MHC Presents The Big Broadcast! March 9

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The Jazz Ensembles of Mount Holyoke College will travel back to 1940 to present the third annual performance of The Big Broadcast! Sunday, March 9, at 2 pm and 7:30 pm in Chapin Auditorium. The event is sponsored by the MHC Music Department and WFCR/WNNZ, NPR News, and Music for Western New England.

Under the direction of Mark Gionfriddo, the Mount Holyoke Big Band, Vocal Jazz and Chamber Jazz Ensembles will perform well-known tunes from the swing era, including music by George Gershwin, Benny Goodman, and Cole Porter. Commercial jingles will also be included, and this year's radio play, always a highlight of the second act, will be an original soap opera written by students. The show is presented in theatrical style with costumes, make-up, hair, professional sound, and lights.

Brian Lapis, chief meteorologist for WWLP-TV 22 News, will join the cast as announcer "Fred Kelley." He and ensemble members will adopt the characters and identity of fictitious radio station WJAZ for this yearly presentation of a typical 1940s radio variety show.

Planning for The Big Broadcast! began during January Term, when Gionfriddo taught a class about creating a radio broadcast. Members of the class critiqued the last two installments of the show, researched trends of the era, and scripted dialogue as well as the radio play. The new show also includes a WJAZ station identification jingle, written by Gionfriddo, which has been part of the production from the beginning.

Gionfriddo, who is the director of jazz ensembles, Catholic music director, and a senior instructor at Mount Holyoke, has seen The Big Broadcast! become a sold-out show over the past three years.

"We seem to have found a project that allows the students to tap into their theatrical interests--while they discover a lot about our recent popular history. I'm delighted this has become somewhat of a tradition. People now look forward to it every year because of the nostalgia it creates," he said.

"The Big Broadcast is our most unique and exciting performance," said Rebecca Nowak '08, student coordinator of the Mount Holyoke Big Band. "It's wonderful to hear audience members comment on how we really brought them back in time. That kind of feedback speaks volumes about the success of the Jazz Ensembles' teamwork and the collaboration between vocalists and instrumentalists required to create that effect."

In addition to celebrating the third anniversary of the radio show, the Jazz Ensembles are celebrating the tenth anniversary this year of their performance activities at the College. Festivities will culminate with a special concert in May involving alumnae vocalists and instrumentalists who were former members of the ensembles.

Tickets for The Big Broadcast! are $10 for general admission and $5 for students and senior citizens. They are available through the MHC music department, located in Pratt Hall, or by calling 413-538-2306. Tickets will also be sold at the door before each performance. For more information, call 413-538-3140.

Related Links:

Music at MHC

Mark Gionfriddo

2007 Photo Gallery