m. All performances are at the New Vic Theatre, 33 W. Victoria St., Santa Barbara. Tickets are $25/general; $15/students and seniors; and $50 for VIP. Tickets can be purchased through the Ensemble Theatre Company/New Vic Theatre's website: www.ensembletheatre.com/boxoffice/tickets; or by calling (805) 965-5400.

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