DATELINE: February 5, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACTS:
Mark G. Auerbach
Mark G. Auerbach Public Relations
413-733-7095 or 413-427-7352
MOUNT HOLYOKE JAZZ ENSEMBLES PRESENT 8TH ANNUAL “BIG BROADCAST” ON SUNDAY, MARCH 10.
South Hadley, MA--The Jazz Ensembles of Mount Holyoke College will travel back in time to the 1940s for the eighth annual presentation of "The Big Broadcast!", to be held on Sunday, March 10, 2013 at 2PM and 7PM in Chapin Auditorium on the campus of Mount Holyoke College, Route 116 in South Hadley, MA. "The Big Broadcast!" is a part of Mount Holyoke College’s 175th Anniversary events series.
Mount Holyoke College music faculty member Mark Gionfriddo originally created "The Big Broadcast!" for a small cabaret group he directed, and incorporated it into the concert season at Mount Holyoke College.
“Students and I researched live radio broadcasts of the 1940s: the big band swing music, the radio serials and the commercials of the day”, said Gionfriddo. “We incorporate all of these elements into our production to give the audience the feel of an authentic radio variety program on a fictitious station named WJAZ".
Brian Lapis, Storm Team Meteorologist of WWLP-22 News, returns to “The Big Broadcast !”" for his sixth season as WJAZ announcer and emcee “Fred Kelley”.
Mark Gionfriddo, as WJAZ Maestro “Matt Morgan”, directs the students of the Mount Holyoke Big Band, Vocal Jazz, and Chamber Jazz Ensembles, who will perform well-known tunes from the swing era, including music by Irving Berlin, the Andrews Sisters, Bing Crosby, George Gershwin, Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa and Harry James, among others.
Mark Gionfriddo (“Matt Morgan”) is well known to area concertgoers as pianist, accompanist, composer, arranger, and musical director. His versatility and knowledge of many musical styles has brought him together with a wide range of popular and classical artists through the years, among them Mitzi Gaynor, Liberace, Al Martino, Anna Moffo, and Garrison Keillor. Mark's adventures while assistant conductor on board Cunard's MS Royal Viking Sun brought him around the world to 30 countries. Mark received his Bachelor's Degree in Piano from Skidmore College and Master's Degree in Accompanying from UMASS/Amherst.
He has been based at Mount Holyoke College since 1986 where he is a Senior Instructor in Jazz Piano as well as Director and Founder of the Jazz Ensembles. In 2006, Mark conducted the MHC Big Band during two episodes of the popular public radio quiz show “Says You!”. Last summer, Mark directed a revival of the Ed Kleban musical "A Class Act" at the Berkshire Theatre Festival in Stockbridge, MA and off-Broadway at the Robert Moss Theatre.
Brian Lapis ("Fred Kelley") joined the 22News Storm Team in 1996. He got his start in broadcasting at the age of 15 at radio station WILI, in his hometown of Willimantic, CT. He's worked as a radio on-air talent for stations in Hartford, CT; Philadelphia, PA; Syracuse, NY; and Providence, RI. Brian has a Bachelor's degree in Television Radio Film Management from Syracuse University. In addition, he holds a certificate in Broadcast Meteorology from Mississippi State University.
Cheryl Cobb, Lecturer in Music at Mount Holyoke College, will once again be featured as a sound effects artist in an original second act radio play. Gionfriddo’s Mount Holyoke College student producers are Ella Holmes’16, Melanie Stuart '14, Justine Marks '14, and Emily Moner ’13. Moner and Stuart serve the ensembles as coordinators of the vocal and instrumental jazz groups.
For a video trailer of "The Big Broadcast!":
Sponsors of "The Big Broadcast!" to date include: Mount Holyoke College, Baystate Health, The Republican/Mass Live, New England Public Radio, WWLP-TV22, Loomis Communities and Applewood/Amherst.
A portion of the proceeds from The Big Broadcast ! will benefit the Holyoke Rotary Club's Literacy Programs. Each year, Rotarians distribute dictionaries to every third grade student in Holyoke, Granby, and South Hadley. In total, they distribute approx 800. Currently the Holyoke Rotary Club, in partnership with the Holyoke Public Library and the Holyoke
Public Schools, is working on establishing a summer reading program to reduce summer learning loss. The first year of the three year pilot was held a Kelly School this past summer.
Tickets are general admission. $20.00 premium front and center seating. $15.00 regular seating. $10.00 seniors and students. Tickets available at Odyssey Bookshop, Village Commons, and The Northampton Box-Office. For phone orders: 413-586-8686 or 1-800-THE TICK. For online orders: nbotickets.com. Tickets will also be sold at the door one hour before each performance, subject to availability.
Chapin Auditorium is in Mary Wooley Hall on the campus of Mount Holyoke College,
Route 116, South Hadley, MA.
For directions to Mount Holyoke College:
For a campus map: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/campusmap/
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