Before the rockin' '60s, before the nifty-'50s, there were the smooth, soothing, swinging sounds of the 1940s. For anyone who missed that generation and for those who would like to relive it - if only for an evening - music from that era is coming to town. "In the Mood," a 1940s musical revue, will be presented Saturday at Bridges Auditorium on the campus of the Claremont College.
"This show is so much more than a concert," said Bud Forrest, the show's creator and producer. "It's not just another `big band passing through.' It's an event, a recreation of the life and time of America's greatest generation.
It's a powerful tribute to human spirit." The G-rated show is almost two hours long, including a 15-minute intermission. Featured music, performed by The String of Pearls Orchestra, includes works from Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Harry James, Erskin Hawkins, The Andrews Sisters and Frank Sinatra.
Stage director Brian Caplan teams up with Christina Ames as the crowd-pleasing swing dancers. "There's something in the show for everyone," Forest said. "Nostalgia, patriotism, just a compilation of feelings.
When people walk out, their spirits are lifted, some people are crying. Loved ones are remembered." According to its Web site, "In the Mood" began as a celebration of an unusual era in American music.
This body of song did much to sustain national morale during World War II, the pivotal event of the 1940s. The National Archives in Washington, D.C.
, brought the show to audiences as part of the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of World War II. It was so successful, its engagement was extended. For the past 16 years, "In the Mood" has toured the country and Europe to sold out houses.
Diana Sholley can be reached at or (909) 483-9381. When: 8 p.m.
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