1930s Big Band sound to kick off theater’s 80th anniversary
As the Big Band sound came on the scene in the 1930s, the State Theatre in Uniontown booked some of its biggest names, including Tommy Dorsey.The Pennsylvania native who played his trombone with such flair would become known as the “Sentimental Gentleman of Swing.” Dorsey’s orchestra played both hot dance tunes and sweet, romantic ballads so well that it ranked first in popularity in a 1941 poll of Big Bands. The hits seemed endless. “Once in a While,’ “Stardust,’ “On the Sunny Side of the Street,’ “I’ll Never Smile Again’ and “Night and Day’ were some of the many songs the public loved to hear.
They told stories of love and laughter and tears with such style and assurance that the songs have endured to this day. And so has The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra.
Now conducted by Buddy Morrow, The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra will return to Uniontown to open the 80th season for the State Theatre Center for the Arts at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26.
“Like ‘Old Man River,’ it keeps on rolling,’ joked Morrow, during a recent phone interview from his Tyler, Texas, hotel.
The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra continues to play to audiences around the world.
“We do about 75,000 miles a year,’ Morrow said.
The biggest audience for the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra is composed of the people who heard their songs the first time around.
“Our generation is living longer, and there is still a demand for the music it grew up with,’ Morrow said.
But new generations are also learning to appreciate the beauty of the songs.
Morrow said his audiences do include some younger members.
And Chris Wagner, executive director of the State Theatre, said some of the local schools are talking about doing a production of “Swing” instead of a full musical.
Big Band has always been popular at the State. Wagner reported that previous appearances by the Glenn Miller Orchestra have been well received.
“Whenever a Big Band like Tommy Dorsey or Glenn Miller plays, we know we’ll have a big audience because people want to come out for those types of shows,’ Wagner said.
Why are the orchestras so popular? It’s because of the music.
“They’re the kind of songs that last and last,’ Morrow said. “In our time, we had great composers like George Gershwin and Victor Young, all the way to the people who wrote Broadway shows. The music was well throughout, and it told a story.’
The strict standards of attracting top-quality musicians also plays a role in the music’s popularity. The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra included top performers, including musicians Bunny Berigan, Ziggy Elman, Pee Wee Erwin and Buddy Rich and legendary singer Frank Sinatra.
Today, the standards for Tommy Dorsey musicians are no less.
“In order to play these arrangements, they have to be accomplished,’ Morrow said. “Most are college and university bred.’
The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra continues to play Dorsey’s hits with all the original arrangements.
“People who come to hear it get the genuine thing,’ Morrow said.
“We still get the crowds. I want them to go away from the band smiling and remember the wonderful years they’ve lived. After all,’ he continued, “music is a very emotional product and if we can bring back the wonder of that music, then we’ve accomplished our purpose.’
For ticket information, call the State Theatre Center for the Arts at 724-439-1360.